A Rorschach Tension Score and the Diurnal Lymphocyte Curve in Psychotic Subjects

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The relationship between two aspects of the lymphocyte diurnal rhythm (LDR) and a “tension” or affectivity score derived from the Rorschach test is reported for 15 male psychotic (mostly schizophrenic) patients. The rate of diurnal increase in count (slope) and erraticness of that increase (standard error of estimate) were computed for each subject as an average of three days of lymphocyte counts. The mean slope has a product moment correlation of -0.52 with tension and the mean of the standard error of estimate correlates 0.50 with tension scores. A composite score for each subject of these two aspects of the LDR correlated 0.67 with the Rorschach tension score. Comparison of the results of the present study with previous work suggests the following hypothesis. For the same level of affectivity or psychologic tension the psychotic is far more erratic than the normal in his LDR. It is only at much reduced levels of affective reactivity or tension that the diurnal counts of psychotics approximate those found in the normal.