RAP - Coding Help

Virtual Psychology


Z-Score

Z score is coded in responses that involve organizational activity of relationships between distinct blot areas. Responses in which such organizational activity occurs are assigned a numerical value, called a Z score. For instance, for most blots it is easier to select a common detail area of the blot than to deliver a W answer.

A Z score is assigned to any response that includes form and meets at least one of the criteria shown in the table.


ZW


A whole response that has DQ of +, v/+, or o. (Not  Wv)


ZA


2 or more separate objects, perceived in adjacent detail areas, are reported in a meaningful relation.


ZD


2 or more separate objects, perceived in non-adjacent (distant) detail areas, are reported in a meaningful relation.


ZS


White space is integrated with other areas of the blot in forming a response. 
Other areas must also be included.

Clarification:

It is popular (P) to see D1 area of Card VIII as an animal. Some may report an animal on each side of the blot, but many report that the animals are climbing a tree or hill. In terms of organizational activity, the former animal (s) response is economic and simplistic whereas the later response represents a higher level of organization of the stimuli field.

Examples:
Card III - "2 dark people picking something", with D9 as a person and D7 as something. The location figure for Card III indicates that the response is to D1 area in which all the parts are connected = ZA.
Card V - "A bat" is a whole response involving form use = ZW.
Card III - "A butterfly (D3) flying over a pot (D7)" = ZD.
ZS - If white space use involves Z, other areas of the blot also most be used. The white space must be specified as part of the object.  It is not enough if the white space is only outlined within an object during the outline of its location.

Examples:

Card II - If DS5 is reported as a rocket, but no other blot area is included, this is not ZS.  But if the red D3 is used as its fire = ZS.

Another example, sometimes on Cards III and X the various parts of the blot are collectively identified as a face and specified as eyes, nose, mouth, beard, etc.  Although arbitrary lines, that encompass white space, are drawn, this is not ZS.

In contrast, "It's a face of a clown, these are the eyes and the nose and he has white paint on" = ZS.

Once it is apparent that at least one of the four criteria for Z Score exist in the response, the next step is to select the appropriate value to assign. The values differ, card by card, and depending on which of the criteria applicable. The values, shown in the table below, increase in relation to the complexity and effort required.

Z-Scores For Each Card

Card
 		 W
(DQ: +,v/+, o)		 Adjacent Areas Distant Areas White Space Integration
I 1 4 6 3.5
II 4.5 3 5.5 4.5
III 5.5 3 4 4.5
IV 2 4 3.5 5
V 1 2.5 5 4
VI 2.5 2.5 6 6.5
VII 2.5 1 3 4
VIII 4.5 3 3 4
IX 5.5 2.5 4.5 5
X 5.5 4 4.5 6

If more than one Z score exist, the higher value is assigned.

Examples:
If a response to the whole Card I is "A person in the middle (D4), and two people dancing around her (D2)", the criteria for ZW (Whole) and ZA (Adjacent Areas) are both meet. From the table, ZW=1.0 versus ZA=4.0. Thus, the higher value of 4.0 is assigned to the response.

The Z values are entered after the codes for content and popular such as shown below for a whole response to Card VIII.

W+ FMa.FCo (2) A, Ls, P 4.5