You are studying the modal personality of a particular group of people by giving them Rorschach tests.In American society,a response to the white background (the PG on which the inkblots are placed)has been associated with the psychological trait of negativism.You are puzzled because you are getting a lot of white responses,but the people don't appear to be negative in other respects.Then you find out that their favorite color is white,and that they are treating the color of the PG not as a background but as a part of the design of the inkblot.This is an example of one of the problems faced by people trying to measure modal personality,which is that:

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This scenario highlights the cultural bias inherent in using a test like the Rorschach that was developed in a specific cultural setting and may not be appropriate or valid for use in other cultures or societies. The response to the white background as a sign of negativism is specific to American culture and may not be applicable in other cultures where white may have a different symbolic meaning.

You Are Studying the Modal Personality of a Particular Group