AN INVESTIGATION OF THE COLOR-AFFECT HYPOTHESIS IN EXNERS COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM

The color-affect hypothesis states that color responses on the Rorscha ch provide information regarding an individual's emotional life. The p resent study explored the several color-affect interpretive hypotheses in Exner's popular Comprehensive System by using a theory-relevant me asure of affective modulation inferred from 32 undergraduates' behavio r in an emotionally salient dyadic interaction. Subjects designated as high affective modulators (n = 6) and low affective modulators (n = 1 0) according to Exner's theory were not significantly different on a d iscrepancy score measure of affective modulation. It is suggested that Rorschach color scores may be insensitive to the more subtle forms of affective modulation present in less emotionally disordered individua ls. Further research is suggested and caution is advised for clinician s assessing affective modulation styles in less severely disturbed pat ients based on traditional color-affect interpretive theory.