Splitting: An empirical study

In this study, the Rorschach scoring system for splitting developed by Lern er, Sugarman, and Gaughran (1981) was applied to the Holtzman Inkblot Techn ique (HIT). Normal individuals (n = 30), patients with neurotic disorders ( n = 30), patients with borderline personality disorder (n = 30), patients w ith acute schizophrenia (n = 25) and patients with chronic schizophrenia (I I = 25) were studied with respect to their use of splitting. Sufficient int errater reliability was demonstrated for the scoring of splitting in the HI T. Significant differences between borderline patients, acute schizophrenic patients, and chronic schizophrenic patients, on tie one hand, and patient s with neurotic disorders, on the other hand, were dernonstrated. Furthermo re, it was shown that the indicators of splitting were associated with meas ures of identity diffusion, primitive defense mechanisms, and other measure s of psychopathology. The Lerner indicator of splitting proved to be multid imensional. Different forms of splitting seem to be characteristic of borde rline patients and schizophrenic patients. The application of the Lerner cr iteria of primitive defenses to the HIT appears to be promising. (Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 63[3], 520-537).