Introduction to R-PAS: Rationale, Administration, Coding, and Interpretation 

Gregory J. Meyer, Ph.D., and Joni L. Mihura, Ph.D, ABAP

This well-liked and highly informative online workshop by Gregory J. Meyer, Ph.D. and Joni L. Mihura, Ph.D. comprehensively introduces the foundations for R-PAS and its use in applied practice. It is ideal for two types of participants: a) those with no previous Rorschach training or experience and b) those who are experienced with previous Rorschach systems and want a thorough “hands on” understanding of how to confidently use R-PAS in applied practice or teach it to others. With respect to the latter, many very experienced assessors have found this to be an extremely useful training experience, even though it is also ideal for beginners.

The workshop alternates between lecture, presentations, and interactive experience with every aspect of R-PAS administration, coding, and interpretation. The course takes place across six days spread over three consecutive weeks, with two initial meetings lasting for a full day and the other four lasting for a half day. This structure capitalizes on the online format, which does not require anyone to travel, in order to serve two aims. First, by distributing the training over three weeks, you will have time between meetings to practice administration and coding, discuss questions, and receive feedback in order to better internalize these practical skills. Thus, if you complete the between meeting assignments successfully, by the end of the training, you should be ready to start using R-PAS in your practice. Second, meeting for two full days followed by four half days rather than two more full days allows more people living in various time zones to attend.

It will be essential for you to have an R-PAS Manual available during the workshop (The Rorschach Performance Assessment System, Administration, Coding, Interpretation and Technical Manual, by Meyer, Viglione, Mihura, Erard, & Erdberg, 2011), and you should read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 before attending. Ideally, you also should have access to a set of inkblots during the training. After registering for the workshop, you will receive a 10% discount code to use when ordering the Manual or other tangible products at https://r-pas.org/.

To facilitate your ability to use R-PAS, you will receive free electronic aids for administration, coding, and interpretation. In order to code responses and generate normed results on r-pas.org, you will receive two free protocol allocations; one to use for coding practice during the training and one to use with your first R-PAS case. To facilitate case interpretation, you will receive one free Case-Based Interpretive Guide that you can attach to the case protocol. Finally, to facilitate administration you will receive one free use of the electronic administration application (e-Admin App), which provides everything you need for a computerized administration, interfaces with your R-PAS account, and offers optional speech to text functionality. (This currently is in beta testing.)

In order to receive the protocol allocations, Interpretive Guide, and e-Admin App allocation you will need an R-PAS account prior to the start of the workshop. Accounts are free and R-PAS does not share user information with others. If you are authorized to practice assessment independently, it is easy to register and gain approval (https://r-pas.org/Register.aspx). If you are not yet eligible to practice on your own, you should obtain a free subaccount under another user (e.g., supervisor, instructor). In addition to allocating your complimentary products, you need an account so you can access and use the site during the workshop.

Comments from Previous Workshop Attendees

• "Fantastic!!"
• "This was a great training, worth every second and penny."
• "Great interactions with students and each other."
• "Both were outstanding and engaging presenters. It's always nice to listen to people who 'know their stuff' but can also communicate it so clearly."
• "I would absolutely recommend this program to others! This was worth every cent and the time commitment!"
• "Very clear, organized information, thoughtfully and knowledgeably presented."
• "My facility with and understanding of the Rorschach and R-PAS improved substantially and more than I anticipated. Thank you for an incredibly helpful and informative program."
• "The program was excellent and the presenters did a great job and were very knowledgeable. I would definitely attend another workshop or webinar."
• "Very nice workshop. Well organized in terms of content and flow of topics… Overall it was an excellent training!"
• "Very helpful from basic introductory knowledge to complex aspects of administration, interpretation, and coding."
• "Clarity of presentation great. Great guidelines for differentiation of various R-PAS variables."
• "The practice was incredibly helpful. Thank you!"
• "This was a great training and I will recommend it to my coworkers. Thank you very much!"

Educational Objectives

 Friday (May 13^th)

1. List two reasons why use of the Rorschach task can helpfully complement self-report inventories.
2. Describe the rationale for developing R-PAS.
3. Describe the primary consideration when selecting variables to include in R-PAS.
4. List two of the five main problems that R-PAS aimed to fix.
5. List two of the “Six Steps to Using R-PAS in Practice.”
6. Describe how internationally collected data on “fit” and “frequency” contributed to the R-PAS Form Quality tables.

Saturday (May 14^th)

1. Describe how to code four variables from three of the simpler coding categories (Location, Content, Object Qualities)
2. Describe how to code four variables from three of the more complex coding categories (Determinant, Cognitive, and Thematic codes).
3. Identify how coding Oral Dependent Language differs from coding all other variables.
4. Explain two of the six Coding Principles.
5. Identify one variable that tends to be coded less reliably than the others.
6. Demonstrate coding skills with practice examples from the manual and discuss challenges.

Friday (May 20^th)

1. Describe what it means to use R-Optimized administration.
2. Describe your primary task when completing the Response Phase.
3. Describe your primary task when completing the Clarification Phase.
4. List two problems that may arise from problematic seating during administration.
5. Describe the main choice point for deciding if you need to ask a Clarification Phase question.
6. Identify the four situations that trigger a Clarification Phase question for determinants.

Saturday (May 21^st)

1. Describe one of the primary purposes for using the Administration Checklist.
2. Demonstrate administration skills via small group practice
3. List two respondent communications that you overlooked when serving as the practice assessor.
4. Describe two of the composite variables computed at the protocol level.

 Friday (May 27^th)

1. Identify two key features of the R-PAS online scoring system.
2. Identify three of the resources available to account holders on the R-PAS site designed to facilitate learning administration, coding, or interpretation.
3. Identify how the R-PAS norming procedure to generate standard scores for interpretation overcame the historical challenge of developing such scores for Rorschach variables.
4. Identify the key features that differentiate the Page 1 and Page 2 variables in the results output.

Saturday (May 28^th)

1. Describe two of the general principles for R-PAS interpretation.
2. Identify the two types of information provided for each variable in the Case-Based Interpretive Guide.
3. Describe the four procedural steps used for interpretation (“The 4 Ss”).
4. Demonstrate interpretation skills via a case interpretation.
5. Describe the role of non-normed idiographic response information for informing interpretation.
6. List two resources available to help develop skill with interpretation.

IV. Course Outline, including time devoted to each topic:

Schedule

For full day meetings, there will be two 10-minute breaks in the morning, a 45-minute break for lunch, and three 10-minute breaks in the afternoon. For half day meetings, there will be three 10 minute breaks. All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), which is Universal Coordinated Time minus 4 (UTC -4). To find equivalents in a different time zone, see https://www.timeanddate.com/time/map/.

Tentative Agenda:

Day 1 – Friday (May 13^th)

• 8:45 am: The online meeting room opens; it would be wise to check in to make sure your system is set.
• 9:00 am to 12:30 pm: Introduction: Why use the Rorschach and why use R-PAS; 6-Step overview of how R-PAS works – Lecture
• 12:30 to 1:15 pm: Lunch
• 1:15 to 5:00 pm: Coding, Part 1 – Lecture interspersed with practice as a group

Between Day Homework: Finish coding 1^st 10 of 100 example responses if needed

Day 2 – Saturday (May 14^th)

• 9:00 am to 12:30 pm: Coding, Part 2 - Lecture interspersed with practice as a group; Coding principles – Lecture; Review of independently completed practice coding – Group discussion
• 12:30 to 1:15 pm: Lunch
• 1:15 to 5:00 pm: Practice coding – Small group practice, followed by group discussion

Between Week Homework: Code the next 25 Example Responses in the manual

Day 3 – Friday (May 20^th)

• 11:00 am to 2:00 pm: Administration, Part 1 (Response Phase, documentation) – Lecture; Administration, Part 2 (Clarification Phase, documentation) – lecture;
• 2:00 to 3:00 pm: Identifying what the assessor should do next and challenges with seating – Group discussion.

Between Day Homework: Read the instructions for the Administration Packets and pick one packet (A, B, or C) to familiarize yourself with the roles

Day 4 – Saturday (May 21^st)

• 11:00 am to 2:00 pm: Practice with Administration Packets – Small group practice, followed by group discussion
• 2:00 to 3:00 pm: Converting response level codes to protocol level variables, Part 1 – Lecture

Between Week Homework: Practice an R-PAS administration

Day 5 – Friday (May 27^th)

• 11:00 am to 12:00 pm: Processing your practice administration
• 12:00 to 1:00 pm: Converting response level codes to protocol level variables, Part 2 – Lecture
• 1:00 to 3:00: Normative data – Lecture; Introduction to www.r-pas.org and understanding the R-PAS output – Lecture and group discussion

Between Day Homework: Read the RM case interpretation in the manual

Day 6 – Saturday (May 28^th)

• 11:00 am to 12:00 pm: Principles of interpretation – Lecture
• 12:00 to 3:00 pm: Interpretation with a case example and summarizing R-PAS data to generate interventions and recommendations – Interactive lecture with group discussion.

Fees: The cost for the six days is $800. Students (40% off), university instructors (20% off), and clinical supervisors (10% off) may request a discount code before completing registration by contacting us at info@r-pas.org; students should submit proof of academic enrollment or an unofficial transcript, while instructors and supervisors should submit some documentation attesting to their role. Discounts are not available after registration is completed. 

Cancellations: Cancellations can be requested up to seven (7) days prior to the start of the event.  Qualified cancellation requests will result in a refund of the amount paid minus a $25 processing fee, payable by check or PayPal (credit cards will not be credited).

Continuing Education Credit:  Participants are eligible for 27 hours of continuing education credit. The program must be completed in its entirety with sign-in each morning and sign-out each evening to qualify for this credit (i.e., partial hours cannot be accommodated). CEs are provided through Alliant International University. Alliant International University is approved by the American Psychological Association to Sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Alliant International University maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 

CE Fee: There is an additional $30 charge to obtain a CE certificate. If you wish to receive CE, please select this option when registering. 

Facilitators: 

Gregory J. Meyer, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toledo, where he has been since 2003. Before this, he was at the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was the director of the inpatient and outpatient Psychological Assessment Service. He was the Editor of the Journal of Personality Assessment from 2002 to 2013. His research focuses on psychological assessment, with an emphasis on the integration of personality assessment methods. Much of his work has addressed performance-based measures of psychological processes, most notably with the Rorschach. With more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, he has made many contributions to the published literature in this area, as well as in psychometrics and assessment more generally. He regularly provides invited lectures and trainings internationally. On four occasions, the Society for Personality Assessment recognized him with Distinguished Contribution Awards for articles in the published literature. He also received the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Assessment Psychology by the Assessment Section of Clinical Psychology (American Psychological Association, Section IX, Division 12). He is a Fellow of Division 5 (Evaluation, Measurement, & Statistics) of the American Psychological Association and of the Society for Personality Assessment. In addition to co-authoring the manual for the Rorschach Performance Assessment System, he co-edited a casebook entitled Using the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS).

 Joni L. Mihura, Ph.D., ABAP, is Professor of Psychology at the University of Toledo. She received early career awards from the American Psychoanalytic Association and the Society for Personality Assessment (SPA), as well as the Walter G. Klopfer Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Literature from SPA. She is an SPA Fellow, has served several years on its board of trustees, and is currently the President Elect. Dr. Mihura serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Personality Assessment and Rorschachiana. She has published many articles and chapters on psychological assessment and is coeditor of the Handbook of Gender and Sexuality in Psychological Assessment and Using the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS). She is a codeveloper of R-PAS (www.r-pas.org) and presents invited lectures and trainings internationally.