JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT, 1992, 58(3}, 548-570 Copyright © 1992, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc Revisiting the Rorschach of Sirhan Sirhan J. Reid Meloy Department of Psychiatry Universty of California, San Diego The published Rorschach (Kaiser, 1970) of Sirhan Sirhan, the man who assassi- nated presidential aspirant Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, was studied. Psycho- structural and psychodynamic analyses were conducted using reliable and val methodology that was unavailable at the time of examination, in contrast to defense experts at trial who diagnosed paranoid schizophrenia, the data suggest a depressed and suicidal individual organized at a borderline evel of personality Character pathology is hysterical, paranoid, and dependent. When the Rorscha findings are compared to the developmental history of Sirhan and the behavi around the time of the assassination, the data are somewhat consistent with the theme of psychic trauma, are very consistent with the theme of recurrent loss pathological mourning, and validate a characteroiogicat distrust and hatred of, yet hysterical dependence on, the object world. Rorschach indices of predatory violence (Meloy, 1988a) in relation to the planned and purposeful assassination are also discussed, a occasion, 1s been said that one act by one uninown ink course of history. Such may have been the case wher Bishara Sirhan, 2 24-year oid Palestinian immigrant, assassinated Democratic presidential aspirant Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. Kennedy had just won the California Democratic Primary and fini victory speech when he entered a poorly lit food service corridor lead the Embassy Ballroom in the Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel. Ie was 12:15 a.m. Sichan stepped from behind 2 food tray rack end pointed his .22 caliber Iver-Johnson revolver within an inch of the back of Kennedy's head. The first and fatal Mini-Mag hollow point bullet shattered his right mastoid bone and lodged in the right hemisphere of his cerebellum. The second and third bullets entered the back of his right armpit. Five other rounds were rapidly fired. There were 77 peopie in the pantry. Six of them, including Kennedy, became victims.SIRHAN RORSCHACH 549 Sirhan was wrestled onto 2 steam table, where police handcuffed him and immediately took him from the hotel. Kennedy died 25 hr later (Clarke, 1982; Kaiser, 1970). Daring the summer and fall of that year, the defendant underwent unprece- dented psychiatric and peychological examination by eight different clinicians. ‘The defense ceam included Bernard Diamond, MD, Eric Marcas, MD, Martin Schors, PhD, and Roderick Richardson, PAD. Steven Howard, PhD, and William Crain, PhD, consulted with the defense doctors. The prosecution team included Seymour Poilack, MD, Georgene Seward, PhD, George De Vos, PhD, and Leonard Olinger, PAD. Siehan Sirhan was administered the Rorschach on two occasions, first by Richardson and then by Schorr. The Rorschach cest data were entered into eviclence at trial and discussed in detail, The first Rorschach protocol, including miniature inkbiots and location scoring, was published in Kaiser (1970. The second Rorschach protoco! was administered severa! months later by Schorr in the presence of a team of deputies, an attorney, a writer, and 2 legal assistanc. Ic was not published, ‘The purpose of this study was to generate and cest clinical hypotheses from the first Rorschach protocol through the use of reliable and valid interpretative systems unavailable in 1968. Although an idiographic scady does not subscan- tially contribute to nomothetic scientific knowledge, this individual's psv- chology does find importance in the historical event of the Robert F. Kennedy assassination, given the small number of American assassins that are available for study in any one generation.’ METHOD. The Rorschach protocol posed three difficulties (Table 1). First, the examiner did not limir the number of responses, yielding 2 protocol with 63 responses. This tends to disproportionately increase the number of D and Dd location responses, and X +% may be lower than average due to a higher frequency of unusual enswers (Exner, !986a). Second, the examiner failed to inquire on 19 30%) of the responses. Ritzler and Nalesnik (1990) found that with no inquiry, color and shading determinants are reduced, pure F is therefore inflated, and blends decrease. Special Score (Exner, 1986a) categories measuring formal thought disorder are also difficult to determine. All of these scores would affect several composite scores, including distortion of EB in the introversive direc- "Clarke (1982) noced 16 actual assassination attempts between 1835, when Richard Lawrence failed to kill President Andrew Jackson, and 1981, when John Hinckles, J Ronald Reapan. Al of ches eterpes were dzected against nationally promunent political figures, 7 cof whom died asa resulc oftheir woundsTABLE 1 ‘The Rorschach Protocol of Sirhan Sichan CARDI Fee seen it before, 1 still don't know. Looks lke the back part of a chicken, You fry # chicken. That's the only thing Tcan... 2. A butterfly in Bight. 3. A frog. 4, Two birds doves, 5. Coastline 6, Mountains 7. Clouds 5 clits &. About. CARD T BO. A crown, A diamond. A satellite, you know, space ‘A biaod smear on @ microscope thing Across. 35. Blood! (Looks intently at the blot.) A face of a person. Glass, An elephant or 2 bear. CARD It 1B. A couple of dancers les the whole thing, this being the center. I've ‘eaten some chicken. E never usd to like chat part, #1 could avoid i. i's very boar. ‘The body is here and here are the wings. Looks like the internal dissection of i. From the lite of what ! remember, this looks like the cloaca, (Top da} (How does it appear?) at though they have just landed, From a top view lke from an airplane. Looks like both s photo and an aerial view could be sicher. Ican see islands, » Looking down from a plane, the darker Is very dark, Just about ready to start to rain Dark clouds. “This reminds me of cliff looking far away. “The space is the water. Je looks like the top of a bowl, like i's curved here. t king. is lois like & diamond or the sop of @ mosque. A minaret up here. Is the same space, the cut of it. Tes the same ares. vou know, just the shape of In here looks like biood smeared around. (Red shading in the dark ares, lower right) es ar che top, 2 Rosiecucian cross i che way f think of i All of the red especialy here (lower D3 faoks like mixed with other liquids WW}. tn the space here, 8 crown for a queen or 8 5. Profile (red, at cop). projects no feling to me. () Madness (, anger—the teeth are showing, they Iook more like women than ). The GOP elephant (popular area). Maybe i ‘could be just « bear, A jovial bunch of Negro drum players ‘Watusi~ although up herethie much looks like foxee~more animal than human— looks like 2 werewolf ('ex’). Oh, men. (Continued(Continued CARD Hi (continued 1. Lange. 20, Cauliflower 21, Sterna, This is the seeroum. ist it. 25. Underwater piantations~piant fife kelp (grimace), 24, A medieval castle, abondoned, 25, An X-ray of the chest (grimace! 26. Points ar own stomach? I see these smascles, the abdominal muscles. 27. Very dark—serpents (rimacing) Bunks. Looks ready to strike 28, Az animal on hind legs. 29. The hoof of an anims! CARD V 30. A Bird, A big cape ike. Fiving head-on 31, A chicken leg, Fries chicken, Horns, took lke the ears of @ kengaroo. 33. A ballet dances. 34. A seal CARD Vi BAe 36, This chicken comes in here again, 37 A lamp. 19, (Center D iower.} Looks like « cauliflower cally. see al! the fine edges—che edge of it looks like « cauliflower, Also looks Hie the trachea, leading ¢o bronchial tubes. 2. (Side d.} Maybe 6 turkey~Red made me think of Looks ike seeing through kelp, this depeh thing here. 1 see is? Looking through i all. (Adationat comment.} [Now i feet like saving it looks like @ casket co sme. It represents death 24, (Top dat 25. Well going dows: the center here top in the shading Jocks like the mascles around the neck, 26. (Center line just above center). The shading fa here looks like the abdominal musces, (Addiciona comment.) ‘This much here is wav our beyond. It goes Devond. cen’ describe it 28. (Center D) Sav a penguin, 29, id at the bottom of D 50. «WL EM, A Pe 31. You know these advertisements for fe chicken. Some old man hae all hese feanchites for fred chicken 32. Looks like horns and ears of s kangaroo, looking straight at me. Right in here, 53, The leg ace heey he stan all shat foatng around (Gestaren) Jo the ls and standing on the toes, Just the center bottom legs ust the tip of the top d.) Eyes. whiskers No inquiry Tes che brightest spor in the biot. {dd ot center line } ws (Consinued 51TABLE 1 (Continued) CARD VI (continued) 5 39. +0. a a 8 CARD Arocket. An ow have a feting of high altitude, “The bust of a female from the chest up. “The claws of an eagle or predatory bird Walking in @ very dense forest, « lot of foliage Vertebree, & 6 48. 8. 50, 5h 32 52. 58, . Edn know, i “Monkey with til Bears. Stuffed bears. A jigsaw pase Adam. Acanal. A map of Egypt, you know the ‘boundaries. ‘The Delta River, no, # delta, 2 iv Towers (very ruminative, vit “The spine. The vertical column. is it vertical? desert plant. Grows very tll not a cactus. I don't know the name Boats 552 48, (The center tine, lower 2, P+} 39. No inquiry, 40. From che cliff. Very high. Looks like iooking vvery high and from 2 high alticude, 2. (Tip of outer cop extension di) 42. Just chese ciaws here. 43, Looks lke an serial view what you might see around the equator. (Center, both sides in shading? 44 No inguiry (Limits) Can yor find anything ‘of ssexua! nature in this parnicuiar blot? “Yeah, you mean his being che vagina’” Whet shout an enim! skin or & hide that’s often seen on this card? Oh, yeah she whoie thing. “Thats beautiful: Looks lke the fur side— Again this foliage 45. Heade, playful. The heade and the tale (ait is the usual ear} 46. A bears heas. The expression is wicked, mean, mad Ac jsaw parle (W no inquiry) 48 Adam. Inguiry~a canal, more lke in Egypt. 50. (One side of lower D.) 52. The cowers very distant. (At top of the cen: fez.) Very mountainous—might be 2 church one diff, 53. D.FALP. 54, GBlue area.) Is that blue or greet ~like the ‘United Nations flags at the top of the butld- ings. “The spine, the center line~the spins! cokuma. 56, Patient suddenly verbalizes~"The colors shock me=no=? don't know —I feel very ji ery! can't hold sell,~ie stirs me read this ‘magazine article on the 20th anniversary of the State of Israel. Ie was in color—that color~I hate che jews. There was jubilation —I {ele chat they were saying in the article, we bbeat the Arabs~it burns the shit out of me, ‘here was happiness and jubilation." (Continued?SIRHAN RORSCHACH 553 TABLE 1 (Continued) CARD IX ‘Schoo! class—in biology—plant Ife 59. The smear of = bocanica! slide {W). The color under a microscope =I don't remember the name of this plant. them at the same eme~it confuses me, It just raves in dezrees. shes] am not used to too many of Apples. Fire Its weied, (shakes head), Whew! It hae depth—ite too deep. Whew! 62, Ids 2 cacophony of enlors,¢ chose legs! This here looks (6 second incervsi.) 0, not # rats Mies a bat [F& really about ali on this one? “The whole cing looks like monstrosities. Fes seer upset. t's frightening —it more vulgat fe avoid it Everybody wants to ‘all seem the sam fon to you~ with all those lege! The ‘wickedness! Too many entanglements! ‘minute you're within reach vau're in their clugehes 63. Biood! (Grimace, puts card away 2, AWhar abour the biood?? I seem to asociste uickls.) the whole thing negatively with blood. (What bout the ced ares? Ic looks like liver to me— some kind of meat. (Grimace.} ¥¢ rather not even discuss it-Pe rather not even discuss tion, the attenuation of EA and es, and increased Lambda. The Suicide Consteliation, Depression Index, and Schizophrenia Index (Exner, 1986a) would aiso be less sensitive to pathology. Ritzier and Nalesnik (1990) concluded, “subjects whose protocols have no inquiry may appear more introverted, jess emotionally expressive, more rigid and controlled, less suicidal and depressed, and/or jess peychotic” (p. 652). They also found, however, that only 6 of 33 essential Comprehensive System indices demonstrated significant differences without inquiry across four groups of subjects. 1 addressed this problem by applying the Ritcler and Nalesnik (1990) liberalized scoring rules to the responses without inquiry. I assumed this application would restore the validity of overall scoring for these responses, except for Special Scores. The inability to ferzet out vista (V} from form dimension (FD) responses with the liberalized scoring rules would also obscure the former and increase the latter. The third problem was a “cesting of the limits” for sex and texture done by the examiner co response Number 44 (Card VB. Although both a sex response and implied texture response were elicited, I did not score them, and subsequent responses did not yield a sex content or texture determinant. “The protocol was scored using the Exner (1986a} Comprehensive System, and interpretive hypotheses were generated with the Rorschach Interpretation As- sistance Program, Version 2 (Exner, 1990). Interrater agreement was determined554 MELOY by a second independent scoring of the protocol. The protocol was also scored for defense mechanisms (Cooper & Arnow, 1986; Cooper, Perry, & Arnow, 1988), primitive (borderline) object relations (Kwawer, 1980), and Mutuality of ‘Axtonomy (MOA} responses (Urist, 1977}. Our aggression scores (Meloy & Gacono, in press) and Gacone’s (1990) impressionistic response were also scored. ‘The Rorschach was then compared to results of a study by Miner and De Vos (1960) concerning Algerian males and the Rorschach acculturation hypotheses ‘of Meyers (in press). The question of malingering was also considered. Rorschach data were then compared to peychiatric and psychological diagnoses at the trial, major developmental events in the childhood and adolescence of Sirhan Sirhan, and his behavior around the time of the assassination. RESULTS Psychostructural Data ‘The Comprehensive System (Exner, 1990) sequence of scores and structural summary for the Sirhan protocol aze listed in Table 2 and Tabie 3. Interrater agreements for five scoring categories were: 98% for developmental quality, 85% for determinants, 100% for form quality, 87% for content, and 87% for special scores (M = 91%}. Differences were resolved through discussion between Erdberg and me, the independent raters. The protocol was positive for both the Depression Index (Score 7) and the Suicide Constellation (Score 8). The Rorschach Interpretation Assistance Program, Version 2 (Exner, 1990) generated 43 hypotheses, which are summarized according to each psychological ‘operation. Affect. Characteristics common to those who have attempted or effected suicide, frequent and intense experience of affective disruption, probabie major affective or dysthymic disorder, tendency to merge feelings and thinking during trial-and-error problem solving, serious emotional modulation problems, con- vveys impressions of impulsiveness, less mature psychological organization for age, tendency (© avoid emotional stimuli, currently experiencing distress or discomfort, excessive introspection focusing on negative features, irritated by testing, confused and intense feelings experienced, and difficulty bringing closure to emotional situations. Capacity for controt and stress tolerance. Unusually good capacities for control, considerable tolerance for stress, pervasive stabilization, and readily able to formulate and give direction to behaviors.TABLE 2 Comprehensive System Sequence of Scores for the Sirhan Protocol Card Loc. —€ — Determinantisi {2} Contents Fop 2 Special Scores ianas rc eee nea Fé 10 PER 2 We =} FMao A Pie Oo neat anes An 4 Dido 28 EMp~ 2 4 5 Die 99 FDw Ls, Se 6 Dé = FD YF ks 7 Die oY a 8 DéSo 32 Dw Ne 3s 8 Dio 8 Fe Hh Bo D&S S$ & bt Ho DS $y art 48 Boy is Se 3 Dw 9 CY B ieee ogee eter are B We 1 Cc B Do 2 Mp 20 Hd, Hs, Are AG De ot Be IAL, Are P m 18 De 1 Mpo 2 HL Ay P39 INCI, COP Do 7 20 De RL De By ND Dw 9 AB, MOR 4 Doo 25 Dido 8 26 Dde «98 PER De 4 % Do 1 Dio 99 Venn ee reeees 18 3h De DR 32 De 6 Ie 3B Wt RE BWe 18 VI 35 Dido 98 36 Dido 99 psv 7 Dido 3 38 Dek De 5 4 Die 8 4i Dio 2 2 Die 2 3 We 4 De ‘Continued556 © MELOY TABLE 2 (Continued) Cart Ne. Loc. — Determinane(s} (2) Cancers) Pop Z_—_Speciat Scores vi 4 Dok FM 204A 46 De 3 Mo 2 tad AG, INC We 1 Fe ie Ce Le, Se 49 Dé 8 Fx Le, Se 50 Di 23 Bw Ge We ot La St De 8 FDw 2 Es,Se Mo eo i Ayar 5: Do 5 Fo 20 Ar 9$ Dis HL Fo An 56 Wo 1 FO Br 45° DR? 57 Dé 99 Be 2s ss We 1 2 id as mm 9 We 1 CER Br, Se PER, DR © D 6 & 2 FE & Deo 3 ov FB X 6 We 1 CEMp- Got A 5S GB Ww 1 Cc Bi, Fa ‘Summary of Approach 1:W.W.D.Dé.Dd Dé. Da.DaS.Dd Vid DiDLD.D.DADLDAW.D EDS.DS.DS.D4.D.W.D.D. VILD.D.W.D.DaDé.W.D HEDD.D.DD. VUED.D.DaW.DaW IV:Dd.D&.DéDd.D.D.DE VeW.D.D.W.W Situational stress. Significant increase in stimulus demands due to situa- tional stress, some decisions and behaviors may not be as well organized as usual, potential for impulsiveness is considerable, vulnerable to disorganization in complex situations, and added psychological complexity and confused feelings are results of current stress condition. Self-perception. Regards himself as less favorable when compared to others, engages in more introspection than is customary, focuses on perceived negative features of the self-image, frequent painful feelings concerning negative self- value, which is largely based on imaginary rather than real experience, issues of self deait with in 2 detached and overly inteliectualized manner that tends to distort reality, unusual body concern and preoccupation. Interpersonal perception and relations. Does not experience needs for emo- tional closeness; maintains distance and safety in celations, but prefers depen- dency on others, cteating conflict; normatively interested in others; takes aTABLE 3 Comprehensive System Seructurai Summary for the Sishan Protocol LOCATION DETERMINANTS FEATURES BLENDS SINGLE S-CONSTELLATION YES EVEVFHV+FD>2 YES. CoiShd BI>0 DYE 3 YES.Byo<.31,> cy 6 NO.MOR>3 cy 6 NO.2é > 23.5 FYEM 2 YES.e0> BA Mam I YES.CPHO>EC DYE i YES.X4+9<.79 RYE 6 YES.S>3 cv 6 NO.Pe3o >8 CEM ° YES Pure H <2 6 NO.R< 7 dQ 6 8... TOTAL Q-1 e + 229 e SPECIAL SCORINGS = Un 1 Letts? oto 6 by ReD INC at DR 3 Ish FAR = Ost Oar ALOG = OxS FORM QUALITY CON =a? sume = 5 FOr FOF MQuet SOx WSUME = 20 +20 0 0 0 erm 8 3G AB or ba 0 6 AG MOR -=u 6 2 28 CFB PER ne = So - 0 0 @ cor Pa RATIOS, PERCENTAGES, AND DERIVATIONS 8 Lee FOCFHC = 27 COP=} AG PweC = 4 Food (00 EASISO EBPe = 2.9 A = 021 boiace/R ae ee s = 4 HenhHacds Adjes =I] Ad D= +! Bled: = 9:63 (HBANAAd: cP 20 H+AHe+Ad SHR ep Eu MaMp "> =6 DAB+ArctAy = 13 WSin6 = 29 -X-% = O19 WM = 145 AutXs =P Me = 2 Mnone= 9 S-%=00 DQt= 2 MOR 2 SCz=3 DEP = 557558 © MELOY passive, but not necessarily submissive, role in relationships; insecure about personal integrity, and will tend to be authoritarian when relations eppear to challenge the self; regarded by others as rigid or narrow and will have difficulty maintaining relations; likelihood of forceful and aggressive behaviors, but may not be obvious or direct because of passive tendencies; less involved in social interactions, probably due to timidity. Information processing. A marked tendency to nerrow or simplify stimulus ft for fields, 2 form of psychological economizing that can create a potent behaviors that do not coincide with social demands or expectations, a pref cence for fess complex stimulus fields, and lite effort made to organize and integrate fields of information in a complex or sophisticated manner. Cognitive mediation. Likelihood of less conventional responses and behav- lors; may reflect individualism, social alienation, or more serious mediational or affective modulation problems; will likely result in a strong orientation to distance from an environment that is perceived as threatening, demanding, and tungiving: @ tendency to overpersonalize stimuli; perceptual inaccuracy and mediational distortion, Ideation. Thinking is usually merged with feelings during problem solving, which may give nse to more elaborate patterns of thought and acceptance of imprecise or ambiguous logic systems. Feelings can be put aside in favor of an ideational approach; ideational sets and values are well fixed; chronic and higher than expected levels of ideational activity outside the focus of attention; excessive use of fantasy to deny reality and avoid responsibility in decision making, creating a self imposed helplessness; a iong-standing pattern of limited concentration and interruptions in deliberate thinking; intellectualization is a major defense in affectively stressful situations; vulnerable to disorganization during intense emotional experiences because this pseudo-intellectual process becomes less effective; there i a presence of seriously disturbed thinking, marked by flawed judgment, conceptualization, and disorganized patterns of decision making; and this promotes distortions of reality and marked predisposition toward pathology. In summary, the Comprehensive System interpretive hypotheses suggest thet Sirhan Sirhan, at the time of testing, was suicide! and profoundly dysphoric, confused by intense and painful affective disruptions, His considerable stress tolerance and control were being tected by intense and complex situational demands that created a potential for impulsiveness. His self-perception was negative, and although he maintained a rigid discance from others, he preferred dependency. His cognitive processing was characterized by simplification, major impairments in reality testing marked by the perception of personal threat, and seriously disturbed thought organization suffused with unpleasant affectSIRHAN RORSCHACH 559 Psychodynamic Data The Cooper et el, (1988) Rorschach Defense Scale scoring is listed in Table 4. The Sirhan protocol evidenced 35 scoreable responses. According to the categorizing of their 15 defenses as neurotic, borderline, or psychotic (Cooper et al., 1988; Kernberg, 1984), there were 12 (34%) neurotic defenses utilized, the most common being isolation: 21 460%) borderline defenses utilized. common being primitive idealization, projective identification, and splitting: and 2 (6%) psychotic defenses utilized, There were no apparent trends in the sequential use of the grouped defenses across the time of examination. For instance, isolation, a neurotic defense, was used on Card I and Card VIE (Example, Card l: “Clif, inquiry) This reminds me of cliffs joking far away “The space is the water"). Projection, a borderline defense, was used on Card and Card IX (Example, Card fl “A face of a person. Glass. {Inquiry! Profile. fr projects no feeling to me. (?) Madness (°) anger~the teeth are showing, they look more like women than men”). There was only one scoreable primitive (borderline) object relations response éKwawer, 1980) to Card X: “This whole color. It throws me off: Monsters! It's really about all on this one? Ie's frightening. It frightens me, They ail seem the same. Wickedness! Too many entanglements!” Inquiry: “Ir’s a cacophony of TABLE 4 Rorschach Defense Scale Scoring of Sirhan Protocol Organization Defense Frequency % Neurotic Higher ieve! deniat zl Incelleceual Isolation, Reaction formation Repression Rationalization Pollyanmush dens 7 Tors} neararic u Borderline Devaluation ‘ Omnipotence Primitive idealisation Spliteing Total borderline Peychotic Hypomanic denial Massive denis? “Tota psychotic560 MELOY colors, 2 hodgepodge. All those legs. This here looks tike some kind of rat. No, not a rat, it flies, a bat. The whole thing looks like monstrosities. I's more vulgar, Td avoid ie. Everybody wants to catch on to you, with all those legs! The minute you're within reach you're in their clutches” (Kaiser, 1970, p. 608), This would be categorized as engulfment (Kwawer, 1980). MOA (Urist, 1977) scoring yielded five scoreable responses, with a most adaptive score of 1 (reciprocal acknowledg- ment} to Card Ill-"A coupie of dancers. [inquiry} A jovial bunch of Negro drum players—Watusi—although up here—this much looks like foxes~more animal than human—looks like a werewolf (sex”). Oh, men" pathological score of 5 (coercion, hurtful influence, or threat) to three responses (Card VEE “Bears. Stuffed bears. (Inquiry! A bear's head. The expression is wicked, mean, mad’). The average MOA score was 3.6. 19862: Gecono, 1990) and impressionistic score (Gacono, Meloy, ced in Table 5. These Sirhan protocol scores are descriptively compared to data from s smali sample of borderline personality disordered outpatient males (N = 18} previously described in Gacono, Meloy, and Berg (in press). The protocol yielded 11 scoreable aggres- cone impressionistic response: the same Card X response (€2) scored with the Kwawer (1980) criteria (the impressionistic response is scored when 2 chromatic or achromatic color determinant and abstraction special score occur together). The most common aggression score was aggressive content (Gacono, 1990}, followed by aggression (Exner, 1986), and aggressive potential (Gacono, 1990} and @ most sion responses Cuitural Data The protocol was compared to the Rorschach data provided by Miner and De Vos {£960} and De Vos and Boyer {1989} on Alger.an males and the Rorschach cultural adaptation hypotheses of Meyers (in press}. Miner and De Vos (1960} reported Rorschach data collected in 1950 from 64 Algerian Arab meles between the ages of 20 and 50. They divided the group into “oasis” and “urban” TABLES Comparison of Aggression Response and impressionistic Response Frequencies of Sirhan Protocol to Male Bor. ine Personality Disordered (N = 18} Protocols a Male BPD F Caregory Protocol Mean SD Frequency Aggression (Exner, 1986) 40 139 133 5 Aggressive content 60 289 1.88 8 “Aggressive past ° 83 Lae 8 “Aggressive porentiat 10 89 216 6 Impressionistic 0 2 138 6SIRHAN RORSCHACH 561 samples. The proportion of unpleasant content was significantly higher among the urban Arabs, most notably content indicative of body preoccupation and hostility. Two pate greater rigidity and internalization of aggression, suggested by anatomical ponses; or a more complex, flexible ego that perceived the external environ- ment as hostile and dangerous. Human figures were rarely see not moving or engaged in positive activity. When movement was perceive: ‘was attributed to foreign or supernatural figures. Often humans wer or mutilated, and the latter responses usually involved 2 reference to the genitals. The Arab men were also foath to see women; only 12 of the entire 82 human percepts in ali the Rorschachs were female. They were not perceived to move, and attention was focused on their sexual organs. Human figures were ‘usually attached to each other in a passive and immobile manner. Most of these findings are consistent with the Sirhan protocol (see Tables 1, 2, and 3), There were no Pure H responses and a paucity of (FH), Hd, or (Hd} responses. There was one sex (female) response, six anatomy responses, and three blood responses. Of the five human movement (M} responses, one had no Unlike the Arab sample, the Sirhan protoco! evidenced ne human figures either passively attached to each other or mutilated, Meyers (in press} contended that the Rorschach is a useful predictor of cross-cultural adaptability and hypothesized a number of Rorschach variables that measure the lack of fexib d EB}, poor perceptual acuity (X+%, X—%, 2d), decreased personal autonomy (7, FD, Egocentricity Ratio, Morbid, Vista}, and decreased emotional resiliency (FC:CF + C, Af, S, Blends, Adjusted D} as predictive markers of pathological adjustment to 2 new culture. The Sithan protocol is generally consistent with Meyers's . Fi s of adjustment were frequent in the urbanized Arabs: complete human content ( lity and openness (Lamb Malingering The question of malingering was considered and ruled out during the initial phases of this study for the following reasons: (2) throughout the trial, Sich Sirhan adamantly opposed the use of a mental disability defense and did want to be labeled as mentally ill (Kaiser, 1970): (b) despite his objections, he cooperated with psychological and psychiatric procedures and produced other valid test data (the Minnesota Mulkiphasic Personatity Inventory, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scaie, Thematic Apperception Test, and Bender-Gestalt}; and (¢) he met only one (medicolegal setting} of the four contexts for suspected malingering, according to the Diagnostic and Statistica! Manual of Mental Disor- ders Grd ed., rev. (DSM-III-R); American Psychiatric Association, 1987), and (d) a reduction in R appears to be the most prominent finding in the Rorschach malingering literature, despite che overall inconsistent and inconclusive results erry & Kinder, 1990). an562 MELOY DISCUSSION The Sirhan Rorschach protocol, when anelyzed with technology unavailable in 1968, strongly suggests a depressed and suicidal individual whose personaliy is predominately organized at a borderline level (Kernberg. 1984), with some adaptive neurotic, and occasionally psychotic, defenses. The protocol presents 2 mixed characterological picture with hysterical, paranoid, and dependent fea- cures all evident. To what degree are the Rorschach findings of this stady consistent with historical data concerning Sirhan Sirhan’ A review of psychiatric findings at the trial, significant developmental events in the childhood and adolescence of Sirhan, and his behavior around the time of the assassination should answer this question. Psychiatric and Psychological Opinion at Trial Alllof the psychologists independently evaluated the Sishan Rorschach protocol and agreed, except for one, with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. Olinger dissented and rendered a diagnosis of pseudoneurotic schizophrenia (Kaiser, 1970). The Rorschach data in this study, however, do not support 2 schizophrenic diagnosis. The Comprehensive System (Exner, 1990} Schizophrenia Index (SCZI} score of 3 suggests the untikelihood of such a mental illness. Only 18% of Exner's (1990) normative inpatient schizophrenic sample scored less than 4 on this index. There is kewise a 13% false positive rate for borderline personality disorder on the SCZI Exner, 1986b). The Cooper and Arow (1986) defenses also do not support a psychotic diagnosis, but rather a personality organized at a borderline leve! of psychopathology @. Lerner, 1990; see Table 4}. H. Lerner, Albert, and Walsh (1987) found that che Cooper and Arnow defenses of splitting, devaluation, and omnipocence had the most power in discriminating borderline from schizophrenic patients. Both the Kwawer (1980) and Urist (1977) measures also suggest a borderline level of pathology. Blatt, Tuber, and Auerbach (1990) found the MOA scale o better measure of psychopathology than interpersonal relations. Nevertheless, the defense team, led by Diamond, concluded that Sithan Sithan had paranoid schizophrenia and had killed Robert Kennedy in @ dissociative state, a self-induced trance brought on by the lights and mirrors in. the Ambassador Hotel lobby. His political views were considered delusional fantasies (Kaiser, 1970). Diamond later found his own testimony an “absurd anc preposterous story, untikely and incredible” (People «. Sirhan, 1969, p. 6998). The prosecution team, led by Pollack, disagreed. In his February 5, 1969 report, he diagnosed the defendant as “borderline schizophrenia with paranoid and hysterical features, but 1 do not believe that he was clinically psychotic”SIRHAN RORSCHACH 563. (1969a, p. 3}. He also noted the complete absence of any hellucinations or delusions. He wrote, “Sirhan’s motivation in killing Senator Kennedy was entirely political, and was not related to bizarre or psychotic motivation oz accompanied by peculiar and highly idiosyncratic reasoning” (p. 3). In a Merch 2, 1969 supplemental report, Pollack considered the defendant a “developing paranoid personality whose assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy was motivated by political reasons which were highly emotionally charged” (196%, p. fi}. These Rorschach findings are consistent with Pollack’s diagnosis of borderline schizophrenia and Olinger’s diagnosis of pseudoneuroric schizophre- nia, terms that described what we today would consider borderline personality disorder (Stone, 1980), Developmental Events The childhood and adolescent pathogenesis of Sirhan’s personality was shaped by two psychological themes, trauma and loss. He was born into a large Arab family in Jerusalem on March 29, 1944, and by the age of 5 had experienced a number of traumatic events during the war-torn prelude to Israel’: statehood: He witnessed a bomb explosion at the Damascus Gate which left mutilated Arab corpses in the street, observed his cider brother run over and killed by a Zionse truck trying co avoid sniper fire, discovered the body of an Arab neighbor, observed portions of a British soldier's body dangling from a church tower, and fled from a driveriess truck which then exploded. Ac the age of 5 his family left their home in the middle of the night and moved into a 15 x 30 ft room in the (Old Walled City of Jerusalem (Clarke, 1982) ian mother refused to let the children play in che street, and his father's hostility resulted in physical abuse of the children, including Sishan. Sirhan attended a Lutheran school from age 7 to 12 and was described as mature beyond his years (Kaiser, 1970). On December 14, 1956, he emigrated with his ly to the U.S. He was 12 years old, They settied in 2 iower middle class neighborhood in Pasadena, but resisted acculturation. One year later, Sirhan’s father abandoned the family and returned to Jordan. Neighbors described him as 2 mean and self-centered man (Clarke, 1982). Sishan, however, appeared t0 make a good adjustment. He iearned English quickly, received above average grades, and graduated from John Muir High School. He was not reclusive, joined the officer cadet corps, and was elected to the student council. He was viewed as cooperative and enthusiastic (Kaiser, 1970) At the age of 20, however, his object world began to fall apart. His sister, Aida, whom he revered, died of leukemia. Two of his brothers were arrested. He was dismissed from Pasadena City College for not attending classes. He tried to pursue a career as a jockev, but fell from a galloping horse when he was 22 at @ ranch in Corona, His blurred vision and pain complaints were compensated564 MELOY through a settlement that paid him $2,000. In March 1968, at age 24, he quit his job at a health food store 3 months before the assassination (Clarke, 1982). Sirhan had fostered his identicy as an Arab throughout his adolescence and was quite vocal in his hatred of the Zionists, whom he equated with Nazis. Following the Six Day War, which began June 5, 1967, he often repeated his belief that the wealthy American Jews controlled the politicians and the medi. His conscious hatred of the Jews is captured in this DR response co Card VIIL: 1 don’t know, it’s a desert plant. Grows very tall—not a cactus. i don’t know the name.” Inquiry: “The colors shock me, no, {don't know, I fee! very jittery. Ean’ hold still Ie stirs me. I read thie magazine article on the 20th anniversary of the State of Israel. Ie was in color ~thet color—I have the Jews. There was jubilation. I felt that they were saying in the article, we beat the Arabs. Ie burns the shit out of me, there was happiness and jubilation.” ‘The repetitive developmental experiences of traume and loss condensed into aconscious hatred (Terr, 199%) for the perceived aggressor, the (father} Zionists, which was then generalized to ail Jews. Structural characteristics of his depres- sion (S-CON, DEP!, MOR, Isolate/R, Egocentricity, V', Y, Ty and aggression (Ag, ‘Ag Content, Ag Potential, S, Pure C) are amply evident in the Rorschach data (see Table 2}. The inference that pathological mourning accounts for the depression, Js reasonable, given the plethora of his actual object losses: brother, first Jerusaiem home, Palestinian cultural milieu (Levy-Warren, 1987), father, sister, ‘career opportunity, freedom after arrest, and Robert Kennedy as a persecutory object. Sishen’s depression is considered anaclitic, rather than introjective (Binet, 1974), and the psychopathology is primarily oral aggressive with feelings of helplessness, weakness, and depletion in the face of continua! abandonment threat or a more annihilatory intent by the object. Peychological trauma is aiso linked to mourning (Krystaf, 1984) and begs the question of the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) in Sirhan at the time of the examination. Two studies of inpatient and outpatient Vietnam veterans with PTSD (Hartman et al, 1990; Swanson, Biount, & Bruno, 1990) provide some comparative Rorschach data. Both studies indicate that the Sirhan protocol is more different then similar to the average PTSD Rorschach, Similarities include tenuous reality testing (X~%), high suicide risk (S-CON), devaluation of self (MOR), ttle interest in others as whole and real objects (Pure H), and a simplistic problem-solving style (Lambda). In contrast to the PTSD subjects (combined N = 91), the Sirhan protocol shows much more formal thought disorder (WSumé}, an extratensive style (EB), no stimulus overload (Adj D), severe depression, (DEP, no pathological narcissism (Ri), and high aggression (Ag, S). However, comparison of an immigrant Arak who was subjected to combat as a child to indigenous soldiers subjected to combat as aduits is only suggestive. ‘Other authors (Herman & van der Kotk, 1987) have seen a similarity between PTSD and borderline personality disorder (BPD) and have argued for theSIRHAN RORSCHACH 565 importance of assessing for actual childhood trauma in all borderline patients. Despite the organization of the Sirhan date at a borderline level of personali (Kernberg, 1984), the differences, once again, are greater than the similarities when his Rorschach is compared to a sample (Exner, 1986b) of male and female borderline personality disordered panents. The Sirhan protocol is similar to this sample (N= &4) in poor modulation of affect (FC:CF + ©), extratensive probiem solving (EB) and impaired reality testing (X — %). leis different from the BPD patients in the absence of stimulus overload (Adj D), severe formal thought disorder (W'Sum6), abuse of fantasy (Ma:Mp), negative self-worth (Egocentri Indes), and avoidance of affect (Af). The hysterical character pathology of Sirhan i suggested by a number of Rorschach indices. The computer-based test interpretation hypotheses (Exner, 1990) emphasize the merging of thinking and affect and intense affective disruption. These hypotheses are based on the variables of EB, eb, Y, FC:CF + C, Af, Pure C, V, S, and three blends which have no form, two of which are CY. These letter blends infer the experience of unmoduiated affect followed by anxiety. The Cooper and Arnow (1986) defenses of denial end primitive idealization (31% of the scoreable defenses) are also consistent with hysterical character (Shapiro, 1965}. The impressionistic response suggests affect that is rapidly spht off through the use of eymbolization (Gacono ct al., 1990), And the frst and last responses to the Rorschach are food ambivalence responses (P. Erdberg, personal communication, May 7, 191), perhaps regressive traces of early dependency frustrations and consequent oral rage. Card h ‘Ive seen it before. I still don’t know. Looks like the back part of ¢ chicken. You fry a chicken. Thar's the only thing I can~" Inquiry: "It's the whole ching, this being the center. I've eaten. some chicken. I never used to like that part, if Tcould avoid Ie's very bony.” And the last response to Card X: "Blood!" Inquiry: “I seem to associate the whole thing negatively with blood. It looks like liver to me—some kind of meat. Fd rather not even discuss it Hysterical character has historically been linked with dissociation (American Paychiatric Association, 1987; Breuer & Freud, 1893-1895/195 dystoni are found in BPD (Kernberg, 19751, perhaps as @ resuit of childhood trauma (Terr, 1991). Sirhan was easily hypnotized on several occasions by Dr. Diamond and abreacted his traumatic childhood experiences in Jerusalem (Kaiser, 1970). Despite the differences between the Sizhan protocol, the BPD sample, and the PTSD sampies, the Rorschach data are somewhat consistent with the theme of psychic trauma; very consistent with the theme of recurrent ioss and patholog- al mourning; and validate a characterological distrust and hatred of, yet hysterical dependence upon, the object world. The witnessing of extreme violence outside his home and physical abuse by father in his home would disrupe the safecy necessary for autonomous striving, the normative flowering of grandiosity, and the rapprochement subphase of separation-individuation ity c dissociative states566 MELOY (Mahler, Pine, & Bergman, 1975) during his preoedipal years. Hence, the predominance of borderline level defenses and object relations and the absence of object constancy. Predation and Assassination On January 9 and 10, 1968, the New York Times (“Report on a Meeting,” 1968; Witkin, 1968) reported Kennedy's proposed sale of 50 Phantom Jet fighter-bombers to Israel. Sithan was enraged; an idealized paternal object for whom he hungered was shattered. Evidence suggests that he made the conscious decision to kili Kennedy on January 31, when he wrote in his diary, “RFK must die” (Kaiser, 1970, p. 549). He had joined the Ancient Mystical Order of the Rosae Crucis that month and repeatedly used his diary as a form of self- hypnosis. As he later testified, *how you cen install a thought in your mind how you can have it work and become a reality if you want it to” (Peopie Sirhan, 1969, p. 4903). The defense considered this automatic writing. When Kennedy announced his candidacy and President Lyndon Johnson announced his decision to not seek another term, Sirhan began practice shooting. On April 6, afew days after the Martin Luther King assassination, he told a Black trash collector that he was going to shoot Kennedy. He wrote in his diary on May 18, “my determination to eliminate RFK is becoming . . . more of an unshakeable obsession” (People v. Sirhan, 1969, People’s Exhibit 71). He vowed ko complete the act before June 5, the day after che California primary and the first anniversary of the Six Day War. “There were probably four stalking attempts to assascinate Kennedy before the actual June 5 killing. On May 20, he was seen with « woman at Robbi Restaurant in Pomona where Kennedy was dining and speaking. On May 24, he was observed at a Kennedy rally at the Los Angeles Sports Arens. On Saturday, June 1, he purchased two boxes of .22 caliber hollow points and practiced shooting. On Sunday, june 2, he practiced shooting again and then went fo 2 Kennedy campaign rally at the Ambassador Hotel. And on Monday, June 3, he travelied to San Diego to see Kennedy speak at the El Cortes Hotel and returned that night (Clarke, 1982). ‘The day of the assassination, Sirhan practiced rapid fire shooting at the San Gabriel Valley Gun Club and left the range at 5 p.m. He ate at Bob's Big Boy, went to the Ambassador Hotel, and had four alcoholic drinks over several hours. He then asked two people if the Kennedy bodyguards were with him all the time and if he would be coming through the kitchen pantry. Just before he shot Kennedy, he was heard to say, “Kennedy you son of a bitch” (Clarke, 1982; Kaiser, 1970}. ‘The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy was @ paranoid condensation of hatred for the Jews onto an object with whom Sirhan projectively identified, @ previously idealized, and then homicidally devalued, introject (Meloy, 1988). Kennedy was not only a projective vehicle, but also a malevolent object bySIRHAN RORSCHACH 567 whom Sirhan felt increasingly controlled and threatened. The operation of projective identification as a defense in Sirhan’s object world is caprured in the ‘two Cooper and Arnow (1986) projective identification responses to Cards VIIE and X (Responses 56 and 62) already noted. The degree to which these Rorschach percepts both ¢ subject is evident. In the Sirhan protocol, projective identification is used as a borderline, rather than psychotic, defense, because the object, rather than the self, representation is being projected and controlled and the boundary between, self and other is maintained (Goldstein, 1991; Meloy, 1991). Although the motivation to assassinate Kennedy was suffused with intense affect, the stalking and killing closely fit the criteria for @ predatory mode of violence (Meloy, i988a). The act was planned, purposeful, carried out over the course of 5 months, and involved rehearsal in both fantasy and deed. Certain structural characteristics of the Rorschach data support this capacity for predatory violence. Both the elevated Lambda (1.10) and Adj D (+1) suggest an individual who was highly defended against bis own affect with better than average stress tolerance and control, despite a proneness toward unmodulated affective outbursts (FC < CF + ©). The absence of T suggests @ chronic emotional detachment that would attenuate any feelings of empathy toward the proposed vietim. The absence of Pure H responses would aiso facilitate the representation of others as part objects suffused with imaginary, in this case grandiose, malevolent, and overpersonalized, characteristics. The Ma < Mp ratio in the Sichan protocol is also suggestive of a capacity for rehearsal fantasy prior to an act of predation (Meloy, 1988a). Instead of an abuse of fantasy (Exner, 1986a), this passive ideational mode, which found its real- world co: ticing of hypnotize, a also have facilitated this process. Content analysis is also suggesti (Card Vi: “2 rocket,” Card VIL: “guns-mortars”} comprise several of his aggres- sive content; his one aggressive potential response (Card IV: “very dark— serpents (grimaces). Looks ready to strike”) is consistent with our finding Rorschach protocols of psychopaths who are prone to predatory violence (Meloy & Gacono, in press). Is the Sirhan protoco! psychopathic? None of the Rorschach variables that discriminate between psychopathic and ‘an an absence of T, are present (Gecono & y malevolent objects and are felt to control the fate in the repetitive diary writings, may have facilitared the assassination in fantasy. Sirhan’s hysterical. pr: voluntary form of dissociation learned from the Rosicrucians, may of predatory violence. Objects of violence nonpsychopathic criminals, other 1 Meloy, 1991; Gacono et al., 1990). CONCLUSION The archival study of a Rorschach protocol of an American assassin yields a wealth of data when subjected to current technology. The structural an568. MELOY psychodynamic characteristics of the Sichan Sirhan protocol, although not supportive of the majority of psychiatric and psychological opinion at his trial, are quite consistent with known historical information concerning his develop- ment and the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A portion of this article was presented at the Midwinter Meeting of the Sociery for Personality Assessment, New Orleans, March 8, 1991. Ie is dedicated to the memory and work of Seymour Pollack, MD, and Bernard Diamond, MD. I thank Drs. Car] Gacono, Judith Meyers, and Nancy Kaser-Bovd for their help during the preparation of this study and Dr. Phil Erdberg for the interrater agreement scoring. The views expressed are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of California, Sen Diego, Department of Psychiatry. REFERENCES American Pevchiatric Association. (1987), Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders 3ed ed. rev.). Washington, DC: Author. Biace, S. 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