Thematic Apperception Test

Group 5
Introduction

● Personality is the dynamic organisation within the individual of those psycho-physical systems that determine his unique

adjustment to the environment (Allport, 1937).

● The assessment of personality, as described by Cattell and Warburton (1967) can be classified into three broad types, namely

questionnaires (Q-data), biographical data (L-data) and tests (T-data), with a majority of assessment in personality being done

with the use of Q-data.

● In present-day, most personality assessments fall into the category of self-report tests or projective tests (Bornstein, 2015).
Projective Tests

● Essential feature: anxieties and defenses are kept at bay by using unstructured stimuli, and the clinician then draws on

information regarding motives, beliefs, emotions or conflicts which may be unconscious.

● It has been seen in practice and literature that the content and responses seen in projective techniques is especially relevant and

useful in practice when it may be contradictory to the content seen and discussed in client-therapist interactions (Waiswol, 1995).
Thematic Apperception Test

● The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT; Murray, 1938, 1943) is a projective personality assessment tool used widely in clinical

settings and was developed by Henry A. Murray and Christiana D. Morgan in the 1930s at Harvard University.

● Murray used the technique of responding to ambiguous stimuli as he believed that individuals may understand and interpret such

stimuli in the context of their own past experiences, beliefs and motivations that the individual may or may be aware of.

● The cards in this tool are less ambiguous than the stimuli used in The Rorschach Inkblot Test, hence the individual is easily able

to develop a story in the administration of the test that takes approximately thirty to forty-five minutes for the administration of

eight cards (Stern, 2016).

 Adaptations

● Have been prepared for use in attitude surveys

● Developed for use in vocational counseling, executive appraisal, and a wide variety
of research projects
● Intensive measurement of a single need or drive, such as sex or aggression. Example-
(n-Ach) conducted by McClelland, J. W. Atkinson, and their associates
 Versions
● Children’s Apperception Test (CAT) for ages of 3 and 10 years of children.
● CAT-H for use with older children
● Gerontological Apperception Test (Wolk & Wolk, 1975)
● Senior Apperception Technique (Beliak, 1975; Beliak & Beliak, 1973)
 Reliability
● Adequate interscorer reliability from quantitative methods. Interscorer
reliability across different scoring systems ranges between .37 and .90, with
most reports .85 or higher.
● Reliability is lower in clinical contexts.
● Low internal consistency.
● Test retest reliability is .56 for need for affiliation and .48 for need for
achievement when similar stories were narrated between one administration
(Lundy, 1985).
 Validity

Several investigations have been concerned with the assumptions that underlie TAT
interpretations, such as self-identification with the hero and personal significance of
uncommon responses (Lindzey, 1959). Although they cannot, establish criterion-related
validity of the TAT for specific uses, such studies contribute to the construct validation of
TAT interpretations.
Criterion validity
Accuracy of clinical diagnosis by 75% using TAT.
Presence of depressive themes on the TAT was correlated with measures of depression on
the MMPI and BDI.
 Interpretation
● Murray (1943)
Find out the source of the examinee’s story.
Raw material is concluded by:
(1) the stories as they were told by the examinee,
(2) the clinician’s notes about the way or the manner in which the examinee responded to the cards, and
(3) the clinician’s notes about extra-test behavior and verbalizations.
● Bellak (1954, 1993) and Bellak and Abram (1997)
Main Themes, Main Hero, and Main Needs and Drives of Hero).
4. Conception of world.
5. Relationship to others.
6. Significant conflicts.
7. Nature of anxieties.
8. Main defenses used.
9. Superego structure.
10. Integration and strength of ego.
Description of the TOOL

In the Thematic Apperception Test, a standard series of ambiguous photographs are presented to the subject to which they are asked to

tell a story. They have to narrate a dramatic story for each picture presented while including details such as:

- What has brought about the event shown in the photograph?

- The event that is happening at the moment

- The feelings and thoughts of the characters

- The outcome of the story

In the standard form of TAT, there are 31 cards. Some cards are administered on women and some on men. There are 11 cards for

both genders and all ages. 7 card are for boys under the age of 14 and men above 14 called BM (Boys Male) cards. 7 cards for girls

under the age of 14 and women above the age of 14 called GF (Girl Female) cards. 1 card for boys and girls. 1 card for men and

women.

Some of the cards in the set show male figures, some have female figures, some have both male and female figures, some with an

ambiguous gender, some showing adults, children, while some have a vague figure. One card in the set is completely blank. This is to

allow the subject to interpret the card the way they want to.

The picture cards used in TAT revolve around the themes of success, failure, happiness, contentment, jealousy, acceptance, aggression

etc. What the subject reveals based on these pictures are used to get an indication of the dominant personality of the subject based on

the specific card.

Clinical Applicability

TAT is widely used as a tool for research to understand specific phenomena such as dreams, fantasies, personality,

to trace down the motivation of people.

It is also used in a clinical setting to assess personality disorders, thought disorders and under forensic

circumstances to identify and understand the crime suspect, as well as to identity any form of personality disorders.

It can also be used to screen and evaluate as a routine evaluation under the concept of object relations.
Limitation
TAT tests are based on the Freudian principle of repression. This has caused the TAT to be called out for being false

or outdated.

It has been suggested that the TAT is unscientific and not based on valid data as it cannot be proven using scientific

methods

In some cases it was observed that subjects presented with TAT photographs often narrated deviant stories as

opposed to other tests.

It is important for the examiner to acknowledge and be aware of their cultural background and biases that can arise

while administering the test. Since there are no standardized scores, there is a possibility for the examiner’s biases

to be involved while scoring.

References