UNIT 3 THE THEMATIC APPERCEPTION

TEST AND CHILDREN'S

APPERCEPTION TEST
Structure
3.0 Introduction

3.1 Objectives

3.2 The ThematicApperception Test

3.2.1 Description
3.2.2 Administration
,
3.2.3 Pull of TAT Cards
3.2.4 Scoring
3.2.5 What Does the TAT Measure?
3.2.6 Reliability
3.2.7 \Talidi~

3.3 Apperception of TAT

3.4 Alternative ~pperception Procedures

3.4.1 Tell Me a Story Test
3.4.2 ; The Children's Apperception Test (The CAT)
3.4.3 Description of CAT
3.4.4 Scoring of CAT
3.4.5 Precautions

3.5 Let Us Sum Up

3.6 Unit End Questions

3.7 Suggested Readings

3.0 INTRODUCTION
When we read a story, we not only learn about the fictitious characters but also
about the author. The personality of a Sidney Sheldon is distinctly different from
that of a Charles Dickens, and one need not have a doctorate in literature to
perceive the major differences between these two authors from their writings. It
was this type of observation that led Murray and Morgan to develop the TAT,
where the respondent is asked to makeup stories in response to a set of pictures.
Like the Rorschach, the TAT is used extensively and also has received a great
deal of criticism. This unit will provide a comprehensive discussion of TAT in
terms of its description, administration, scoring and psychometric properties. The
last part of the unit will give a brief description and discussion of CAT.

3.1 OBJECTIVES
After completing this unit, you will be able to :

• Discuss the main differences between Rorschach and TAT;

35
Projective Techniques in • Describe the TAT, its administration, scoring and psychometric properties;
Psychodiagnostics
• Explain the different variations of TAT; and

• Elucidate the CAT test, scoring and interpretation

3.2 THE THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST

A thematic apperception test (TAT) is a projective psychological analysis used to
investigate a person's unconscious self. More specifically, a thematic apperception
.test can uncover a person's true personality, their capacity for emotional control,
and their attitudes towards aspects they encounter in everyday life (wealth, power,
gender roles, racial and religious attitudes, intimacy, etc.). In this way, a thematic
apperception test is similar to a Rorschach (ink blot) test. Both are projective
tests that assess the types of information that a: subject projects onto a set of
ambiguous images.

, Procedurally, a thematic apperception test involves showing the subject several

pictures (which are engaging but broad and open to interpretation) and having the
subject tell a story for each picture. The subject is encouraged to use as much
detail as possible. For example: What is happening in the picture? What events
occurred prior to what is happening in the picture? What will happen afterwards?
Why are the characters acting and feeling the way they are?

The results of a thematic apperception test are difficult to generalise. The results
are often subjective and do not use any formal type of scoring system. However,
a close analysis of the stories told by the subject normally gives the tester a decent
idea of the traits mentioned above (personality, emotional control, and attitudes
towards aspects of everyday life).

Companies sometimes use thematic apperception tests to screen potential

employees. These tests can determine (to a certain extent) whether the potential
employee is likely to succeed at a certain position. For example: Can they handle
stressful situations? How will they react to emotional conflicts? Will they fit in well
with the general atmosphere and attitude of the company?

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) was introduced in 1935 by Christina

Morgan and Henry Murray of Harvard University. It is comparable to the Rorschach
Test in many ways, including its importance and psychometric problems. As with
the Rorschach Test, use of the TAT grew rapidly after its introduction. With the
exception of the Rorschach Test, the TAT is used more than any other projective
test (Wood et al., 2003). Though its psychometric adequacy was (and still is)
vigorously debated, unlike the Rorschach, the TAThas'been relatively well received
by the scientific community.

Also, the TAT is based on Murray's (1938) theory of needs, whereas the Rorschach
is basically a theoretical. The TAT and the Rorschach differ in other respects as
well. The TAT authors were conservative in their evaluation of the TAT and
scientific in their outlook. The TAT was not oversold as was the Rorschach, and
no extravagant claims were made. Unlike the Rorschach, the TAT was not billed
as a diagnostic instrument, that is, a test of disordered emotional states. Instead,
the TAT was presented as an instrument for evaluating human personality
characteristics. This test also differs from the Rorschach Test because the TAT's
non clinical uses are just as important as its clinical ones. Indeed, the TAT is one
36
 The Thematic Apperception
of the most important techniques used in personality research (Abrams, 1999;
Test and Children's
Bellak, 1999; Cramer & Blatt, 1990; McClelland, 1999). Apperception Test
As stated, the TAT is based on Murray's (1938) theory, which distinguishes 28
human needs, including the needs for sex, affiliation, and dominance. Many of
these needs have been extensively researched through use of the TiXf (McClelland,
1999). The theoretical need for achievement that is "the desire or tendency to do
things as rapidly and/or as well as possible" (Murray, 1938, p. 164)-alone has
generated a very large number of studies involving the TAT.
The TAT measure of the achievement need has been related to factors such as
parental perceptions, parental expectations, and parental attitudes toward offspring.
Need achievement is also related to the standards that you as a student set for
yourself (for example, academic standards). The higher your need for achievement,
the more likely you are to study and ultimately achieve a high economic and social
position in society. Studies such as those on the achievement motive have provided
construct related evidence for validity and have increased the scientific respectability
of the TAT.

3.2.1 Description
The TAT is more structured and less ambiguous than the Rorschach Test. TAT
stimuli consist of pictures that depict a variety of scenes. There are 30 pictures
and one blank card. Specific cards are designed for male subjects, others for
female. Some of the cards are appropriate for older people, others for young
ones. A few of the cards are appropriate for all subjects, such asCard 1.

An Example of a TAT card .

(Source: net)
This card shows a boy, neatly dressed and groomed, sitting at a table on which
lies a violin. In his description of Card 1, Murray stated that the boy is
"contemplating" the violin. According to experts such as Bellak (1986), Card
1 of the TAT tends to reveal a person's relationship toward parental figures.

Other TAT cards tend to elicit other kinds of information. Card 4 is a picture of
a woman "clutching the shoulders of a man whose face and body are averted as
if he were trying to pull away from her" (Bellak, 1975, p. 51). This card elicits 37
Projective Techniques in information concerning male female relationships. Bellak (1986, 1996) and others
Psychodiagnostics provide a description of the TAT cards along with the information that each card
tends to elicit. This knowledge is essential in TAT interpretation. Card l2F,
sometimes elicits coriflicting emotions about the self. Other feelings may also be
elicited.

3.2.2 Administration
Although theoretically the TAT could be used with children, it is typically used
with adolescents and adults. The original manual (H. A. Murray, 1943) does have
standardized instructions; but typically examiners use their own versions. What is
necessary is that the instructions include the points that:

• the client is to make up an imaginative or dramatic story;

• . the story is to include what is happening, what led to what is happening, and
what will happen;

• Finally, it should include what the story characters are feeling and thinking.

As part of the administration, the examiner unobtrusively records the response

latency of each card, i.e., how long it takes the subject to begin a story. The
examiner writes down the story as accurately as possible, noting any other responses
(such as nervous laughter, facial expressions, etc.). Some examiners use a tape
recorder, but such a device may significantly alter the test situation (R. M. Ryan,
1987). The examiner also records the reaction time that is the .time interval
between the initial presentation of a card and the subject's first response. By
recording reaction time, the examiner can determine whether the subject has
difficulty with a particular card. Because each card is designed to elicit its own
themes, needs, and conflicts, an abnormally long reaction time may indicate a
specific problem. If, for example, the reaction time substantially increases for all
cards involving heterosexual relationships, then the examiner may hypothesize that
the subject is experiencing difficulty in this area.

Often, after all the stories have been elicited, there is an inquiry phase, where the
examiner may attempt to obtain additional information aboutthe stories the client
has given. A variety of techniques are used by different examiners, including
asking the client to identify the least preferred and most preferred cards.

3.2.3 Pull of TAT Cards

TAT cards elicit "typical" responses from many subjects, somewhat like the popular
responses on the Rorschach Test. This is called the "pull" of the card, and some
have argued that this pull is the most important determinant of a TAT response
(Murstein, 1963). Many of the TAT cards are from wood cuts and other art
media, with lots of shadings and dark, sometimes indistinguishable details. Because
of this stimulus pull, many of the cards elicit stories that are gloomy or melancholic.
There is some evidence to suggest that the actual TAT card may be more important
than the respondent's "projections" in determining the actual emotional tone of the
story (Eron, Terry, & Callahan, 1950).

3.2.4 Scoring
H. A. Murray (1938) developed the TAT in the context of a personality theory
that saw behaviour as the result of psychobiological and environmental aspects.
38 Thus not only are there needs that a person has (both biological needs, such as
the need for food, and psychological, such as the need to achieve or the need for TheThematicAppe~ption
Test and Children's
control), but there are also forces in the environment, called press, that can affect
Apperception Test
the individual. Presumably, the stories given by the individual reflect the combination
of such needs and presses, both in an objective sense and as perceived by the
person.

There were a number of attempts to develop comprehensive scoring systems for

the TAT.A number of manuals are available that can be used (Henry, 1956;Stein,
1981), although none have become the standard way, and ultimately the scoring
reflects the examiner's clinical skills and theoretical perspective.

Almost all methods of TAT interpretation take into account the hero, needs,
press, themes, and outcomes. The hero is the character in each picture with
whom the subject seems to identify. In most cases, the story revolves around one
easily recognisable character. If more than one character seems to be important,
then the character most like the storyteller is selected as the hero. Of particular
importance are the motives and needs of the hero. Most systems, including
Murray's original, consider the intensity, duration, and frequency of each need to
indicate the importance and relevance of that need. In TAT interpretation, press
refers to the environmental forces that interfere with or facilitate satisfaction of
the various needs, Again, factors such as frequency, intensity, and duration are
used to judge the relative importance of these factors. The frequency of various
themes (for example, depression) and outcomes (for example, failures) also
indicates their importance.

Analysis ofrrAT protocols is often impressionistic that is a subjective, intuitive

approach where the TAT protocol is perused for such things as repetitive themes,
conflicts, slips of the tongue, degree of emotional control, sequence of stories, etc.
As with the Rorschach, the interpretation is not to be done blindly but in accord
with other information derived from interviews with the client, other test results,
etc.

In effect then, the utility of the TATis, in large part, a function of both the specific
scoring procedure used and the talent and sensitivity of the individual clinician.
Many specific scoring guide lines have also been developed that focus on the
measurement of a specific dimension, such as gender identity (May, 1966) or
achievement motivation (McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, et aI., 1953). A recent
example is a scoring system designed to measure how people are likely to resolve
personal problems; for each card a total score as well as four subscale scores are
obtained, and these are aggregated across cards (Ronan, Colavito,
&Harnmontree, 1993).

3.2.5 What does the TAT Measure?

First and fore most TAT stories are samples of the subject's verbal behaviour.
Thus, they can be used to assess the person's intellectual competence, verbal
fluency, capacity to think abstractly, and other cognitive aspects. Second, the TAT
represents an ambiguous situation presented by an "authority" figure, to which the
subject must somehow respond. Thus some insight can be gained about the
person's coping resources, interpersonal skills, and so on. Finally, the TAT
responses can be assumed to reflect the individual's psychological functioning,
and the needs, conflicts, feelings, etc., expressed in the stories are presumed to
reflect the client's perception of the world and inner psychodynamic functioning.
TAT stories are said to yield information about the person's: 39
 Projective Techniques in 1) thought organisation,
Psychodiagnostics
2) emotional responsiveness,
3) psychological needs,

4) view of the world,

5) interpersonal relationships,

6) self-concept, and
,7) coping patterns.

Holt pointed out that the responses to the TAT not only are potentially reflective
of a person's unconscious functioning, in a manner parallel to dreams, but there
are a number of "determinants" that impact upon the responses obtained. For
example, the situational context is very important. Whether a subject is being
evaluated as part of court-mandated proceedings or whether the person is an
'. .introductory psychology volunteer can make a substantial difference. The "directing
set" is also important, i.e., the preconceptions that the person has of what the test,
tester, and testing situations are like.

3.2.6 Reliability
The determination of the reliability (and validity) of the TAT is a rather complex
matter because we must ask which scoring system is being used, which variables
are scored, and perhaps even what aspects of specific examinees and examiners
are involved.
Eron (1955) pointed out that the TAT was a research tool, one of many techniques
used to study the fantasy of normal individuals, but that it was quickly adopted
for use in the clinic without any serious test of the reliability and validity of the
many methods of analysis that were proposed. He pointed out that there are as
many ways of analysing TAT stories as there are practitioners, and that few of
these methods have been demonstrated to be reliable.
Some would argue that the concept of reliability is meaningless when applied to
projective techniques. Even if we don't accept that argument, it is clear that the
standard methods of determining reliability are not particularly applicable to the
TAT. Each of the TAT cards is unique, so neither split-half nor parallel-form
reliability is appropriate. Test-retest reliability is also limited because on the one
hand the test should be sensitive to changes over time, and on the other, the
subject may focus on different aspects of the stimulus from one time to another.
The determination of reliability also assumes that extraneous sources of variation
are held in check, i.e., the test is standardized. This is clearly not the case with
the TAT,where instructions, sequence of cards, scoring procedure, etc., can vary.

3.2.7 Validity
Validity is also a very complex issue, with studies that support the validity of the
TAT and studies that do not. Varble (1971) reviewed this issue and indicated
that:

1) the TAT is not well suited or useful for differential diagnosis;

2) the TAT can be useful in the identification of personality variables, although

there are studies that support this conclusion and studies that do not;
40
3) different reviewers come to different conclusions ranging from "the validity of The Thematic Apperception
the TAT is practically nil" to "there is impressive evidence for its validity." Test and Children's
Apperception Test
Holt (1951) pointed out that the TAT is not a test in the same sense that an
intelligence scale is, but that the TAT really reflects a segment of human behaviour
that can be analysed in many ways. One might as well ask what is the reliability
and validity of everyday behaviour. It is interesting to note that Bellak's (1986)
book on the TAT, which is quite comprehensive '!lld often used as a training
manual, does not list either reliability or validity in its index. But the TATcontinues
to be of interest to both practitioners and researchers.

Self Assessment Questions

1) What is Thematic Apperception Test?

••••••••••••••••• J..,•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

..................................................................•.............................................
.................................................................................................................

2) Give a detailed description of the TAT.

3) What is meant by Pull of TAT cards?

4) What does the TAT measure?

5) Describe the reliability and validity of TAT.

41
Projective Techniques in
Psychodiagnostics 3.3 APPLICATION OF TAT
The TAT is often administered to individuals as part of a battery, or group, of tests
intended to evaluate personality.It is considered to be effective in elicitinginformation
about a person's view of the world and his or her attitudes toward the self and
others. As people taking the TAT proceed through the various story cards and tell
stories about the pictures, they reveal their expectations of relationships with
peers, parents or other authority figures, subordinates, and possible romantic
,partners.

In addition to assessing the content of the stories that the subject is telling, the
examiner evaluates the subject's manner, vocal tone, posture, hesitations, and
other signs of an emotional response to a particular story picture. For example,
a person who is made anxious by a certain picture may make comments about '
the artistic style of the picture, or remark that he or she does not like the picture;
this is a way of avoiding telling a story about it.

The TAT is often used in individual assessments of candidates for employment in

fields requiring a high degree of skill in dealing with other people,and/or ability to
cope with high levels of psychological stress as for example, law enforcement,
military leadership positions, religious ministry, education, diplomatic service, etc.

Although the TATshould not be used in the differentialdiagnosis of mental disorders,

it is often administered to individuals who have already received a diagnosis in
order to match them with the type of psychological treatment that is best suited
to their personalities.

Lastly,the TATis sometimes used for forensic Pllf(JOsesin evaluating the motivations
and general attitudes of persons accused of violent crimes. For example, the TAT
was recently administered to a 24 year old man in prison for a series of sexual
murders. The results indicated that his attitudes toward other people are not only
outside normal limits but are similar to those of other persons found guilty of the
same type of crime.

The TAT can be given repeatedly to an individual as a way of measuring progress

in psychotherapy or, in some cases, to help the therapist uriderstand why the
treatment seems to be stalled or blocked.

In addition to its application in individual assessments, the TAT is frequently used

for research into specific aspects of human personality, most often needs for
achievement, fears of failure, hostility and aggression, and interpersonal object
relations. "Object relations" is a phrase used in psychiatry and psychology to refer
to the ways people internalise their relationships with others and the emotional
tone of their relationships.

Research into object relations using the TAT investigates a variety of different
topics, including

i) the extent to which people are emotionally involved in relationships with

others.

ii) their ability to understand the complexities of human relationships.

iii) their ability to distinguish between their viewpoint on a situation and the
perspectives of others involved.
42
iv) their ability to control aggressive impulses. The Thematic Apperception
Test and Children's
v) Self esteem issues; and issues of personal identity. Apperception Test

For example, one recent study compared responses to the TAT from a group of
psychiatric inpatients diagnosed with dissociative disorders with responses from
a group of non dissociative inpatients, in order to investigate some of the
controversies about dissociative identity disorder (formerly called multiple
personality disorder).

3.4 ALTERNATIVE APPERCEPTION

PROCEDURES
An alternative thematic apperception test (Ritzier, Sharkey, & Chudy, 1980;
Sharkey & Ritzler, 1985) has been constructed with pictures from the Family
of Man photo-essay collection (Museum of Modern Art, 1955). According to
these authors, the relatively new procedure can be scored quantitatively. It provides
a balance of positive and negative stories and a variety of action and energy levels
for the main character. In comparison, the TAT elicits predominantly negative and
low-energy stories. Preliminary results with this new procedure, known as the
Southern Mississippi TAT (or SM-TAT), have been encouraging. These results
indicate that the SM- TAT preserves many of the advantages of the TAT while
providing a more rigorous and modern methodology. Naturally, more research is
needed, but this attempt to modernize the T~T is to be applauded.

The versatility and usefulness of the TAT approach are illustrated not only by
attempts such as those of Ritzler et al. (1980) to update the test but also by the
availability of special forms of the TAT for children and others for the elderly. The
Children's Apperception Test (CAT) was created to meet the special needs of
children ages 3 through 10 (Bellak, 1975). The CAT stimuli contain animal rather
than human figures as in the TAT.A special children's apperception test has been
developed specifically for Latino and Latina children (Malgady, Constantino, &
Rogler, 1984).

3.4.1 Tell Me A Story Test

This is a multicultural thematic apperception test designed to use with minority and
non minority children and adolescents with a set of stimulus cards and extensive
normative data for each group. The stimulus cards are structured to elicit specific
responses and are in colour to facilitate verbalization and projection of emotional
states. It differs from the TAT is the following aspects:

1) It focuses on personality functions as manifested in internalised interpersonal

relationships rather than on intra psychic dynamics.

2) It consists of 23 cards with chromatic pictures while the TAThas 19 achromatic

pictures and one blank card.

3) Tell me a story test attempts to elicit meaningful stories indicating conflict

resolution of bipolar personality functions while the TAT uses ambiguous
stimuli to elicit meaningful stories.

4) The Tell me a story stimuli represents the polarities of negative and positive
emotions cognitions and.interpersonal functions, while the TAT is primarily
weighted to represent negative emotions, depressive mood and hostility. 43
 Projective Techniques in 5) The Tell Me a Story test stimulus cards are culturally relevant, gender sensitive
Psychodiagnostics and have diminished ambiguity.

The Gerontological Apperception Test uses stimuli in which one or more elderly
individuals are involved in a scene with a theme relevant to the concerns of the
elderly, such as loneliness and farnilyconflicts (Wolk & Wolk, 1971). The Senior
Apperception Technique is an alternative to the Gerontological Apperception
Test and is parallel in content (Bellak, 1975; Bellak & Bellak, 1973).

This test measures the experience es of the older persons. The wcoring criteria
,was developed to reflect the interpersonal, health related and intrapsychic dimensions
of the experience of later life. There are a total of 20 items. Stories based on
the pictures were written down verbatim. The stories received a score of 0 for
tolerance and 1 for lack of tolerance. The sample items for the elderly included
the following:

• Tolerates loneliness/separateness

• Concern for affiliation with others

• Fear of losing one's place/status in the community

• Concern for heterosexuality-sexual

• Concern for heterosexuality-companionship/ sociability

3.4.2 The Children's Apperception Test (The CAT)

The Children's Apperception Test, often abbreviated as CAT, is an individually
administered projective personality test appropriate for children aged three to 10
years.

The CAT is intended to measure the personality traits, attitudes, and psychodynamic
processes evident in pre pubertal children. By presenting a series of pictures and
asking a child to describe the situations and make up stories about the people or
animals in the pictures, an examiner can elicit this information about the child.

The CAT was originally developed to assess psychosexual conflicts related to

certain stages of a child's development. Examples of these conflicts include
relationship issues, sibling rivalry, and aggression. Today, the CAT is more often
used as an assessment technique in clinical evaluation. Clinical diagnoses can be
based in part on the Children's Apperception Test and other projective techniques.

3.4.3 Description of CAT

The Children's Apperception Test was developed by Leopold Bellak and Sonya
Sorel Bellak. It was an offshoot of the Thematic Apperception Test(TAT), which
was based on Henry Murray's need-based theory of personality. Bellak and
Bellak developed the CAT because they saw a need for an apperception test
specifically designed for children. The most recent revision of the CAT was
published in 1996.

The original CAT featured ten pictures of animals in such human social contexts
,. as playing g~es or sleeping in a bed. Today, this version is known as the CAT
or the CAT-A (for animal). Animals were chosen for the pictures because it was
believed that young children relate better to animals than humans. Each picture is
presented by a test administrator in the form of a card. The test is always
44
administered to an individual child; it should never be given in group form. The The Thematic Apperception
test is not timed but normally takes 20-30 minutes. It should be given in a quiet Test and Children's
Apperception Test
room in which the administrator and the child will not be disturbed by other
people or activities.

The second version of the CAT, the CAT-H includes ten pictures of human beings
in the same situations as the animals in the original CAT. The CAT-H was designed
for the same age group as the CAT-A but appeals especially to children aged
seven to 10, who may prefer pictures of humans to pictures of animals.

The pictures on the CAT were chosen to draw out children's fantasies and
encourage storytelling. Descriptions of the ten pictures are as follows: baby chicks
seated around a table with an adult chicken appearing in the background; a large
bear and a baby bear playing tug-of-war; a lion sitting on a throne being watched
by a mouse through a peephole; a mother kangaroo with a joey (baby kangaroo)
in her pouch andan older joey beside her; two baby bears sleeping on a small
bed in front of a larger bed containing two bulges; a cave in which two large bears
are lying down next to a baby bear; a ferocious tiger leaping toward a monkey
who is trying to climb a tree; two adult monkeys sitting on a sofa while ~other
adult monkey talks to a baby monkey; a rabbit sitting on a child's bed viewed
through a doorway; and a puppy being spanked by an adult dog in front of a
bathroom. The cards in the human version substitute human adults and children
for the animals but the situations are the same. Gender identity, however, is more
ambiguous in the animal pictures than in the human ones. The ambiguity of gender
can allow for children to relate to all the child animals in the pictures rather than
just the human beings of their own sex.
,
The pictures are meant to encourage the children to tell stories related to
competition, illness, injuries, body image, family life, and school situations. The
CAT test manual suggests that the administrator should consider the following
variables when analysing a child's story about a particular card: the protagonist
(main character) of the story; the primary needs of the protagonist; and the
relationship of the main character to his or her personal environment. The pictures
also draw out a child's anxieties, fears, and psychological defenses.

3.4.4 Scoring of CAT

Scoring of the Children's Apperception Test is not based on objective scales; it
must be performed by a trained test administrator or scorer. The scorer's
interpretation should take into account the following variables: the story's primary
theme; the story's hero or heroine; the needs or drives of the hero or heroine; the
environment in which the story takes place; the child's perception of the figures
in the picture; the main conflicts in the story; the anxieties and defenses expressed
in the story; the function of the child's superego; and the integration of the child's
ego.

Consider, for example, the card in which a ferocious tiger leaps toward a monkey
who is trying to climb a tree. A child may talk about his or her fears of aggression
or punishment. The monkey may be described as a hero escaping punishment
from the evil tiger. This story line may represent the child's perceived need to
escape punishment from an angry parent or a bully. Conversely, a child may
perceive the picture in a relatively harmless way, perhaps seeing the monkey and
tiger playing an innocent game.
45
Projective Techniques in A projective test like the CAT allows for a wide variety of acceptable responses.
Psychodiagnostics There is no "incorrect" response to the pictures. The scorer is responsible for
interpreting the child's responses in a coherent way in order to make the test
useful as a clinical assessment technique. It .is recommended practice for the
administrator to obtain the child's personal and medical history before giving the
CAT, in order to provide a context for what might otherwise appear to be
abnormal responses. For example, it would be normal under the circumstances
for a child whose pet has just died to tell stories that include themes of grief or
loss even though most children would not respond to the cards in that way.

. A person scoring the CAT has considerable flexibility in interpretation. He or she

can use the analysis of a child's responses to support a psychological diagnosis,
provide a basis for a cli'nical evaluation, or gain insight into the child's internal
psychological structure.

3.4.5 Precautions
A psychologist or other professional person who is administering the CAT must
be trained in its usage and interpretation, and should be familiar with the
psychological theories underlying the pictures. Because of the subjective nature of
interpreting and analysing CAT results, caution should be used in drawing
conclusions from the test results. Most clinical psychologists recommend using the
CAT in conjunction with other psychological tests designed for children.

The CAT is frequently criticized for its lack of objective scoring, its reliance on
the scorer's own scoring method and bias, and the lack of accepted evidence for
its reliability (consistency of results) and validity (effectiveness in measuring what
it was designed to measure). For example, no clear evidence exists that the test
measure's needs, conflicts, or other processes related to human motivations in a
valid and reliable way.

An Example of CAT Card

(Source: Net)
46
 The Thematic Apperception
Sel! Assessment Questions Test and Children's
Apperception Test
1) Describe the various applications of the TAT test.

2) What are the various alternative procedures to TAT do we have? Describe,

3) Describe the Tell me a Story Test.

18

4) What is the significance of children's Apperception Test?

5) How is the CAT scored and interpreted?

6) What precautions need to be followed in regard to CAT?

..-
N
I

LU
U
0...
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47
Projective Techniques in
Psychodiagnostics 3.5 LET US SUM UP
The TAT,enjoys wide research as well as clinical use. The TAT stimuli consist of
30 pictures, of various scenes, and one blank card. Specific cards are suited for
.adults, children,
.
men, and women. In
.
administering the TAT,the examiner,asks the
subject to make up a story; he or she looks for the events that led up to the
scene, what the characters are thinking and feeling, and the.outcome. Almost all
methods of TAT intetpretation take into account the hero, needs, press, themes,
and outcomes. Like the Rorschach, the TAT has strong supporters but has also
been .attacked on a variety of scientific grounds. Though not psychometrically
sound by traditional standards, the TAT is in widespread use. The TAT is based
on Murray's (1938) theory of needs .
•
Many variants of the TAT approaches have been developed, including sets ~f
cards that depict animal characters for use with children e.g., the Children's
Apperception Test, sets for use with the elderly the Gerontological Apperception
Test, with families and with specific ethnic or cultural groups.

3.6 UNIT END QUESTIONS

1) The TAT consists of

a) two sets of 45 inkblots

b) a series of stories chosen for their emotional impact

c) a series of pictures depicting the adventures of Blacky

d) a set of 31 pictures, most of which are ambiguous

2) In administering the TAT most clinicians

a) have a favorite subset of cards that they administer to every client

b) administer the entire set of pictures

c) select a subset of 6 to 10 cards related to the specific client

d) ask the client which pictures are best and least liked

3) The "pull" of the card refers to:

a) ~mmon themes elicited by a particular card

b) whether a subject touches a card and thus shows compliance

c) the influence of a picture on subsequent stories

d) how often that card is selected for administration

4) The theory behind the TAT focuses on:

a) achievement and failure

b) castration anxiety

c) needs and presses

d) self esteem and competence

48
 In regards to the hero of TAT stories, it is assumed that The Thematic Apperception
5)
Test and Children's
Apperception Test
a) the hero represents what Freud called the Id

b) the client identifies psychologically with the hero

c) the hero is always a masculine figure

d) in each story there are several heroes

6) In a clinical setting, the analysis of the TAT

a) follows a strict scoring procedure based on 36 needs

b) assesses such aspects as determinants and form quality

c) requires, a content analysis of both needs and presses

d) usually reflects an impressionistic, holistic approach

7) In regards to the reliability of the TAT we can conclude that:

a) standard methods of determining reliability are not fully applicable

b) test-retest is unusually high for a projective technique

c) both split-half and parallel form reliabilities are adequate

d) the TAT is a research tool not a psychological test

8) The CAT stimuli contain figures

a) Human

b) Cartoon

c) Animal

d) Toys

9) The Children's Apperception Test is administered for children aged

a) 3-10 years

b) 5-15 years

c) 5-20 years

d) 3-15 years

10) The Gerontological Apperception Test has themes relevant to the concerns
of the elderly, such as

a) relationships

.••
I
'
b) loneliness and family conflicts
'J
:> c) career
I-

E : d) education

11) Write about the main differences between the Rorschach and TAT? 49
Projective Techniques in 12) Write about TAT and also discuss its psychometric properties?
Psychodiagnostics
13) What are the different variations of TAT? Briefly discuss CAT?

3.7 SUGGESTED READINGS

Kaplan, R. M., & Saccuzzo, D. (2001). Psychological Testing: Principles,
Applications, and Issues (5th Ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Wadsworth.

Trull, T.J. (2005). Clinical Psychology (7th Ed.). USA: Thomson Learning, Inc.

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