Thematic Apperception Test

(TAT)

Children’s Apperception Test

(CAT)
 Methods of Assessment
• There are three categories for measuring one’s
personality-
• Objective
• Subjective
• Projective
• The last one is both in nature and has also an
advantage over the other two methods in the
sense that it can assess and diagnose deeper
layers of an individual’s personality and as such
its clinical value is also very high.
 Importance of TAT
TAT was the fourth most frequently used
psychological test and CAT is ninth in clinical
practices.
If however, one looks only for a test for
children exclusively, then CAT comes first
(Piotrowski & Keller, 1985)
 What is TAT ?
• TAT is a technique for the investigation of the
dynamics of personality as it manifests itself in
interpersonal relations and in the apperception
or meaningful interpretation of the
environment.

• Consist 31 pictures (originally described by

Morgan and Murray in 1935) including one
blank card.
• Presently TAT pictures are the third set to be
used since 1935.
• In 1942, U.S. office of Indian affairs of
committee on human development of the
University of Chicago developed 12 cards,
which was drawn by an Indian artist.
• Indian adaptation was done by Uma
Choudhury of the department of
Anthropology, Indian Museum of Calcutta.
• TAT is purely a projective test of personality
and is used widely to measure the deeper
layers of one’s personality.
• Test in reality assesses the individual’s needs,
drives, emotions and sentiments as well as
their interaction among themselves and with
social environment.
• It also reveals the underlying inhibited
tendencies of the person.
 Description
• Murray’s test consist 30 pictures with one
blank card. Out of these, eleven pictures
(1,2,4,5,10,11,14,15,16,19 and 20) are meant
for both the sexes and for all ages;
• Seven are for boys under fourteen and males
over fourteen ( marked BM);
• Seven are for girls under fourteen and females
over fourteen (marked GF);
• One for boys and girls under fourteen (marked
BG)
• One for males and females over fourteen
(13MF);
• And one each suitable for boys (B), for
girls(G) for males over fourteen (M) and
females over fourteen (F).
• Generally, twenty cards, nineteen containing
black and white pictures and one blank card
are presented to the subject at a time. In
selecting twenty cards the sex and age of the
subject is taken into consideration.

• Blank card should be introduced after the end

of 19th cards.
 Instructions
According to murray----
(suitable for adolescents and adults of average
Intelligence)
• “This is a test of imagination, one form of
intelligence. I am going to show you some pictures,
one at time; and your task will be to make up as
dramatic a story as you can for each. Tell what has
led up to the event, show in the picture, describe
what is happening at the moment , what the
characters feeling and thinking and then give the
outcome. Speak your thoughts as they come to your
mind. Do you understand? Since you have 50
minutes for 10 pictures, you can devote about 5
minute to each story … he is the first picture…..
 Instruction for Children, little
educated adults or Psychotics
“This is a story telling test. I have some pictures here,
that I am going to show you, and for each picture, I
want you to make up a story. Tell what has
happened before and what is happening now. Say
what the people are feeling and thinking and hw it
will come out. You can make up any kind of story
you please. Do you understand? Well, then here’s
the first picture you have five minutes to make up
a story. See how well you can do”
 Indian Adaptation
Characteristics of the pictures:
 Some of pictures are contextually well structured
and some are contextually ambiguous.
 Some pictures deal with ordinary or usual events
and some with events that are unusual.
 Some pictures are bizarre.
 One blank card.
 Some have simple form and some are complex.
 Consideration for selection of the
pictures
 Generally encourage fantasy and imagination
 Provides ambiguous figures for possibility of
identification with both the sexes such as 3BM
and 14
 Depict important family and social relationships
 Refers to various emotional areas
 View to finding out the existing problems of the
adolescents arising in an uncongenial home and
unhappy school environment.
 Instructions for Indian adaptation test
• After establishing the rapport, following
instructions are given in a steady and
deliberate tone------
• “I will present to you some picture cards one
by one. You have to make a story on each
one of them. I want to see your imagination
and have an idea that how good you are at
making stories. There are four points which
you have to keep in mind while making
stories on these pictures”
1. You have to describe the scene in the
picture and give the reason for that
situation (past)
2. You have to tell what is happening at
present in the picture (present)
3. Further you have to tell who are the
people in the picture, and what are they
feeling and thinking about?
1. Lastly, what will happen later in that picture
(Future)

“you are free to make any kind of story, and

will be given approximately 5 minutes to
complete one story”
Is everything clear?
After instruction, you have to present first card
and says, “ now this is the first picture. Look
at it carefully, and make a story. Please keep
in mind that you have to give the past,
present, the people’s feeling and thoughts in
the picture, an the future or the end of the
story.

For blank card “ finally this last card is bank.

You can think of any scene on this card,
keeping the same four points in mind”
 Inquiry
• After completion of total stories certain
inquiries are necessary to clarify the stories.
• Hero of the story, Age and Sex.
• Most pleasant picture or story.
• Worst picture or story.
• Age and sex of other characters, if not clear.
• Any other accidental phenomena which
require certain clarification must be inquire
before going to interpretation.
 Assumptions
• There are certain assumptions basic to the
interpretation of the TAT that are commonly
held by most practitioners (Lindzey, 1952)
• In creating a story the storyteller ordinarily
indenifies with one person in the drama, and
the wishes, strivings, and conflicts of this
imaginary person may reflect those of the
storyteller.
• The storyteller’s dispositions, strivings, and
conflicts are sometimes represented indirectly
or symbolically.

• All the stories are not of equal importance as

diagnostic of his/her impulses and conflicts
certain crucial stories may provide a very large
amount of valid diagnostic material.
• Themes that appear to have arisen directly
out of the stimulus material are less apt to be
significant than those that do not appear to
have been directly determined by the stimulus
material.

• Recurrent themes are particularly apt to

mirror the impulses and conflicts of the teller.
Lindzey lists four other assumptions that
reflects other aspects of behavior

• Momentarily aroused impulses or

conflicts (during administration)

• Some past events, in which he may not

be participated actively but has
witnessed or observed.
• Reflects group membership or socio-
cultural determinants addition to
personal and individual determinants.

• The disposition and conflicts that may be

inferred from the storyteller’s creation’s
are not always reflected directly in overt
behavior or consciousness.
• It had long been felt that the TAT was not
particularly suitable for young children.
Therefore, Bellak developed the CAT in
1949.

• It consists 20 pictures divided into two

sets- A&B. Both can be used on
successive days or B alone can be used.
• There are two forms
• Human Figures and animal figures
• In both form the theme is same
Thank You……….
 Interpretation
• The problem of interpretation in TAT is a
difficult task…as it is more an art than mere
mechanical interpretation of certain scores
and ratios.

• It requires a deep clinical insight…..

• Which come only after a prolonged and

thorough experience with this type of test
• Various techniques using subjective and
objective criteria have been advocated

• But no one technique so far evolved is

universally acceptable to all….

Murray’s need-press theory has been found

incomplete in many respects such as its close
dependence upon an insufficient validated
theory of personality.
• Other techniques such as given by Bellack,
Wyatt, and William E. Henry have also not
proved satisfactory.

• Dr. L.P. Mehrotra has adopted an eclectic

approach, which utilizes Murray’s need-press
theory to understand the interaction between
the individual’s motives and urges (need) and
the external environment (press).
• He has also incorporated the bellack’s and
Wyatt’s psycho-analytic interpretation that
helps in revealing the inner dynamics of the
individuals personality,

• Combined with form analysis which has been

greatly emphasized by Rapaport and Henry in
assessing the cognitive aspects of personality.
• Therefore a clinical psychologist taking up the
interpretation of TAT on the hand should have
a thorough knowledge of personality
psychology

• He or she should have an open and critical

mind.
 Necessary Basic Data
• Sex & age of the subject
• Occupation and marital status
• Number, age and sex of the sibling (s) and of
children if married
• Parents of the subject live/dead
• Details regarding social, personal and
emotional adjustment
 • Reading the stories

• Than start analyzing the form, means-

• Power of plot
• Organization
• Fantasies-imagination
• Language and verbal richness
• Observation of details
 Power of plot
• Structured or unstructured
• Real or bizarre
• Complete or incomplete
• Original or stereotyped
• Appropriate or inappropriate
• If plot of the story is real, structured, and
complete it indicates normal ego functioning
• If not ego is loose and disintegrated
 Organization
• This should be made in the light of the
presence of three aspects
• A beginning
• A middle
• A an end
• It should be rated on five point scale
• Superior, good, adequate, low and poor
 Fantasies /imagination
• Length( According to Murray 300 words for adults
and 150 words for children)
• (It indicates productivity of imaginal process and
has significant relationship with cognitive
functioning) it relates more to the affective
content of the individual’s inner life..
• Therefore reduced productivity may sometimes
indicates emotional blocking or inhibition
• While too much indicates free imagination and
fluent expression, sometimes free floating
nature…..that further suggests much pre-
occupation with one’s inner needs and urges
• Range- In psycho-analytical terms it extends
from the archaic, illogical, childlike dominated
to the matured, reality oriented and rational
imagination. (In Murray’s terms it refers to the
range of needs covered)
• Freedom
• Quality of imagination