Thematic Apperception Test Report
Tanishqa (2239456)
4MPCL-B
MPS 451 Psychodiagnostic Lab II
Prof. Abilash K
January 17, 2023
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Thematic Apperception Test Report
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 a 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.
The Thematic Apperception test (TAT was introduced in 1935 by Christina Mrogan and
Henry of Harward 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 TAT has been well received by the
scientific community.
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 mot oversold as was the Rorschach and no extravagant claims were made. Unlike the
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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
characteristics. This test also differs from the Rorschach Test because the TAT’s non clinical use
are just as important as its clinical ones. Indeed, the TAT is one of the most important techniques
used in personality research (Abrams, 1999; Bellak, 1999).
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 felling 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).
Organisations 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 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
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also related to the standards that you as 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.
Freud used projection defense mechanism in various papers published by him. Dr
Luepold Billak advance the concept of Apperception Distortion. This idea is leased on the
Freudian conception that memories of influence perception of contemporary stimuli. Bellak is of
the opinion that the interpretation and perception of parental figures in TAT is influenced by the
subjects past memory of his own parental figures ego psychology as not only played a dominant
role in psychoanalysis but also in the field of projection techniques by helping in producing
imaginative response. Productions of imaginative responses in projective test situations depend
solely on the concept of nature and functions of the ego particularly from the stand point of ego
strength.
The autistic projections are those which are strongly influenced by the needs of an
individual to be consistent with the needs of the figured aspects of the perceived objects are
modified. The expression projective technique first made its appearance in a paper by L K
Franke. It means that the inclusion of a suies of psychological mechanisms through which few
response to more less unstructured or semi-structured stimuli are noted.
The Utility of the test
The Thematic Apperception Test is proved to be useful in any study of personality,
interpretation of behaviour direction and neurosis and psychosis and can be used as a short
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therapy method of personality and diagnosis of community problems in various cultural areas.
Mainly the TAT is a method of trained interpretations some of the dominant drives emotions,
sentiments, complexes and conflicts of personality. It explains the object of the test is to make
the subject, project through the medium of these cards his/her own undoing needs. TAT cards
modified to suit the cultural setting of the people. It has been emphasized that modification does
not imply the substitution of few mental details or particular human and animal figures. The two
basic necessities are that it should be closer to the original test. The symbolic values of each
situation should be retained otherwise the value of the test, will be reduced and that appropriate
changes should be considered essential in order to fulfil the needs of the particular cultural group
for which the test is meant.
In the modified TAT cards, the cards are modified to suit the cultural setting such as the
joint family system, religious beliefs, sex, aggressiveness, depression etc., to evoke the emotions.
17 cards were drawn and tested on a small sample and with the experience gained 15 cards were
related on again to 260 individuals of rural and industrial areas in Bengal out of these 17 cards 13
cards were finally chosen. The cards such as card 1, 2, 8 were modified to suit the Indian setting.
Murry’s card 7 represents the single biological type of European family but inapplicable
to the Indian extended family. The picture include the family group consisting grandmother,
father son (adult), mother daughter (adult). Unidentified child and the reactions of the authority
figures to the meeting of the young boy and the young girl. Murrey card 7 was replaced 2 cards
with Indian figures of father and son card 6 was replaced by 2 Indian figures of mother and son
to show attitude between mother and son.
Aggression card 5 was changed by the original card 8. Card 7 and additional card 7 was
drawn to suit the Indian society. It involved its presence of a sister-in-law and also to the sense of
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deprivation of live and the jealousy of another women seen in usual triangular selection. The
male figures and their dresses were changed in the present set to evoke the response. Card 9 were
replaced by 2 cards with Indian drawings whose figures and conditions were based on
imagination ultimately one of these 2 cards was formed more suitable for the purpose and
retained.
Reliability and Validity
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.
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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.
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;
3. Different reviewers come to different conclusions ranging from ‘the validity of the TAT
is practically nil’ to ‘there is impressive evidence for its vaidity’.
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 eliciting information about
a person’s view of the world and his/her attitudes towards 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
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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, low enforcement, military leadership positions,
religious ministry, education, diplomatic service, etc.
Although the TAT should not be used in the differential diagnosis 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 TAT is sometimes used for forensic purposes in 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 understand 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.
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Research into object relations using the TAT investigates a variety of different topics,
including
1. The extent to which people are emotionally involved in relationships with others.
2. Their ability to understand the complexities of human relationships.
3. Their ability to distinguish between their viewpoint on a situation and the perspectives of
others involved.
4. Their ability to control aggressive impulses.
5. Self esteem issues; and issues of personal identity.
For example, one recent study compared responses to the TAT from a group of
psychiatric inpatients diagnosed with dissociative inpatients, in order to investigate some of
the controversies about dissociative identify disorder (formerly called multiple personality
disorder).
Method
Aim
To assess the interpersonal relationships and conflicts of the subject using Thematic
Apperception Test (TAT).
Materials
1. TAT cards consisting of 13 picture cards and one in them is of a blank picture. The cards
are Indian adaptations of the original TAT cards by Dr Uma Choudhrary.
2. Writing materials like pen/pencil, papers.
3. Stop clock
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4. Bellak scoring form of TAT and
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:
1. The client is to make up an imaginative or dramatic story;
2. The story is to include what is happening, what led to what is happening, and what will
happen;
3. 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 ant 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 the card and the subject’s first response,
with 5 minutes for each card as the time given. 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
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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 about the stories that 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.
Scoring
Bellak's (1947) scoring system takes one through a sequence of 10 different categories,
which lead step-by-step to an integrated summary of the major dimensions of contemporary
psychoanalytic diagnosis. As in the Rorschach system of Exner (1986), diagnosis of a patient
can be made according to any single dimension. However, the sequence of 10 dimensions
taken together provides a multidimensional, comprehensive diagnostic picture according to
the diagnostic principles of Freud (1915) and A. Freud (1965).
The first dimension, the main theme of each story, is a good example of a self-contained
method of analysis consisting of four steps: (a) Summarize the basic plot (descriptive level),
(b) note the plot's meaning (interpretive level), (c) note the psychological meaning (diagnostic
level), and (d) allow for a more free expansion of the previous three levels (elaborative level).
Psychoanalytically, the first level is closer to the more conscious level of the manifest content
of the story, whereas the other three levels attempt to get at the story's more underlying
unconscious latent content. For the tester, the first three levels represent a more conscious,
intellectual approach, whereas the fourth level encourages some free association, as a therapist
will do in treatment in the attempt to understand the inner life of a patient. This does not
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encourage '"wild analysis" (Freud, 1910) but is instead a fundamentally empirical approach in
that the levels of analysis move from what Bellak (1986, 1993) called an "observation-near"
description to a more abstract, "observation-distant" diagnostic interpretation.
The second dimension pertains to the identifying characteristics of the main hero of the
story (age, sex, vocation, abilities, interests, traits, body and/or self-image), which relate to
what Freud (1914) referred to as the "libidinal cathexis of the self-representation" and what
Kohut (1971) differentiated into (a) the libidinal level of self-esteem, (b) the level of cohesion
of the self, and (c) the level of continuity of the self-representation over time.
The third-dimension deals with the main needs— the wishes, impulses, and drives—of
the hero. These may be directly stated in the story; implied through the introduction of
figures, objects, or circumstances not typically expressed in stories to these cards; or implied
through omissions of figures, objects, or circumstances in stories to particular cards. This is
the realm of unconscio is sexual and aggressive feelings, which are also considered in terms
of the predominant phase of psychosexual development represented in a story (e.g., oral, anal,
phallic, urethral), as in Pine (1960) and Schafer (1954).
The fourth dimension is the overall conception of the world in the story, which relates to
A. Freud's (1965) concept of "environmental stressors"—that is, basic traumas and life-stress
events that influence how the individual views the world. It facilitates a summary of the
individual's basic view of the world related to Freud's, Adler's, and Sullivan's concepts of an
individual's characterological attitude and style of living.
The fifth dimension is interpersonal object relations, the subject's relationship to parental
figures, peers, and junior figures. This relates to Freud's concept of the degree to which an
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individual libidinally cathects the world of other people (Thomas & Dudek, 1985) as well as
how these interpersonal relationships are represented as self and object representations or
images in the internal world of unconscious fantasy, as developed by the British school of
object-relations theory (Abrams, 1991, 1992a; Bellak, 1986, 1993). It is also the dimension of
Sullivan's interpersonal theory, which focuses specifically in the individual's degree of
relatedness with other people in the external world.
The sixth, seventh, and eighth dimensions are based on identifying drive defense
constellations expressed in a story in terms of specific conflicts, nature of anxieties, and main
defenses against conflicts, anxieties, and fears. The main questions are with what is the
individual struggling and how is the individual attempting to cope with these struggles. The
ninth dimension addresses superego functioning in terms of its appropriateness, severity,
consistency, leniency, superego interference, and presence of delayed gratification of
impulses.
The tenth dimension deals with integration of the ego in terms of three levels of story
outcome, as in the story outcome scale in Abrams (1977) and SuttonSmith et al. (1981), and
the presence and adequacy of 12 ego functions: reality testing, judgment, sense of reality,
regulation and control of affects and impulses, object relations, thought processes, adaptive
regression in the service of the ego, defensive functioning, stimulus barrier, autonomous ego
functioning, synthetic functioning, and mastery-competence. As mentioned earlier, each of
Bellak's dimensions may suffice as a separate system of thematic test analysis; this has been
particularly demonstrated for the assessment of ego functions by Bellak (1986, 1988, 1993);
Bellak, Hurvich, and Gediman (1973); Bellak and Goldsmith (1984); and Morval (1977).
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Increasingly, psychologists employ the same basic set of 10 cards for both males and
females (Cards 1, 2, 3BM, 4, 6BM, 7GF, 8BM, 9GF, 10, and 13MF), which facilitates the
same type of standardized sequential analysis as in the Rorschach (Bellak, 1986; Brelet, 1986;
Shentoub et al., 1990). When administering thematic tests, it is important to make every effort
to obtain a full narrative in response to each picture by continuing to ask what happens next
and by asking for an ending to the story so that the protocol may reach more of the richness
and depth of dream narratives. Some psychologists simply ask for a description of each card
and then for associations to different aspects of the card, as if doing a Rorschach inquiry.
However, the approach recommended here makes the protocol easier to score and closer to
the individual's "life narrative."
Results
Table. 1
Demographic Details
Name KT
Date of Birth / Sex/Age 22yr
Gender Female
Rural/Urban Urban
Married/Unmarried Unmarried
Education Master’s
Siblings / Number NA
Father Name/Occupation or Profession Army Personnel
Mother Name/Occupation or Profession Homemaker
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Parents alive or dead Alive
Assessment Date 12.01.24
Informants name / Relationship (if any) NA
Health issues earlier (Physical or Psychological) NA
Under any Treatment (physical or psychological) NA
Other Details NA
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Bellak Analysis Sheet for TAT
Sl Dimensions Card 1 Card 2 Card 3 Card 3 Card Card Card Card Card Card 7 Card Card Card Card
NO (MB) (FG) 4 4 5 6 7 (Ad) 8 9 10 Plain
(MB) (FG)
1. Main theme – diagnostic, descriptive,
interpretative levels are desired.
2 Main Hero- age, sex, vocation, abilities,
interests, traits, body image, adequacy
and or self- image
3 Main needs and drives of hero -
4. Concept of environment (world)as:
5
a. Parental figures (m..... f....)
are seen as ........ and subjects
reaction to ‘a’ is.......
a. Comtemp, figures (m......
f.....) are seen as ....... and
subjects reaction to ‘b’
is.............
a. Junior figures (m....... f.......)
are seen as ........... and
subjects reaction to ‘c’
is..................
6 Significant Conflicts....................
7 Nature of anxieties
Of physical harm and /or punishment
Of disapproval
Of lack or loss of love.....Of illness or
injury....Of being deserted........Of
deprivation........Of being overpowered
and helpless.........lonely...........Of being
devoured...............other................
Sl Dimensions Card 1 Card 2 Card 3 Card 3 Card Card Card Card Card Card 7 Card Card Card Card
NO (MB) (FG) 4 4 5 6 7 (Ad) 8 9 10 Plain
(MB) (FG)
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8 Main defences against conflicts and ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
fears
Repression...........reaction-
formation........splitting.......regression....
..
denial.......introspection............Isolation.
........undoing............. ...Rationalization..
.......Other.......................
9 Adequacy of superego as manifested by ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
“Punishment” for “crime” being:
Appropriate...........................
inappropriate
Too severe (also indicated by
immediacy of punishment)
Inconsistent....................... too
lenient...............................
Also:..............................................
Delayed initial response or
pauses.....................................
stammer............................... other
manifestations of superego interference.
10 Integration of the ego, manifestation ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ✔️
itself in:..........
Hero: adequate..................
inadequate..........................
Outcome: happy........................
unhappy.......................
Realistic...................
unrealistic....................
Drive
control.....................................................
................
Thought processes as revealed by plot
being :
Stereotyped........... original.............
appropriate...............
Complete................incomplete..........ina
ppropriate...........
Syncretic...................concrete............co
ntaminated.........
Intelligence..............................................
..........................
Maturational
level.........................................................
......
Impression:
Several emerging themes can be identified across the thematic apperception test (TAT) cards:
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Conception of the environment
Throughout the cards, the family unit emerges as a key motif, emphasising the
importance of familial interactions and dynamics in the subject's stories. A frequent subject is the
presentation of unfavourable sentiments towards mothers and father figures. These people are
frequently portrayed as causes of conflict and stress for the protagonist. Males frequently abuse
female heroes emotionally and physically. All stories about families have tension and strife, with
the hero bearing the brunt of it.
Relationship to others
The client's interpersonal ties were shallow, indicating a challenge in building strong
connections or trusting people. While the stories depicted a pleasant relationship with the mother
figure, there may be a general mistrust of authoritative figures, resulting in problems navigating
social hierarchies and openly expressing oneself. This fear of rejection may lead to social
isolation and loneliness. Marital discord emerges as a recurring topic across the tales, indicating
the prevalence of conflict and instability in marital and family relationships. The hero frequently
becomes a victim of unstable and dysfunctional familial relations. The hero has friends, yet she
struggles to communicate or expose her actual self, resulting in solitude and loneliness.
Significant conflicts
The heroine experiences opposing emotions at the same time as she battles unsolved
tensions within herself, such as remorse and self-doubt. The hero has a great deal of turmoil in
his family life, which is marked by a lack of affection and a sense of powerlessness. When the
hero gladly tries to show affection and doesn't receive it back, she goes through mental turmoil.
The hero's relationships with her family are replete with themes of humiliation. Sadness that
persisted was another common theme in many of the stories.
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Nature of anxieties
The accounts provided by the clients exposed a collection of fears related to rejection,
abandonment, and judgement. A weak sense of self-worth might be inferred from a fear of
failing and an intense need for other people's acceptance. The tales also revealed a great deal of
fear related to expressing unpleasant emotions, especially rage. Emotional repression may make
it difficult to communicate assertively and establish appropriate limits. The main concern is the
imminent danger of being physically harmed by powerful people, which makes her feel exposed
and uneasy all the time. When there is a deep need for real friendship or support, there is a
persistent sensation of loneliness. She suffers a lack of unconditional love in spite of her need for
intimacy and love. This is accompanied by a crippling sense of impotence and helplessness.
Nature of defenses
The client's main defence strategies included avoidance, denial, escape, and wishful
thinking. These tactics imply an effort to sidestep challenging feelings, confrontations, and social
situations that are viewed as dangerous. Although these defences may offer short-term comfort,
over time they may impede the growth of healthy coping strategies and emotional maturity. The
hero's defence systems likewise heavily rely on repression, as she represses her wants and desires
in order to protect her family. She is able to put other people's needs ahead of her own because of
this restraint. Furthermore, the hero thinks a lot, albeit usually not in a positive way. This self-
analysis entails evaluating oneself critically and concentrating on one's own perceived
weaknesses, failings, and defects.
Superego Structure
The stories allude to a severe superego, with penalties that are frequently out of
proportion to the alleged transgression. These punishments seem harsh; they include everything
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from verbal to physical violence. In addition, the customer hesitated and paused before
expressing a strong superego. There was also laughing as anecdotes of improper sexual
behaviour were shared.
Integration of ego
The heroine has internal strife and emotional upheaval as a result of herriad internal
tensions. She frequently uses unhappy endings and impractical solutions in her stories. The
heroine exhibits uniqueness in her thinking, even though it could occasionally be seen as strange
or out of the ordinary. The heroine demonstrates resilience and a level of maturity beyond her
years.
