Introduction

Thematic Apperception Test ( TAT ) is a projective psychological trial used in rating of a person’s emotional responses. attitude and ideas towards equivocal trial stuffs. ( Geiser. et al 1999 ) . Henry Murray regards it as a “method of uncovering to a trained translator some of the dominant thrusts. emotions. sentiments and struggles of a personality. ”

It refers to a technique used by psychologist to convey to the surface some of the concealed personality traits and attitudes that an person is unwilling or unable to acknowledge. It was developed in 1935 by Henry Murray and Christiana D. Morgan in the Harvard Psychological clinic.

The TAT consists of 31 provocative images portraying diverse societal and interpersonal scenarios. of which the topic is asked to state a narrative about the image looking on each card. The topic is expected to depict the image. remark on the likely developments triping the events. give his ideas. positions and attitudes towards the people in the image and eventually foretelling on the likely events that could go on subsequently in the image.

Originally. the 31 cards were divided into 3 classs. to be used entirely on each gender and one class suiting both genders. but recent images indicate that TAT cards are used by both genders.

There are many ways of administrating TAT. but the most normally used is where the cards are divided into two groups. The images in the first group are of normal happenings. e. g picturing normal people traveling about their day-to-day activities. normal images of non-human existences etc.

The 2nd group images are intentionally more unusual and picturing more eccentric events than the first 1s. The cards are kept in a heap facing downwards and the topic is given one card at a clip. The subject’s descriptions of the cards image every bit good non verbal reactions are recorded. They are advised to give as more elaborate and dramatic narratives as they can. The cardinal purpose of TAT is to measure a subject’s personality. It elicits hidden inside informations about a person’s position of the universe every bit good as his or her attitude towards self and others.

TAT has a assortment of utilizations. It is used in psychotherapeutics. in employment enlisting and for forensic intents. In psychotherapeutics. it is administered repeatedly to measure a person’s advancement ( Tuerlinck et al 2002 ) .

Though TAT an judge is able to measure subject’s outlooks and frights every bit good their relationship with the remainder of the society. Their dreams. ends and aspirations can besides be assessed. Original intended intent of TAT was to convey to the surface built-in implicit in features and personal traits of an single e. g thrusts. inspirations. motivations and involvements. Of late TAT is being used in add-on to depth psychology. to assist persons understand themselves better and excite their personal growing. ( Aronow et al 2001 ) .

In the employment field. it’s used in measuring persons required in extremely prosecuting and high skilled callings. eg jurisprudence enforcement. diplomatic services and millitary places. These are occupations that require people with a brilliant ability to get by with people of diverse cultural and societal background every bit good as an ability to get by with highly emphasizing minutes. TAT focuses on the human personality and behaviours. both witting and unconscious. Eg. it can be used to measure the extent which people are involved emotionally with others. ability to command aggression and besides personal realization and individuality. All these assistance in appraisal of an persons personality.

For the reading of TAT to be nonsubjective they must be interpreted with respect to the respondent’s stuffs. societal and demographic conditions. It’s of import to set into consideration the topics age. sex. degree of instruction. personal history. racial or cultural orientation. Other features that may hold an impact on the subject’s response should besides be put into consideration. ( Aribisi. et al 1998 ) . Most research workers agree that there are three most of import factors that have to be put into consideration in reading of the TAT consequences: civilization. gender and category.

Karl Marx in his plants attributed someone’s readings of thoughts. ideas. and belief to be as a consequence of 1s material status or his dealingss to the agencies of production. These factors so should be taken into history when finding whether someone’s response is usual or unusual. Work force might react in a peculiar mode to a certain image. differing in a greater manner from the adult females opposite numbers. What work forces might see to be a mark of gallantry might be regarded as aggression. This is in line with the kineticss of power drama demonstrated in the society. The society today is diverse and complicated and it’s difficult to sort something as being normal or unusual hence underlining the importance of contextualization of consequences.

Interpretation of the subject’s responses focal points on the non-verbal behaviours such as facial looks crimsoning and stutters. The narrative content presents the topics position of the society. properties and phantasies. More besides can be analyzed from the tone of the respondents. It can state more on the topics general feelings towards something. optimism or pessimism.

There isn’t a normative scorning system for responses. The bing 1s have been described as “time consuming and unwieldy” . While others merely concentrate on one or two variables and hence can’t be used to analyse multiple variables.

Recently. computing machine plans have been set up to measure responses. but they have a restriction because they can non enter non verbal cues which are really of import in TAT. Due to miss of standardisation. in the disposal of TAT. the consequences are interpreted intuitively ignoring the marking processs.

Validity and Reliability of TAT.

The cogency of TAT has been brought into inquiry due to the at odds nature of its consequences and readings. Scientists have termed it as a clip blowing exercising because it fails in the basic trial of consistency and replicability. These emanates from its inability to mensurate its consequences quantitatively every bit good as missing a standardised readings of the topics narratives. It major advocates nevertheless. claim that if decently interpreted it can be used to measure unconscious inside informations that otherwise can non be assessed. TAT is based on Freudian Theory of repression which has been vehemently criticised as an invalid theory in the analysis of human behaviour. This. in the same breath. is the unfavorable judgment leveled against TAT. Its ability besides to be influenced by factors such as race. gender and societal category of the participants puts its cogency and dependability into inquiry.

However. psychologists insist on the cogency of these psychological appraisals foregrounding on the prognostic powers and measureabliness of their results. Psychological trial cogency should non be dismissed simply because it’s non a medical trial [ Jenifer Corvus monedula. 2002 ]

Use of TAT nevertheless. has been considered to be unsuitable to kids under the age of four old ages. Students of medical specialty and psychological science have besides been advised to exert cautiousness when construing TAT consequences and should construe the consequences from a wellness position instead than concentrating on abnormal psychology.

Mentions

Psychological appraisals shown to be every bit valid as medical trials. By Jennifer Daw. a

proctor staff. Available online at hypertext transfer protocol: //www. apa. org/monitor/julang01/psychassess. hypertext markup language

Arbisi. Paul A. ( 1998 ) . The senior Apperception Technique. In the thirteenth

measurings yearbook. the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements. the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Geiser. Lon. and Morris I. Stein ( 1999 ) . Evocative images: The Thematic Apperception

Trial and the Art of Projection. Washington D. C: American Psychological

Association.

Aronow. Edward. Weirs. Kim and Marvin Reznikoff. 2001. A practical Guide to the

Thematic Apperception Test: Cheapness in clinical pattern. Philadelphia. P. A Poarunner – Rontledge.

Tuerlinck. Francis. Paul De Beck and Willy Lens. 2002. Measuring Needs with the

Thematic Apperception Test: A Psychometric Study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 82.