Thematic

Appreception Test
SUBMITTED TO: MA’AM SHUMAILA ANDLEEB
 Group no.08

 Maria Hussain
 Hafsa Noor
 Afia Ali
 Aliya Bibi
 Inbasat Mughal
 Syeda Zainab Kainat
Projective Test:

 Is a projective test consisting of a series

of pictures in which the examinee is
requested to create a story about the
picture.
 Method of revealing to the trained
interpreter some of the dominant drives,
emotions, sentiments, complexes and
conflicts of personality.
History:

 Itwas conceptualized by Henry Murray

and Christina Morgan on 1935 but more
fully elaborated in 1938 and 1943.
 Itwas believed that material derived
from the test could serve as the X-ray of
personality.
 By 1950, several books and more than
100 articles were published.
Cont….

 By1971, more than 1,800 articles had been

written based on the TAT.
 Thetest is still not considered to have
achieved degree of comparable degree of
standardization to MMPI and WAIS.
 Noclear agreed on scoring and interpretation
system.
 Varying
methods of administration regarding
number, sequence and types of cards that are
given.
Cont…..

 Several
TAT-type tests have been
designed to study specific problem areas.
 Rosenzweig Picture Frustration Study to
understand how people perceive and
deal with frustration.
 The Stress Tolerance Test to be used in
understanding how a subject responds to
stressful scenes of combat.
Murray’s Theory of Personality:

 How individuals react with their

environment.
 How they are affected by their external
forces.
 How their attitudes, needs and values
influence their reaction to world.
 Murray developed a list of 28 needs.
Cont….

He developed a list of 24 possible

forces in person’s environment
named as press.
He gave the concept of thema “A
pattern of related needs and press
derived from early infantile
experiences”.
General Conditions:

 To be administrated in an interpersonal
setting.
 TAT materials consists of 20 cards on
which ambiguous pictures are
presented.
• “M” for males, “F” for females
• “B” for boys, “G” for girls
• “BM” for boys/males, “GF” for
Cont…

 The selection of cards may be idiosyncratic to

the patient’s presenting problem.
 SEQUENTIAL NUMBERING SYSTEM (SNS)
• Administrated to females and males in exact
order:
1,2,3BM,4,6BM,7GF,8BM,9GF,10,13MF.
• Administrated to any males:
1,2,3BM,4,6BM,7BM,11,12M,13MF.
• Administrated to any females: 1,2,3,3BM, 4,
Cont…..

 Keiser
and Prather (1990) specified
Murray’s frequent cards.
_ 10 most frequent cards: 1, 2,
3BM, 3GF, 4, 5, 6BM, 6GF, 8BM and
8GF.
 During administration, the subject
should be seated beside the examiner
with his or her chair turned away,
Instructions:

 The examiner will show some pictures

one at a time, and the subject will be
making up as dramatic a story as
he/she can for each picture card. 50
minutes for 10 pictures. The following
story structure must be obtained:
Cont…..

 Current situation:
What is happening at the moment ?
 Thoughts and feelings of the character (s) :
What the characters are feeing and thinking?
 Preceding events:
What has led up to the event shown in the
picture ?
 Outcome :
What was the outcome?
Procedures:

 Time:
time measured should begin when the picture is
first presented and end when the subject begins his
or her story.
 Recording:
a subject’s complete responses should be
recorded, along with any noteworthy behavioral
observations: exclamation, pauses, blushing,
degree of involvement , and change in voice
inflection.
Cont…

 Questioning and Inquiry:

To produce an unhampered and
free-flow of the subject’s fantasy material.
 Order Of Presentation:
usually, the cards should be
administered according to their sequential
numbering system.
 PICTURE 8BM

I. Description of Card: A
young boy in the foreground
of the picture is staring
directly out of the picture. In
the background is the hazy
image of two men
performing surgery on a
patient who is lying down.
 CONTINUE

II. Frequent Plots:

 Stories revolve around either
ambition, in that young man may
have aspirations toward
becoming a doctor, or aggression.
 The aggressive stories relate to
fear while in a passive state.
 Less frequent theme centers on a
scene in which someone is shot
and is now being operated on.
 CONTINUE

III. General Discussion: The

picture can be seen as a thinly
veiled depiction of a young
man’s oedipal conflicts, with
the concomitant feelings of
castration anxiety and hostility.
Thus, it is important to note
what feelings the boy or other
characters in the story have
toward the older man
performing the surgery.
 PICTURE 8GF

I. Description of Card: A
woman is sitting on a chair
staring into space with her
chin resting in her hand.
 CONTINUE

II. Frequent Plots:

 Since this picture is vague
and non specific, extremely
diverts plots are developed
and there are no frequently
encountered themes.
 CONTINUE

III. General Discussion: This

picture is difficult to generalize
about and typically produces
somewhat shallow stories of a
contemplative nature.
 PICTURE 9BM

I. Description of Card: Four

men in a field are lying
against one another.
 CONTINUE

II. Frequent Plots:

 Stories typically explain in
some manner why the men
there and frequently
describe them either as
homeless wanderers or as
working men who are taking
a much needed rest.
 CONTINUE

III. General Discussion: This

picture is particularly helpful in
providing information about
relationships with same sex
members. Are the men
comfortable with each other?
Sometimes homosexual
tendencies or fears regarding
such tendencies become
evident in the story plot.
 PICTURE 9GF

I. Description of Card: A
woman in the foreground is
standing behind a t. Below
her is another woman
running along a beach.
 CONTINUE

II. Frequent Plots:

 Usually the two women are seen
as being in some sort of conflict,
often over a man.
 Frequently, either in addition to
this theme or in a separate story,
the woman hiding behind the tree
has done something wrong.
 It is very unusual to have a story
in which cooperation between the
women is the central plot.
 CONTINUE

III. General Discussion: This

card basically deals with female peer
relations and is important in
elaborating on such issues as
conflict resolution, jealousy, sibling
rivalry, and competitiveness.
Frequently, a man is introduced into
the story who is often placed in the
role of either a long-lost lover, whom
one or both of the girls are running
to meet, of a sexual attacker, from
whom the girl on the beach is
attempting to escape.
 PICTURE 10

I. Description of Card: A
person is holding their head
against another
person's shoulder.
 CONTINUE

II. Frequent Plots:

 Stories usually center around
some interaction between
the male and the female and
may involve either a
greeting between the
two or a departure.
 CONTINUE

III. General Discussion: This

card often gives useful information
about the way in which the subject
perceives male-female relationships,
particularly those involving some
degree of closeness and intimacy. If
the story is one of departure or
termination of the relationship, this
may reflect overt or denied hostility
on the part of the subject.
 PICTURE 11

I. Description of Card: A road

in a chasm has several
figures proceeding along a
path towards a bridge. Above
them and against the side of
ä cliff appears to be a
dragon.
 CONTINUE

II. Frequent Plots:

 Typically, stories of attack
and escape are elicited in
which the subject considers
the dragon, the path, and
the obscure figures in the
distance.
 CONTINUE

III. General Discussion: Since

this picture's form is quite
vague and ambiguous, it is a
good test of the subject's
imaginative abilities and skill in
integrating irregular and poorly
defined stimuli. The picture
also represents unknown and
threatening forces and reflects
the manner in which the
subject deals with fear of
attack.
 PICTURE 12M

I. Description of Card: A man

with his hand raised is
standing above a boy who is
lying on a bed with his eyes
closed.
 CONTINUE

II. Frequent Plots:

 Stories center on illness
and/or the older man using
hypnosis or some form of
religious rite on the younger,
reclining figure.
 CONTINUE

III. General Discussion: The

picture often depicting an interaction
between an older, authoritative man
and a younger one, can reveal
themes relevant to the therapeutic
relationship. The older man’s
perceived role—whether supportive
or sinister—can highlight aspects of
the transference dynamic,
potentially providing insights into
the client’s attitudes and
relationship with the therapist.
Additionally, the
 CONTINUE
interpretation of this image may
predict how a client feels about
hypnotic procedures and whether
they view passivity as comfortable
or threatening, often revealing
deeper attitudes toward external
control (White, 1941).
 PICTURE 12F

I. Description of Card: A
portrait of a woman in the
foreground with an older
woman holding her hand in
her chin in the background.
 CONTINUE

II. Frequent Plots:

 Stories center on the
relationship or specific
communications between
the two figures.
 CONTINUE
III. General Discussion: This
picture elicits descriptions and
conceptions of mother figures.
The background figure is
frequently seen as a mother-in-
law, often with a variety of evil
qualities. Often these negative
qualities are feelings that the
subject has toward his or her
mother but can indirectly, and
therefore more safely, project
onto the figure of a mother-in-
law.
 Picture 18GF :
A woman has her hands around the throat of another
woman. In the background is a flight of stairs.
Picture 19 :
A surreal depiction of clouds and a home covered with snow.
. Picture 20 :
A hazy, nighttime picture of a man leaning against a
lamppost.
. 1. Validity of the TAT:

Definition: Validity refers to how well the TAT measures what it’s
supposed to measure, which is an individual's underlying thoughts,
feelings, and motives.

Types of Validity:
Content Validity: Measures if the TAT images (cards) cover themes
that elicit different emotions and stories, making it relevant for
exploring inner conflicts.

Construct Validity: Checks if the TAT really assesses psychological

traits like motivation or social relationships.

Predictive Validity: Examines if TAT results can predict future

behavior or align with other psychological assessment.
Reliability of the TAT:

Definition: Reliability is about consistency—whether

the TAT produces stable results over time.

Types of Reliability:

Inter-rater Reliability: Consistency across

different psychologists interpreting the same TAT
responses.

Test-Retest Reliability: Checks if results stay

consistent if the same person takes the test at
different times.
Advantages:

Explores Deep Emotions:

Helps reveal hidden feelings, motives, and conflicts
that might not be easily expressed.

Personalized Insights:
Provides a unique view of a person’s inner world,
giving insights into their personality.

Non-Threatening:
Uses storytelling, which can make people feel more
comfortable sharing personal thoughts.
Disadvantages:

Subjective Interpretation:
Results depend on the psychologist’s interpretation, which can
vary widely.

Cultural Bias:
Some images may not relate well to people from different
cultural backgrounds.

Limited Reliability:
Responses might change over time or with mood, affecting
consistency.
THANKYO
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