Thematic Apperception Test and Its Limitations.

In this article, we will Explain Thematic Apperception Test. Discuss Its Limitations.

Thematic Apperception Test :

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is based on Murray’s Need theory. It is developed by Morgan & Murray. TAT consists of 30 black and white picture cards (4 overlapping sets of 19 cards, each for girls, boys, men, and women) depicting people in ambiguous situations, plus 1 blank card. The usual procedure for administering the TAT begins by asking the examinee to tell a complete story about each of the 10 or so picture cards selected as appropriate for her or his age or sex. The examinees were asked to devote approximately 5 minutes to each story, telling what is going on now, what thoughts and feelings the people in the story have, what events have led up to the situation, and how it will turn out.

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Thematic Apperception Test Examples :

For example, one of the pictures shows a young woman in the foreground and a weird old woman with a shawl over her head grimacing in the background.

The following story was told by a young college woman in response to this picture:

This is the woman who has been quite troubled by memories of a mother she was resentful towards. She has feelings of sorrow for the way she treated her mother; her memories of her mother plague her. These feelings seemed to be increasing as she grows older and sees her children treating her the same way as she treated her mother. She tries to convey the feeling to her children but does not succeed in changing their attitudes. She is living her past in her present because the feeling of sorrow and guilt is reinforced by the way her children are treating her.

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From stories such as this, a skilled examiner obtains information about the dominant needs, emotions, sentiments, complexes, and conflicts of the storyteller and the pressures to which she/he is subjected. As revealed by this story, responses to TAT pictures can be especially useful in understanding the relationships and difficulties between a person and her or his parents.

When interpreting TAT stories, it is assumed that respondents project their own needs, desires and conflicts into the stories and characters. Interpretation of the stories is a fairly subjective, impressionistic process centering on an analysis of the needs and personality of the main character (heroine/hero), who presumably represents the examinee, and the environmental forces (press) impinging on the main character. The frequency, intensity and duration of the story are all taken into the account in the interpretation.

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Limitations of Thematic Apperception Test :

The following TAT responses are considered its limitations or indicative of mental disorders of various kinds.

• slowness or delays in responding may indicate depression.
• stories by men that involved negative comments about women or affection for other men may point to homosexuality.
• over cautiousness and preoccupation with details are suggestive of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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