Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Thematic Apperception Test

  • Chapter
Book cover Projective Techniques in Personality Assessment

  • 49 Accesses

Abstract

Since its design in the mid-thirties, the TAT has risen to a preeminent postition among instruments of assessment. It has been used more widely than any other projective technique in the scientific investigation of motivation, and clinicians continue to rely on it heavily in coping with diagnostic problems of everyday practice. It has held its own so well in competition with the Rorschach test and the many other tech niques described in this book for several reasons. Perhaps the foremost is that the manifest material yielded by the TAT is not mysterious in appearance. The comparatively untrained person can appreciate fabricated stories and fantasy tales; he needs no acquaintance with technical symbols and test scores to obtain at least a superficial feeling for the moods and perspectives of the subject who produced the stories, and even the experienced tester profits from this property which differentiates the TAT from other tests.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Atkinson, J. W., (Ed.). Motives in Fantasy, Action, and Society. Princeton, N.J.: Van Nostrand, 1958.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, J. W., Heyns, R. W., Veroff, J. The effect of experimental arousal of the affiliation motive on thematic apperception. J. abn. soc. Psychol., 1954, 49, 405–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson, J. W., Walker, E. L. The affiliation motive and perceptual sensitivity to faces. J. abn. soc. Psychol, 1956, 53, 38–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balken, E. R., Masserman, J. H. The language of fantasy: III. The language of the fantasies of patients with conversion hysteria, anxiety state, and obsessive-compul sive neurosis. J. Psychol, 1940, 10, 75–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellak, L. The concept of projection. Psychiatry, 1944, 7, 353–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellak, L. The Thematic Apperception Test in clinical use. In L. E. Abt L. Bellak (Eds.). Projective Psychology. New York: Knopf, 1950.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bellak, L. The TAT and CAT in Clinical Use. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1954.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R. A. The projective measurement of experimentally induced levels of sexual motivation. J. experim. Psychol, 1952, 44, 391–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook, R. A. Identification and ego-defensiveness in thematic apperception. J. proj. Tech., 1953, 17, 312–319.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cronbach, L. J. Essentials of Psychological Testing, Second edition. New York: Harper, 1960.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dana, R. H. An application of objective TAT scoring. J. proj. Tech., 1956, 20, 159–163.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davison, A. H. A comparison of the fantasy productions on the TAT of sixty hospital ized psychoneurotic and psychotic patients. J. proj. Tech., 1953, 17, 20–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Epley, D., Ricks, D. R. Foresight and hindsight in the TAT. J. proj. Tech., 1963, 27, 51–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eron, L. D. A normative study of the TAT. Psychol. Monogr., 1950, 64, no. 9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eron, L. D. Responses of women to the TAT. J. consult. Psychol, 1953, 17, 269–282.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ervin, S. M. Language and TAT content in bilinguals. J. abn. soc. Psychol, 1964, 68, 500–507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fenichel, O. On the psychology of boredom. In The Collected Papers of Otto Fenichel. New York: Norton, 1953. (originally published in 1934).

    Google Scholar 

  • Freud, S. Some character types met with in psychoanalytic work. In S. Freud, Collected Papers, vol. IV. London: Hogarth Press, 1924. (originally published in 1915).

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldman, R., Greenblatt, M. Changes in TAT stories paralleling changes in clinical status of schizophrenic patients. J. nerv. ment. Dis., 1955, 121, 243–249.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison, R. Studies in the use and validity of the TAT with mentally disordered patients. II. A quantitative validity study. III. Validation by the method of “blind” analysis. Character and Pers., 1940, 9, 122–133, 134-138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henry, W. E. The TAT in the study of culture-personality relations. Genet. Psychol. Monogr., 1947, 35, 1–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henry, W. E. The Analysis of Fantasy. New York: Wiley, 1956.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt, R. R. The TAT. In H. H. Anderson G. L. Anderson (Eds.). An Introduction to Projective Techniques. New York: Prentice-Hall, 1951.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt, R. R. Formal aspects of the TAT: A neglected resource. J. proj. Tech., 1958, 22, 163–172.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holt, R. R. The nature of TAT stories as cognitive products: A psychoanalytic ap proach. In J. Kagan G. S. Lesser (Eds.). Contemporary Issues in Thematic Apperception Methods. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C Thomas, 1961.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kagan, J., Lesser, G. S., (Eds.). Contemporary Issues in Thematic Apperception Methods. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C Thomas, 1961.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kagan, J., Mussen, P. H. Dependency themes on the TAT and group conformity. J. consult. Psychol., 1956, 20, 29–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kenny, D. T., Bijou, S. W. Ambiguity of pictures and extent of personality factors in fantasy responses. J. consult. Psychol., 1953, 17, 283–288.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klein, G. S. Perception, motives, and personality. In J. L. McCary (Ed.). Psychology of Personality. New York: Logos, 1956.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leary, T. A theory and methodology for measuring fantasy and imaginative expression. J. Pers., 1956, 25, 159–175.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lesser, G. S. Conflict analysis of fantasy aggression. J. Pers., 1958, 26, 29–41.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lindzey, G. TAT: Interpretive assumptions and related empirical evidence. Psychol. Bull, 1952, 49, 1–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lindzey, G., Bradford, J., Tejessy, C, & Davids, A. TAT: An interpretive lexicon for clinician and investigator. J. clin. Psychol. Monogr. Suppl, 1959, no. 12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindzey, G., Newburg, A. S. TAT: A tentative appraisal of some “signs” of anxiety. J. consult. Psychol., 1954, 18, 389–395.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lindzey, G., Tejessy, C. TAT: Indices of aggression in relation to measures of overt and covert behavior. Amer. J. Orthopsychiat., 1956, 26, 567–576.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lindzey, G., Tejessy, C, Zamansky, H. TAT: An empirical examination of some indices of homosexuality. J. abn. soc. Psychol., 1958, 57, 67–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matarazzo, J. D. An experimental study of aggression in the hypertensive patient. J. Pers., 1954, 22, 423–447.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, C. D., Murray, H. A. A method for investigating fantasies: The TAT. Arch. Neurol. Psychiat., 1935, 34, 289–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, H. A. Thematic Apperception Test. Pictures and manual. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1943.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, H. A. Uses of the TAT. Amer. J. Psychiat., 1951, 107, 577–581.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, H. A., et al. Explorations in Personality. New York: Oxford University Press, 1938.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I. Theory and Research in Projective Techniques (Emphasizing the TAT). New York: Wiley, 1963.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piotrowski, Z. A. The TAT of a schizophrenic interpreted according to new rules. Psychoan. Rev., 1952, 39, 230–251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pittluck, P. The relationship between aggressive fantasy and overt behavior. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Yale University, 1950.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poser, E. G., Lee, S. G. Thematic content associated with two gastrointestinal disorders. Psychosom. Med., 1963, 25, 162–173.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rapaport, D., Gill, M. M., Schafer, R. Diagnostic Psychological Testing, Volume II. Chicago: Year Book Publishers, 1946.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritter, A. H., Eron, L. D. The use of the TAT to differentiate normal from ab normal groups. J. abn. soc. Psychol., 1952, 47, 147–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rorschach, H. Psychodiagnostik. Berne: Hans Huber, 1921.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig, S., Fleming, E. E. Apperceptive norms for the TAT: II. An empirical investigation. J. Pers., 1949, 17, 483–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saltz, G., Epstein, S. Thematic hostility and guilt responses as related to self-reported hostility, guilt, and conflict. J. abn. soc. Psychol, 1963, 67, 469–479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schafer, R. How was this story told? J. proj. Tech., 1958, 22, 181–210.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, B. J. The measurement of castration anxiety and anxiety over loss of love. J. Pers., 1955, 24, 204–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, B. J. An empirical test of two Freudian hypotheses concerning castration anxiety. J. Pers., 1956, 24, 318–327.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shneidman, E. S., Joel, W., Little, K. B. Thematic Test Analysis. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1951.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silver, A. W. TAT and MMPI Psychopath Deviant Scale differences between delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents. J. consult. Psychol., 1963, 27, 370.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silverman, L. H. Ego-disturbance in TAT stories as a function of aggression-arousing stimulus properties. J. nerv. ment. Dis., 1964, 138, 248–254.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Singer, J. L., Opler, M. K. Contrasting patterns of fantasy and motility in Irish and Italian schizophrenics. J. abn. soc. Psychol., 1956, 53, 42–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strieker, G. The construction and partial validation of an objectively scorable apperception test. J. Pers., 1962, 30, 51–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, C. E. Thompson Modification of the Thematic Apperception Test. Cam bridge: Harvard University Press, 1949.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomkins, S. S. The Thematic Apperception Test: The Theory and Technique of Interpretation. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1947.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, P., Emmerich, W. Dependency fantasy and group conformity in ulcer patients. J. consult. Psychol., 1962, 26, 61–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weisskopf, E. A. A transcendence index as a proposed measure in the TAT. J. Psychol. 1950a, 29, 379–390.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weisskopf, E. A. An experimental study of the effect of brightness and ambiguity on projection in the TAT. J. Psychol., 1950b, 29, 407–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Welch, B., Schafer, R., Dember, C. F. TAT stories of hypomanic and depressed patients. J. proj. Tech., 1961, 25, 221–232.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wyatt, F. The scoring and analysis of the TAT. J. Psychol, 1947, 24, 319–330.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zubin, J., Eron, L. D., Schumer, F. An Experimental Approach to Projective Tech niques. New York: Wiley, 1965.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. George C. Rosenwald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University, USA

    A. I. Rabin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1968 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rosenwald, G.C. (1968). The Thematic Apperception Test. In: Rabin, A.I. (eds) Projective Techniques in Personality Assessment. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-39575-2_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-39575-2_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-38701-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-39575-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation