The Thematic Apperception Test is based on the hypothesis that when a person

The original purpose of the TAT was to assess Henry Murray’s need theory of personality. Currently, clinicians or researchers use it more generally to assess personality, attitudes, and values.

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Background and History of the Thematic Apperception Test
Learn about this topic in these articles:
diagnostic use
personality
What does Thematic Apperception Test measure?
What theory is Thematic Apperception Test based on?
What is the Thematic Apperception Test quizlet?
What is an example of Thematic Apperception Test?

Background and History of the Thematic Apperception Test

The TAT is based on the projective hypothesis. Projective tests assume that the way that a test taker perceives and responds to an ambiguous scene reveals inner needs, feelings, conflicts, and desires. The responses are a “projection” of the self and are thought to be indicative of an individual’s psychological functioning. This type of testing was influenced by Freudian thought and theories and became popular in the 1940s.

Projective tests have been used in psychological testing since the 1940s and remain popular in clinical settings. They have been criticized, however, for having poor reliability and validity. While the tests seem to generally reflect a participant’s feelings or personality, they are also potentially influenced by other variables. In particular, there is a lot of random error introduced into these tests. The participant can be influenced by temporary states, such as hunger, sleep deprivation, drugs, anxiety, frustration, or all of these things. The results could be influenced by instructional set, examiner characteristics, the respondent’s perception of the testing situation, or all three elements. Finally, ability factors influence all projective tests, particularly verbal ability. A meaningful interpretation of projective tests must consider all of these factors.

The TAT is the most popular projective test after the Rorshach Inkblot Test, and when scored using the standardized procedure developed by Bellak or used for well-defined constructs such as achievement motivation or affiliation, it is fairly reliable and valid.

The TAT was developed as measure of Henry Murray’s need theory. Murray proposed a set of psychological needs that determined personality. He also defined common environmental forces—presses— which acted on personality and behavior. Murray believed that the projective responses to the ambiguous TAT cards would reveal an individual’s needs and presses. Currently, the TAT is used in clinical as well as research settings to measure personality constructs. In social psychology the TAT might be used to assess individual differences in relating to others within social settings or groups.

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https://www.britannica.com/science/Thematic-Apperception-Test

Alternate titles: TAT

Learn about this topic in these articles:

diagnostic use

In diagnosis: Psychological tests
The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) uses a series of ambiguous pictures of people in different situations to which the viewer ascribes meaning. The descriptions given are a reflection of the viewer’s anxieties, personal conflicts, and interpersonal relationships. Information about a person’s concerns and emotional conflicts can…
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motivation

In motivation: Expectancy-value theory
These researchers used Murray’s Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), a series of ambiguous pictures about which people were asked to write stories (as a determination of personality traits), to measure differences in achievement motivation. Using a technique known as content analysis, the stories were scored for achievement imagery. Based on…
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Murray

In Henry Murray
…for evaluating personality called the Thematic Apperception Test, which was hailed as an important contribution to analytical psychology. Because studies indicated that individuals are likely to interpret events according to their own experience, Murray’s test had subjects interpret a series of pictures. After his retirement from Harvard (1962), he continued…
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personality

In personality assessment: Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
There are other personality assessment devices, which, like the Rorschach, are based on the idea that an individual will project something of himself into his description of an ambiguous stimulus.

What does Thematic Apperception Test measure?

The TAT is a widely used projective test for the assessment of children and adults. It is designed to reveal an individual's perception of interpersonal relationships. Thirty-one picture cards serve as stimuli for stories and descriptions about relationships or social situations.

What theory is Thematic Apperception Test based on?

Background and History of the Thematic Apperception Test The TAT is based on the projective hypothesis. Projective tests assume that the way that a test taker perceives and responds to an ambiguous scene reveals inner needs, feelings, conflicts, and desires.

What is the Thematic Apperception Test quizlet?

Thematic apperception test is a projective psychological test. Proponents of the technique assert that subjects' responses, in the narratives they make up about ambiguous pictures of people, reveal their underlying motives, concerns, and the way they see the social world.

What is an example of Thematic Apperception Test?

Psychologists can then reveal parts of a person's personality based on the story they have told. Thematic Apperception Test examples include: A subject is shown a black and white image of a child reading a book while their mother sits next to them looking over their shoulder.