Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Purpose

To reveal an individual's perception of interpersonal relationships using Thematic

Apperception Test (TAT).

Introduction

Personality

The word personality is derived from the Latin word persona, which refers to a mask

used by actors in a play. Personality refers to one’s external and visible characteristics, those

aspects of people that other people can see. It had enduring characteristics that are relatively

stable and predictable (Schultz & Schultz, 2005).

American psychologist Henry Murray (1893-1988) developed a theory of personality that

was organized in terms of motives, presses, and needs. Murray described needs as a "potentiality

or readiness to respond in a certain way under certain given circumstances.”

Projective Techniques

Projective techniques involve the use of vague, ambiguous, unstructured stimulus objects

or situations in which the subject "projects" his or her personality, attitude, opinions and

self-concept to give the situation some structure (Lennon, 1993; Webb, 1992:113). Projective

techniques uncover the innermost thoughts and feelings of a person, those aspects that are

particular to this person, in other words the essence of his or her individuality. They are also used

to discover the person’s characteristic modes of perceiving his or her world and how to behave in

their world. In psychoanalytic literature the concept "projection" is viewed as a defense

mechanism with which the ego protects itself from anxiety by externalizing unpleasant feelings

or experiential elements - often directly ascribing them to others.

 Projective techniques work on the basis of the underlying principle that unconscious

desires and feelings can be approached by presenting a subject with an ambiguous situation in

which he or she needs to use the ego defense mechanism of projection. The subject is free to

interpret and respond to the ambiguous stimuli (material that can be interpreted in various forms)

from his or her own particular frame of reference. As there are no right or wrong answers, it is

done with the hope that the subjects will project their own unconscious feelings in their answers.

Types of Projective Tests

Structural. It includes very abstract visual material that the person must define by saying

what he sees or suggests (For example- Rorschach)

Thematic. It includes visual material with different degrees of definition, human or

parahuman content whose objective is to tell a story (For example- TAT: Test of Thematic

Perception)

Expressive. It includes instruction to draw (For example- test of the tree, the human

figure, the house)

Constructive. It consists of providing the concrete material with which the subject must

construct something.

Associations. The subject must verbally associate or complete words, phrases or stories

according to certain instructions (For example- Word Association).

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Murray and Morgan of the University of Harvard (U.S.A) formulated thematic

apperception which is known in short as TAT. The TAT consists of a set of ambiguous pictures

depicting simple scenes. The original test contains 31 pictures including one blank card. The
person taking the test is asked to compose a story that describes the people and objects in the

picture, describing what might have led up to the situation and what the people are thinking and

feeling. The projection that comes through the story is an ascription of the feelings and

sentiments or needs and drives of the subject or objects of the outside world.

In TAT pictures the subject generally identifies himself with one or more characters in the

picture. While identifying with some character the subject projects his ideas which reflects his

inner layers of personality. He might also reveal the unconscious aspects of his personality that

he is also not aware of. The unconscious and subconscious is represented by him in the form of

stories relating himself to the character of the stories. In doing so he is not aware that he is

revealing the contents of his own personal experience, drives, emotions, sentiments, complexes

and sentiments. It also reveals the underlying inhibited tendencies of the person. Thus, this test is

very valuable as it makes the person admit his hidden aspects of personality which he is not

aware of.

History

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is a projective test of personality. Christiana

Morgan and Henry Murray created the test in the 1930s at the Harvard Psychological Clinic. The

general opinion of how the test originated involves one of Murray’s undergraduate students

telling him about how her son, when home with an illness, spent all day looking at pictures in

magazines and telling stories about them. The mother inquired whether this technique could

somehow be used in a clinical setting (Douglas, 1993).

After World War II, the TAT was adopted more broadly by psychoanalysts and clinicians

to evaluate emotionally disturbed patients. An Indian adaptation was developed in 1960 by Mrs.

Uma Choudhary. Later, in the 1970s, the Human Potential Movement encouraged psychologists
to use the TAT to help their clients understand themselves better and stimulate personal growth.

Theory

Murray developed a theory of personality that was organized in terms of: Motives,

presses and needs. Theories of personalities based on needs (Being Unconscious) and motives

suggest that our personalities reflect behaviors controlled by needs. He also said that our

personality is shaped by our inherited attributes and by our environment. The physiological

forces and the stimuli in our physical, social, and cultural environments need to be observed for

an impact. According to Murray, these psychogenic needs function mostly on the unconscious

level but play a major role in our personality.

Needs: The Motivators of Behavior

Murray’s most important contribution is his use of the concept of needs. A need involves

a physicochemical force in the brain that organizes and directs intellectual and perceptual

abilities and may arise either from internal processes such as hunger or thirst, or from events in

the environment. The organism tries to reduce tension by acting to satisfy the needs. They

activate behavior in the appropriate direction to satisfy the needs. Murray’s research led him to

formulate a list of 20 needs. Not every person has all of these needs. Over the course of your

lifetime you may experience all these needs, or there may be some needs you never experience.

Types of Needs

Primary needs and Secondary needs. Primary needs (viscerogenic needs) arise from

internal bodily states and include those needs required for survival (such as food, water, air, and
harm avoidance), as well as such needs as sex and sentience. Secondary needs (psychogenic

needs), arise indirectly from primary needs, in a way. They are called secondary not because they

are less important but because they develop after the primary needs. Secondary needs are

concerned with emotional satisfaction and include most of the needs on Murray’s original list.

Reactive and proactive needs. Reactive needs involve a response to something specific in

the environment and are aroused only when that object appears. Proactive needs do not depend

on the presence of a particular object. They are spontaneous needs that elicit appropriate

behavior whenever they are aroused, independent of the environment.

Characteristics of Needs

Needs differ in terms of the urgency with which they impel behavior, a characteristic

Murray called a need’s prepotency. Some needs are complementary and can be satisfied by one

behavior or a set of behaviors. Murray called this a fusion of needs. The concept of subsidization

refers to a situation in which one need is activated to aid in satisfying another need. Murray

recognized that childhood events can affect the development of specific needs and, later in life,

can activate those needs. He called this influence press because an environmental object or event

presses or pressures the individual to act a certain way.

Murray introduced the concept of thema (or unity thema). The thema combines personal

factors (needs) with the environmental factors that pressure or compel our behavior (presses).

The thema is formed through early childhood experiences and becomes a powerful force in

determining personality. the thema relates needs and presses in a pattern that gives coherence,

unity, order, and uniqueness to our behavior. Below is the list of Needs and Presses for the TAT

test.
 Murray’s List of Needs

1. Abasement - To submit passively to external force. To accept injury, blame, criticism, and

punishment. To become resigned to fate. To admit inferiority, error, wrongdoing, or defeat. To

blame, belittle, or mutilate the self. To seek and enjoy pain, punishment, illness, and misfortune.

2. Achievement - To accomplish something difficult. To master, manipulate, or organize physical

objects, human beings, or ideas. To overcome obstacles and attain a high standard. To rival and

surpass others.

3. Affiliation - To draw near and enjoyably cooperate or reciprocate with an allied other who

resembles one or who likes one. To adhere and remain loyal to a friend.

4. Aggression - To overcome opposition forcefully. To fight, attack, injure, or kill another.

To maliciously belittle, censure, or ridicule another.

5. Autonomy - To get free, shake off restraint, or break out of confinement. To resist coercion and

restriction. To be independent and free to act according to impulse. To defy conventions.

6. Counteraction - To master or make up for a failure by restriving. To obliterate a humiliation

by resumed action. To overcome weaknesses and to repress fear. To search for obstacles and

difficulties to overcome. To maintain self-respect and pride on a high level.

7. Defendance - To defend the self against assault, criticism, and blame. To conceal or justify a

misdeed, failure, or humiliation.

8. Deference - To admire and support a superior other. To yield eagerly to the influence of an allied

other. To conform to custom.

9. Dominance - To control one’s environment. To influence or direct the behavior of other by

suggestion, seduction, persuasion, or command. To get others to cooperate. To convince another

of the rightness of one’s opinion.

10. Exhibition - To make an impression. To be seen and heard. To excite, amaze, fascinate, entertain,

shock, intrigue, amuse, or entice others.

11. Harm avoidance - To avoid pain, physical injury, illness, and death. To escape from a dangerous

situation. To take precautionary measures.

12. Infavoidance - To avoid humiliation. To quit embarrassing situations or to avoid conditions

that may lead to the scorn, derision, or indifference of others. To refrain from action because of

the fear of failure.

13. Nurturance - To give sympathy to and gratify the needs of a helpless other, an infant or one who

is weak, disabled, tired, inexperienced, infirm, humiliated, lonely, dejected, or mentally

confused.

14. Order - To put things in order. To achieve cleanliness, arrangement, organization, balance,

neatness, and precision.

15. Play - To act for fun, without further purpose.

16. Rejection - To exclude, abandon, expel, or remain indifferent to an inferior other. To snub or jilt

another.

17. Sentience - To seek and enjoy sensuous impressions.

18. Sex - To form and further an erotic relationship. To have sexual intercourse.

19. Succorance - To be nursed, supported, sustained, surrounded, protected, loved, advised,

guided, indulged, forgiven, or consoled. To remain close to a devoted protector.

20. Understanding - To be inclined to analyze events and to generalize. To discuss and argue and to

emphasize reason and logic. To state one’s opinions precisely. To show interest in abstract

formulations in science, mathematics and philosophy

 Thematic Apperception Test Cards

The complete version of the test consists of 31 cards. Murray recommends using 20

cards, administered in two separate one-hour sessions with the examinee. All 30 cards have

pictures that are black and white, the last card is left blank and the examinee is asked to imagine

a picture and tell a story about it. The original 31 cards were divided into three categories: for

use with men only, with women or for use with subjects of either sex.

The subject is asked to look at the picture and create a story and the story should have the

following elements:

1. Current situation: What is happening at the moment?

2. Thoughts and feelings of the characters: What are the characters thinking and feeling?

3. Preceding events: What has led up to the event shown in the picture?

4. Outcome: What happens after the event, what is the result/outcome?

Scoring

Henry A. Murray also developed a scoring technique, and categorized it as following five aspects

of the stories.

1. The Hero: Scoring for the hero involves identifying the protagonist in the story.

2. Need for the Hero: It was important for Murray to identify the motives, needs and desires of the

hero.

3. Identifying the presses: Environmental factors that influence the needs or actions of the hero

are regarded as presses.

4. Scoring for Themes: This involves evaluating the nature of interplay and conflict between the

presses and the needs. Emotion elicited by conflict and the way in which conflict is resolved is

assessed.
5. Scoring for Outcome: Major scoring for outcome is done on whether or not the story has a

happy ending. Also, the impact on the outcome influenced by the strengths of hero and presses is

assessed.

Reliability

In a test-retest study, 47 high school students retook the TAT after a year with instructions

designed to break the implicit set to produce a new and different story from that previously

written. The test-retest correlations were r = .48 (need for affiliation) and .56 (need for intimacy),

or approximately the same as those for, e.g., the MMPI, 16PF. and CPI. It was demonstrated that

this high stability over time was not due to subjects' recalling and repeating previous responses.

Finally, it was shown that alpha considerably underestimated the test retest reliability, contrary to

assumptions of classical psychometrics (Lundy, 1985).

Validity

The validity of the TAT, or the degree to which it measures what it is supposed to

measure, is low (Lilienfeld, Wood & Garb, 2000). Jenkins has stated that “the phrase ‘validity of

the TAT’ is meaningless, because validity is specific not to the pictures, but to the set of scores

derived from the population, purpose, and circumstances involved in any given data collection."

That is, the validity of the test would be ascertained by seeing how clinician's decisions were

assisted based on the TAT. Evidence on this front suggests it is a weak guide at best. For

example, one study indicated that clinicians classified individuals as clinical or non-clinical at

close to chance levels (57% where 50% would be guessing) based on TAT data alone. The

samples because they are repressing that trait). study found that classifications were 88% correct

based on MMPI data. Using TAT in addition to the MMPI reduced accuracy to 80%.
 Applications of the test

The TAT can be utilized by therapists in a number of different ways. Some of these

include:

1. To learn more about a person. In this way, the test acts as something of an icebreaker while

providing useful information about potential emotional conflicts the client may have.

2. To help people express their feelings. The TAT is often used as a therapeutic tool to allow clients

to express feelings in a non-direct way. A client may not yet be able to express a certain feeling

directly, but they might be able to identify the emotion when viewed from an outside perspective.

3. To explore themes related to the person's life experiences. Clients dealing with problems such as

job loss, divorce, or health issues might interpret the ambiguous scenes and

relating to their unique circumstances, allowing deeper exploration over the course of therapy.

4. To assess someone for psychological conditions. The test is sometimes used as a tool to assess

personality or thought disorders.

5. To evaluate crime suspects. Clinicians may administer the test to criminals to assess the risk of

recidivism or to determine if a person matches the profile of a crime suspect.

6. To screen job candidates. This is sometimes used to determine if people are suited to particular

roles, especially positions that require coping with stress and evaluating vague situations such as

military leadership and law enforcement positions.

Methodology

Materials required

TAT cards, Manual, Notebook, Pen, Stop Watch

Subject details
Name: EHT Sex: Male

Age: 23 Education: M.Com

Occupation: Student Marital Status: Unmarried

Parents (alive or dead): Alive

Administration

Procedure. It was made sure that the participant gave consent to being a part of the study,

knowing what they are getting into. The participant was also assured that the confidentiality of

all their responses will be maintained, and no one will have access to them at any point in time.

The participant was also given the option of leaving the test mid-way if at any point the subject

felt uncomfortable or could not continue with it due to any personal reasons. After the rapport

establishment, the client was explained about the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and was

given clear instructions as to how to make the story and the elements that she had to include.

Once the test was over it was made sure that the participant was debriefed wherein, the

participant was given an opportunity to ask questions and were made aware of how the data

obtained would be used.

Time was measured when the picture was first presented and, in the end, when the

examinee started to write the story. The subject’s story was recorded on a paper along with

behavioral observations like exclamation, stuttering, pauses, blushing, degree of involvement,

and change in voice inflection. Examiner was engaged in questioning and inquiry to produce a

continuous flow of the subject’s fantasy and cards were administered in the sequence they were

presented to the subject.

Instructions. “Hello! I am your therapist for today. I am going to show you a set of

pictures and you will have to create a story. You have to create a story and give details about
What is happening at the moment? What are the characters thinking and feeling? What has led

up to the event shown in the picture? What happens after the event, what is the result/outcome?

There are no right or wrong answers and there is no time limit for this test. Do you have any

doubts or questions for me? Alright. Are you seated comfortably? Is it okay if we start now?”

Stories

Card T (1)

This boy is trying to learn how to play a sitar. His father is a sitar teacher and teaches young kids,

but he did not want his son to learn sitar because when his father was young, he used to play sitar

excellently and went into a competition. People knew that he was very good at playing the sitar,

so the rivals beat him and broke his legs. They did not want him to win so they broke his legs

and he was not able to go to the competition. As a result of that the rivals won the trophy. He did

not want the same thing to happen to his kid, so he decided not to teach him how to play it. Since

he did not know anything else, he used to tutor other kids. The boy in this picture used to observe

his father while he was teaching others, and music was in his blood. Every day he used to sneak

up when his father was asleep and he used to play the sitar to practice. He was confused about

how to start playing the sitar and had to play for years before he could master it. He always had

this feeling that he wanted to do something for his father. When he grew older, he entered that

competition and won the prize. He showed it to his father and he hugged him and was extremely

proud of his son.

Card T. (2)

This is a farm scene, you can see people with bullocks, a man fishing and a woman weaving and

a lot many people doing a lot of different things. Everyone is doing whatever they are supposed

to do, but something happens that distracted them. They all left what they are doing and started
looking at this lady who may be new to town. They are looking at her because this woman is not

married and does not have a pallu on her head. She seems a bit more modern than all the other

people there. The people at the village are confused about who she is. This woman had come

from a spaceship. She is from a planet called Z-2 and had recently come to earth. Her father was

an astronaut who used to go to the moon for his research. It is on the moon that he met an alien

and she looked like a human (her name was Caitilyn) and he bought her back to earth with him.

They fell in love and got married. The woman in this picture was their daughter. After one year

of their stay on Earth, he takes them back to their home planet because if they leave their planet

for more than a year, they will be disowned by the planet. The father came back to earth after

leaving them on their planet. Years pass and this child grows up to be a woman. Her mother

eventually tells her about her father and she decides to come find him on earth. She ends up

miscalculating the co-ordinates and ends up in the wrong place. But anyway she is feeling very

excited to meet her father, she doesn’t know that she is in the wrong place. She is also feeling

nervous and a bit angry because her father left her mother and never came back. She has heard a

lot about her father and is thinking whether or not he will be exactly like she has imagined him to

be. In the end, she manages to trace the house of her father and finds out that he passed away

years ago after contracting a disease because of having intimate relations with an alien. After

finding out that her father is dead she was very sad and heartbroken. She goes back to her own

planet, and lives a half happy life.

Card T (3 M.B.)

The taller guy is the father and he is a very powerful person. He had two sons, one of them is

here and the other one is no more, since he is a goon turned to minister and has a lot of power. It

is because of his horrific past that he lost his son. They were coming back from a wedding while
the rival gang attacked their car and he tried but he could not save his wife and the other son. He

managed to kill them all but could not save his son and wife and this is him now. He had a jeep

full of his men in the front and the rival gang attacked with their men, his wife got hit and was

unconscious so he tried to get them out but it was too late. It is them now 15 years later. The

other guy here is about 23 or 24 years of age. The head of the rival gang is still alive because he

sent his goons. The man here is talking to his son about revenge. He is filled with anger and has a

thirst for revenge. He has a scar underneath his eye which is a scar he got on the day of that

attack. Right now he is planning how to kill the leader of the gang along with his son. The boy is

the protagonist because he will be the one to get the revenge for his mother and brother. He too is

angry and is vengeful. Revenge has always been the only goal of his life. Before this the son was

in a distant land, he was home schooled by his father and from the very beginning his father

taught him techniques of murder. He did not get toy guns to play with, he was given actual guns.

In the end he gets his revenge by sneaking up in the night and takes down all the guards, enters

the bedroom, wakes up the leader and forces him to confess to the murder of his mother and

brother. After the confession he shoots the leader in the head. The end.

Card T (4 M.B.)

By the looks of it, they seem like a married couple who are mad at each other for something,

maybe one of them did something that the other one did not agree upon.// Maybe they are not

happy about their marriage. They did not agree to the marriage but they had to get married

because of family pressure. Now they are not getting along with each other. The lady here is the

protagonist of the story. She was pressurized into marriage and is not getting the love she

deserves from her husband.// The man here gets scared about the wife leaving him. He does not

want to end up alone and tries to make amends and give her the love she deserves. They end up
having a baby which makes their relationship easier. They stop being mad at each other and live

happily ever after.

Card T (5)

So this guy is trying to choke the lady. He demands money because he is a thief. That explains

the shawl that he is wearing. The lady was struggling and the hood he was wearing came off. She

is looking at him and he is still choking her. The guy has a backstory wherein he got separated

from his mother a long time back. He was raised by people who did not have good intentions and

hence he became a thief. He was planning to rob a bank but needed some money to prepare for

this big job and hence he decided to steal from this house. He needed money for guns and

getaway guy along with other things. Right now he does not feel a thing because this is what he

is used to doing. He is thinking about the money he is going to make after he gets enough money

to gather the resources for his big heist. When the hood comes off, the woman sees the man, he

turns out to be the lost son who was separated a long time ago. He did not recognize him but she

did because she is a mother after all. She tells him that but he does not understand anything. She

tells him the story of how he got lost. She tells him that there was a village fire where his father

and he were out. He was 3 at that time and it was a huge fire. The mother panicked and ran off to

the forest. The father thought he has lost everything and now he cannot take care of their son and

left him at an orphanage where he would be provided for. When the mother returns she goes to

the police station to look for her husband and son but cannot find either of them. She thinks they

are dead. Later she finds out about all this and is very upset. When she finally sees her son she

feels happy, they started living together and he stops stealing. Happy ending.

Card T (6)
This is a famous painting by a famous painter named BP Chandra. He is a world renowned

painter and he has depicted his childhood with the help of this picture. The hero has a son,

named Rahul who keeps on asking him about his village, home and everything about his

childhood. This is why he decided to paint a picture for him. The hero was feeling nostalgic

and was inspired to show his child a glimpse into his childhood. He used to live in a hut

which is not in the picture, but this is the view from his house. He keeps on reminiscing

about his childhood. He owns the boat in the picture because his father was a fisherman.

While his father used to fish, he used to sit on the shore painting things he could see and this

is how he became a painter. After seeing this painting, Rahul says that he wants to go and

visit this place, but it was too far from where they lived. Rahul’s mother died when he was a

child, so the father decided to take him to his village. Where they end up living.

Card T (7)

This is again a village since both of them are wearing sarees, pallu and bangles. This man was

married to the one who is at the window. The two of them got divorced and the man married the

neighbor of his ex wife. He is being intimate with his new wife while her ex-wife is looking at

them. She is feeling very sad because she was not the one who wanted the divorce. She loved

him but the man cheated on her with this woman. The husband left her because she was not able

to satisfy him and he decided to move on. The man had been physically active even before

marriage and had high hopes after marriage, which were not fulfilled by his ex wife who was coy

and did not know a lot about all this. She is now seeing him with another woman and is feeling

sad, jealous and confused because for her divorce on this ground was very stupid. She is thinking

what this new woman has that she doesn’t. She cannot understand what could she change about

her to win her husband back. At the end the wife changes completely// she dresses to impress and
the husband starts noticing all the little details. Looking at that he goes back to talk to her but

finds out that she has married someone else. He realizes that it is quite late and when he sees her

with her new husband, he feels the same way she felt while she was looking at him from the

window. At the end she feels like she still loves him but because he treated her badly, she moves

on and eventually has a baby. However only the audience knows that the baby was actually of

her ex husband.

Card T (7 Add)

It is a normal household. This is the husband, the one standing behind and watching is the wife

and the other woman is the maid.// The guy and the maid had an affair before the marriage.

Things did not end quite well, he told her that he is about to get married and asked her to get lost.

He ditched her and married this other lady. The wife did not know about any of this. The maid

could not forget her ex lover, once when he was out for his work, the maid came and asked her

for a job in the house. She wasn’t a maid before that and took that role just to be in this house.

She used to come only when the man was out for work and left before he got back. She and the

wife used to talk about a lot of things and she used metaphors to describe her ex lovers. The wife

did not know who this ex lover was exactly. Once this man came early from work, the maid we

will call her Riya, saw him after 5 years. The maid pretended like he does not know her but all

those past memories came rushing to him. Riya holds his hand and he still pretends like he does

not know her while the wife is watching him. She is confused as to how he can ignore her like

this after having such a long relationship. The least he could do is recognize her. She wanted to

hug him but he was resisting her. Note- he did not marry her because she was poor. His wife

confronted him as to what was all this and how does she know you. He just said I don’t know

maybe she is mad. Riya entered the room when they were talking to each other. She was very
emotional and ends up telling her that he was the same man who I used to tell you about and now

he is refusing to even recognize me. The wife thinks back to all the time Riya mentioned this guy

and cant get over the fact that how much they loved each other. The husband caved and

confessed to his wife about everything that had happened. The wife also had a similar love life

before marriage, she related to their story and decided to leave him so that he can live happily

with her, she too went back to her previous lover.

Card T (8)

The lady wants something deeply and she has been waiting here for a long time. The person who

will give her what she wants hasn’t shown up. She is waiting here for a Baba. She made a long

journey to come see him and is now feeling exhausted.// She lost her husband a while ago//. He

went for hunting and got killed by a wild animal. While she was mourning someone told her

about this Baba who lived far in the jungle, who might be able to help her//. Maybe this person

she is waiting for is a tantric who can talk to spirits. She wants just once chance to talk to her

husband because she did not get to say goodbye. She thinks about the day he left the house for

hunting and how they got into a huge fight, she feels sad that that is her last memory of him. She

just wants to talk to him one last time in order to get some closure.// She is feeling guilty because

had it not been for the fight, he would not have left the house and would be still alive. All she

desires is reconciliation with her husband. Though at the end she finds out that her husband is not

dead after all, as she was waiting for the tantrik, her husband comes looking for her and she

bursts into tears and hugs him. As it turns out he escaped the animal- his hunting crew assumed

he was dead because they could find him no where and all the signs pointed towards his demise.

He was only injured and needed a few days to recover, soon after which he came back to his

wife.
Card T (9)

So the person who is standing is the hero//. The woman who is trying to seduce him is his// sister

in law. He is a good guy, respects his brother and his wife and has no intentions of getting

involved with her. In the family he the most attractive one and hence the woman thought she can

seduce him. He is resisting her and that’s why he is making a face. The woman only said yes to

marrying the brother because she was interested in this guy in the picture. She could not have

him directly so she decided she would marry his brother and then try to get closer to him. This

guy is younger in age and that’s why she could not get him. This is the first time she has tried to

seduce him. The guy is shy, confused and wants to go out of the room to escape. She had asked

him to get her a glass of water and when he came in, she tried to seduce him. He is thinking I

respected her so much, why is she doing this. He is thinking of telling his brother about all this.//

The woman threatens the boy, if he tells all this to his brother, she would expose one of his secret

that he had been hiding.// She had some screenshots of his. He was a good guy who wanted to

explore the world. He was a virgin but he wanted to explore thing, the sister in law some how

found screenshots of him talking to a prostitute. She told him that she will leak these screenshots

if he tells anyone about her.// So to ensure that none of this happens, he runs from the house goes

to his best friend’s place and talks to him about it. Then they decide that she should be punished

so they decided to take the legal way since the best friend was a law student. They make a case

against her for trying to seduce a minor into sexual relations and the woman is imprisoned.

Card T (10)

This is a lady who is sitting on her window thinking about her future. She is wearing a saree and

is very well educated. She wanted to do something in life but her parents forced her to marry.

She is sitting right now and thinking about all the things that she could have done had she not
 married. She is hopeful but her in laws are of the opinion that the daughter in law should not

go out to the world to work. All her friends were engineers or doctors but she could not do

anything but she is still hopeful right now. Her name is Reena. She lead a pretty good life and

had first division marks in class 12 and UG, she has a masters in commerce. She was aspiring

to become a banker.// Although her husband is supportive but he also is pressurized by his

mother.// Because the husband is also a banker, he likes that his wife wants to do the same.

He is inspired to change the mindset of his mother to enable his wife to become a banker

herself.// She has been studying every night for bank exams at night after doing the

household chores. She finds out that she is pregnant. After a few months she has a baby boy,

the mother in law holds him for the first time and says “you will grow up to become a banker

like your father AND YOUR MOTHER”.

Blank Card

Ravi was born as a blind child, this was the sight he could see when he opened his eyes. It was

completely blank. When he was about to be born, his mother had some complication which

affected his eyes and he was born blind. He came from a well respected family, his father is a

businessman and mother is a housewife and his family is well to do. His other senses were

heightened. So when he was small he used to listen to music and try to sing along and this

was when he was about 6 years old. Years passed and they could not find a cure for his loss

of sight, because the doctor said that the part of the eye that was affected had to be

transplanted and this cannot happen in India. He joined the school for special children and

learnt brail. At first his mother used to feel sad when she saw other kids playing around

happily and he used to ask her “What is the world like”, “what are you and dad like”. The

mother used to provide him details and he used to associate her with the sound of bangles
 that made a noise every time she moved. Time passed and he started learning music from a

trained professional. He participated in a singing competition with people from all ages and

states of mind. His dad being a businessman was not around much and his mom took charge

and had a lot of faith in him. She supported him in every aspect of his life. He participated in

the show and the winning prize was 10 crores. He made it to the first round, then the next and

eventually the first. He ended up winning that competition. He took the money to go out of

India and get the transplant, after which he was able to see the world. In the end he got

married, saw the world and lived happily ever after.

Results

Analysis of form

A. Plot

The plot of the stories is organized. The stories have a beginning, middle and end with

close little to no ambiguity and are more or less rational. The irrationality of certain

stories can be explained by the pressure to come up with a story on the spot. Almost all

the stories narrated by the participant are based in reality; some are inspired by science

fiction which can be explained by his preference for that genre of media. All the stories

are complete but stereotypical- mostly derived from the form demand. Some stories do

seem original but most are driven by the idea that all stories should have a happy ending.

The content of the stories is appropriate as per the form demand. Based on the plot

analysis it can be implied that the participant’s ego is functioning normally. –

B. Organization

The stories are more or less balanced in terms of their timelines and the focus given to the

present, past and the future. However there are some stories where the backstory is given
 more time and attention. The past in these cases, becomes a determining factor for the

way in which the story will take a turn.

C. Fantasies-Imagination

The length of the stories range from 98 to 414 words, with the average being around 300

words. Based on the length it can be assumed that the productivity of the imaginal

processes is average. It implies that the subject can regulate his affects, inner needs and

urges. The subject has also covered a range of themes and emotions but the predominant

ones include Violence, Conflict, Aggression and Sex. However the freedom of

imagination is not limited, and the content within the same themes in different stories is

dynamic. The quality of imagination is mostly common place, stereotypical and close to

the form demand.

D. Language

The subject used day to day language and talked both in Hindi as well as in English. In

some cases he even did voices to show the different characters’ perspectives. The subject

used synonyms to convey the plot he had in mind in an organized and structured way.

The language was emotion heavy as opposed to being factual or even neutral.

E. Observation of details

The subject has carefully observed the details of the picture as his plot and setting is

directed by the setting in the picture. He has given special attention to the attire of the

people in the picture and their facial expression. The theme of his story is also derived

from minute cues present in the pictures. The reality demand is intact.

F. Emphasis on time

The stories are a mixture of past and present and doesn;t neglect the future as well.
 G. Perceptual distortions

No perceptual distortions were seen in any cards.

H. Story interruptions

There were no story interruptions noted.

I. Non compliance with the instructions

The client complied with instructions

Thematic Analysis

Table 1.

Hero Identification and Type of Content

Card Hero Identification Type Hero Identification Type Of Content

Level

T1 Same Sex High Positive,

Lower Age Ambition, Achievement

T2 Different Sex High Dynamic,

Same Age Death, Science Fiction

T(3M Same Sex Adequate Positive,

B) Same Age Anger, Violence

T(4M Different Sex Adequate Positive,

B) Older Age Marriage, Societal

Pressure

T5 Same Sex High Positive,

Same Age Violence, Reconciliation

T6 Same Sex Adequate Positive,

 Older Age Nostalgia, Death

T7 Different Sex Adequate Positive,

Older Age Sex, Marriage

T(7A Different Sex Low Positive,

dd) Older Age Affair, Love

T8 Different Sex High Positive,

Older Age Death, Conflict

T9 Same Sex High Positive,

Lower Age Sex

T10 Different Sex High Dynamic,

Older Age Conflict, Ambition

Blank Same Sex High Dynamic,

Same Age Achievement

A. The hero

The subject identifies equally with male and female heroes, however seldom are they of

his own age. This suggests that the ego might be protecting itself and the projections may

not be accepted as representation of the subject’s own unconscious material.

B. Other Characters

The other characters mentioned by the subject have a very strong, powerful and

emotional influence in the lives of the protagonist. The influence of others is strong

enough to change the entire life of the person in the center. In most cases these other

characters, along with the protagonist have a change of heart which leads to a happy
 ending which may suggest the projection of “Want” “longing” or “desire for peace and

avoidance of conflict” as unconscious material. A wave of authority is attached to almost

all older characters, though it is more evident in the case of female characters. The stories

can also be said to be id motivated because at the end everyone gets what they want.

Table 2

Analysis of Thema, outcome and interpersonal relations

Card Thema Outcome Interpersonal Relationship

T1 n. Achievement Happy Over Protective on the part of the

p. Dominance father

T2 n. Change Bitter Sweet Distanced from father.

p. Abasement

T(3MB) n. Aggression Happy Unity with father, disdain towards

p. Assault rivals

T(4MB) n. Emotional change Happy Conflicted with wife, reconciled

p. Birth of an offspring later

T5 n. Acquisition Happy Unknowingly conflicted with

p. Recognition mother, reconciled later

T6 n. Sentience Neutral Cordial with father

p. Nostalgia

T7 n. Rejection Complex Conflicted with husband

p. Sex

T(7Add) n. Rejection Happy Hostility towards ex-lover on

p. Sex social level

 T8 n. Reconciliation Happy Conflicted with husband,

p. Death of spouse reconciled later

T9 n. Resistance Complex Hostility towards sister in law

p. Sex

T10 n. Achievement Happy Conflicted with mother-in-law,

p. Restraint reconciled later

Blank n. Achievement Happy Cordial with mother

p. Affliction

Table 3

Analysis of Needs

Needs Cards 1 2 3MB 4MB 5 6 7 7Add 8 9 10 Blank Total Rating

Dominance - - 1 3 - - 3 3 - 3 1 1 15 Slightly Significant

Deference 3 - 2 3 - 2 - - - 1 2 2 15 Slightly Significant

Autonomy 2 - - - - - - - - - - 2 4 Negligible

Aggression 3 - 5 - 3 - - - - - - - 11 Slightly Significant

Abasement 2 - - 4 3 - - 3 2 - 1 - 15 Slightly Significant

Achievement 5 2 3 - - - 1 - - - 2 5 18 Significant

Sex - 2 - - - - 3 3 - 3 - - 11 Slightly Significant

Sentience - - - - - 2 - - - - - - 2 Negligible

Exhibition 3 4 - - - 1 2 - - - - - 10 Slightly Significant

Affiliation 2 1 4 2 2 2 - - 2 - - 2 17 Significant

Rejection - - - 2 - - 2 - - - - - 4 Negligible
Succourance - - - 1 - 2 - - - - - 4 7 Slightly Significant

Nurturance - - - - - 2 - - - - - 2 4 Negligible

Blamavoidance - - - 1 - - - 2 - - - - 3 Negligible

Infavoidance - - - - - - - 2 - - - - 2 Negligible

Defendance 1 - 4 - 1 - 2 1 - 2 - - 11 Slightly Significant

Counteraction 4 - 5 - - - 3 1 - - - 2 15 Slightly Significant

Harmavoidanc - 1 - 1 - - - 2 - - - - 4 Negligible

e - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Order - - - - 4 - - - - - - - 4 Negligible

Acquisition - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Conservance - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Retention - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Construction - 1 - - - - - - - - - 1 2 Negligible

Similance - 3 - 2 - - - - - - - - 5 Negligible

Contraience 2 - - - - - - - - - - 1 3 Negligible

Play - 4 - - - 2 - - - - 2 - 8 Slightly Significant

Cognizance - - - - 2 - - - - - - - 2 Negligible

Exposition - - - - - - 2 - 2 - - - 4 Negligible

Intragression - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Passivity 2 3 1 4 2 - 3 3 2 - - 3 23 Significant

Recognition

Table 4.
Significant Conflicts and Defenses

Cards Significant Conflicts Defenses

T1 Achievement v/s Obedience Projection

T2 Cognizance v/s Dejection Compartmentalization, Avoidance

T(3MB) Aggression v/s Guilt Sublimation, Rationalization

T(4MB) Rejection v/s Loneliness Intellectualization, Avoidance

T5 Acquisition v/s recognition Compartmentalization

T6 Past v/s Present Regression

T7 Love v/s Lust Intellectualization

T(7Add) Coercion v/s affiliation Reaction Formation, Avoidance, Denial

T8 Conflict v/s affiliation Denial

T9 Resistance v/s sex Acting Out

T10 Achievement v/s restraint Wishful Thinking

Blank Achievement v/s affliction Identification

Table 5.

Emotions and feelings

Cards/Picture 1 2 3MB 4MB 5 6 7 7Add 8 9 10 Blank Total

Anxiety 2 2 1 - 2 - 2 2 2 2 - - 15

Depression - - - - - - 1 2 4 - - - 7

Jealousy - - - - - - 4 2 - - - - 6

Guilt - - 3 - - - 2 - 4 - - - 9

Inferiority - - - - - - 3 1 - - 1 2 7
 Fear and 1 2 - 3 1 - 2 - 1 3 - - 13

Insecurity

Anger - 2 5 - - - 2 1 2 3 - - 15

Love 2 1 3 1 2 2 2 2 2 - - 3 20

Affection 2 1 - 1 2 2 - 2 2 - - 3 15

Pity - - - - - - - 2 - - - - 2

Independence 3 4 2 - 3 - - - - - 2 4 18

Ambition 4 2 - - - - - - - - 4 3 13

Determination 4 3 5 - 2 - - 3 2 1 3 4 27

Shame - - - - - - 1 - - - - - 1

Table 6.

Time Taken

Pictures 1 2 3MB 4MB 5 6 7 7Add 8 9 10 Blank Average

Reaction 33 17 35 10 33 49 24 17 10 36 30 28 26.83

Time

Total 293 736 460 308 358 126 421 637 423 561 460 258 420.08

Time

Integrated Summary

A. Intellectual Level

The test suggests that the subject has an average level of intelligence. The stories have
 good form and are well organized. The stories are more or less logically developed, with

a few gaps that can be explained by the pressure to come up with multiple stories on the

spot. The stories match the form demand and the subject was observant of the minute and

intricate details. The stories began to get more complicated and better organized with

each card, which shows he got the hang of it. The vocabulary and language used to

narrate the stories was like we use in the day to day life. The subject did cover a lot of

different themes and angles but felt restricted by the form demand of certain cards. The

subject has also put in a lot of thought in the backstory of characters that help the reader

understand his present choices and behavioural tendencies.

B. Emotional Maturity

In most of the stories the subject did not identify with the characters of the same sex or

the same age, however the content of his stories reflect a certain level of emotional

maturity which might be age appropriate. He follows the form demand of the pictures

intricately and tries to create a history to explain the present choices of the character

which displays empathy as a trait.

C. Personal Adjustment

The stories are mostly based on negative emotions in the beginning and the present

scenario, it may show that the subject has certain issues going on in his life, but he is

hopeful about resolving them. Most of his stories have a happy ending which displays his

trait of optimism which may ultimately help him with personal adjustment.

D. Social Adjustment

There seems to be a wave of respect and authority surrounding the father characters,

nurturance and high maternal tendencies around mother figures. As such no problematic
 behavior is projected in terms of relations with the parents. In a lot of cases there seems

to be a conflictual relationship with the romantic partner. Given the relationship history of

the client, it can be understood that he has apprehensions about being able to form cordial

relations with his wife and balancing it with his relations with his family.

E. Ego Structure

From the stories it is evident that the subject’s ego is functioning normally. Most of the

stories are based in a realistic setting and are structured in a way that suggests that the

subject is oriented to reality. The defenses that have been used can be seen as literary

devices and are within the normal range. Each story comes with a conflict which is

mostly on the conscious level. The capacity to solve conflicts in a healthy manner is

absent and the subject may rely on other passive or aggressive ways of resolving

conflicts. The superego functioning is also found to be normal- the subject does not give

into all id impulses and has a good idea about society and its norms.

Conclusion

The subject has average intelligence and is able to use language efficiently to express

himself. There does seem to be some difficulty in expressing vulnerable emotions or sexual

content which is indicated by the long pauses before stating something of emotional value. The

subject seems like a person high on emotions and optimism. He has a significant need to be

recognized, loved and valued by the important people in his life. He has a high experience of

emotions like anxiety, anger, fear and insecurity but these emotions are balanced by the positive

feelings of love, affection, independence and a very strong sense of determination. The aspect of

social and family pressure is a common theme in several stories which may have been the

subject’s own projection onto the stories. The conflicts in all these stories are resolved at the end,
which again points towards a sense of optimism. There seems to be no major problems in the

interpersonal relationships when we are just talking about family; however there is a significant

conflict when it comes to romantic partners. The themes of violence, aggression and conflicts are

very common but all of these converge at a point of reconciliation- it may suggest that the

subject has the desire to maintain cordial relationships with everyone. The subject has talked

about both sexual promiscuity and sexual intimacy based on mutual love, scorning the former

and preferring the latter. Denial, avoidance and compartmentalization are seen as common

defense mechanisms used to deal with stressors. There is some trouble on part of the client when

it comes to confrontation and he may seek other ways to express his overall negative feelings

towards a person.

Recommendations

The subject can use his optimism and idea of hope to his advantage to improve his overall

mood state. He is advised to use healthier ways of coping than using defense mechanisms of

avoidance, compartmentalization and denial to deal with conflicts. Talking directly about the

range of emotions he feels rather than channelizing it as aggression and anger might be better for

his psycho-social adjustment.

References

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Webb, J.R., (1992). Understanding and designing marketing research. London:

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