Assessment and Critique: Thematic Apperception Test
Brian Kees
Oklahoma State University
Abstract
Assessment and Critique: Thematic Apperception Test
General Test The Thematic Apperception Test or TAT was developed during the 1930s by the American psychologist Henry A. Murray and psychoanalyst Christiana D. Morgan at the Harvard Clinic at Harvard University. The TAT is published by Harvard University Press. The cost is $81 per test. The test takes a total of 200 minutes to give. It is given in two 100-minute sessions one day apart. The population that the TAT is given to are ages 4 and over.
Brief Description of Purpose and Nature of the Test The Thematic Apperception Test is a projective personality test. The idea behind the technique is that the subjects ' responses, in the narratives they construct about ambiguous pictures of people, reveal their subconscious motives, concerns, and the way they interpret the social world. The TAT was described by Murray as “a method of revealing to the trained interpreter some of the dominant drives, emotions, sentiments, complexes and conflicts of a personality" (Murray, 1935, p.132).
The TAT is frequently given to individuals as part of a battery, or group, of tests intended to assess personality. Ideally the TAT elicits information about a person 's sense of the world and her perspective toward the self and others. As individuals taking the TAT proceed through the various story
To administer the test, an examiner, trained in the field of psychology, presents one inkblot at a time and the person he assesses says what each card portrays based on his emotional, and intellectual state. The examiner keeps notes of clients verbal interpretation as well as his nonverbal behavioral responses, such as silence, facial expressions, and gestures. Next, he asks the client based on which perceptions, internal (personality) and/or external (inkblot) characteristics he utilized or was influenced by in order to respond, and once again the administrator keeps notes. Afterwords, the responses are categorized and evaluated based on client's distinguished observations and/or movements derived from the cards,
This tests asks participants to reflect on their behaviors which can sometimes be distressful. In addition, there are some threats to internal and external validity in the data. One being that all the participants will come from one class on a single campus. This is a threat to external validity as it is not representative of the population as a whole but only of students in that particular class. A threat to internal validity is that students may regress to the mean. Students who initially scored extremely high or low on the TAI test may start to move towards average levels of test anxiety over the semester, which would affect the
2. A projective test is a personality test that uses images, words, and a way into someone’s mind. This test is used to uncover the unconscious thoughts people might have. An example that comes to mind is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) a person is asked to look at images and then the person must write a story of how they interpret this image by describing the scene from beginning to end. We actually did an assignment a while ago which was called “Psychology of Words: Projective Tests and Language,” we were asked to look at an image which was about two women in a lab, and then write a story that has a beginning, middle, and end
1.1 Assessment measures the learner’s progress towards or the completion of, the learning aim and criteria, and can be used at any point during the learning cycle. It can provide information to adapt the delivery to suit the learner’s needs and abilities; a learner may need more help or time on some aspects, or has progressed quicker than planned and requires additional goals. By standardising the assessment process this creates uniformity for all learners.
The Focus 2 Assessment confirmed what type of person I am. The three main tasks that make me the person I am are helping others, being organized, and doing the task. I knew that I was really effective at organizing and doing the task, but not so much helping. I am more quiet and sometimes it is difficult for me to explain certain concepts to people without making that person more confused than they probably already are. The Focus 2 Assessment made me realize that it is not bad to be the person I am because I can easily affect someone just as much as someone else can affect me.
The Jung Personality Test, was a test, trying to figure out about what kind of person I am. The test had many different questions it was asking and I would answer them truthfully. Through this test, I learned I was extroverted, sensitive, a thinker/feeler and perceiving.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) “is an introspective self-report questionnaire designed to indicate psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions” (13). It is one of several personality assessments that is popular among modern mental health experts throughout the world. Currently, it is estimated that the MBTI is “taken by more than two million people per year and is translated into 16 languages (10). “The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people 's lives” (4).
The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people’s lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment. In developing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, their aim was to make the insights of type theory accessible to individuals and groups.
I believe the TAT test sums up my desire to achieve, and that I see positive relationships of high importance in my life. These intrinsic motivators of striving for success in both academics and relationships are my top priority and the two things I am most passionate about as they increase competence, autonomy and relatedness. As an advocate for the power of education, and my deep care for others and their potential to succeed, I feel that my personality test results demonstrate reasons for being well suited for the major and career path in
For psychologists, one of the more popular theories espoused is the trait approach to personality, or “the idea that people have consistent personality characteristics that can be measured and studied” (Kalat, 2002, 512). However there are several problems that arise. First, there are significant cross-cultural differences, so one set of personality traits for one culture may differ considerably for another. The next problem would concern the creation of a test that could accurately measure these traits. While psychologists have for the most part addressed these issues, I will focus on the latter of the two. There has been a
Although this test is interesting, what everyone must realize is that people are way more complex than any personality test will tell them. No test can be 100% accurate for everyone and it shouldn’t be taken as gospel. This test organizes everyone into a box; learn from it, but don’t let its walls limit
The Rorschach is a projective personality test, which measures personality functioning and assess personality structure. This instrument was published originally in 1921 by Rorschach. Although there were inkblot tests existed prior to the Rorschach, this was the first empirically based system. The assessor interprets the client’s responses to 10 bilaterally symmetrical inkblot images (Groth-Marnat, 2009). The images are ambiguous and non-figurative in nature. Some of the images are in black and white and others contain colors. The Rorschach differs from other projective tests such as Thematic Appercepetion test (TAT). The Rorschach is known as a type of associative or structural technique whereas TAT is a type of construction technique (Campos, 2011). The scoring of responses is done according to the location (or the
A psychological assessment is the venture of a capable experts, generally a psychologist, to operate the techniques and tools or materials of psychology to ascertain either common or unique facts about another person, either to notify others how they function now, or estimate their attitude,behavior and functioning in the future. The issue of assessment is generally diagnosis or classification. These are the movement of placing a person in a certainly or loosely characterized category of people. This leads to swiftly grasp what they are similar in general, and to evaluate the existence of other thematic features based upon people similar or likely to them. Case history data, clinical interview, psychological tests and behavioral observations
When it comes to objective tests, it is implied that they are accurate, precise, and resistant to biased influences. Scoring errors are another potential concern. In reviewing the projective test, it is determined by Meyer and Kurtz (2006) that one‘s personality will not shine through with force and clarity regardless of the medium, the presence of the client’s responses confuses the efforts to interpret the test scores, and that is what the psychologists are most interested in interpreting (Meyer & Kurtz, 2006)
Psychological tests and or psychological assessments are an important asset in the field of psychology. These tests are designed to measure people’s characteristics which pertain to behavior. There are a variety of different types of tests that can be used to assess different types of behaviors. According to the specific behavior or behaviors being assessed, tests are categorized into two types, ability tests and personality tests. Ability tests, which encompass achievement, aptitude, and intelligence testing are used to determine capacity or potential by measuring scores based on speed, accuracy, or both. On the other hand, personality tests, which include structured or projective are used to determine behavior traits, that may be overt