thematic apperception test
Definition
Noun: A projective psychological assessment technique in which subjects are shown a series of ambiguous black-and-white pictures and are asked to create a story about each one. The stories are then analyzed to uncover underlying motives, concerns, and the structure of the individual's personality and emotional world.
Usage
The term is used as a proper noun to name a specific, standardized psychological test. It is often abbreviated as TAT. - The psychologist administered the thematic apperception test to gain insight into the patient's unconscious conflicts. - Her responses on the thematic apperception test revealed a strong theme of achievement anxiety.
Advanced Usage
- The test is based on the hypothesis that people will project their own inner needs, emotions, and conflicts onto the ambiguous scenes.
- Interpretation focuses on the hero of the story, the press (environmental forces), and the thema (the core pattern of interaction between the hero and the world).
Variants and Related Words
- TAT: The common acronym for the Thematic Apperception Test.
- Projective test: The broader category of psychological tests to which the TAT belongs. Other examples include the Rorschach inkblot test.
- Picture-story exercise: A descriptive term for the TAT's method.
Synonyms
- Projective technique
- Narrative projective test
Related Phrases
- To administer the TAT: To give the test to a subject.
- TAT card: One of the specific pictures used in the test.
- TAT response: The story a subject tells for a given card.
Noun
-
a projective technique using black-and-white pictures; subjects tell a story about each picture
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