Why the Thematic Apperception Test Is Used in Therapy

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How the Thematic Apperception Test Works

The TAT involves showing people a series of picture cards depicting a variety of ambiguous characters (that may include men, women, and/or children), scenes, and situations. It’s purposefully difficult to identify what is happening in these images.

The person examining the card is then asked to tell as dramatic a story as they can for each picture presented, including:

The TAT is different from theRorschach Inkblot Testin that the Rorschach uses symmetrical inkblot images rather than a detailed scene with characters and locations. The Rorschach also asks the person to only explain what they see in the image, not to give the image an entire story.

The complete version of the TAT includes 31 cards. Murray originally recommended using approximately 20 cards and selecting those that depicted characters similar to the person taking the test.

When used today, many practitioners only utilize between 5 and 12 cards, often selected because the examiner feels that the scene matches the client’s needs and situation.Practitioners use their best judgment when selecting scenes to determine which might be most likely to elicit useful information.

Why the Thematic Apperception Test Is Used

Criticisms of the Thematic Apperception Test

The TAT is often criticized for not being standardized, meaning there are no rules of administration or a formal scoring system. Clinicians often vary in how they administer the test. Additionally, few practitioners use Murray’s complex scoring system and instead rely on their subjective interpretation of the test and their own clinical opinion.

For example, even if clinicians use the same scoring system, they may use different cards or a different number of cards, which could affect the outcome of the test (fewer cards equals less data or information). This makes it incredibly difficult to obtain estimates ofreliability(if the test results are consistent) andvalidity(whether the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure),and almost impossible to compare results between different test subjects.

Reasons to Take a Personality Test

Is the TAT Right for You?

If you want or need to explore some feelings you’ve been having trouble expressing, learn more about yourself and your emotional reactions to certain situations or people, or explore the effect some of your life experiences have had on you, it might be useful to take the Thematic Apperception Test. But bear in mind that, because there is no one standardized way of conducting this test, results may vary and might not be accurate.

4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Morgan CD, Murray HA.A Method for Investigating Fantasies: The Thematic Apperception Test.Arch NeurPsych. 1935;34(2):289-306. doi:10.1001/archneurpsyc.1935.02250200049005Vane JR.The thematic apperception test: A review.Clin Psychol Rev. 1981;1(3):319-336. doi:10.1016/0272-7358(81)90009-XLilienfeld SO, Wood JM, Garb HN.The Scientific Status of Projective Techniques.Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2000;1(2):27-66. doi:10.1111/1529-1006.002Keiser RE, Prather EN.What is the TAT? A review of ten years of research.J Pers Assess. 1990;55(3-4):800-803. doi:10.1080/00223891.1990.9674114

4 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Morgan CD, Murray HA.A Method for Investigating Fantasies: The Thematic Apperception Test.Arch NeurPsych. 1935;34(2):289-306. doi:10.1001/archneurpsyc.1935.02250200049005Vane JR.The thematic apperception test: A review.Clin Psychol Rev. 1981;1(3):319-336. doi:10.1016/0272-7358(81)90009-XLilienfeld SO, Wood JM, Garb HN.The Scientific Status of Projective Techniques.Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2000;1(2):27-66. doi:10.1111/1529-1006.002Keiser RE, Prather EN.What is the TAT? A review of ten years of research.J Pers Assess. 1990;55(3-4):800-803. doi:10.1080/00223891.1990.9674114

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Morgan CD, Murray HA.A Method for Investigating Fantasies: The Thematic Apperception Test.Arch NeurPsych. 1935;34(2):289-306. doi:10.1001/archneurpsyc.1935.02250200049005Vane JR.The thematic apperception test: A review.Clin Psychol Rev. 1981;1(3):319-336. doi:10.1016/0272-7358(81)90009-XLilienfeld SO, Wood JM, Garb HN.The Scientific Status of Projective Techniques.Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2000;1(2):27-66. doi:10.1111/1529-1006.002Keiser RE, Prather EN.What is the TAT? A review of ten years of research.J Pers Assess. 1990;55(3-4):800-803. doi:10.1080/00223891.1990.9674114

Morgan CD, Murray HA.A Method for Investigating Fantasies: The Thematic Apperception Test.Arch NeurPsych. 1935;34(2):289-306. doi:10.1001/archneurpsyc.1935.02250200049005

Vane JR.The thematic apperception test: A review.Clin Psychol Rev. 1981;1(3):319-336. doi:10.1016/0272-7358(81)90009-X

Lilienfeld SO, Wood JM, Garb HN.The Scientific Status of Projective Techniques.Psychol Sci Public Interest. 2000;1(2):27-66. doi:10.1111/1529-1006.002

Keiser RE, Prather EN.What is the TAT? A review of ten years of research.J Pers Assess. 1990;55(3-4):800-803. doi:10.1080/00223891.1990.9674114

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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