EMPIRICAL VALIDITY OF THE THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST

This study of interpretation of abstract meaning in Thematic Apperception Test (TAT; Murray, 1943) cards investigated three questions: (a) is meaning predicted by personality theory, (b) is meaning consensual or idiosyncratic, and (c) how does emotional response relate to meaning? A visual triad task using 21 TAT cards was presented to 32 subjects. Subjects also rated intensity of emotional response to each card using a Likert scale. Multidimensional scaling and consensus analysis applied to results showed a correlation between emotional rating and cognitive judgment, with consensus for both meaning and emotional response. No support was found for normative themes reported by Bellak (1986), but results supported Westen's (1991) claim that TAT responses reveal object relations.