Children’s

Apperception Test and

Thematic Apperception
Test
 CHILDREN’S
APPERCEPTION TEST

The Children's Apperception Test

(CAT) is a projective personality
test used to assess individual
variations in children's responses
to standardized stimuli presented
in the form of pictures of
animals (CAT-A) or humans
(CAT-H) in common social
situations.
Leopold Bellak and Sonya Bellak
(1949)
 HISTORY OF THE TEST

Original idea was produced by Ernst Kris in a discussion of

theoretical problems of projection and TAT.
Dr. Kris pointed out how children could identify themselves much
more readily with animals than with persons.
CAT is a descendant of TAT wherein TAT is for adult personality
investigation and CAT is for children.
Kitron and Benziman (1990) however suggested that CAT may, in
some circumstances, be utilized as an adjunct to the TAT with
adults since it provides for the exploration of basic family
relationships of childhood.
 NATURE AND PURPOSE OF
THE TEST
Consists of ten To be used for
A projective method or, as we prefer
pictures (cards) children of both to call it, an apperceptive method of
depicting sexes, primarily investigating personality by studying
animals in between the ages of the dynamic meaningfulness of
various three and ten for individual differences in the
situations. maximal usefulness. perception of standard stimuli.
Designed to
facilitate The pictures were designed to:
understanding of elicit responses to feeding problems specifically, and to oral
a child’s problems generally;
relationship to to investigate problems of sibling rivalry;
important figures
and drives.
 to illuminate the attitude toward parental figures and the way to which
these figures are apperceived;
to learn about the child’s relationship to the parents as a couple- technically
referred to as the oedipal complex and its culmination in the primal scene.
learn about the child’s structure, defenses, and his dynamic way of
reacting to, and handling, his problems of growth.

May be clinically useful in determining what dynamic factors might be

related to a child’s behavior in a group, in school, or in kindergarten, or to
even events at home.
 ADMINISTRATON
 Good rapport must be established with the child.
 All side remarks and test behavior should be noted.

 Should presented as a game not as a test whenever possible.

 In cases of children who are aware that it is a test, it is

advisable to acknowledge this fact, but to explain most
carefully that it is not a challenging kind of test in which the
child must face approval, disapproval, competition, or
disciplinary action.
 It is important for the administrator to convey positive attitudes
to the child. Negative attitudes lead to an increase in anxiety
and aggression.
 It is helpful to keep all the pictures out of sight except the one
being dealt with.
 After carefully establishing rapport with the child, the examiner
shows the child one card after another in a particular sequence
(although fewer than ten cards may be used at the examiner's
discretion) and encourages the child to tell a story—with a
beginning, middle, and end—about the characters.
 (The examiner may ask the child to describe, for example, what led up
to the scene depicted, the emotions of the characters, and what might
happen in the future.

SCORING
 In a projective test such as the CAT, there is no right or wrong answer.

 There is no numerical score or scale for the test.

 The test administrator records the essence of each of the stories told
and indicates the presence or absence of certain thematic elements on
the form provided.
 Each story is carefully analyzed to uncover the child's underlying
needs, conflicts, emotions, attitudes, and response patterns.

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

 The CAT, as well as other projective measures, has been criticized for
its lack of a standardized method of administration as well as the lack
of standard norms for interpretation. Studies of the interactions
between examiners and test subjects have found, for example, that the
race, gender, and social class of both participants influence the stories
that are told as well as the way the stories are interpreted by the
examiner.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
NAME: AJ
AGE: 8 years old
May isang inahin, yung inahin nila hindi kumakain,
nalungkot siya kasi nawawala asawa niya, nagkasakit,
yung anak naman ng ano, manok ano, kumakain nila,
wala silang magawa kundi kumain, bago ano, yung
isang baby (B1) hindi pa nakakasandok ng pagkain,
tapos, yung isang kapatid malungkot kasi wala siyang
damit (B3), nawawala, ninakaw nito (B2) (ay ninakaw
niyan) masama siya kaya siya nagkukunya-kunyari
dahil sabi nito, akin yan, akin yang damit na iyan (B3)
… sabi nito, tumawa lang ng tumawa ito (B2), hindi
pinansin ‘to, pero ang gusto ng inahing manok ito kasi
mabait siya (B3)… (tapos?) bago ito yon, yung isa,
layas siya, ito nagnanakaw lagi ng gamit, nagnanakaw
lagi ng gamit, ninanakaw yung gamit nung dalawa
kaya pala dumadami mga damit niya eh… (ano
kayang puwedeng mangyari pagkatapos nito?)
Napagalitan siya ng ano, inahing manok kasi
nagsusumbong yung dalawa… (meron pa ba?) wala
na.
 INTERPRETATION
1. Main Theme: I have to be kind so that my mother will not
scold me and instead love me.
2. Main Hero: B3 (Baby Chicken number 3)
3. Main needs and drives of hero : Attention (pero
ang gusto ng inahing manok ito kasi mabait siya)
4. Conception of environment: chaotic (repetition of
stealing)
5. Interpersonal Object Relations: Mother (Inahin),
Siblings (B1, B2, B3)
6. Significant Conflicts: Stealing of clothes
7. Nature of Anxieties: Being overpowered, lack or loss of
love
8. Main Defenses against Conflicts and Fears:
Rationalization (pero ang gusto ng inahing manok ito kasi mabait siya)
9. Adequacy of superego as manifested by
“punishment” for “crime” being: appropriate
10. Integration of the ego, manifesting itself in:
realistic (Napagalitan siya ng ano, inahing manok)
Naghihilahan sila, ‘yung isang aso, naglalaro
silang lahat yung isa namang bear,
nakikihilahan ang liit liit niya (B3), tapos, bago
yung isa, napapagod na kasi konti pa lang
nahihila niya (B1), sabi nila paramihan ng
nahila eh dalawa sila dapat etong isang bear
(B2) nasa gitna… (etong bear, nasa gitna?)
dapat nasa gitna siya (ay, dapat nasa gitna siya,
tapos?) pagod na pagod ‘to (B1) walang
magawa, magpapatalo siya kasi dalawa sila
eh… (dalawa sila so magpapatalo ‘to)… konti
lang nahihila niya pero marami sa kanila…
(tapos? Ano kayang mangyayari sa huli?)
bago… mag aaway sila… (tapos?) kasi aawayin
nila ‘to (B1) pag ano nila hahabol – habulin
bago sasaktan nila… (meron pa ba?) (shakes
head).
 INTERPRETATION
1. Main Theme: I have to show I am weaker so that my
mother will love me more (Imbalance of Power).
2. Main Hero: B1 (The bear who is alone)
3. Main needs and drives of hero : Power and equality
(walang magawa, magpapatalo siya kasi dalawa sila eh)
4. Conception of environment: Inequality and power
imbalance
5. Interpersonal Object Relations: Playmates, it may
also be siblings
6. Significant Conflicts: One bear is out numbered
7. Nature of Anxieties: Being overpowered, weaker than
others
8. Main Defenses against Conflicts and Fears:
Reaction Formation (walang magawa, magpapatalo siya kasi dalawa
sila eh)
9. Adequacy of superego as manifested by
“punishment” for “crime” being: too severe ) habul
habulin bago sasaktan nila)
10. Integration of the ego, manifesting itself in:
Responses are stereotypical (mag aaway sila).
Babae ba ‘to, te? (babae ba yan? Ano sa tingin mo?)
lalaki… (lalaki) may isang leon, isa siyang hari sa
mga leon, pero ito yung daga nakatingin sa kanya,
bago nalulungkot bago naninigarilyo siya,
nalulungkot siya kasi wala siyang kasama… lagi
siyang nasasaktan, umiiyak ito lagi naka-upo lang sa
isang tabi, hindi siya kumakain araw – araw, yun
lang… (anong mangyayari pagkatapos ‘no’n?) bago…
bigla siyang iiyak, iiyak ng iiyak nung andun sila
hindi siya, hindi siya umiiyak hangga’t hindi niya pa
nahahanap yung asawa niya… (iiyak siya ng iiyak
yung lalaking leon hangga’t hindi pa niya nakita
asawa niya?) (nods) (bago kaya ito, ano kaya ang
puwedeng - ) pati yung anak niya kasi, kasi, kasama
nung isa yung anak nilang dalawa… (ah, hinahanap
niya yung anak niya pati asawa niya?) eh, wala siyang
kaibigan, nawawala rin kasi patay na… (patay yung
kaibigan niya) iisa lang siyang leon sa ano, sa mga
ano, hayop…
 INTERPRETATION
1. Main Theme: I am powerful but I am alone and lonely.
2. Main Hero: Lion
3. Main needs and drives of hero : Company
4. Conception of environment: Lonely because he is
alone

5. Interpersonal Object Relations: Parents

 6. Significant Conflicts: He is alone and is left by
significant others.
7. Nature of Anxieties: Being alone and left by loved ones
8. Main Defenses against Conflicts and Fears:
Isolation (bigla siyang iiyak, iiyak ng iiyak nung andun sila hindi siya
hindi siya umiiyak
9. Adequacy of superego as manifested by
“punishment” for “crime” being: stammer
10. Integration of the ego, manifesting itself in:
Responses are stereotypical () iisa lang siyang leon sa ano, sa mga ano,
hayop).
 SUMMARY

In summary to the three pictures, it is safe to say that there is a relatively

poor returns in the child where each story by itself is quite disappointing
unless one can bring each story in one meaningful relation to others. The
narration of the client gives the impression that he feels alone and is
looking for affirmation and love. It also shows sibling rivalry and wishes
to exude power over them. The child’s father is working overseas which
may explain the reason why he repeatedly mentioned the loss of a father.
 THEMATIC APPERCEPTION
TEST

The Thematic Apperception

Test, or TAT, is a projective
measure intended to evaluate
a person's patterns of
thought, attitudes,
observational capacity, and
emotional responses to
ambiguous test materials.
Henry A. Murray and Christina D.
Morgan (1930)
 NATURE AND PURPOSE OF
THE TEST
Consists of a set Considered to be Often used in individual assessments of
of cards that effective in eliciting candidates for employment in fields requiring a
portray human information about a high degree of skill in dealing with other
figures in a person's view of the people and/or ability to cope with high levels
variety of world and his or her of psychological stress— such as law
settings and enforcement, military leadership positions,
attitudes toward the religious ministry, education, diplomatic
situations self and others. service, etc.
Reveal their
expectations of It is often administered to individuals who have already
relationships with peers, received a diagnosis in order to match them with the type
parents or other
of psychotherapy best suited to their personalities.
authority figures,
subordinates, and Sometimes used for forensic purposes in evaluating the
possible romantic motivations and general attitudes of persons accused of
partners violent crimes
 ADMINISTRATON
 Usually administered to individuals in a quiet room free from
interruptions or distractions
 The subject sits at the edge of a table or desk next to the examiner.
 Should presented as a game not as a test whenever possible.
 The examiner shows the subject a series of story cards taken
from the full set of 31 TAT cards.
 The subject is then instructed to tell a story about the picture on each card,
with specific instructions to include a description of the event in the
picture, the developments that led up to the event, the thoughts and feelings
of the people in the picture, and the outcome of the story.
 The examiner keeps the cards in a pile face down in front of him
or her, gives them to the subject one at a time, and asks the
subject to place each card face down as its story is completed.
 Administration of the TAT usually takes about an hour.

INTERPRETATION

Two basic approaches to interpreting responses to the TAT:

Nomothetic Interpretation
 refers to the practice of establishing norms for answers from subjects in
specific age, gender, racial, or educational level groups and then measuring
a given subject's responses against those norms
 Idiographic interpretation
 refers to evaluating the unique features of the subject's view of the
world and relationships. Most psychologists would classify the TAT as
better suited to idiographic than nomothetic interpretation.
In interpreting responses to the TAT, examiners typically focus their
attention on one of three areas:
 the content of the stories that the subject tells
 the feeling or tone of the stories
 the subject's behaviors apart from responses
 CRITICISMS

The TAT is often criticized for not being standardized, meaning there are no rules
of administration or formal scoring system.
Clinicians often vary in how they administer the test.

Few practitioners use Murray's complex scoring system and instead rely on their
subjective interpretation and clinical opinion.
Even if clinicians use the same scoring system, they may use different cards or a
different number of cards. This makes it incredibly difficult to obtain estimates of
reliability and validity, and almost impossible to compare results.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
NAME: Lyn
AGE: 46 years old
Maaga nagising yung bata para mag prepare sa
kanyang presentation bukas. Ipinaghanda siya
ng nanay niya ng almusal. Habang kumakain,
nakaramdam siya ng nerbyos para bukas kaya
minadali niya ang pagkain para mag practice
siya dahil pangarap niya maging pinakabatang
nagviviolin sa mundo. (Tapos?) Nag practice
siya ng nagpractice hanggang hindi niya
namalayan hapon na pala. Pagdating ng gabi,
dumating yung nanay niya may dalang damit
para sa kanya at tsaka siya tinulungan sa pag
practice. Dumating na ang araw ng contest, siya
ang nanalo sa contest. (Tapos ano ang
nangyari?) Masayang masaya siya dahil proud
sa kanya ang nanay niya.
 INTERPRETATION
1. Main Theme: I have to practice to succeed (Winning and
having the sense of pride for self).
2. Main Hero: Boy
3. Main needs and drives of hero: Affirmation
4. Conception of environment: The need to make others
be proud of him

5. Interpersonal Object Relations: Mother

6. Significant Conflicts: The fear of losing
7. Nature of Anxieties: He has to prove something for himself
8. Main Defenses against Conflicts and Fears:
reaction formation (the fear to lose thus giving more time to practice)

9. Adequacy of superego as manifested by

“punishment” for “crime” being: appropriate
10. Integration of the ego, manifesting itself in:
Finds comfort and salvation from anxiety (Masayang masaya siya dahil
proud sa kanya ang nanay niya)
Ito yung nanay nung bata kanina. Nasa
palengke siya para bumili ng mga
gagamitin para sa damit ng anak niya.
Gusto niya itong gawan ng magandang
damit dahil wala siyang pambili para sa
bagong damit. (Wala siyang pambili?
Bakit?) Kasi wala siyang pera kaya
kailangan gawan niya ng magandang
damit yung anak niya. (Tapos?) Ayun
nakahanap siya ng magandang tela. Binili
niya ito sa murang halaga. Umuwi siya at
tinahi niya ito. Pagkalipas ng tatlong
buwan, nanalo ang anak niya sa violin
contest.
 INTERPRETATION
1. Main Theme: I should work hard to gain self worth.
2. Main Hero: Mother
3. Main needs and drives of hero : The need to be
needed, the feeling of being needed or significant.

4. Conception of environment: The affirmation that the

hero is still relevant.

5. Interpersonal Object Relations: Boy/Son

6. Significant Conflicts: The fear of not being needed.
7. Nature of Anxieties: The feeling of being helpless.
8. Main Defenses against Conflicts and Fears:
reaction formation (the fear to disappoint significant others thus doing
her best to provide)

9. Adequacy of superego as manifested by

“punishment” for “crime” being: appropriate
10. Integration of the ego, manifesting itself in:
Finds comfort and salvation from anxiety (Pagkalipas ng tatlong
buwan, nanalo ang anak niya sa violin contest)
Ito pa rin yung nanay kanina. Nahihirapan
na siyang isupport yung mga anak niya pero
kailangan niya magtrabaho. May dalawa
siyang anak. Isang gabi habang nasa trabaho,
bigla niyang naramdaman na sumasakit ang
paa niya, sobrang sakit kaya nahilo siya.
(Bakit sumakit ang paa niya?) Oo kasi
sobrang pagod na siya. Tapos nung kukuha
na sana siya ng tubig, napaupo siya at
nakatulog. (Ano ang nangyari pagkatapos?)
Nagising siya at kinausap siya ng boss niya
(Ano ang sabi ng boss niya?). Sabi ng boss
niya umuwi na muna siya at magpahinga.
(Tapos ano nangyari?) Yun lang umuwi na
siya at nagpahinga.
 INTERPRETATION
1. Main Theme: I have to work hard to provide for my family.
2. Main Hero: Mother
3. Main needs and drives of hero: The need to work
hard to earn money.
4. Conception of environment: She has to earn money to
provide for her children however difficult the world is.

5. Interpersonal Object Relations: Children

6. Significant Conflicts: She has to work even though she
is already tired because she has to provide for her children.
7. Nature of Anxieties: Being overpowered and helpless.
8. Main Defenses against Conflicts and Fears:
rationalization (Nahihirapan na siyang isupport yung mga anak niya
pero kailangan niya magtrabaho)
9. Adequacy of superego as manifested by
“punishment” for “crime” being: adequate
10. Integration of the ego, manifesting itself in:
able to compromise between drives and demands of reality (umuwi na
siya at nagpahinga).
 SUMMARY

In summary to the three pictures, the thought pattern which is to provide

for family is very evident. The narration of the client gives the impression
that she is having a difficulty in life but has to go on for her children for if
she does not have anyone to depend on. The client is a single parent and
her husband now has his own family. However, the client only has one
child. In her narration in the third picture she mentioned that she has two
children, perhaps she is pertaining to herself as the other child that she
has to provide and support. The client is afraid not to meet her child’s
needs thus she is doing everything she could for her child.
CAT and TAT Scoring Guide
Thank you!
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