Exploring personality through storytelling
What do your interpretations of the things you see say about you?
For example, imagine you look at a series of black-and-white images.
One shows a lone figure gazing out the window.
Baris Simsek / Getty Images
Another portrays what feels like a tense moment between two people.
What’s happening in these scenes?
What led to these moments?
And what happens next?
The TAT is one of the most widely researched and clinically usedpersonality tests.
Research suggests it is the second most widely used performance-based assessment in clinical practice.
It’s purposefully difficult to identify what is happening in these images.
The assumption is that this will then revealunconscious thoughts, conflicts, and motivations that the individual is projecting.
The complete version of the TAT includes 31 cards.
Today, many practitioners use only between 5 and 12 cards.
The scenes are often selected because the examiner feels that they match 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.
The TAT is widely used in both clinical and research tweaks.
However, the test has also been criticized for lacking reliability and validity.
However, some have suggested that classic psychometric measures are not appropriate when evaluating the TAT’s usefulness.
Some research has found that the TAT’s test-retest reliability is within acceptable ranges.
Research has also found that the cards themselves can influence the stories people tell when they look at them.
Is the TAT Right for You?
Talk to a mental health professional to learn more about taking the test and what the results might suggest.
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