INTERPERSONAL THEMES IN THE THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST STORIES OF FAMILIES OF DISTURBED ADOLESCENTS

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) stories of 24 sets of families containing disturbed adolescents were analyzed according to: 1) perceptual cognitive structuring of cards; and 2) quality of interpersonal relationships described. The cards used had a high probability of stimulating familial themes. Four groups of adolescents (aggressive-antisocial, active family conflict, passive-negative, and withdrawn) and their parents showed distinctive patterns of response to these TAT cards. Parents of aggressive-antisocial adolescents perceived minimal involvement among family figures while parents of withdrawn adolescents perceived skewed and negative relationships. Parents of active family conflict and passive-negative adolescents were similar in perceiving familial relationships with both positive and negative involvement among the characters. The data obtained on the adolescents was complementary to the parental data for two groups (aggressive-antisocial and passive-negative) and congruent for the other two groups (active family conflict and withdrawn). Hypotheses concerning the organization and quality of relationships in these four sets of families are offered.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: