ABSTRACT
The Scoring Scheme for the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) and Other Verbal Projective Techniques (Fine, 1955a) is a system for codifying the manifest content of projective material. Considered a shorthand method for extracting potentially useful clinical information, this chapter focuses on the application of this system to TAT (Murray, 1943) stimuli. According to this system, content is scored with respect to feelings, outcomes, and interpersonal relationships. Each TAT story is considered to be a unit, and the use of a psychogram, or analogous summary sheet, is recommended to facilitate scoring. After the stories are scored, grand totals are calculated and provide “a sort of qualitative ‘summing up’ of the results” (Fine, 1951, p. 64). Although relatively few references for the system can be found in the literature, this scoring scheme has been shown to be a reliable, straightforward, and efficient method for yielding clinically important information. Relevant studies are reviewed herein, and scoring criteria and examples are provided.
