ABSTRACT
The TAT Oral Dependency Scale (TOD) is a theoretically and empirically derived measure of oral dependency. This construct is based on a psychoanalytic theory of dependency, in which overgratification or frustration in the earliest stages of development lead to adulthood manifestations, such as a high need to be nurtured and excessive reliance upon other people (Schafer, 1954). The TOD initially was developed by Masling, Rabie, and Blondheim (1967), who described oral dependency scoring systems for Rorschach and Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) data. Both systems involve the scoring of Rorschach and TAT content for all oral dependency themes that fall into one of several categories. In the case of the Rorschach, content falls into one of 16 categories, compared with 9 categories for the TAT. In both systems, oral dependent content is scored and a raw score is obtained.
