Analyzing and interpreting TAT results
Template: TAT
Themes
Client A often started their stories off with death, religion, confrontation, and uncomfortable or “dark” themes. Client A consistently filled in the middle of their stories with mourning, dying, mistrust, and regret. Client A’s stories have an overall theme of aggression, abandonment, and preoccupation with death/dying.
Coping Mechanism
Client A seems to end their stories in definitive/permanent ways (death, reuniting with dead family members, end of the world). This may suggest that Client A uses the idea of death as a way of solving or deflecting from uncomfortable confrontations or conversations in cards where the stories are darker (rape, concentration camp, coping a feel). However, Client A uses flexible endings with other cards where their stories are not as dark (going on with their lives, Belle’s thirst for knowledge, an old Hollywood movie where everything ends okay). These flexible endings may suggest that Client A is more comfortable ending their stories with themes of hope, aspirations, and goals when their stories are not as harmful.
Affect
Client A maintained emotional tones of aggression, death, hopelessness, and overall negative emotions throughout. Even though all their stories did not end in dark ways, their stories either started with these themes or maintained these themes through the middle explanations. Client A may use deflection or humor when they are done with their story/do not want to continue with tasks.
Self-concept
Client A shows some themes of ambition, goals, and hope, which may suggest they have some coping skills and see themselves as resilient. Client A may see themselves as passive, easily manipulated, or conflict-avoidant.
Interpersonal Relationships
The stories told by Client A centered on distrust, judgment, and a lack of positive relationships. This may suggest they have a hard time trusting people. They may distance themselves before others get too close and use isolation as a defense.
Cognitive Presentation
Client A’s thought process/storytelling appeared consistent and linear and followed appropriate sequences. Client A’s storytelling style suggests that they use movies, television shows, or horror themes to deal with uncomfortable feelings/distress.
