Estimating the Effects of Thematic Apperception Test Card Content on SCORS–G Ratings: Replication With a Nonclinical Sample

ABSTRACT

The content of Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) cards can, in some cases, influence how respondents form narratives. This study examines how imagery from select TAT cards affects the narratives of respondents from a nonclinical setting. The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale–Global Rating Method (SCORS–G; Stein, Hilsenroth, Slavin-Mulford, & Pinsker, 2011; Westen, Lohr, Silk, Kerber, & Goodrich, 1989) was used to rate narratives. Forty-nine college students provided narratives to 6 TAT cards. Narratives were rated by two expert raters using the SCORS–G. Consistent with prior research, Card 2 exhibited the most pull for adaptive ratings on SCORS–G scales, and 3 BM exhibited the most pull for maladaptive ratings. Findings for other cards were mixed. Although raters were highly reliable, internal consistency estimates were lower than desirable for 6 of the 8 SCORS–G scales. Variance component estimates indicated that card by person interactions accounted for the largest amount of variance in person-level scores. Results and limitations are discussed in light of prior research. We also make suggestions for further lines of research in this area.

Acknowledgment

An earlier version of this article was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality Assessment, Washington, DC, March 2014.

Notes

¹ It is challenging to determine how “typical” or “atypical” our internal consistency findings are given that the majority of studies using the SCORS–G or closely related measures (e.g., ORSC) do not report any estimate of internal consistency. In our review of 29 research articles using such tools to rate TAT narratives, fewer than 25% reported an estimate of internal consistency. Researchers might mistakenly believe that interrater reliability and internal consistency are the same (see Hibbard et al., 2001).