Stimulus Factors in the Relation between Fantasy and Behavior

Abstract

An investigation of the relation between aggressive fantasy and aggressive behavior in normal 10- and 13-year-old boys was conducted. A peer-rating technique was used to assess aggressive behavior, and three different projective tests (the Rosenzweig P-F Test, the TAT and the Rorschach) were used to elicit aggressive fantasy. The TAT cards were chosen with particular reference to their aggressive stimulus relevance. The results supported the assumption that stimulus factors affect the relation between fantasy and behavior, showing that of the three projective tests only the Rorschach has a direct relation to overt behavior, and that in the case of the TAT only Card 18BM, classified as having high aggressive stimulus relevance, differentiates significantly between children who are and children who are not behaviorally aggressive with regard to the amount of aggressive fantasy expressed.