TAT

    THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST

The first test among the battery of Psych tests is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). In this test a total of 12 pictures including a blank picture will be shown for 30 seconds each, one after the other. 

Candidates are asked to write story around the picture shown, covering issues like what led to the situation, what is going on and what would be the outcome of the situation perceived in the picture. The picture is selected in a manner to allow your creative mind to evolve a number of stories.

No story is correct or wrong, what matters is it must be a story triggered in your mind by the picture. 

Remember that the picture is shown only for 30 seconds and then you are asked to write about the picture within four minutes. In the blank picture, you have to imagine a picture of your own choice and write a story around that. Since the timings are stringent you are advised to write the story that occurs to you first on seeing the picture, that way your response will be natural and you will be able to write the entire story within the limited time available to you. 

WHY THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST?This pictures originally employed for this purpose were very vague. There was a great play of projection or inner sub consciousness in the interpretation of these T.A.T pictures Pictures with greater details and needing less play of projection and imagination were introduced by two psychologist, Murray and Margon, who used these in 1903 and the same are generally in use in India.

In TAT, the picture used by the SSBs are on the model of Murray’s pictures, but they are almost clear and not hazy. A set of 12 pictures is generally used including one blank slide. A slide of each picture is shown on a screen with the help of a magic lantern for half a minute and the candidates are required to write a story based on the picture in a period of four minutes in the particular space provided on the answer sheet.

These test is based on the theory that in the construction or stories around ambiguous pictures, the candidate organize material from his own personal experiences, partly as a result of the stimulus that he receives i.e. what he finds in the picture and partly his associations with such stimuli recalled from his past experiences.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STORY

The candidates must remember that there are certain essential elements or components of a well constructed story. These are:

 

• The Hero: Each story must have a hero or the chief character with whom the writer identifies himself. The hero should exhibit qualities which an officer of the Armed Forces should possess. He should act and behave like a normal human being and not like a supernatural being.
• Other characters who help the hero in the execution of the task undertaken by him.
• Situation in the Story:
•  What it is ?
•  How it came into being or what events led up to it?
•  What will be the outcome or conclusion?
•  The them or plot:
•  It is an attempt by the hero, assisted by other characters to organize the story by pooling all the resources at this disposal in order to successfully solve the problem by him.
• The plot should be interesting and end successfully.
• It should be self-evident. The reader must not remain in doubt about it or keep on guessing it.

IDEAS FOR THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST BASED ON PICTURE

Scene of Factory or Workshop

• Modification of Factory
• Quick Order Delivery
• New Invention
• New design

Scene of Office Meeting/ Phone Calls

• Board of director
• Presenting new idea
• Inventions
• New techniques
• New education system
• Planning attack

Scene of Fight/Running/Knife in hand/ Pistol in hand/Catching the Throat

• Yoga
• Karate
• Commando attack
• Learning martial arts

Scene of Defence Forces /Army Soldiers

• Patrolling
• Planning
• Attack
• Destroying enemy target
• Destroying Amn dump
• Getting information of enemy

Scene of Vehicle Car/ Bike

• Car/Bike rally
• New design of an engine
• Pollution free vehicles
• Less competition
• Multi fuel design

Group of Girls/women

• Vocational training centre
• Cottage industries
• Handicraft industry
• Health/hygiene training
• SSB selection training
• Modelling
• Dramatics
• Folk dancing
• Family Planning

Scene of Boat/River/lake

• Boating competition
• New design of boat
• Racing
• Rafting

Scene of Bridge

• Repair of bridge
• New design
• Widening of bridge
• Bridge inauguration

Scene of Mountains

• Mineral/Oil discovery
• Plantation/forestation
• Tourism/archaeological
• Hiking, skiing, study of historical structure

Water/river

• Pollution
• Creating lake
• Reservoirs
• Tourist resort
• Boating
• Flood control
• Digging
• Navigation/waterway

Land

• New technology of agriculture
• Drip irrigation
• Digging canal
• Creation Reservoir for water
• Plantation
• Windmill

People/Villager

• Cottage industries
• Small scale industries
• Handicraft Industries
• Agricultural Industries
• Teaching new agricultural Method
• Education/Family planning/Child Marriage menace

Road/traffic/accident

• Widen road
• One- way traffic
• Bus facilities
• Street- lights
• Encroachment removal
• Zebra crossing
• Traffic lights
• Evacuation of hospital

Boys scouts/cycle/car

• NSS Camp
• Flood relief
• Cycle rally
• Car rally
• Picnic
• Jogging
• Peace march
• Blood donation
• Rescue operation

Sitting in Office

• Planning
• Research
• Relief operations i.e. flood, earthquake etc.

SAMPLE TAT PICTURE AND STORY

 

Sample stories will be uploaded continuously, visit periodically