TAT – Thematic Apperception Test (Murray test) as Cross-cultural Studies Tool

Abstract

Three images of the TAT were used to elicit answers from a sample of around one hundred teenagers from different countries and cultural backgrounds. The goal of the research was to identify possible cultural differences in perception of social and family relationships, differences in associating emotions with a social context. Our study was inspired by the ones conducted by Bert Kaplan in Kansas and Ivano Rinaldi in rural Lucania, at the request of Edward Banfield (The Moral Basis of a Backward Society, 1958). It was the first one to use the Thematic Apperception Test for a cross-cultural comparison.

Headnote

Abstract:

Three images of the TAT were used to elicit answers from a sample of around one hundred teenagers from different countries and cultural backgrounds. The goal of the research was to identify possible cultural differences in perception of social and family relationships, differences in associating emotions with a social context. Our study was inspired by the ones conducted by Bert Kaplan in Kansas and Ivano Rinaldi in rural Lucania, at the request of Edward Banfield (The Moral Basis of a Backward Society, 1958). It was the first one to use the Thematic Apperception Test for a cross-cultural comparison.

Keywords: immigration, cross-cultural studies, cross-cultural psychology, Thematic Apperception Test, projective psychological testing, psychological tests calibration

Introduction

The Thematic Apperception Test consists of thirty ambiguous images. The psychologist shows the subject some images and asks the subject to create stories around each of them. The test assesses how the subject relates socially and emotionally to other people, the structure of his/ her relationship, and how the subject perceives the power in social structures.

We used four images in the test,

- a boy seated and a violin;

- a young woman standing, a man ploughing in the background;

- a small boy squatting on the doorstep of a wood barn;

- a young woman and an old woman behind her.

The test was administered between September 2010 and January 2011, in Montreal, to teenager students of immigrant background who were studying French as a Second Language, by this author. The test was administered in French. The students were asked to provide a one page-long story about the character in the image. 120 answers were obtained.

The students came from China, India, the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Latin America and the Caribbeans, Iran, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Moldavia, Canada.

Western Europe and the Near East were not represented in the sample.

Corpus

First image: a boy seated, elbows on the table, head in hands. A violin lies on the table.

Texts are edited for brevity and clarity.

Far East

Male teenager, South Korea

The boy has to move to another city with his family. He is sad to leave his friends and he cried when they finished school. He had to sell his violin because it was too old. He had the dream to become a popular violinist and to sponsor gifted children who are too poor to afford a violin.

Female teenager, Vietnam

Last Saturday, Mark, a 12 year boy with fair hair, is in the waiting hall with the other contestants, two hours before presenting his act. He thinks at his parents who should have been there. He was alone, watching his violin and ignoring everybody. "Father, mother, where are you? My friends' parents are all here! I want you to come and see me at least this time! If you are busy, phone me to encourage me!"

- Are you ready? asked his teacher.

- I want my parents to see me! he answered.

Male teenager, Philippines

In school, I have a friend who loves to play the violin. He takes violin classes. But he has problems with his mother, who wants his son to be a doctor. He is nervous and afraid. If he can choose what he can be, he would like to be a violinist.

Female teenager, the Philippines

His name is Santiago. He is French. He is ten years old. He plays every day to practice. His father wants him to play well in front of his friends.

Male teenager, the Philippines

There was a boy who was a good musician whose name was Victor. One day, his family died in a car accident. One day he had a concert. Without his family, he was not enthusiastic to play.

Young female, the Philippines

"What am I doing? I do not know what I will play. I am resting because I have a headache and a toothache. But my mother will celebrate her birthday and I need to practice for her party. I would like to surprise her."

Teenager, China

A winter day last year, a small boy looked at his violin and was thinking: "If I had the money to take violin classes, I'd become a professional". He decided to work to make money, but he does not think he would find a good job. His mother had just given him 100 $.

Male teenager, China

The boy is called Alex. He is ten years old, he has fair hair. He comes from Russia. He hoped to become a musician, it was his dream. Suddenly, his father told him he would not accept this choice. He told him to work somewhere, because he had no money for the household. Once he would receive his first salary, he could buy his first violin.

Female teenager, Japan

The boy wanted so much the violin. He often asked his parents to buy him one. Finally he won, but now he is sorry. His family is not rich and he can see that the quality of all their meals is lower and lower. Later, his parents registered him in a music school. They thought their son would make an effort to play the violin.

Female teenager, China

This evening, there will be a great violin concert at the Concert Centre. This beautiful boy, Mark, is one of the candidates. With the courage of his parents, he is confident / .../

Female, China

The boy in the photo, Jacques, is nine, but he plays the violin well. In his school, he is the principal member of the orchestra. The photo is taken by a journalist, before the concert. He is imagining music in his head. It is composed by Mozart, a little difficult for him, but he can play it for ten minutes. He catches his breath and is praying God for success.

Chinese (no other data)

The boy is called Tom Matin. He is nine, in the third grade. He has studied violin for three years. He already won different competitions.

Chinese

The boy is called Lawrence. He is sad because his father told him that he cannot continue his violin classes. Because of the economic crisis, his father has lost his job and cannot pay the teacher.

Central and Latin America

Female teenager, St. Vincent (The Caribbean)

I am 12. I am sad because my mother wants me to learn to play the violin, but I don't. I like skating, playing football, and listening Rhythm and blues music. At 8, she registered me in a violin class. I told her that I don't want to learn to play the violin. I complained every day, and one day my mother told me she had enough. She told me to learn to play an instrument for the school concert. After this I stopped complaining and began loving the violin.

Female teenager, St. Vincent (The Caribbean)

He sighs sadly, his head in his hands, looking the beautiful violin in front of him. "I'd like to play this instrument to hide (added supra: to forget) all the sadness and the pain of the world". "James, go to sleep", says loudly Ms. Miller. Ms. Miller is his aunt, who took him after the death of his parents. His father went to war, was killed, and, hearing this, his mother committed suicide, leaving little poor James alone.

Male teenager, Peru

Unrealized dreams

It is the sad image of a poor little boy who watches his violin. He is defeated. Why is he so sad, so melancholic? He is a gifted boy who learned to play from his father, who is now deceased. He has since become a real talent. He had the dream to win the great violin competition in France.

Female teenager, Dominican Republic

There was once a little child with blue eyes and fair hair, sad because his violin broke while he was playing. It was a Christmas gift from his grand-father who had just died. He felt guilty for having broken his violin. He tried to repair it, but he didn't succeed. "I have to speak to my mother, she will surely find a solution". Later, he went crying to his mother.

Male teenager, Mexico

Etienne, a ten years old boy, went to school like all other children his age. He had music classes, but he did not like music, but he just spent all the day there doing nothing. A day he realized he could become a well known musician. Today he is not sure he would become a good musician, because he wants to change classes, he wants to take acting classes.

Male teenager, Mexico

He is a little boy who is sad because his violin is broken. He asks his father for help. The father repairs the violin, but his joy is short, because he discovers he does not know to play it. He did not finish his music classes because he loves to play football with his older brother. That is why he does not play the violin well.

Male teenager, Honduras

In this image one can see a boy who looks at his violin and asks himself how to learn. "Who could teach me, who could show me how to play it?" He tells his violin: I asked everybody in my family, but none of them can play the violin. And I don't know musical notes.

Central Asia and Eastern Europe

Female adult, Pakistan

There was a boy called John. He lived in a small village. When he was a baby, his mother died. He played violin well. One day, he was sad thinking about his mother. He thinks he will compose some music and his mother will listen (from above).

Male teenager, Iran

Peter is born in Brazil. He had a painful accident during a football match. This accident stopped his football career. In the hospital, he thought about what to do later. He thought about his future, and he found he could play music, piano, guitar or violin. Once at home, he asked his father to buy a violin to continue playing. Now, he plays and he plans to give an act for Brazil's national day. A music company had him to sign a contract for a year.

Male teenager, Kazakhstan

The image presents us a small boy who is focusing, I don't know on what, on music I imagine. His parents force him to take violin classes even if he hates them. If he left it, he would be happy to play the guitar. The problem is that in Europe the guitar is a lower class, common people instrument. Because his family had a name signifying the honor and the cultural richness of his people, it is certain they would not agree with his intentions.

Male teenager, Kalmyk minority (Oirat) Russia

The boy is called Mario. He is ten years old. He has to play in an orchestra, but he cannot learn music. He plays every day to learn. /.../ Three days later he played too fast and he broke his violin.

Female adult, Russia

I think he has to do the homework the teacher gave him. He also told his mother he has headaches and he is tired. But his mother told him, if you don't work, you won't have any cake and you won't go out to play with the children.

Male teenager, Moldavia

The boy wants to learn to play the violin, because he wants to become a well-known musician. But his father forbade him to touch the violin because he does not know how to play.

Female, Bulgaria

I see a boy who seems sad. I imagine he worked hard to improve his skills. I am not sure he liked this. I assume he did this to satisfy his parents. The image saddens me, because I do not think children should do things to accomplish their parents' dreams.

Female teenagers, Romania

24 tests. Four of them (~ 10 %) represented a cluster of the orphan theme, while the others were diverging, with no evident pattern.

Africa (isolated data)

Male teenager, Tunisia

A beautiful sad boy, lost in his thoughts. He is born in a family of great musicians for three generations. But, sadly, he broke his violin. Suddenly, an old man comes in their garage. The man takes his violin to repair it. He tells the boy that he already had the same feelings the boy has.

Male, Zimbabwe

It is a boy who loves playing the violin but who cannot continue. He thinks how to bring his parents the bad news because he knows that his parents have already paid a lot of money for classes.

North America

Male teenager, Canada

Bloody violin! How much I hate you! I will sell you when I will be older and my mother will no longer tell me what to do! With the money I will buy an electric guitar and join a punk rock band, who will be called "The Bored Boys." We will tour the world and we will smash violins during the concert!

Male teenager, Canada

When I will be an adult I want to be the best violinist in the world. Millions of people would adore me. When I will play, the concert halls will be full. All women would shout my name, and I will tell them, no, my bed is full. I want to have a woman or two in each city and this will drive my wife crazy. I will take drugs and be drunk all time. My mother would cry for this and I would put her in a dirty retirement home and I would never call /.../

Female adult, Canada

The boy thinks "I wish I had a violin". When he looks at the violin he is imagining himself playing in front of his family and his friends, and he can almost hear the beautiful music he will play.

Young male, Canada

Why did my mother give me this instrument? What is this? How does one play this? I am an athlete, I love sports, not musical instruments. I want a new hockey stick. How will I convince my mother to return it? Ah! I will speak to my father.

Far East

There are two important clusters in the Far East (China, Vietnam, the Philippines): approval by the family and competition.

Concerning the family approval, we have the Vietnamese example (the parents should be present to see the child performing, but they are not) and the Filipino examples (the father wants the boy to perform in front of friends; the boy is not proud to play, as his parents are both dead; the boy will play for his mother's birthday). The family is the source of pride.

In two Chinese cases, the fathers are opposed to boy's plans, because of economic hardship. This pattern is not culturally determined; it is widely found in economically disadvantaged groups across countries and continents (the Zimbabwe sample). The orphan theme, present here in one sample from the Caribbean, is frequent in the samples obtained in Lucania by Rinaldi. It is probably symptomatic for the same fears the Lucanians have - without a family, one is abandoned and despondent. (The violin is somehow ignored in the description).

Three Chinese texts and the Vietnamese one contain the theme of competition (the Vietnamese boy waits his turn to perform in a competition, another boy will participate in a great violin competition at the Concert Centre, another has already won different competitions). Another boy has his photo taken by a journalist, because he is the principal member of his school's orchestra.

The Japanese text is very typical: buying the violin is a family effort, achieved through collective sacrifice. There are no outward signs of the sacrifice, but the boy can see that his parents' food becomes cheaper and cheaper - the parents are so poor, that they have to sacrifice even the quality of their food. Their sacrifice can be seen indirectly, in an unspoken way.

The family sacrifice theme is present in two forms: sacrifice realized (the Japanese sample) and sacrifice deemed impossible - in two Chinese samples, the fathers are too poor to pay for the violin classes.

The Chinese and the Filipino often feel the need to give a name to the child, and to state the grade he is in, and the country he is from.

Latin America

In two different instances, the violin is broken. One could analyze this theme as a pervasive obsession with defeat and learned helplessness in Latin American culture. The second theme is the family (one boy learns from his father, another violin is received from the grand-father, in two cases, the boy asks the mother or the father to help to repair the broken violin). In another case, nobody in the family is able to teach him to play the violin.

The family is not seen as a source of economic support, like in the Chinese examples, or as a source of approval and encouragement, but as a source of learning or as a refuge in case something goes wrong.

There is a symmetry:

He learned to play from his father/ who is now deceased

It was a gift from his grandfather/ who has died.

Parents are dead in one Caribbean sample as well.

Central Asia and Eastern Europe

In the Kazakhstan sample we have three themes lumped together:

- conflict between generations: the parents force the boy to take violin classes, even if he would rather play the guitar. This should be not confused with the authoritarian father/ authoritarian parents leit-motif, present in one Filipino sample, in the Russian, Moldavian and Bulgarian samples; it is rather connected to the generation gap theme, present in the North American texts. It could be of modern origin, due to foreign influence.

- Low class instrument/high class instrument. An unexpected (and, so far, unique) instance of high culture code/ low culture code in conflict.

- Ascription vs. achievement culture: the child is supposed to carry on the cultural tradition, which he declines.

We see, on one side, the family (high class instrument, high culture code, carrying on traditions) vs. the individual (popular instrument, low culture code, individualism). The text may express the internal conflicts of a teenager coming from a traditional, centripetal background, who is rapidly assimilating in a Western culture.

He has already a mixed identity (the dichotomy high class culture/ popular culture is not Kazakh, but rather Russian) and is making the transition from two symbolic cultures (Russian, high class culture, Bourdieu-like, AND the Kazakh culture, traditional, both high-context cultures) to Western, North American, low-context, individualist culture.

Authoritarian parents

In the Kazakh, Russian, Moldavian and Bulgarian samples, parents and teachers are at odds with their children and are imposing tyrannically their wills on them.

Either imposing the violin (Kazakh, Russian, Bulgarian samples) or forbidding it (Moldavian samples) we have a Russian-centered cluster of authoritarian, arbitrary parents.

Tunisia

The boy is bom in a three generations' musicians' family. Two themes are present here: the ascription culture vs. achievement: one does not become a musician, one continues the family tradition, and the individual is only a link in the generational chain. This pattern can be found in the Middle East tribal mindset as well.

The generations' continuity theme is present in the Kazakh sample as well, and may be linked to Islamic traditionalism.

The three male Canadian samples show the same son's hate towards the mother:

- my mother will no longer tell me what to do!;

- I will put my mother in a dirty retirement home and never call her;

- Why did my mother give me this instrument?

North America

This is a symptom of weak bonds between generations in North America, high level of individualism (punk rock band/ I will take drugs and drink).

Male, 30 years, rural Kansas. Test conducted by Bert Kaplan.

In E. Banfield, The Moral Basis of a Backward Society, page 198

1. Man, age about 30. It looks to me like a little kid's got to take violin lessons, and he seems to be pretty bored. It looks to me as though he's dreaming about some other kids outside-maybe there's a good ball game going on, I don't know. His mother probably wants him to be a great concert violinist someday, but he seems pretty bored. His mother probably gets her way; the little boy has to stay in and practice his violin lessons. (But in the end) he turns out to be a big league ball player.

The text is mirror-symmetrical to the text we elicited above from the teenager Canadian male:

Young male, Canada

Why did my mother give me this instrument? What is this? How does one play this? I am an athlete, I love sports, not musical instruments. I want a new hockey stick. How will I convince my mother to return it? Ah! I will speak to my father.

Conclusions

A presence of competitive drive was found in the Chinese responses, as predicted by other methods. An absence of competitiveness was found in the Filipino responses, in accordance with other previous data about the Filipino culture.

The Russian responses, including the ones of the minorities in Russia, show an anticipated familial authoritarianism.

The Canadian responses showed a foreseeable conflict between generations, expressed here by the conflict between son and mother. The nurturing, self-sacrificing Japanese family offers, once again, the sharpest contrast with the split American family; the Tunisian family traditions stand in contrast with the expected rebellion of the male youth in the American family.

In the same context, two principal emotional clusters were identified: fatigue, concentration, thinking vs. sadness, anger, oppression, and despondency.

The test is very useful to assess the cultural patterns, the cultural differences between cultures. In the 1970, Geert Hofstede used surveys with questions to identify the cultural characteristics of different peoples.

The problem with the questions is that they are closed, and do not allow people to describe in detail their frame of mind. The answers were yes and no, scarcely a good method to describe cultural values. The TAT allows the participants to describe in detail their cultural values. The shortcoming of the TAT method is that it generates a lot of noise, many responses being irrelevant.

The feedback to psychology is as important as its contribution to cultural studies: the cultural differences, once known, help psychologists to separate the cultural (social, collective) components from the individual (psychological) ones. Administering the Thematic Apperception Test without cultural calibration risks - nay, it guarantees - introducing cultural (collective, social) noise in the psychological assessment of the individual.

Inner drive and outer drive

The child can be inner-driven (have a passion for violin) or outer driven (be induced into learning by the parents). The inner drive and the outer drive are present in all cultures; the principal difference is the family support for the individual - offered or denied.

Parents are seen as supportive in the Chinese culture, as an useful public by the Filipinos, as a source of gifts and learning in the Latin American culture (no paid teacher and no paid violin classes appear in the Latin American texts) as tyrants in the Russian culture. In the American texts, children usually rebel against the parents.

Associate Professor Dan Ungureanu, PhD, Faculty of Humanistic and Social Studies, "Aurel Vlaicu" University of Arad