Rating Scales for Emotional Tone of TAT Stories

Abstract

The Rating Scales for Emotional Tone of Thematic Apperception Test Stories were developed by Leonard D. Eron in 1950 as a systematic method for quantifying the emotional tone inherent in narratives generated in response to the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). The original normative study utilized the scale to analyze the stories of 150 male World War II veterans, assessing elements such as themes, outcomes, and the overall affective quality of the subject’s fantasy life. The scale employs a five-point system, ranging from highly negative (-2, e.g., complete failure or death) to highly positive (+2, e.g., complete satisfaction or marital bliss), applied both generally and specifically to individual TAT cards.

Keywords

Thematic Apperception Test, TAT, Emotional Tone, Fantasy, Projective Technique, Leonard D. Eron, WWII Veterans, Outcome Rating, Affective Quality, Psychological Assessment.

Authors

Leonard D. Eron

Purpose

The primary purpose of these rating scales is to provide an objective, quantifiable measure of the affective and emotional tone expressed in the narratives elicited during the administration of the TAT. Historically, projective techniques relied heavily on subjective interpretation; Eron’s scales aimed to standardize the scoring of emotional content, moving beyond mere thematic analysis.

Specifically, the scales allow researchers and clinicians to categorize the valence and intensity of feelings projected onto the characters and situations described in the stories, thereby offering insights into the subject’s typical emotional reactions, defensive mechanisms, and underlying psychological conflicts. The study that introduced these scales was crucial for establishing normative data for TAT responses among a specific population group.

Construct

The scale measures the psychological construct of emotional tone of fantasy, which is understood as the characteristic affective quality imbued by the subject into their imaginative productions. This construct is crucial in understanding personality dynamics, as the emotional valence of one’s fantasy output often reflects underlying needs, fears, and expectations regarding life outcomes.

The scales are subdivided to capture two specific aspects: the general emotional climate of the entire story and the specific emotional valence of the story’s outcome. This differentiation allows for the analysis of hope versus hopelessness, success versus failure, and the subject’s ability to resolve conflict positively, providing a structured approach to analyzing the subjective experience projected onto the TAT cards.

Validity

The original publication by Eron (1950) focused predominantly on establishing normative data for the TAT responses among the study population. While explicit construct or criterion validity coefficients for the emotional tone scales themselves were not the primary focus, the scales derive their validity from the established principles of the TAT as a projective test, where externalized emotional content is assumed to reflect internal psychological states.

The systematic scoring system—linking specific narrative elements (e.g., suicide, reunion, aggressive hostility) to defined numerical scores—provides a high degree of content validity. The scales’ ability to distinguish between the responses of clinical and non-clinical groups in the initial study supports their utility in assessing psychological adjustment and maladjustment based on the affective quality of the narratives.

Reliability

Although the original paper does not explicitly report detailed inter-rater reliability coefficients for the emotional tone scales, the detailed, explicit criteria provided for each scoring point (from -2 to +2) are designed to maximize inter-rater reliability. The specificity of definitions—for example, distinguishing between ‘complete failure’ (-2) and ‘some frustration’ (-1)—minimizes subjective judgment compared to purely qualitative interpretations.

For research applications, training raters thoroughly using these detailed rubrics is essential to ensure consistent scoring. High consistency in the application of these categorical definitions is necessary to maintain the reliability of the resulting quantitative data derived from this projective test scoring method.

Factor Analysis

No formal factor analysis of the emotional tone scales was reported in Eron’s original 1950 normative study. The scales were constructed based on clinical judgment and empirical observation of recurring affective themes in TAT responses. The structure is inherently multidimensional, differentiating between general emotional climate and specific outcome valence, rather than being derived from statistical reduction.

The scale structure suggests an underlying continuum of psychological affect, moving from extreme negativity (pathological themes, hopelessness) through neutrality (descriptive, lack of affect) to extreme positivity (success, contentment). Subsequent researchers utilizing quantitative TAT scoring methods have sometimes employed factor analytic techniques to refine or validate similar affective scoring dimensions.

Instrument

Test Type: Scoring system for a projective test (Thematic Apperception Test).

Format: Quantitative five-point rating scale (ranging from -2 to +2, plus a ‘?’ category for unscorable responses).

Language Available: English (Original study conducted in English).

Population Group: Clinical and Non-clinical adults.

Age Group: Adult males.

Population Details: 150 male World War II veterans, divided into clinical and non-clinical groups for the normative comparison. The study used all 20 cards recommended for adult males.

Test Methodology: Subjects were presented with TAT cards and instructed to create narratives covering background, present events, future outcomes, and character thoughts/feelings. Responses were recorded verbatim and analyzed against the scale criteria for emotional tone and outcome.

Keywords

Projective Test, Thematic Apperception Test, TAT Scoring, Emotional Tone, Affective Valence, Fantasy Analysis, Eron 1950, Psychological Assessment, Outcome Rating, World War II veterans.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not available in source, historical document)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not available in source)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not available in source)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was published in 1950 as part of Leonard D. Eron’s monograph, “A normative study of the Thematic Apperception Test.” As a historical scoring system derived from a major academic publication, the criteria themselves are generally available for academic and clinical use, although the TAT instrument itself requires licensed usage.

Test Year: 1950.

Reference DOI: The original publication is available via DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0093627.

Reference’s

• Eron, Leonard D. (1950). A normative study of the Thematic Apperception Test. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, Vol 64(9), i-48. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0093627

Items of the Rating Scales for Emotional Tone of TAT Stories

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Key for all scales

• — 2 Very sad
• — 1 Sad
• 0 Neutral
• + 1 Happy
• + 2 Very happy

General Rating Scale for Emotional Tone of Stories:

• — 2 Complete failure, submission to fate, death, murder, suicide, illicit sex with violence, revenge, aggressive hostility, severe guilt, complete hopelessness.
• — 1 Conflict with attempt at adjustment, rebellion, fear, worry, departure, regret, illness, physical exhaustion, resignation toward death, loneliness.
• 0 Description, lack of affect, balance of positive and negative feelings, routine activities, impersonal reflection.
• + 1 Aspiration; desire for success and doubt about outcome, compensation for limited endowment. Description with cheerful feeling, reunion with friends, contentment with world, feeling of security.
• + 2 Justifiably high aspiration. Complete satisfaction and happiness. Reunion with loved ones.
• ? Can’t make up a story.

General Rating Scale for Outcomes:

• — 2 Complete failure, submission to fate, death, murder, suicide, extreme punishment, extreme remorse.
• — 1 Some frustration: incomplete success in attaining goal, goal attained at expense of happiness, disappointment to friends and family, acceptance of unsatisfactory situation or submission to authority.
• 0 Continuation of ordinary situation, balance of happy and unhappy situations.
• + 1 Moderate success, reunion with friends, recovery from temporary disability or depression, happiness in success of others.
• + 2 Great success, discovery, and/or happiness. Extreme contentment, marital bliss, unusual good fortune, reunion with loved ones.
• ? Cannot give an outcome, even when explicitly asked for, conditional (if) outcomes, alternative outcomes of different emotional value.

Rating Scales for Emotional Tone of Individual Cards:

(1)

• — 2 Complete frustration and hopelessness with no resistance.
• — 1 Dejected, inadequacy with attempt to adjust.
• 0 Frustration with no depression. Aspirations balanced by conflict. Lack of feeling tone.
• + 1 High aspirations with cooperation but some hindrance.
• + 2 High aspiration with approbation and no conflict.

(2)

• — 1 Conflict between ambition and duty to family with some feelings of guilt or apprehension, disappointment with lot, jealousy.
• 0 Description of picture, planning for future with no apparent affect.
• + 1 Future planning, description with cheerful feeling.
• + 2 Complete satisfaction with present status and life’s accomplishments.

(3BM)

• — 2 Uncontrolled emotionality, murder, mentally ill, complete frustration, death of loved one, suicide.
• — 1 Self-pity, aggressive parental pressure, transitory depression, adolescent confusion, physical incapacity.

(4)

• — 2 Desire for revenge, murder, aggressive hostility.
• — 1 Disillusionment, occupational failure, conflict over extra-marital relations, jealousy, pressure from mate.

(5)

• — 2 Overdominant parent or mate, extreme parental or partner pressure, aggressive hostility, murder.
• — 1 Parental or partner pressure without aggression, loneliness, slight frustration.
• 0 Checking on room or occupants, doing household duties.
• + 1 Unexpected gift, welcome guest, good news.

(6BM)

• — 2 Death, bad news, severe guilt, conflict over social acceptance of sexual role.
• — 1 Parental pressure, filial obligation, conflict over desires and duties, departure from parental home.

(7BM)

• — 2 Disappointment of parents in child, guilt, repeated failure.
• — 1 Disagreement, recalcitrance, rebellion against parental authority, feelings of inadequacy.
• 0 Parental advice, impersonal discussion, counseling.
• + 1 Aspiration with encouragement and/or advice.

(8BM)

• — 2 Murder, death, extreme guilt.
• — 1 Worry and concern about accident and operation, frustration of ambitions.
• 0 Descriptive, perfunctory, lack of emotional involvement, impersonal reflection.
• + 1 Aspiration, hope and planning for future. Adventurous daydreaming.

(9BM)

• — 1 Economic misfortune, physical exhaustion, danger of combat, social disapproval.
• 0 Men at rest, pure description, no emotional involvement.
• + 1 Comradely feeling, contentment, carefree, happy-go-lucky, lack of concern for convention.

(10)

• — 2 Death, extreme sorrow, tragedy.
• — 1 Departure, leaving loved ones, personal failure, being comforted for minor misfortune.
• 0 Lack of affect, balance of conflict.
• + 1 Reunion, happiness, acceptance, feelings of pleasure.
• + 2 Marital bliss, extreme contentment, satisfaction and good adjustment.

(11)

• — 2 Life is futile, horrible, complete absence of hope, no avoidance of fate. Death, destruction, war.
• — 1 Struggle against aggressive forces, animals fighting, story detached from reality.
• 0 No emotional involvement, little interpersonal action, description.
• + 1 Vacation, pleasure trip, happy people.

(12M)

• — 2 Death, suicide, malpractice (hypnotism) with aggression, rape, curse.
• — 1 Reconciliation to death; illness, parental pressure.
• 0 Hypnosis with no harm involved (experimentation with or demonstration of hypnosis). Being awakened from sleep.
• + 1 Reunion.

(13MF)

• — 2 Illicit sex with violence, rape, death, murder for infidelity.
• — 1 Disillusionment with sexual experience, regret for illicit sex. Illness of wife.

(14)

• — 1 Resignation to death of relative. Reflection on worldly conflicts, with or without appeal to religion, loneliness.
• 0 Daydreaming without emotional involvement, any other theme with no emotional involvement, adolescent reverie.
• + 1 Contentment with environment, appreciation of world around.
• + 2 Happy, well-adjusted hero, vacation, planning for happiness.

(15)

• — 2 Death of close relative, loneliness for deceased, mourning, hopelessness, hero rejected by society, suicide.
• — 1 Impersonal speculation on death, return of dead to cemetery, visiting grave of friend.
• 0 Description of painting or picture, no affect.

(17BM)

• — 1 Vindictiveness, revenge, trying to escape from unfavorable environment, fear, inadequacy.
• 0 Vacillation in plot (balance of happy and sad themes), doing routine job of acrobatics.
• + 1 Compensation for limited endowment, desire for success with uncertainty about outcome.
• + 2 Hero happy and successful. Display of physical prowess, adulation of crowd, winning of contest.

(18BM)

• — 2 Suicide, manslaughter, thwarted escape, hallucinations, delusions.
• — 1 Environmental frustration, accident, ordinary drunkenness, personal sorrow not of serious proportion.
• 0 Description of poster or painting. No emotional involvement.

(19)

• — 2 Death due to forces of nature or war.
• — 1 Fear (child’s fear of supernatural), bad storm with little or no emphasis on comfort of home.
• 0 Description of picture.
• + 1 Comfort of home during storm, feeling of security.

(20)

• — 2 Death of loved one, suicide.
• — 1 Disappointment in love, worry, feeling of rejection, economic pressure, disillusionment, loneliness.
• 0 Out for a walk, description, no feeling tone.