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Department, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran. , Alahdadi_s@atu.uc.ir
Abstract: (11 Views)
Background: Any psychological test should undergo validation before being used in a specific population to ensure its reliability and validity in the target context, and projective tests are no exception. Although the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) has been used in Iran for many years, its psychometric properties have not yet been validated in the Iranian population.
Aims: The present study aimed to validate the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) using the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale - Global Rating Method (SCORS-G) scoring system in the Iranian population.
Methods: This was a descriptive study aimed at validating the instrument. The statistical population included Iranian adults aged 18 to 65 residing in Tehran in the winter of 2024, from which 154 participants were selected through convenience sampling. The research instruments comprised the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Murray & Morgan (1943), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; 71-item form) butcher et al (2001), and the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale- Global Rating Method (SCORS-G) scoring system. Participants were divided into clinical and non-clinical groups based on MMPI-2 scores. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, Hotelling’s T², intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Cronbach’s alpha via SPSS-24.
Results: Results showed that TAT using SCORS-G scoring system showed significant differences between clinical and non-clinical groups across five scales (p≤0.01). Furthermore, all scales of MMPI-2 were significantly correlated with at least one SCORS-G scale, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.16 to 0.43. ICC for the eight SCORS-G scales ranged from 0.77 to 0.92, while Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from 0.64 to 0.95.
Conclusion: The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), scored with the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale–Global Rating Method (SCORS-G), demonstrates acceptable validity and reliability in the Iranian population, and its use is recommended in clinical and research settings, particularly for assessing cognitive and affective components in adults.
Aims: The present study aimed to validate the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) using the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale - Global Rating Method (SCORS-G) scoring system in the Iranian population.
Methods: This was a descriptive study aimed at validating the instrument. The statistical population included Iranian adults aged 18 to 65 residing in Tehran in the winter of 2024, from which 154 participants were selected through convenience sampling. The research instruments comprised the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Murray & Morgan (1943), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; 71-item form) butcher et al (2001), and the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale- Global Rating Method (SCORS-G) scoring system. Participants were divided into clinical and non-clinical groups based on MMPI-2 scores. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, Hotelling’s T², intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Cronbach’s alpha via SPSS-24.
Results: Results showed that TAT using SCORS-G scoring system showed significant differences between clinical and non-clinical groups across five scales (p≤0.01). Furthermore, all scales of MMPI-2 were significantly correlated with at least one SCORS-G scale, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.16 to 0.43. ICC for the eight SCORS-G scales ranged from 0.77 to 0.92, while Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from 0.64 to 0.95.
Conclusion: The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), scored with the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale–Global Rating Method (SCORS-G), demonstrates acceptable validity and reliability in the Iranian population, and its use is recommended in clinical and research settings, particularly for assessing cognitive and affective components in adults.
Article number: 4
Keywords: Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale - Global Rating Method (SCORS-G), validity, reliability.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/09/19 | Accepted: 2026/03/19 | Published: 2026/07/23
Received: 2025/09/19 | Accepted: 2026/03/19 | Published: 2026/07/23
References
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This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)