As defence aspirants continue to navigate the complicated landscape of the psychological tests in SSB interview, the Right Approach to the TAT can meaningfully affect their chances of success. In this article, we explore into the nuances of How and What to Observe in the Picture, Think of Good Theme and finally Write a Perfect Story in the TAT.

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) holds significant importance in psychological evaluations during the SSB (Services Selection Board) Interviews.  

What is Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) in SSB?

TAT is a projective psychological assessment tool, and the second test in the psychological battery of tests conducted by the Psychologist. It is meticulously designed to dwell into candidate's unconscious mind, unveiling their personality traits leading to assess a person’s thought process, observation skills, attitude, and emotional responses and motivational patterns through the medium of storytelling.

Psychologist Objective.  TAT is designed by the Psychologist to examine the candidate true personality traits, and decide the candidate suitability for selection as an officer.

Psychologist Aim.   To tap on a candidate’s unconscious mind to reveal repressed aspects of personality, motives and needs for achievement, power and intimacy and problem-solving abilities.

Ambiguous Pictures.    Outline or hazy and vague pictures are shown purposefully to stimulate the thought processes of the candidate in various directions – Flights of Imagination. By seeing these ppictures, candidate gets stimulus by itself and various options comes to mind. Out of the possible choices or options which comes to the candidate’s mind, he selects one option and make story around it. Out of the various options, candidate selects the option based on his personal experiences with similar kind of stimulus recalled from the past. The set of the past actions are the best judge of predictability of the candidate’s action in future and this behavior is being tested and evaluated by the psychologist.

TAT – Analysis by Psychologist.    Unlike standardised tests with fixed scoring systems, the TAT relies upon the qualitative analysis or subjectivity while assessment. The assessor examines each story based on the following aspects along with the Social Economic Card of the Candidate.

• Content.  What themes emerge? Are they oriented toward achievement, interpersonal relationships, or conflict?
• Emotional Tone.    Is the story predominantly positive, negative, or neutral? How does the candidate express feelings of stress, joy, or anger?
• Behavioural Analysis.   How does the candidate present themselves during the storytelling? Are they confident, hesitant, or excessively introspective?

This interpretive approach allows for an in-depth understanding of the candidate's personality, offering insights into their emotional control, self-perception, and social attitudes.

The Right Approach to TAT.   The right approach to TAT would be to find a right balance between psychologist expectations from the test and picture in particular and your self-awareness about your personality traits. Let’s elaborate further under the following heads - Type of Pictures; How and What to Observe in Picture; How to Dwell a Story and What OLQ’s to be reflected in Story

Types of Pictures - Shown in TAT.    In the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), the pictures shown are purposefully ambiguous, black and white images designed to prompt different response in form of stories from the candidate in form of stories. These stories reveal a person's unconscious motives, conflicts, and desires through their interpretations of these images. These pictures typically depict individuals in various settings and situations, potentially involving men, women, and children. Here's a more detailed breakdown:

·     People in various Settings.   The pictures often show individuals in different contexts, such as a lonely person on a bridge, a group of people at a social gathering, or individuals in a work environment. 

·     Emotional and Situational Contexts.  Some pictures may depict emotional states like sadness or stress, while others might portray situations like accidents or dynamic activities like working on a farm. 

·     Relationship Dynamics.  The pictures can also explore relationships, such as between a boy and an elderly person, or between a boy and a girl. 

·     Ambiguous and Unclear.  The pictures are intentionally designed to be somewhat hazy or unclear, requiring the test-taker to use their imagination and fill in the details to create a story. 

·     Dynamic and Static.  Some images might show action or movement (dynamic), while others might depict a more static scene. 

·     Positive and Negative Situations.  The pictures can evoke a range of emotions and situations, including both positive and negative experiences, which can help reveal the test-taker's perspective on life. 

·     Specific Scenarios.   Examples include a picture of a boy looking at a violin, or a man holding his hat with his face down, while a woman next to him stares out the window. 

Important.   Overall, the TAT pictures are designed to be open-ended, encouraging the test-taker to project their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences onto the images, providing insights into their personality and psychological state. 

How and What to Observe in Pictures.

# Step 1: Elements of the Picture. After seeing the picture, brace up your mind with the following set of questions.

·     What? What action(s) is taking place in the scene of the picture.

Where - Background?    Means the location or place where the action is taking place – Rural/Urban Settings, Crowded or Uncrowded, Shades of lights – Time of the day etc. Village, city, office, market, road, hilly area, river site etc.

Who – Hero / Central Character?   Who is the Hero / Central Figure and who are the Side Character(s). Attire or dresses, age group,

·    Why – Situation?  Try to understand, what could be the reasons to the situation. Position and expression of characters in relation to one another and with the Hero / Central Figure.

# Step 2: Situation in Picture.  Generally, pictures can be broadly divided into four main categories. However, the boundaries amongst them could be blurred to extent possible.

Candidate’s observation, perception and imagination will be based on their socio-economic card.

 ·     Dynamic Pictures.    Imminent danger, Problem - Urgency is visible in picture.

·       Negative Pictures.    Imminent Problem - Urgency is indicated or perceived in picture.

 ·     Neutral Pictures.    No Imminent danger - Problem or Urgency is to be perceived in picture.

 ·     Blank Picture.  Generally, the last picture in collection of pictures, but not necessarily.

# Step 3: Theme of the Story Emerges.    Based on the earlier steps, rough sketch of the story and set of possible actions.

§    Dynamic Pictures.    Warrants Immediate Action by the Hero – “Save the Moment” first. Candidate’s Approach.     Observation in Crisis; Resolve the Problem by Action. Display Factor 4 Qualities.

Negative Pictures.  Warrants Action by the Hero – “Save the Day”. Candidate’s Approach.  Perception of “Social Issues” as a Problem; Remove Negativity -Whole. Emotional Support – Individual / Family members. Display Factor 2 & Factor 3 Qualities.

Neutral Pictures.  Candidate’s Approach - Imagination of problem as Approach. Display Factor 1 Qualities.

 Blank Pictures.  Candidate’s Approach. Sum Total Approach. Passion and aspiration & ambition to join Armed forces. PIQ or SD approach highlighting your achievements. Combination of all Factors (F1, F2, F3 & F4).

# Step 4 : The Story.    From the emerging theme, a story needs to be written in 10-12 lines in three distinct parts in time frame of 3-4 minutes.

Final Thoughts.

Conclusion. Psychologist analyse the stories to understand the candidate's thought processes, emotional responses, and how they handle challenges and conflicts. TAT remains a keystone of psychological evaluations during SSB interviews, revealing critical insights into a candidate's personality, motivations, and emotional intelligence.

It’s important to note that the images used in TAT are intentionally ambiguous, and there is a degree of subjectivity in the interpretation. The goal is not to have a “correct” or “incorrect” response but to understand how candidates’ approach and construct narratives based on the presented stimuli. The diverse range of images ensures that the TAT can capture various aspects of a candidate’s personality, including their cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence, and leadership potential.