In South Africa, where a large portion of the population lives in townships, more often than not, the therapist and client do not share a similar cultural context. Cultural knowledge is therefore pertinent to generating a complex and thorough interpretation of any psychological assessments. This study aims to explore possible cultural narratives evoked in the responses to the Thematic Apperception Test so that cross-cultural use of the test would be more effective in the Mamelodi township. The research is done from a narrative point of view, where lived experience is understood by organising it into structured narratives or stories that repeat throughout a person’s life. The pictures of the TAT were viewed as a context that could elicit such life narratives from respondents. TAT stories from five adolescent residents in Mamelodi were thematically analysed as a method of identifying common stories that could reflect the cultural narratives that young persons in Mamelodi draw from to make sense of their world. The results indicated common narratives concerning the following: the experience of violence and danger, the experience of close relationships, dealing with challenges, and the role that clothes play. These findings, and possible findings from similar future research, might aid psychologists towards a better understanding of the TAT in the township context. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Psychology / unrestricted

Both interpersonal dependency and the importance of the therapeutic alliance to successful psychotherapy outcomes have been widely studied. However, these two areas of study rarely have been viewed conjointly despite the reportedly large number of clients with dependency who present for treatment. This study elucidated the relationship between interpersonal dependency and the therapeutic alliance. Additional hypotheses explored client-therapist agreement on alliance strength in relation to client interpersonal dependency. Participants were graduate student therapists (N = 26) and their individual psychotherapy clients (N = 40) in a training clinic at a large, southwestern university. Within their first three sessions of psychotherapy, participating clients told nine Thematic Apperception Test stories and completed structured self-report measures of adult attachment, social desirability, and psychological symptoms. Interpersonal dependency was scored from the TAT stories, using the TAT Oral Dependency (TOD) scoring system developed by Masling, Rabie, and Blondheim (1967) and Huprich (2008). Three sessions following initial data collection, participating clients and their therapists completed structured self-report measures of the therapeutic alliance. Analyses revealed that interpersonal dependency was not significantly associated with client and therapist alliance ratings or the congruence between client and therapist alliance ratings. However, specific scoring categories of the TOD were associated with client alliance scores in opposing directions. In contrast to hypotheses, self-reported attachment-related dependency was significantly related to client alliance ratings and to the congruence between therapist and client alliance ratings. Clients with higher levels of self-reported attachment-related dependency rated the alliance less favorably, in agreement with their therapists, than did clients with lower levels of attachment-related dependency. Additional analyses were unsuccessful in replicating findings from previous research on interpersonal dependency. The clinical and research implications of these findings are discussed.

Object representations of sexually abused girls were compared to those of a clinical control group with no history of maltreatment. In addition, girls subjected to sexual abuse by itself were compared with girls who were sexually abused in conjunction with physical abuse and/or neglect (i.e., multiply abused). TAT stories were analyzed using the Object Relations and Social Cognition Scale which assesses four dimensions of object relations. It was hypothesized that sexually abused children would manifest more general and highly pathognomic impairment than controls along four dimensions of object relations. It was also hypothesized that multiple abuse would be associated with more general and highly pathognomic impairment in object relations than sexual abuse by itself.

Using the Defense Mechanism Manual (Cramer, 1991), Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) stories of 29 sexually abused female subjects and 28 non-abused female clinical control subjects were rated for the frequency of use of denial, projection, and identification.

This study utilized the theories of David C. McClelland and associates regarding affective arousal, concept of cues arousing motives, and neutral testing procedures. The problem was to study the influence of color and/ or movement, as cues added to the McClelland four-picture Thematic Apperception Test, to evoke need achievement responses to determine whether or not the added stimuli of color and/or movement might evoke increased need achievement responses. Four treatment variations of the test were made: Treatment A, consisted of the standard McClelland test, in black and white pictures. This treatment served as the control. Treatment B used the black and white pictures, but with movement added to the standard test. Treatment C added color to the pictures, but no movement. Treatment D added both color and movement to the test. A special effects apparatus was used to create the color and/or movement added to the pictures. The treatment variations of the four pictures were recorded on motion picture film in order to standardize the experimental procedures of the study. A sample of 120 male college students was tested, and subdivided into groups of 30 subjects each. Each group of 30 students saw only one of the four treatment variations. The testing was accomplished by projecting the filmed, four-picture McClelland test, with each of the four pictures being shown for 20 seconds. After each picture was shown, five minutes were allowed for the subjects to write a story about the picture. The stories were scored for need achievement by the McClelland and associates (1953) scoring system C. Statistical comparisons were made among the three experimental groups (Treatment B, C, D), as compared with the control group (Treatment A) in terms of the subject's mean scores in need achievement. No significant differences were found in any of the statistical comparisons. It was, therefore, concluded that the study subjects did not respond to the addition of color and/or movement as significant cues related to achievement motivation.

TAT stories and demographic information of 30 violent and 30 nonviolent juvenile delinquents were obtained. Institutional assessment records at Dallas County Juvenile Department (DCJD) served as the data base for this study. TAT stories and demographic information of 30 violent and 30 nonviolent juvenile delinquents were obtained. Institutional assessment records at Dallas County Juvenile Department (DCJD) served as the data base for this study. Differences with respect to object relations functioning between juveniles charged with two categories of index offenses: property offenses and aggravated assault were examined. Object relations were assessed utilizing a scoring system designed for use with the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). The scoring system encompasses a psychoanalytic perspective and consists of four dimensions representing separate but interrelated aspects of object relations. It was hypothesized that juvenile delinquents who commit violent crimes would exhibit lower object relations functioning as compared to juvenile delinquents who commit nonviolent crimes.

Os transtornos afetivos influenciam diretamente a configuração dos grupos sociais. Segundo o Código Internacional de Doenças, transtornos afetivos são transtornos nos quais a perturbação fundamental afeta a esfera do humor ou do afeto, no sentido de uma depressão ou de uma elação. Para a psicanálise, a psicodinâmica dos transtornos de humor tem contribuição desde Freud com seu texto sobre a melancolia. Wilfred R. Bion traz uma ampla obra com importantes conceitos acerca das configurações vinculares e da relação continente-conteúdo, a qual é aqui utilizada para compreensão dos transtornos afetivos sob este enfoque. Muitas transformações ocorreram no comportamento e atitudes dos indivíduos contribuindo para o aumento da prevalência de quadros de depressão e outros transtornos afetivos nas últimas décadas. Assim, parece importante refletir sobre esta clínica e sua psicodinâmica. O presente estudo teve o objetivo geral de compreender a psicodinâmica do sujeito que sofre com transtornos afetivos, à luz do pensamento de Bion. Em específico, buscou-se caracterizar o modo de vinculação utilizado pelos participantes e sua consequente configuração. Fizeram parte do estudo dois participantes, utilizando-se os seguintes instrumentos: A) Entrevista semiestruturada para coleta de dados acerca do participante e sua trajetória; B) Teste de Apercepção Temática (TAT) para coleta de dados acerca de sua psicodinâmica. A pesquisa foi realizada dentro do referencial clínico-qualitativo, sendo composta por dois estudos de caso, levando em conta os dados coletados nas entrevistas e dos conteúdos projetados no TAT. Concluiu-se que através dos instrumentos aplicados pôde-se chegar a uma considerável compreensão da psicodinâmica das participantes e de seu sofrimento através da utilização do pensamento de Bion. Em ambos os estudos de caso observou-se um ego frágil diante às frustrações e ao desamparo, transferindo os papeis parentais para outras figuras ao longo da vida, em busca do que foi perdido, advindo de falhas parentais na relação continente-conteúdo, gerando grande carga de elementos oriundos do interior e do exterior. Percebe-se que este panorama exige a utilização maciça de mecanismos de defesa, como a cisão e a ambivalência, servindo à pulsão de morte e demonstrando dificuldade na aquisição e implementação da função . Observou-se ainda a predominância vincular sob a configuração H, -H, -L e -K com os objetos internos e, consequentemente, externos. Destaca-se o fato de os vínculos formados tenderem a fazer parte da configuração que o sintoma e as defesas buscam manter, observando-se inúmeros exemplos da ligação das participantes a formas variadas de ser e viver sem variar a essência da vinculação, estando aprisionadas em modelos vinculares primitivos advindos de seus fantasmas introjetados, impedindo a aproximação com K. O TAT permitiu em ambos os casos obter um discurso que surge do inconsciente na forma primitiva de protopensamentos, mostrando-se um teste prolífico para se analisar pelo corpo teórico de Bion. Isto, tendo-se em vista que a análise do teste se pauta em uma análise do discurso inconsciente, e Bion utiliza exatamente estes elementos do discurso do pensamento para se atingir a compreensão da psicodinâmica. Neste sentido, sugerem-se trabalhos futuros combinando-se o TAT e as teorias de Bion visando a ampliação da compreensão de outros tipos de transtornos psíquicos / Affective disorders can directly influence the configuration of social groups. According to the International Classification of Diseases, affective disorders are defined as those whose fundamental disturbance affects the mood or affection sphere, in the sense of a depression or an elation. Within the psychoanalysis, the psychodynamics of mood disorders has contributions since Freud with his seminal text on melancholy. Wilfred R. Bion brings up a broad work with important concepts about the linkage configurations and the continent-content relationship, which is here used to understand the affective disorders under this approach. In the recent decades many changes have occurred in behavior and attitude of individuals that contributed to increase the prevalence of depression and other affective disorders. Thus, it seems important to reflect on this clinical and its psychodynamics. The present study aimed at understanding the psychodynamics of the subject suffering from affective disorders in the conceptual basis of Bions thought. Specifically, the main analysis focused on the modes of linkage used by the participants and their consequent configuration. Two participants took part in the study, which employed the following instruments: A) Semi-structured interview, to collect data about the participants and their trajectory; and B) Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), to collect data about its psychodynamics. The research was carried out within the clinical-qualitative framework, being composed of two case studies, which took into account the data collected in the interviews and the contents projected in the TAT. It was possible to conclude that through the applied instruments we could reach a considerable understanding of the participants\' psychodynamics and of their suffering through the use of Bion\'s thought. In both case studies, it was seen a fragile ego in face of frustrations and helplessness, transferring the parental roles to other figures throughout life, in search of what was lost, coming from parental failures in the continent-content relation, generating a great load of -elements coming from inside and outside. It was perceived that this panorama requires the massive employment of defense mechanisms such as split and ambivalence, serving the death drive, and demonstrating difficulty in the acquisition and implementation of the function. It was also seen a predominance of linkage under the H, -H, -L and -K configuration with the internal objects, and consequently the external ones. It should be noted that the linkage formed tend to be part of the configuration that the symptom and the defenses seek to maintain, in a way that a number of examples show the connection of the participants to forms of being and living without varying the essence of the linkage, being they imprisoned in these primitive linkage models, that come from their introjected ghosts and which avoid them to eventually approach the K. The TAT allowed, in both cases, to look at a discourse that emerges from the unconscious in the primitive form of protothinking, proving therefore to be a prolific test to be analyzed by the theoretical body of Bions thought. This, because the analysis of the test is based on an analysis of the unconscious discourse and Bion uses exactly these discourse elements of the thinking to reach the understanding of the psychodynamics. In this sense, future work is suggested combining TAT and Bion\'s theories in order to enlarge the understanding of other mental disorders

Social media posts are used to examine what people experience in their everyday lives. A new method is developed for assessing the situational characteristics of social media posts based on the words used in these posts. To accomplish this, machine learning models are built that accurately approximate the judgments of human raters. This new method of situational assessment is applied on two of the most popular social media sites: Twitter and Facebook. Millions of Tweets and Facebook statuses are analyzed. Temporal patterns of situational experiences are found. Geographic and gender differences in experience are examined. Relationships between personality and situation experience were also assessed. Implications of these finding and future applications of this new method of situational assessment are discussed. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T16:34:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-03-16 / The present study aimed to: a) Characterize a sample of adolescents participating in social projects of an Institution in the coast of Sao Paulo, b) Investigate the aspects of the structure and dynamics of adolescents from single parent families, conventional families and other family settings c) Understand the relationships established with parental figures for adolescents belonging to these different family organizations. To this end, initially a characterization of the profile of these adolescents was carried out and, subsequently, six cases of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years participating of Social Projects of the Third Sector (NGO) belonging to different forms of family organizations were studied. These teenagers were attended at the Institution where the data were collected. Semi -structured interviews and the Thematic Apperception Test were the instruments used. Overall, the results showed that adolescents from conventional families, that is, with father and mother within the family, were able to internalize the imago pattern in a more integrated way, and go through the adolescence in a more stable manner. The struggle to elaborate mourning is experienced, in tanden with the so-called "Normal Adolescence Syndrome". Youngsters representing families in which the father is not present, present defenses and anxieties characteristic of earlier stages of development. It is our conclusion that further studies are required to meet this demand, so that preventive work can create the conditions for good psychological development, enabling the passage through adolescence and achievement of adulthood in an integrated manner. / O presente estudo teve por objetivos: a) Caracterizar uma amostra de adolescentes participantes de projetos sociais de uma Instituição de uma cidade do litoral paulista; b) Investigar aspectos da estrutura e dinâmica de adolescentes oriundos de famílias monoparentais, convencionais e de outras configurações familiares e, c) Compreender as relações estabelecidas com as figuras parentais por esses adolescentes pertencentes à essas diferentes organizações familiares.Para isso foi realizado inicialmente uma caracterização do perfil desses adolescentes e, posteriormente estudado seis casos de adolescentes de 12 a 18 anos participantes de Projetos Sociais do Terceiro Setor(Ong) pertencentes a diferentes formas de organizações familiares. Esses adolescentes freqüentavam a Instituição, local onde foram coletados os dados. Foram utilizados como instrumentos a entrevista semi-estruturada e o Teste de Apercepção Temática. De modo geral, os resultados mostraram que os adolescentes de famílias convencionais, ou seja, que possuem o pai e mãe no seio familiar conseguiram introjetar a imago paterna de forma mais integrada e, transitam pela adolescência de maneira mais estável. O esforço frente à elaboração dos lutos é vivenciado condizendo com a dita Síndrome da Adolescência Normal . Já os jovens pertencentes a famílias em que o pai não se faz presente no seio familiar, as defesas e as angustias apresentam-se condizentes aos estágios mais primitivos do desenvolvimento. Conclui-se que são necessários mais estudos frente a esta demanda para que o trabalho preventivo possa criar condições de um bom desenvolvimento psíquico para que este jovem passe pela adolescência e, chegue à vida adulta de maneira integrada.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T16:34:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcela Silva Baccelli.pdf: 1308089 bytes, checksum: 51903fe88050ceb25d7e5a292d87ebad (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-16 / The present study aimed to: a) Characterize a sample of adolescents participating in social projects of an Institution in the coast of Sao Paulo, b) Investigate the aspects of the structure and dynamics of adolescents from single parent families, conventional families and other family settings c) Understand the relationships established with parental figures for adolescents belonging to these different family organizations. To this end, initially a characterization of the profile of these adolescents was carried out and, subsequently, six cases of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years participating of Social Projects of the Third Sector (NGO) belonging to different forms of family organizations were studied. These teenagers were attended at the Institution where the data were collected. Semi -structured interviews and the Thematic Apperception Test were the instruments used. Overall, the results showed that adolescents from conventional families, that is, with father and mother within the family, were able to internalize the imago pattern in a more integrated way, and go through the adolescence in a more stable manner. The struggle to elaborate mourning is experienced, in tanden with the so-called "Normal Adolescence Syndrome". Youngsters representing families in which the father is not present, present defenses and anxieties characteristic of earlier stages of development. It is our conclusion that further studies are required to meet this demand, so that preventive work can create the conditions for good psychological development, enabling the passage through adolescence and achievement of adulthood in an integrated manner. / O presente estudo teve por objetivos: a) Caracterizar uma amostra de adolescentes participantes de projetos sociais de uma Instituição de uma cidade do litoral paulista; b) Investigar aspectos da estrutura e dinâmica de adolescentes oriundos de famílias monoparentais, convencionais e de outras configurações familiares e, c) Compreender as relações estabelecidas com as figuras parentais por esses adolescentes pertencentes à essas diferentes organizações familiares.Para isso foi realizado inicialmente uma caracterização do perfil desses adolescentes e, posteriormente estudado seis casos de adolescentes de 12 a 18 anos participantes de Projetos Sociais do Terceiro Setor(Ong) pertencentes a diferentes formas de organizações familiares. Esses adolescentes freqüentavam a Instituição, local onde foram coletados os dados. Foram utilizados como instrumentos a entrevista semi-estruturada e o Teste de Apercepção Temática. De modo geral, os resultados mostraram que os adolescentes de famílias convencionais, ou seja, que possuem o pai e mãe no seio familiar conseguiram introjetar a imago paterna de forma mais integrada e, transitam pela adolescência de maneira mais estável. O esforço frente à elaboração dos lutos é vivenciado condizendo com a dita Síndrome da Adolescência Normal . Já os jovens pertencentes a famílias em que o pai não se faz presente no seio familiar, as defesas e as angustias apresentam-se condizentes aos estágios mais primitivos do desenvolvimento. Conclui-se que são necessários mais estudos frente a esta demanda para que o trabalho preventivo possa criar condições de um bom desenvolvimento psíquico para que este jovem passe pela adolescência e, chegue à vida adulta de maneira integrada.