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Children’s Apperception Test
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About Children’s Apperception Test
Scale Name
Children’s Apperception Test
Author Details
Leopold Bellak and Sonya Sonia Bellak
Translation Availability
Not Sure
Background/Description
The Children’s Apperception Test (CAT) is a projective personality assessment tool designed for children aged three to ten years. Developed in 1949, the CAT was created to evaluate children’s personality traits, attitudes, and underlying psychodynamic processes. The test uses a series of pictures depicting animals (CAT-A) or humans (CAT-H) in various social situations to elicit stories from children.
These stories provide insight into the child’s internal world, revealing conflicts, emotions, and interpersonal dynamics. The CAT was inspired by the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) but tailored specifically for children to address psychosexual conflicts and other developmental issues. Over time, the CAT has been used more broadly for clinical evaluations to diagnose emotional disturbances and personality traits in young children.
The CAT is a projective method of describing personality by studying individual differences in responses made to stimuli presented in the form of pictures of animals in selected settings. The pictures on the CAT were chosen to draw out children’s fantasies and encourage storytelling.
Descriptions of the ten pictures are as follows: baby chicks seated around a table with an adult chicken appearing in the background; a large bear and a baby bear playing tug-of-war; a lion sitting on a throne being watched by a mouse through a peephole; a mother kangaroo with a joey (baby kangaroo) in her pouch and an older joey beside her; two baby bears sleeping on a small bed in front of a larger bed containing two bulges; a cave in which two large bears are lying down next to a baby bear; a ferocious tiger leaping toward a monkey who is trying to climb a tree; two adult monkeys sitting on a sofa while another adult monkey talks to a baby monkey; a rabbit sitting on a child’s bed viewed through a doorway; and a puppy being spanked by an adult dog in front of a bathroom.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Preparation: The administrator should ensure a quiet and comfortable environment free from distractions.
- Introduction: Explain the task to the child in simple terms, emphasizing that there are no right or wrong answers.
- Presentation: Show the child each picture card, one at a time.
- Storytelling: Ask the child to describe what is happening in each picture and encourage them to create a story.
- Prompting: If the child struggles, gentle prompts may be used to encourage more detailed responses.
- Recording: Note the child’s responses verbatim, along with any notable behaviors or emotional reactions.
Reliability and Validity
The CAT has been both praised and criticized in terms of its reliability and validity. The subjective nature of interpreting projective tests means that results can vary based on the administrator’s experience and bias. There is limited empirical evidence to support the CAT’s consistency (reliability) and its ability to measure what it purports to (validity). Despite these limitations, the CAT remains a valuable tool in clinical settings, especially when used alongside other assessments.
Available Versions
Maltiple-Items
Reference
Bellak, L., & Bellak, S. S. (1950). An introductory note on the Children’s Apperception Test (CAT). Journal of projective techniques, 14(2), 173-180.
Bellak, L., & Bellak, S. S. (1949). Children’s Apperception Test.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What age group is the CAT designed for?
A1: The CAT is designed for children aged three to ten years.
Q2: What is the purpose of the CAT?
A2: The CAT aims to uncover personality traits, attitudes, and psychodynamic processes in children by analyzing the stories they create in response to picture prompts.
Q3: How is the CAT administered?
A3: The test is administered individually in a quiet setting, where a child is shown picture cards and asked to tell a story about each one.
Q4: What are the main components of the CAT?
A4: The CAT consists of ten picture cards featuring either animals (CAT-A) or humans (CAT-H) in various social situations.
Q5: Is the CAT reliable and valid?
A5: The CAT’s reliability and validity are subjects of debate due to its subjective nature and the variability in interpretation by different administrators. It is often used in conjunction with other psychological tests.
Q6: How long does it take to administer the CAT?
A6: The administration time for the CAT ranges from 20 to 45 minutes.
Q7: Who can administer the CAT?
A7: The CAT should be administered by a trained psychologist or a professional familiar with projective techniques and child psychology
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