Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) Interpretation: Practice Recommendations From a Survey of Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs Accredited by the American Psychological Association

Surveys of academic psychologists have suggested that the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) is a diminished aspect of graduate training despite its popularity in practice. The authors surveyed training directors of clinical psychology doctoral programs accredited by the American Psychological Association to determine how the TAT was taught. Results indicated that TAT interpretation is a modest aspect of most respondents' programs. The only widely used resource was L. Bellak's psychoanalytic textbook (1986, 1993). Numerous chapters available and the entire journal canon appeared to be unaccessed. The authors pose a partial solution to the apparent disparity: Profession-wide recommendations are provided followed by a syllabus of recommended books, chapters, and articles.