The Use of Projective Pictures in a Preliterate African Community

The problem of overcoming the culture-bound nature of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) so that It may be used in non-literate societies is dealt with. Little attention has been paid to the difficulties arising in admin'ing previously proposed picture series, esp when the subjects belong to a nonWestern illiterate culture. Particular difficulties arise if the subjects are required not only to tell a dramatic story but to give information re the past, present, & future of the story. A pilot study is reported in which projective pictures were used to measure certain att's among the Aghem in West Cameroon toward agri'al innovations. 11 Aghem men & 4 Aghem women were questioned in their native language or in pidgin-English re what was goinr on in 4 nictures showing persons dressed as is customary in the Aghem tribe, doing agri'al work diff from what is locally traditional. The results were discouraging & clearly showed that it is necessary to pay more attention to the instructions & to the soc nature of the situation. It is not advisable to administer projective pictures with the assistance of interpreters, nor should the classical mode of instruction be used with African subjects. Mastery of the native language is onlys1 prerequisite for sensible use of projective pictures. The technique described by A. Ombredane in L'EXPLORATION DE LA MENTALITE DES NOIRS: LE 'CONGO T. A. T.' (Exploration of the Mentality of Blacks: the 'Congo T. A. T.'), Paris: Bibliotheque Scientifique Internationale, Presses Universitaires de France, 1969, could possibly lead to more valid results. The scoring of TAT protocols & the validity & reliability of the response data, however, are still unsolved problems. M. Maxfield.