TAT Responses in Relation to Induced Motivational Set and Reasoning Ability

☰ January, February & July 2006 Vol 32

Page No 235-240 N. Annalakshmi Bharathiar University, Coimbatore

Page No 235-240

N. Annalakshmi
Bharathiar University, Coimbatore

The present study examines the effect of motivational set induced through instruction
and reasoning ability on the extent of expression of needs in the stories produced
by the subjects to the TAT. Five TAT Cards having special relevance to tapping the
needs achievement, affiliation, aggression, autonomy and abasement were
administered under three motivation conditions, viz. responding under instruction to
be neutral, fake-good and fake-bad to the subjects. The TAT was group administered
and the protocols were scored for expression of particular need using a ten point
rating scale. The level of intellectual ability of the subjects was rated on a three point
rating scale applied to each protocol under neutral condition. Criterion groups of
representing low, moderate and high levels of reasoning ability were formed on the
basis of rating scores on intellectual ability. The findings reveal that the motivational
set induced by instructions consistently produces significant effect on the expression
of all the five needs studied, in the protocols as expected. The reasoning ability also
has significant effect on expression of three out of the five needs. No interaction
effect between motivational set and level of reasoning ability has been observed on
the test performance.

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