TAT ASSESSMENT OF SEXUALLY ABUSED GIRLS - AN ANALYSIS OF MANIFEST CONTENT

Manifest content of Thematic Apperception Test (TAT, Murray, 1943) sto ries of 30 sexually abused female children and a clinical group of 30 female children with no documented history of abuse was examined using the Scoring Scheme for the TAT and Other Verbal Projective Techniques (Fine, 1955a). The two groups were similar demographically, and did n ot differ with regard to the overall frequency of negative feelings an d outcomes. Significant group differences were found when specific neg ative feelings were investigated, with subjects in the abuse group hav ing higher frequencies of stated sexual preoccupation than nonabused c omparison subjects. In addition, higher frequencies of expressed guilt on the part of abuse subjects can be considered secondary to their ov erconcern with sexuality. Findings support the utility of the TAT in i dentifying victims of sexual abuse by the examination of manifest cont ent.