Tat-Derived Affiliation Scores and Social Behavior in Therapy Groups

Abstract

60 hospitalized psychiatric patients were given a TAT which was scored for need affiliation ( nAff). These patients also participated in group psychotherapy. The behavioral observations made in the group sessions were scored for affiliative behaviors. The correlations between nAff and social behavior in the first three sessions of eight sessions of therapy were not significant. For the last three sessions, however, there was a positive and significant correlation for men and a significant but curvilinear relationship for the women. Among the latter, extreme nAff scorers showed the least affiliation, median, scorers the most gregariousness. These results support earlier findings which indicate a more direct correspondence of TAT-thought and action for men and more complex relationships for women.