Methodological Considerations of Applying a Tat-Type Picture-Story Test in Cross-Cultural Research

Abstract

This article examines problems associated with the selection and use of picture cues to assess data on implicit motives in cross-cultural research. A TAT-type picture-story test was administered to 121 Gwembe Tonga adolescents in Zambia. The stories were coded following Winter’s scoring system. The cue strength of each of the five picture stimuli in Zambia was identified and compared to findings on cue strength in a German student sample. Cue strengths differed markedly in both samples. Analyses on differential item functioning (item bias) showed that cross-cultural comparisons on motive strengths are not advisable. In further analyses, the influence of Zambian participants’educational level and written language on the stimulus pull of the picture cues was verified. Consequences of the validity of the findings on motive strength and some possible guidelines for future cross-cultural research are discussed.