The Relation of TAT and Inkblot Aggressive content Scales with Each Other and with Criteria of Overt Aggressiveness in Juvenile Delinquents

In order to determine if the contradictions in the literature on the relation between projective test measures of aggression and overt aggressive behavior is the result of the many different scales and criteria which have been used, the TAT and Holtzman Inkblot protocols of 76 juvenile delinquents were scored on 4 TAT and 5 inkblot aggressive content scales and the scores related to 11 different criteria of overt aggression. The data showed quite different patterns of relations depending on the scales and criteria used. While the TAT and HIT appeared to tap different aspects of the personality, there was no evidence that the HIT elicited “deeper” material or that it was less subject to distortion.