No More Learning

The main difference between the stories of one group and those of the other lies in the story-teller's attitude toward what the hero has done and why he has done it. The more aggressive stories of murder and rape are often explained by low-scoring men on the basis of temporary maladjustments that could occur in the life of anyone, e. g. , "He has difficulty in adjusting to civilian life after his army experiences. " These story-tellers rarely condemn the hero. Rather they tend to identify with his problems, describing his feelings and thoughts about the situation. The hero is usually portrayed as dejected, guilt-ridden, and concerned about the welfare of the girl involved.
(n Sex, n Aggression~ n Abasement-intrapunitive type): The hero is reproach- ing himself for having harmed the girl as the result of an impulsive sexual act. The girl is never rejected; in fact there is often an expression of affection for her. The hero is not rejected by the story-teller. Rather there are signs of sympathy for the hero's problems. (M5: Low scorers 8, 6; High scorers 2, 1J2. )
The high scorers who describe the same situational factors as the above often attribute the action to inherent criminal tendencies, referring to the hero by such phrases as "a fiend" or a "sex maniac. " Although detailed de- scription of the crime may be given, references to the hero's feelings or thoughts about what has happened are comparatively rare. Suicide or punish- ment by authorities is the most common ending to these stories.
(on Aggression): The central character is rejected for being a criminal or a low
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character, and the picture is condemned as sordid. The story deals with an intense aggressive episode in which the story character has indulged preceding the pictured scene. He has committed a major crime (rape, murder, robbery) and the result is one of serious damage. (1V1s: Low scorers o, 1; High scorers 2, 4%. )
Subjects from both groups sometimes tell less aggressive stories dealing mainly with the sensual aspects of the picture. In these stories, the low scorers also tend to be more accepting of sensual indulgence than are high scorers. Three nonprejudiced men tell stories of the pleasures of "wine, women, and song," but none of the prejudiced men approach such a theme. There are, however, many stories by prejudiced men which center around a con- demnation of passive sensuality.
(on Sex, Sentience~ on Abasement, giving up of self-respect): The hero has yielded to sensual impulses because of innate weakness or a disappointing experi- ence. (He has become a drunkard or indulged in sexual activities with a whore. ) He is guilt-ridden, loses all self-respect, and becomes worthless to society. (Ms: Low scorers 6, 5; High scorers 12%, 10%. )
The low scorers, then, tend to identify with a hero who either finds no harm in a little overindulgence of sensuality or who blames himself for his transgressions, whereas the high scorers more often reject the hero for such behavior and predict for him a future of moral degradation. 2 The T. A. T. stories are in keeping with the evidence from the interviews (see Chapter XI) that the low-scoring men are better able to accept id impulses than are high-scoring men. They are, furthermore, consistent with interview data (see Chapter XII) indicating that intrapunitiveness tends to be more com- mon in low than in high scorers.
PICTURE 8. The content of all the stories elicited by this picture implies a recognition, on the part of the subject, of the contrasting active and passive roles of the two figures presented. In most of the stories of high- and low- scoring subjects alike the situation described is either a hypnotic session or a scene of death or illness. Many of the subjects elaborate very little beyond a description of the setting. Where further content is offered, there is a tend- ency for high more often than for low scorers to attribute permanent af- fliction and death to their heroes (p Affiiction: Low scorers, 16, High scorers, 23; Death-hero: low scorers, 6, High scorers 10) and to give emphasis to
themes of exploitation by the dominant figure.
{n Coercive Dominance ~ n Submissive Abasement): The hypnotist uses his powers for the purpose of exploiting the hypnotized person. (He is trying to secure information that will be held against the hypnotized man, or he is hypnotizing him for the purpose of being able to control the man's actions. ) Although there is usually some identification with the victim, and the hypnotist may be rejected, the story
2 The variable n Abasement does not differentiate stories told by high- and low-scoring subjects in response to this picture (Low scorers 51; High scorers 49) because, according to the scheme of analysis used in this study, this variable includes both intragression and moral degradation.
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ends without escape or counte'raction on the part of the victim. (8: Low scorers 3, 1; High scorers 5, 5? )
The low-scoring men, on the other hand, tend to minimize the aggressive, dominant aspects usually suggested by the picture. Two low- but no high- scoring men tell stories in which hypnotism is used for purposes of aiding the psychological well-being of the patient.
Another predominantly "low" story is distinguished by the sequence of themes rather than by the content alone. The story-teller begins by indicat- ing the possibility that the picture portrays an aggressive act on the part of the "hypnotist," but he does not elaborate this interpretation. Instead, he proceeds to minimize the intensity of the story content.
(Denial of n Aggression): The story-teller rejects the picture as unpleasant, or rejects the unpleasant possibilities for a story, or shows some confusion when the picture is first presented. He offers several suggestions of possible plots, involving aggressive intentions on the part of the hypnotist (death, an exploitive hypnotist, a potential crime), but these ideas are rejected. The intensity of the story content is then minimized. ("It is merely a stage demonstration of no consequence. " "It is a doctor and a patient," or "It could be a priest saying a blessing over a sick man, or it may be a doctor and patient or most anything. ") (8: Low scorers 5, 4; High scorers 1, 2. )
The elements which, in stories to Picture 8, appear to be more character- istic of high than of low scorers are similar to those that have already been seen to differentiate the story content of the two groups of subjects. The tendency of high- more often than low-scoring men to stress dominance- submission relationships was indicated in stories to Pictures M1, 3, M7, and it appears here again. Also, the greater incidence in "high" stories of refer- ences to death and affliction was noted before in the discussion of responses to Picture 3? The impunitive manner of dealing with the aggressive aspect of this picture, exhibited in stories of some low-scoring men, has not been apparent in their responses to the pictures discussed previously. The tend- ency of the low scorers to describe their heroes as intrapunitive, i. e. , to tell stories in which the hero blames himself for his transgressions, was evident in the production of low scorers elicited by Picture Ms. It will be remembered that the high scorers tended to condemn the characters instead. The differ- ence in the way in which aggression is dealt with by these two groups of subjects-intra- or impunitively by low scorers and extrapunitively by high scorers-is reflected in the T. A. T. as well as in the interview data (see Chap- ter XI).
These findings may appear to be in contradiction to our previous remarks that the stories of low scorers describe more rebelliousness on the part of the hero. One might suspect that the trends toward obsessiveness suggested by the impunitive expressions would not be found in the same individual who describes fantasies of demands for independence. If the personality structure
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were essentially that of an obsessive nature, perhaps fantasies of decisive action could not be expressed. Apparently, however, the obsessiveness is limited to certain areas; the same group of men responding impunitively to Picture 8, almost without exception produce stories to Pictures M r and M7 (father-son and mother-son) in which heroes demand their autonomous rights despite parental pressures. The type of hero reaction described appar- ently depends on the stimulus value of the picture. Perhaps the factor dis- tinguishing Picture 8 from Mr and M7 is that the latter more readily allow for a choice of autonomy than does the former, in which the contrasting roles of dominance-submission are more clearly depicted.
As will be noted in the discussion of stories produced by men in response to Picture 6 (see page 527), low-scoring men are likely to refrain from de- scribing rebellious activity when such action is not practical in view of the pictured situation.
PICTURE ro. This picture was included in our series because it was ex- pected that most of our subjects would make some kind of identification with a "religious" person and thereby add to our understanding of the com- parative satisfactions derived from religious practices by our two groups. We anticipated differences similar to those found independently in the ques- tionnaire and interview responses (see Chapters VI, XVIII), the low scorers. being more concerned with principles, the high scorers with the authoritarian, conventional, and ritualistic aspects of religious practice. Although differ- ences of this kind were found in the stories of those individuals who re- sponded to the religious elements of the picture, many of our subjects, both high and low scorers (about half of the male subjects), appeared to be unin- spired by the picture; they limited their responses to mere descriptions of the picture. It would seem that for these subjects there was not an adequate medium for identification. Of those men who elaborated their stories beyond what was given in the picture, a few in each of the two compared groups told stories in which a soldier in battle faced an immediate crisis and sought help from God.
The low scorers who actually projected a story with some content tended to interpret the scene portrayed as expressive of a hero thoughtfully evaluat- ing life and religion and/or reacting with sensitive imaginative enjoyment to music or art. (n Sentience: Low scorers 37; High scorers r6. )
(n Sentence, n Cognizance): The hero is considering the problem of what religion, life, God really mean. Religion and/or music serves to give him emotional support, peace, and serenity. He is sensitive and imaginative, thoughtful, gets real enjoyment from playing the violin, and seeking the meaning of life. (10: Low scorers 2;2, 4; High scorers o, 2. )
The high scorers often identify with a hero who is afflicted with a disease such as infantile paralysis or suffering from the aggressions of an evil force such as "the Nazis," and who seeks refuge in religion (p Affliction: Low
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scorers 4, High scorers 10; ? n Abasement: Low scorers 4, High scorers 19; n Deference: Low scorers 19, High scorers 28).
(p Physical Danger-'>> n Submissive Abasement): The hero is left totally helpless in the face of a crisis. Counteractive aggression is suppressed, taking the form of submissive abasement. ( ro: Low scorers o, o; High scorers 2, 4. )
(p Physical Danger, Affliction-'>> Deference to supernatural forces): The hero, who is the victim of infantile paralysis or of some mysterious physical force, seeks refuge in religion. He becomes a believer. He "gets religion. " ( ro: Low scorers 2, o; High scorers 2, 5. )
These differences suggest patterns of reaction to the idea of God and the supernatural that are similar to those found in parent-child relationships. Those subjects who respond to the religious appeal of the picture generally depict the hero's behavior in the way that is most characteristic of their fantasied responses to parental dominance: the low scorers describe autono- mous but deferent intellectual consideration, the high scorers apprehension and submission.
The more frequent reference by prejudiced than by unprejudiced men to death and affliction is apparent here as it was in stories to Pictures 8 and M7. One might say that the' feelings of victimization so commonly ex- pressed by high scorers in their interviews (see Chapter XI) are likewise an important feature of the fantasy life of these men. The finding from the interviews that subjects in this group tend, more often than the low scorers, to conceptualize the "world as a jungle" (see Chapter XI) is also borne out by the fact that in their T. A. T. stories, especially those elicited by the present picture and by Picture M7, they place more emphasis on the variable p Physical Danger.
2. Comparison of Stories Told by High- and by Low-scoring Women in Response to the Pictures from the Murray Series
PICTURE Fl. Picture Fr elicited different types of themes than did Mr. The stories for Fr center around the "old man" in the picture, btft: since he is the only figure present, the theme of parent-child relationship, so common in the case of Mr, appears in only a few cases. Stories are mainly concerned with the father figure, with his attributes and interactions with his environment.
The high- more often than the low-scoring women tell stories about a man who is sad and completely defeated, who has been severely rejected or has lost all that he spent his life striving for. (p Rejection: Low scorers 9, High scorers 15; p Affliction: Low scorers o, High scorers 11; p Bad Luck: Low scorers o, High scorers 12; p Death of Hero: Low scorers r6, High scorers 27; p Lac~: Low scorers 1 0 , High scorers 15; p Loss: Low scorers ro, High scorers 17; n Succorance: Low scorers 21; High scorers 41. )
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(p Failure, p Loss, p Lack, p Rejection, p Affliction and/or Death~ n Succor- ance): The hero is sad, feels defeated because he has lost or never had money or status, because he is old and sick, or because he has been rejected by all his friends. (Fr: Low scorers 8, 6; High scorers r6, I7*? )
The low-scoring women tend to describe a father figure who is a philoso- pher or scholar, one who is constructively thoughtful and sensitive to the broader aspects of his environment. (n Cognizance: Low scorers 27, High scorers 7; n Exposition: Low scorers g, High scorers 3; n Nurturance: Low scorers 12, High scorers s; n Understanding: Low scorers rg, High scorers
IJ).
(n Cognizance, n Understanding): The hero is a philosopher reflecting upon the ways of mankind, or upon life's pleasures and inconsistencies; or he is a scholar who desires to contribute to knowledge. He may be attempting to counteract in- justice that has been directed at society as a whole, toward a particular social group or toward a friend-but not in response to personal press of aggression or dominance.
(Fr: Low scorers 8, 12; High scorers r, s*-)
It appears that the nonprejudiced women tend more to admire and accept elderly men-who might be termed "father figures"-than do the prejudiced women. The former usually make a more positive identification with the male figure presented in this picture, attributing to him positive successful striving, whereas the latter more often make a negative identification with the father figure, describing him as an unsuccessful, miserable individual.
PICTURE F7. This picture is regularly interpreted as portraying two women, one old and one young. The identification is most often with the younger woman.
Prejudiced women tend to reject the older woman in the picture as an unpleasant individual. She is often described as representing disagreeable characteristics that come with old age, and she is depicted as domineering, aggressive, selfish and manipulative of the younger woman, who is forced to submit to her demands. These trends are not clear in the scoring of need- press variables because many of the same variables are attributed to the older womal\ in stories of high scorers and to the younger person in stories of low scorers. Although total scores from some variables, e. g. , n Aggression, are equally weighted for the F7 stories of high and low scorers, the constellation of variables in which they appear varies considerably. The following thema variables indicates that the high more often than the low scorers reject old age.
(op Old Age ~ on Aggression, Dominance): A story of contrast between youth and old age. The older woman is a product of the imagination of the figure in the foreground. The heroine is worrying about old age. Old women are conceived of as being mean and ugly. (F7: Low scorers r, r; High scorers 3, 5. )
The old woman is a dominant, aggressive mother or a witch who exploits others for her own gain. She dominates her daughter's life. She schemes to get her daughter
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519
married off. She forces others to submit to her. (F7: Low scorers 2, 2; High scorers 4? 5? )
Low scorers more often center their stories around the younger woman. The older woman in the picture is usually said to be either the same person as the younger one, portrayed later in life when she has gained the satisfac- tion of success, or the mother of the younger woman. Descriptions of mother- daughter relationship vary. The mother may be overprotective, causing the daughter to seek to escape from her; she may be a sympathizing, encouraging mother who aids the daughter in attempts for success; or she may be rejective of the daughter for the daughter's selfish behavior. Stories are often told of a woman seeking a successful career, attempting to compete with men, and sometimes even to dominate and exploit them (n Acquisition: Low scorers 20, High scorers 3; n Autonomy: Low scorers r6, High scorers 7; n Dominance: Low scorers 17, High scorers 3). In those stories of low-scor- ing women in which the central character (the young woman) is described as domineering, she is usually denounced for this quality. This rejection is particularly interesting in view of the fact that low scorers rarely condemn their characters. It would seem that although they are able to accept their fantasies of competition and professional success, the hostility, in the form of deceit and exploitation, that may be a part of these fantasies, is unaccept- able.
(p Old Age~ n Achievement, n Nurturance): The older woman is a product of the imagination of the younger woman or it is the same woman depicted at two stages of her career. She is often an artist or career woman for whom old age brings happiness and the satisfaction of success. (F7: Low scorers 4, 7; High scorers r, I. )
(on Dominance-toward men): The younger woman is sometimes rejected for her insincerity, her lack of understanding, or her attempts to exploit men. The older woman is sensitive to her environment and r~jects the daughter's lack of sensitivity. (F7: Low scorers 5, 5; High scorers r, r. )
Low scorers differ from high scorers in their conceptions of both youth and old age. The low scorers tend to depict constructive striving as belong- ing to the period of youth, while the aged person enjoys the fruits of the earlier efforts. High scorers more often picture youth as a period of helpless- ness in which the girl is led by the aging mother, and old age as a period of life to be dreaded because with it comes loss of the personal charms of youth.
In stories told to this picture and to Picture Fr, the high- more often than the low-scoring women describe parental figures as either weak and ineffec- tive or as demanding and threatening. The hostility toward parental figures emphasized in these descriptions might well underlie the trend in these high- scoring subjects toward the comparative lack of genuine affection for their
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own parents that is described in Chapter X. Feelings both of hostility and love are more frankly expressed in the interviews of low scorers according to the data presented in Chapter X. However, parental figures appearing in the expressed fantasies of these subjects tend to be admired unambivalently. It is probably the greater ability to deal with hostile feelings that makes it possible for low- more than for high-scoring women to enjoy fantasies of the more pleasant aspects of parental behavior, rather than to dwell on, and to regard as characteristic of the parent, those aspects of the behavior which they regard as disagreeable.
PICTURE 3? Women, for the most part, describe the characters portrayed in this picture in much the same way as do the men (upper figure, male; lower figure, female). Also like the men, the women usually interpret the expres- sions on both faces as somber and indicative of a crucial situation. The causa- tive factor is often the man's departure for or return from the army.
Six low-scoring subjects and 3 high-scoring ones identify the characters as father and son. Stories of 3 low but no high scorers center around the boy's problem of breaking home ties and accepting the role of an independent adult. In these stories the father is sympathetic and encouraging. In the father- son stories of high-scoring women, the father tends to be more authoritarian and less nurturant.
Besides producing numerous stories in which departure and reunion is said to precipitate the immediate scene, the low-scoring women sometimes attribute the somberness depicted to the worry of parents over a child. In either case the reaction described involves sensitivity to the feelings of the other by each of the characters depicted. In most cases the more nurturant figure is the man, but in a few stories the woman is assigned a protective role.
(Female-n Succorance, n Affiliation): A description is given of the joy felt by a man and woman because they are together after a long separation: (or) They are sad because they have to be separated. There is no fear of death or affliction pro- jected into the story. Although the man is usually the more nurturant, mutual dependency and strong affiliation are expressed. (3: Low scorers 6, 9; High scorers 4' J. )
The man is sympathizing with the woman's joys or sorrows created by a crucial situation involving a child, close friend, or relative. (The situation is natural death, a child running away from home, or success achieved by their child. ) Here the woman is the somewhat more dependent. (3: Low scorers 3:Y2, 9; High scorers, 2? 2, 5? )
High-scoring women, like low-scoring women, tell stories in which the woman is the more dependent. However, the intensity of the personal rela- tionships is usually not as great in "high" stories as in "low" stories. Prejudiced women more often elaborate descriptions of disastrous situational factors, such as personal affliction or threat from the physical environment, that prompts the woman to seek the aid of the man, or, sometimes, they imagine
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such dangers confronting the husband. Stories of a husband or son leaving for the army are often accompanied by an expression on the part of the woman of fearfulness lest the man be harmed. Several of the high scorers' stories of the man's return from war describe his afflictions. (p Affliction: Low scorers 3, High scorers w; p Physical Danger: Low scorers 6, High scorers I 6).
(p Death, p Affliction directed at male figure): The man is leaving for war. She fears that he will be killed or injured and that she will never see him again: (or) He has just come back from war, severely injured. (3: Low scorers 3, 5; High scorers 5? II. ) .
Both prejudiced and unprejudiced women apparently fantasy a role of de- pendency upon their male partners. However, in the case of the high-scor- ing women, the relationships involve less intensity of personal feelings than is found in those of the low scorers. The commonly fantasied death and injury to the man, in stories of the prejudiced subjects, suggest that un- derlying hostilities are present that prevent expression of more genuine affection.
PICTURE F5. The woman in this picture is usually described as sad by both low- and high-scoring women. She is experiencing feelings of guilt, fear, and/or shame. There is a small group of subjects, mainly low scorers, who minimize the intensity of the disphoric tone by saying that the heroine is only putting on an act, or that she has a temporary illness which she will soon overcome (4 low scorers, I high scorer). (It is interesting to note the similarity of the defense used by these women against masochistic behavior to that used by some of the low-scoring men against aggressive behavior. See discussion of stories told in response to Picture 8, below.
Other low scorers relate the girl's unhappiness to deprivation of love from her family or from a male sex object.
The story-teller identifies with a girl who is unhappy or anxious because she Is denied, or in danger of being denied, love and support from her husband or family. (Fs: Low scorers 5, 4; High scorers z, o. )
Subjects from both groups attribute the unhappy mood to the natural or accidental death of a relative (4low scorers, 6 high scorers). However, stories dwelling on the death scene are more often told by high scorers, themes of death or injury due to personal aggression are excessive among high as com- pared to low scorers (n Aggression: Low scorers, 8, High scorers 31). Many prejudiced women tell stories describing feelings of guilt and fear resulting from an aggressive act committed impulsively. The object of the hostile act is, in most cases, the husband or lover.
(on Aggression toward men): The heroine is overcome with grief because she has killed her husband or lover ill a fit of "passion" or "insanity" or she has just
I
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witnessed his death (the morbid details are elaborated). (Fs: Low scorers 3, 3;
High scorers 5, II? . ! . )
The low-scoring women again describe more real involvement in love relationships while the stories of high scorers are suggestive of the same underlying hostility toward men as was referred to previously. The identi- fication of the latter subjects with the aggressor is obscured by techniques of rejecting the heroine for committing the act, attributing the cause to a temporary or permanent mental affliction, or by an outcome of punishment for the crime.
The results of analysis of stories to Pictures 3 and F5 corroborate the find- ings of the interview data. The tendency of low scorers to emphasize love in sexual relationships, and to describe unhappiness resulting from depriva- tion of love, is apparent in material from both sources. The open admis- sion of fears of inadequacy by some low-scoring women, found in the inter- view data, may be related to fears of loss of lov~ suggested by some of the T. A. T. stories of low-scoring subjects.
Responses in the interviews were interpreted by the interview raters as indicating underlying disrespect for and resentment against men significantly more often in the case of high-scoring women than in the case of low scorers. The fact that, in the T. A. T. , high-scoring women more often than low scorers produce stories of aggressive action directed at men or of permanent injury or death imposed upon them, substantiates the interpretations of the interview responses. Although the hostility is not admitted directly in either case, both the T. A. T. and interview material strongly suggest that such a trend is latent in prejudiced women.
PICTURE 8. As in stories told in response to this picture by men, both high- and low-scoring women describe an active and a passive figure. The low scorers identify more often with the submissive role, the high scorers with the dominant role (n Abasement: Low scorers IS, High scorers 7; p Abasement: Low scorers 2, High scorers I I; n Dominance: Low scorers I6, High scorers 34).
The themes produced by low-scoring men, referred to above, are not as common in stories of low-scoring women. Reference to aggressive intent is less often referred to in the themes of these women. When an aggressive act is described, the story-teller usually rejects the aggressor (n Aggression: Low scorers 6, High scorers 8; on Aggression: Low scorers I2, High scorers 6). More often, the active person is described as nurturant and helpful. He is a doctor or a priest, aiding a sick man (sometimes by hypnosis) or saying a prayer over a dying man.
(p Affliction, p Death of Object~ n Nurturance): A doctor is treating a patient in a psychoanalytic session or through hypnosis: (or) A priest blesses a dead or condemned man, emphasizing the dying man's virtues, his life achievements, and
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their meaning for the future ~orld,and offering him hope for peace in the after- world. (8: Low scorers 6, 6; High scorers I, lYZ? )
High- more often than low-scoring women condemn the passivity of the reclining figure or give him little consideration except in so far as he serves as a tool of the hypnotist (n Passivity: Low scorers 14, High scorers 3; on Passivity: Low scorers 5, High scorers 10). Instead, they tend to identify with the active figure, who is often described as an exhibitionist and trickster. He seeks to control the actions of the other man, or to seduce an audience into believing in his superhuman powers. Some low scorers also describe a stage demonstration (n Recognition: Low scorers 14, High scorers 11; on Recognition: Low scorers o, High scorers 6) but the exploitive element is usually absent in their stories.
(n Dominance-Recognition): The hypnotist seeks the admiration of an audience, or of the man he is hypnotizing, for his powers to impose his will upon another. The audience is belittled as foolish for being "taken in. " (8: Low scorers I , o; High scorers 6, 3Yz. )
These differences in story content again suggest that the low scorers are more likely to empathize in emotional situations than are the high scorers. The latter often appear to be disdainful of passive individuals or of those who react affectively. The comparative inability of the prejudiced women to deal with their own emotions (see Chapter XI) is probably basic to this rejection of emotion in others.
PICTURE 10. Identification is with the one portrayed figure, who is some- times identified as a boy, sometimes as a girl, and in a few cases, as a woman. The religious theme is somewhat more readily responded to by low-scoring women than by low-scoring men. (The blandness of the responses by many of the men was discussed above. ) However, aside from one type of "high" story which projects external aggressive force, stories by high-scoring women tend to reflect very little involvement in the story content.
The most common expression of low-scoring women concerns an in- ternalized religion in which the hero appears humble and awed by the natural environment and stimulated to thought, creativity, and love of his fellow man (n Achievement: Low scorers 20, High scorers 1 I; n Deference: Low scorers 37, High scorers 20; n Nurturance: Low scorers 24, High scorers I4; n Sentience: Low scorers 30, High scorers I I; n Understanding: Low scorers 12, High scorers 7).
(n Sentience, n Deference, n Understanding): The hero is considering the prob- lem of what religion, life, God really mean. Religion and/or music serves to give him emotional support, peace, and serenity. He is sensitive, imaginative, thoughtful, gets real enjoyment from playing the violin. (10: Low scorers 6, 12; High scorers I, 3? )
The stories of high-scoring women are less intense. Many relate merely
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what is portrayed in the picture, sometimes making more concrete the vague picture structure.
The story is bland, consisting of picture description only, and being devoid of any creativity or sentience; e. g. , it is stated that the hero is playing the violin in church. He imagines he sees a vision of Christ. ( ro: Low scorers 3, z12; High scorers 9, 4:t2. )
Expressions of the meaning of religion to the individual are in terms of "giving oneself up to" religion rather than integrating it for everyday ap- plication. Stories are related in which the hero, as a result of inflicted suffer- ing, becomes a believer, allowing religious direction to decide his actions (p Affliction: Low scorers 7, High scorers 14; p Death of Object: Low scorers 7, High scorers 12).
(p Affliction, p Death ~ n Succorance): The hero or a member of his family is afflicted by a dreaded disease. He turns to God in the crisis and is reminded of the suffering of Christ. (ro: Low scorers r12, z; High scorers 3, ro. )
These findings offer further evidence of the greater sensitivity and need for understanding of the low scorers. That these qualities are incorporated into religious attitudes more often by low than by high scorers, was indicated by the differences between "high" and "low" responses to a questionnaire item concerning the importance of religion and the church (see Chapter VI), a finding which suggested a greater tendency in low scorers to have an internalized religion.
Findings from the questionnaire and from the interviews (see Chapter XVIII) suggest that the high scorers seek religion as something to which they can cling in defense against their own impulses and the threats of the mysterious supernatural.
3? Comparison of Stories Told by Low and High Scorers (Men and Women) to Pictures Depicting Minority Group Members. We expected Pictures 2, 4, 6, and 9 to elicit further information about the way in which high as compared with low scorers conceptualize the social roles of various
group members. The results tend to substantiate other findings regarding at- titudes of these two groups, but they did not differentiate the high and low scorers as sharply as did the pictures from the Murray series.
W e had expected the low scorers to identify more closely with the charac- ters shown in these pictures and to attribute more constructive behavior to them than would the high scorers. We had thought that the high scorers would view the characters more distantly, reject them more often, and tend to endow them with those traits of behavior for which these subjects had, in their interviews, condemned minority group members. As a matter of fact, since the pictures themselves were so expressive, both high and low scorers often describe the picture (the environmental situation) rather than tell a real story about it. They project less into the story than was the case with
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525 the stories elicited by the Murray pictures. In many cases there was no real clue as to what extent the subject identified with the person in the picture. There was often no clear-cut expression of acceptance or rejection of the heroes, because the test instructions did not call for expression of atti-
tudes.
The problem of identification was complicated by the explicitness of the
activity in the picture. It was clear in most cases that our subjects did not closely identify with the slum area in Picture 4 or the crime aspect of Picture 6. In response to Picture 6, description of antisocial behavior, more specifically of aggression, can hardly be called projective and is certainly "pulled" by the picture itself. Many low scorers as well as high scorers reject any aggres- sive acts. The difference between rejecting the act and rejecting the person committing the act was not always apparent in the short themes produced by our subjects. Pictures 2 and 9 also, because of their lack of equivocality, limit the amount of projectivity possible. However, the overlapping is more in the area of both low and high scorers' identifying with socially acceptable activity-activity that is clearly "pulled" by the picture.
PICTURE 2. Certain differences, however, are apparent. The most common story told to Picture 2 is one in which both figures are described as "zoot- suiters" or young "jitterbugs. " Often our subjects, both high and low scorers, describe them as belonging to a minority group, usually Mexican or Negro. High scorers, men and women alike, more often than low scorers, reject the characters. They consider these people as immoral and antisocial. The men tend to reject them for their sensuality and for their carefree attitude, some- times describing them as "too sexy" and "too playful" (on Sex: Low scorers r, High scorers w; on Play: Low scorers o, High scorers ro. ) The high- scoring women condemn them for their offensive exhibitionism (on Recogni- tion: Low scorers 2; High scorers 14) and rebelliousness (on Aggression: Low scorers o, High scorers 8; on Autonomy: Low scorers 3, High scorers I 5)?
(on Aggression, Autonomy): Because the parents have not been strict enough with the girl, have not given her a sufficient amount of direction and guidance, the girl has gotten into trouble, has done wrong. The story proceeds with an attempt to put her on the right path, to teach her to do the "right thing. " (2: Low- scoring women o, r; High-scoring women 3, 5? . ! . )
(on Play, Recognition, Excitance, Sex): The story-teller rejects the characters because of the clothes they are wearing (e. g. , "I dont like people who wear that kind of clothes so that they can draw attention to themselves. ") or they condemn them as an inferior kind of individual (e. g. , "They are disrespectful citizens. " "Typ- ical zootsuiters," "criminal type," "typical jitterbugs who hang around the U. S. O. " "They are the kind who won't ever accomplish anything. ") They are accused of being noisy, antisocial, exhibitionistic, lacking seriousness. (2: Low-scoring men 2, 3; High-scoring men 4, 8; Low-scoring women 2, 2; High-scoring women 10? . ! , ro1:]. )
? p6 THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
Low scorers tell stories with similar content, but the men in this group more often identify with sensuality and playfulness and the women more often with the exhibitionistic and rebellious aspect of the picture than do the high scorers (Men-n Sex: Low scorers 18, High scorers 19, not dif- ferentiating; n Excitance: Low scorers r6, High scorers s; n Play: Low scorers 34, High scorers 21. Women-n Autonomy: Low scorers 12, High scorers 2; n Aggression: Low scorers 12, High scorers 2; n Play: Low scorers 40, High scorers 2 2 ; n Recognition: Low scorers 2 5 , High scorers 14).
(n Play, n Sentience, n Sex, n Affiliation): The couple in the picture are out on a date having a good time, and finding real enjoyment in dancing or watching others dance. The subject is identified with the heroes and the needs expressed. ("They love to dance. " "They are happy together. " "They are having fun. " "This is a real pleasure for them. ") This thema often is combined with success of n Recognition. They have won a dance contest, are happy that they were awarded the prize, and are having their pictures taken. (2: Low-scoring men 8, II; High-scoring men 7, 6; Low-scoring women 9~, 7; High-scoring women 6, 4. )
A few high- and low-scoring subjects of both sexes place these characters in a situation in which social pressure demands that they give up their rebel- lious ways and conform. However, instead of condemning the rebellious youngsters, as the high scorers do, low scorers often attribute the behavior to a logical resistance to the demoralization that is likely to result from "racial" prejudice; and they usually conclude by saying, in effect, that in growing up the young people will learn to cope with the situation in more constructive ways.
Apparently the mechanism of projection operates in the T. A. T. situa- tion in a fashion that is similar to what has already been suggested as a factor determining some of the interview responses. It is those more primitive, un- sublimated forms of expression so often found in their fantasies (see stories told in response to Pictures Ms and Fs) that the high scorers project onto members of minority groups. Those desires within themselves which remain unsatisfied tend to be magnified and rejected in others whom they suspect of satisfying the same desires. It also becomes understandable why high scorers, both men and women, should reject the independence and non- conformity of the young people in Picture 2 when we remember that these subjects employ submissiveness as a means for denying underlying hostile feelings. Thus, we often find the high scorers defending their own submissive- ness by condemning as brazen the lack of submission suggested by the de- picted clothing and by what they interpret to be a defiant smile of enjoyment.
PICTURE 4? Stories told in response to Picture 4 by low scorers are, on the whole, more intense than stories told by high scorers. Low scorers tend to deal with realistic problems that face persons living in a slum area, such problems as how to earn a living, how to adapt to or to alter the poverty of the surroundings. Low-scoring women often describe thoughts and feel-
? THE THEMA TIC APPERCEPTION TEST
527
ings of the hero regarding his own life and his relation to society and social goals.
(n Cognizance, n Nurturance): The hero is a philosopher thinking of mankind, of life's pleasures or inconsistencies. He strives to contribute to social betterment or to counteract social injustice directed at society as a whole or toward a particular social group or toward a friend. (4: Low-scoring women 4, 212; High-scoring women 212, 2. )
(n Cognizance, n Abasement-intrapunitive type): The hero is ashamed of his past actions and his past egocentrism. He envies the life of the poorer people who allow themselves to enjoy more sensual and passive activity. He decides that he, too, would like to enjoy such a life. (4: Low-scoring women 4, 5; High-scoring women :Y2, o. )
The high scorers more often label the central character as a "typical East- sider" or as a "greedy Jewish businessman. " They also tend to reject the lack of order and cleanliness in the presented environment.
(on Aggression, on Acquisition): The hero is rejected as a "typical Eastsider," a "greedy Jewish businessman," "a queer duck," or as a criminal, or a beggar. He is up to no good. The rejected hero is about to commit a crime or has just committed a crime. He is disguised or hiding out. (4: Low-scoring men 212, 212; High-scoring men 4, 3~. ) (4: Low-scoring women 4, 2:l,f! ; High-scoring women 8, 5. )
High-scoring women again exhibit a tendency to project failure, afflic- tion, and death upon a father figure.
(p Failure, p Loss, p Death and/or p Affliction ~ n Succorance): The hero has spent his whole life seeking success. He is now very sad, feels defeated (because he has lost all his money, friends, status, or because he never had any money, status, friends, or because he is old and sick. ) (4: Low-scoring women o, o; High-scoring women 2, 3. )
(p Physical Danger, p Aggression): The hero is a victim of an aggressive or rejective press, enforced on him by the human or physical environment. (4: Low- scoring women o, o; High-scoring women 3, 312. ) ,
These differences in the story content reflect the ethnic prejudice of the high scorer and the contrasting concern of the low scorer over the welfare of society and the individual's role in that society. That no further dif- ferentiation between the two groups was found in the present instance might well have been due to the comparative lack of ambiguity in the structure of the picture.
PICTURE 6. Picture 6 is commonly interpreted as a suspect caught by the police. High scorers often reject the suspect and identify more closely with the police authority. The high-scoring men, especially, describe the man in custody as a dangerous criminal, a Negro or Mexican with an innately weak character. (Men-on Aggression: Low scorers q, High scorers 34; on Autonomy: Low scorers 7, High scorers r6. ) He may have been involved in a strike or race riot for which he is condemned by the story-teller. Subjects
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telling stories in which the suspect is depicted in this manner usually identify with the dominant authoritarian figures who bring the situation under con- trol and protect an imagined white victim.
(on Autonomy, on Aggression~n Dominance): The hero is rejected. He has committed a serious crime and the police have caught him. There is often some identification with the police. The suspect is described as a weak character, a Mexican or Negro, a dangerous person, or a person under the influence of alcohol; he is finally punished for his actions. (6: Low-scoring men 7, 7; High-scoring men 13, 13. )
Low scorers, in contrast, tend to identify more with the captured prisoner. They are more likely to attribute the cause of the act committed to a justified protest against social rejection or exploitation; i. e.