Although both express, through their heroes, strong underlying hostile feelings toward the world, Larry
identifies
more closely with these feelings and makes stronger attempts to understand them.
Adorno-T-Authoritarian-Personality-Harper-Bros-1950
) It may have been the death of her husband.
Sh~ is a very religious woman, and he has meant a lot to her.
They always solved therr problems together.
All she knows now is to turn to Christ and the Bible to try to figure out a solution to her problems.
She has been very religious from the time she was small.
Now that the vision has come to her, she is more satisfied-she has found peace of mind and is now able to continue her life.
She will be sad but will have the feeling that the Lord will care for her husband and will give her comfort.
n Abasement 3 n Succorance 3 n Affiliation 2 n Deference 4 n Passivity 2 n Counteraction 2
p Bad Luck 2 p Death of Object 3 p Affiliation 3 p Gratuity 3 p Nurturance 3
? 534
THE AUTHORIT ARIAN PERSONALITY
2. MACK'S STORIES
M 1 ( 6o) This would indicate to me a man in distress and a comforting friend. Some accident may have happened, or a death in one of the younger man's family. (p) There is a certain dullness to the man's expression, probably from the great shock. (p) {Are the two men related? ) It's possible, but I can't say; I think they may be just friends. I doubt if it's his father. The efforts of the older man to help the other fellow see the brighter side and get him on a steady course again will be successful. The young fellow is a deeply brooding type and maybe won't be too successful, or at best only temporarily. The young fellow indicates the type of person who might do violence if pushed too far. (Q-m) I think he could easily murder somebody on being oppressed. I think he will never completely get over the shock of the death and it affects him in such a way that it makes him hard to get
along with from then on.
n Succorance 3 n Affiliation 3 n Counteraction 2 n Understanding
n Abasement
n Aggression 3
p Nurturance 3 p Death of Object 3 p Physical Danger r p Affiliation 3 p Dominance 3
2 ( 2 0 ) This is a young fellow and his girl. They are all dolled up for the occa- sion. They are just starting out for the night. The style of his clothing is foreign to me; I never saw that sort of thing before. The girl looks to be about 17 and the man about 2 r-considerably older. After a show, they go some place and eat. Then he gets the girl home about ten or eleven o'clock. From the age of the girl they would get in at a reasonable hour. (Are they related? ) No, I don't think they are; they are not the same type. I don't think they are husband and wife; they just go together. The girl has a nice, pleasant personality. He is not so deep, and he has a less full character than the girl. (p) The partial view of the other fellow gives me an idea of another story. This involves the same original setup except that they had their pictures taken at a party. This man stepped up and made a smart remark to make them smile for the picture. That fellows dress doesn't correspond to the girl's.
He looks like he was from another period. It might be the early '3o's. Maybe the suit was designed for a gag. (Q-o) They have other dates but they gradually drifted apart.
n Recognition 3 n Nutriance 2 n Affiliation
n Excitance
n Play 2
p Exposition
p Affiliation
p Superiority 2 p Cognizance
3 (10) My first impression is from what I read in newspapers, you know, about the war. He is saying goodbye to his mother. He is of military age-about 2 3? His mother is about in her early so's. He is advising her not to worry. He says he will write and asks her to keep him informed of the folks and his friends. He tries to lead her to believe he will see her again soon-like most men would. He seems to be a strong individual. He is clean-cut. Of course, we always like to hope they will all come back, but I can't help but guess that he will not come back. He was killed in the war. They are very close and yet are not the kind to show a lot of observable affection and make a lot of one another. They used to kid one another, and make fun of one another and yet if one got in trouble they all came to his rescue. That's the kind of family they were.
3
? n Nurturance n Dominance n Affiliation n Succorance n Deference
3
2
3
2 2
3 p Succorance 2
n Acquisition n Construction n Nurturance
3 p Uncongenial Environment 2 p Affliction 2 2 p Lack 2
THE THEMA TIC
APPERCEPTION TEST p Task
535
4 (;o) It looks something like a street off the main track in New York City. It's a run-down section of the city. These pictures are cleverly done-they don't tell you anything. (What preceded this picture? ) Well, its perhaps on a Saturday or Sunday and this businessman is on his way home. I don't think he is very well, all bundled up like that. I think he must be a tailor. He isn't too well off, but is better off than most of his neighbors. He is a family man. As for the woman, it's difficult to give a motive for her. She has something to sell, is poor, and can just keep her family in food and clothes. (Q-o) There is no relationship between these people. It is just the end of the day and each is going home. Each represents a class-the well off and the poor. This is just a typical scene.
M5' (7o) Oh, oh! This is apt to be rather sordid. It doesn't represent a family scene to me! It may be a prostitute, and I see the old bottle there. This may be a young American down in the tropics; he is dressed in white because of the tempera- ture. As for the woman, it's difficult to say because of the shadows, but she appears of darker skin. The place has crude furnishings. (p) (What preceded? ) The natural assumption is that they had sexual intercourse. The fellow is about half drunk and is about to consume more. The fellow looks kind of "hang-dog"; perhaps he regrets his recent act or perhaps his station in life. He is down and out and liquor isn't much of a boon to him. He has sufficient depth of character to take himself out of a place like that and to genuinely regret what he did to the woman. She doesn't enter into the story, except to be the object of his lust. He is a better type than she. He can take care of himself. He finally drags himself out of such surroundings and gradually amounts to something. Do I take too long? I get quite involved in these stories.
n n n n n n
Excitance
Abasement
Blamavoidance 2 Sex
Blamescape
Counteraction
p Death of Hero 3
p Affiliation p Nurturance
3 3
p Sex 3 3 p Uncongenial Environment 1
3 3
6 (45') This is a public disturbance, perhaps a strike or a race disturbance. He has some Negroid features. He started a riot and has now been separated from the group he organized. The police have frightened him and he expects the worst. He is lodged in the local jail for a time and is scared out of such activities again. Maybe he was the fall guy for the group. Without the crowd influence he was pretty docile.
n Dominance
n Aggression
n Autonomy
n Abasement
n Succorance 2
2 p Dominance
3 p Aggression 3
2 p Claustrum 2 4
3
? THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
M7 (45) These people are related. They are mother and son since their features correspond. She is about 6o and he about 25. He has just told her something he has done which causes her grief and apprehension. She can't condone it, and is shocked. He's upset too, like he'd rather not have told her but had to. He doesn't look the type to get into trouble. (p) This picture gives me trouble. (Q-m) Well, it's the expressions on their faces. This man was responsible for the death of someone loved by both the mother and the man. It was not a crime, but an auto accident. It was sort of negligence on his part and he feels responsible. His mother turns away at first, then comes back to him and decides to help him. It was this way: this fellow in the picture and a friend went for a ride. There was an accident and this fellow (in the picture) was driving. He was negligent in some way or another, and caused the death of the person riding with him. He is now telling his mother all about it. He has a strong character, and feels badly about it all. He is serious. (p) (Q-o) Well, he and his mother talk it all over, and she helps him by giving him some good advice. (Q-m) She tells him it could have happened to anyone, and that the thing to do now is to forget it and just go right on living as usual. She tells him it is bad to keep thinking about it. (Does he? ) Yes, he doesn't let it drag his life down. It finally passes out of his memory.
n Exposition 2 on Succorance 3 n Abasement 3
n Aggression 2 n Affiliation
n Blamescape 2 n Passivity 2
p Rejection 2 p Death of Object 3 p ~urturance 4 p Affiliation 2 p PhysicalDanger? 2 p Exposition 2
8 (30) Well, this suggests a doctor and his patient. Yet, the gesture gives me the idea it might be a hypnotist at work. I dont know much about the field of hypnosis. The patient is unconscious about the face, but his legs aren't relaxed. Usually such performances are put on on the stage, and this seems to be in a private home. Do people keep their clothes on while reciving hypnotic treatment? (I'm sure I don't know; let's just use our imagination. ) I guess this is a scene on the stage of a theatre. This man is a hypnotist and is directing the performance along the lines that would be funny to the audience. The other fellow was taken from the audience and later joins his friends who ask him a lot of silly questions. The performance ends and all go home.
n Dominance 2 n Play 2 n Recognition 3 n Affiliation 2
p Deference 2 p Affiliation 2 p Cognizance 3
9 (30) These people are ~egroes, of course. It's the grandmother and the grand- son. I'm not very familiar with ~egro features, but they look alike, these two. She is a kindly old lady. She looks toil-worn, and has had a hard life of work. She is dressed well. I guess it's a portrait in the home. Some ~egroes carry their fortune on their back. These may be of a higher type and are better educated than most ~egroes. She was a slave and was freed, and gradually accumulated some money. They are quiet folks. It may be they are enjoying a musical here. (Qo). After their picture is taken, they go back to their regular routine lives-he to school and she to helping their children to run their homes and just being generally useful.
? THE THEMA TIC n Recognition
APPERCEPTION TEST
537
n Acquisition
n Sentience
n Cognizance
n Achievement n Nurturance n Deference
3
2 2
3
zo (6o) This is Christ on the cross, in the midst of flames or smoke. I can hardly reconcile myself to the fact that this is just a photo. It might be a trick picture. Jesus appears life-sized, and so does the cross, yet I don't know of a church with this sized crucifix. Here is a young boy of 8 or 9? In Sunday School he just received a vivid portrayal of Jesus on the cross by a very fine preacher and is very much impressed. That night he has trouble sleeping soundly and while in a semi-conscious state sees this image. He is just coming out of this dream when the image fades. This experience stays with him the rest of his life. I know I can remember a few dreams I had at about that age. (Do you think they influenced you? ) I think they really did, all my life. This boy wakes up in the morning and tells his parents about it, and retains this memory the rest of his life.
n Deference 3 p Exposition 3 p Dominance
3. ANALYSIS OF THE STORIES
The analysis of Larry's T. A. T. reveals a person who indulges actively in fantasy. (The total of the need and pres~ scoring for this subject, 276, is much above the mean, 209, for the group of low-scoring men. )
His fantasies, however, exhibit a disphoric quality that is unusually marked in relation to other subjects tested. Death is often referred to in his stories and his heroes tend to be emotionally dependent and self-depreciating (p Death- object: Larry 15, Mean for low-scoring men 3. 6; n Succorance: Larry 19, Mean for low-scoring men 7. 6; n Abasement: Larry 14, Mean for low-scoring men 7. 90). These depressive tones are accompanied by a greater concern over moral values than is usually apparent in stories of low-scoring men (n Blamavoidance: Larry 6, Mean for low-scoring men 1. 75). The variable n Blamavoidance is found more often in stories of high- than in those of low- scoring men; but in the case of Larry the manner of dealing with moral values, which is revealed in the expression of succorance, of the intragres- sive type of abasement, and of n Cognizance (Larry 8, group mean 6. o5), suggests an internalization of values that is more characteristic of low than of high scorers.
Larry expresses an excessive amount of aggressive fantasy (n Aggression: Larry 15, Mean for low-scoring men 7. 65); it is of an impulsive, antisocial type, the type that is more often found in stories of high scorers. Were it not for the fact that the expressions of aggression are followed by evaluation of the act and acceptance of self-blame, the trend would be contradictory to the low E score. It has been noted often in this volume that one of the factors
p Task
p Dominance 2 p Exposition 2 p Cognizance 2
3
? THE AUTHORIT ARIAN PERSONALITY
which most clearly differentiates prejudiced and unprejudiced subjects is the amount of intraceptiveness of the individual, a tendency which disposes him to evaluate, and sometimes even to be overly concerned with, his reac- tions in relation to other people. In the present case, if we accept the T. A. T. responses as representative of the subject's fantasy, it appears that Larry is preoccupied with a conflict over his rather generalized feelings of hostility. This conflict is reflected in the constant interplay between aggression and intragressive abasement and passivity. The fact that Larry's stories reveal a persistent attempt to evaluate and to deal with this conflict is consistent with a comparative lack of stereotyped projections of hostility, and, hence, with a low E score.
The summary of the scoring of Mack's stories is strikingly similar to the mean scores for the group of high-scoring men. Although he tends to be more restricted in amount of expression than many high-scoring men
(Mack's total need and press scores 193, Mean for high-scoring group 213), the patterning of the scoring is rather typical of the group to which he belongs. As compared with low-scoring men, his fantasies exhibit less creative activity, less curiosity, and less independent striving. He describes the same type of impulsive aggressive behavior as did Larry although Mack does not do so as frequently as Larry. However, the variables which express an intra- ceptive mode of dealing with such behavior (n Cognizance, n Succorance, n Abasement) are also given considerably less weight by Mack than by our unprejudiced subjects.
In Mack's stories we find an excessive amount of n Affiliation and n Rec- ognition, two variables which in our total group have higher mean scores for unprejudiced than for prejudiced subjects. However, Mack in contrast to Larry tends to express these variables through statements of relationship or status rather than through the description of personal interaction or active striving. In Mack's stories Affiliation is very rarely found in combination with n Nurturance or n Succorance or with n Recognition or n Cognizance.
Neither of these two men refers to more than a minimum amount of physical press. However, much of the n Abasement scored for Mack re- flects story content that appears to describe submission to implied environ- mental demands.
From the stories told in response to Picture 1, we get the first indications of the differences in the quality of the fantasies of the two men.
Although both express, through their heroes, strong underlying hostile feelings toward the world, Larry identifies more closely with these feelings and makes stronger attempts to understand them. Mack, on the other hand, describes a more primitive type of aggressive fantasy and tends to reject the hero of the story (although not directly enough to warrant the scoring of "object needs"), thereby disowning responsibility for the expression of hostility. In contrast to Larry, who attempts to understand the reasons for antisocial be-
? 1. Variables of Interpersonal Relationships:
n Affiliation p Affilication n Deference
p Deference
n Dominance
p Dominance
n Nurturance
p Nurturance
n Recognition n Succorance
p Succorance
2. Variables of Rebellion: n Aggression
n Autonomy
n Rejection
3. Variables of Positive Con- structive Activit,r:
n Cognizance
n Construction n Expression
n Understanding p Task
4. Variables of Sensuality: n Excitance
L a r r y
9 9 5 3 0 9
12 5 3 19 2
15 3 3
8 0 4 1 6
0
Unprejudiced Men
Mean Score
6. 8 5. 6 4. 9 2. 6 2. 1 9. 2 5. 55 4. 75 4. 55 7. 6 2. 5
7. 65 6. 55 5. 45
6. 05 . 45 4. 15 1. 85 4. 30
1. 25 2. 95 3. 05 5. 70 3. 50
7. 90 1. 75 1. 95
2. 75 . 10 1. 55
3. 6
Prejudiced Mack Men
Mean Score
10 5. 3 11 5. 15 6 5. 25
2 1. 9 6 2. 85 9 9. 8 8 4. 4
10 5. 25 7 3. 95
10 8. 2 2 2. 25
8 5. 70 2 5. 90 0 2. 90
2 3. 75 1 . 45 2 2. 85 1 . 45 6 3. 20
2 1. 05 2 2. 25 4 1. 65 3 3. 80 2 . 90
11 10. 00 4 3. 20 0 2. 95
2 3. 65 0 1. 15 3 2. 75 6 4. 2
n Passivity
nPlay 0 nSex 4
n Sentience
5. Variables of Moral Control and Withdrawal. :
n Abasement
n Blamavoidance n Seclusion
6. Variables of Environmental Press:
p Affliction
p Bad Luck
p Death of hero
p Death of object
7
0
14 6 3
0 2 0
15
THE THEMA TIC APPERCEPTION TEST TABLE 6 (XIV)
539
COMPARISON OF THE SCORES OF MACK AND LARRY ON THE THEMATIC APPERCEPI'ION TEST WITH THE MEAN SCORES . OF PREJUDICED AND UNPREJUDICED MEN
? 540
THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
havior, i. e. , why his own impulses cause him to have unacceptable thoughts, Mack seems to express the feeling that thinking about things too much causes a person to lose control of himself. He calls the hero a "deeply brooding type . . . who might do violence if pushed too far. ""
Mack is more sympathetic with the older man than with the younger one. The older man is a stronger individual who is able to withstand the stress of a difficult situation; the younger man is weak and dependent upon the direc- tion of the older one. When Larry's hero gets into trouble, he seeks comfort and guidance from the father, but he nevertheless accepts the responsibility for his own acts. Larry fantasies a dependent relationship with the father that is based on respect and a need for sympathy, and he describes guilt resulting from action that is displeasing to the father. It is a dependence on love, not on power as in the case of Mack's story. The problem of the son and of the father is a mutual one for Larry; for Mack the responsibility for the impulsive act and the responsibility for restraint are separated. The one is "bad" and the other is "good," and there appears to be little reconciliation of the two.
In response to Picture 3, Larry describes the common "low" thema of mutual sympathy resulting from a crucial situation. He seems to identify with a nurturant father figure who is deeply concerned over his wife and family. However, Larry's tendency to exaggerate the morbid, as well as his preoc- cupation with self-destruction, is revealed in the description of the son who is killed in battle.
The story of Mack expresses little of the sensitivity and desire to be under- stood that is found in Larry's story. Rather, this subject describes in cliche phraseology the age and character of each of the people in his story. He iden- tifies with the son, who is given a role of heroic bravery. In his story, as well as in Larry's, a man is killed in battle. However, concern about the dangers of war is restricted to the woman. The man is idealized as a "strong individual" behaving fearlessly, "like most men would. "
The main difference between the stories told by Larry and by Mack to Picture 5 lies in the fact that the former accepts responsibility for his actions, whereas the latter projects most of the blame onto the woman. Both of these subjects reject the woman who freely enters into a sexual relationship. How- ever, Larry appears to condemn her because she deceives the hero, with whom he is closely identified. The hostility that is directed at the woman does not appear to reflect a lack of respect for her as appears to be true in Mack's story, but rather it is the result of despair over her ability to frus- trate him. Mack not only manifests a decided lack of respect for the woman in his story, but he blames her for causing his hero to act in an unbecoming manner; at the same time he defends the man's position and describes him as an individual with "depth of character," who allows himself to become a part of this "sordid" scene because of urges beyond a man's control.
? THE THEMA TIC APPERCEPTION TEST
54I
These stories differ somewhat from the more common themes produced by low- and high-scoring men in response to Picture 5? The story of Larry is more hostile than those of most of his group. Mack is more rejecting of heterosexuality, and he projects more blame onto women, than is usually the case with high-scoring men. However, the lack of concern for the woman, and for her part in a sexual relationship, that we see in Mack's story, as contrasted with the more personal relationship in Larry's, fits closely the general difference in themes between high and low scorers described earlier.
The differing types of dependence expressed by these two subjects in their stories to Picture 7 are typical of those described by low and high scorers generally. Larry's hero seeks understanding and support, while Mack describes a hero who is dependent on external forces to direct his ac- tivity within acceptable channels.
Larry, however, refrains from giving the most common "low" theme of striving to act independently of the demands of the mother. Instead, he fantasies about a hero who performs unusual and wonderful deeds that please the mother and cause her to admire him.
Mack describes a theme commonly told by high-scoring men, one in which the son displeases the mother. She rejects him and he becomes de- pendent on her "good advice," forgiveness, and reassurance that he did not really do wrong. It is interesting how this man, who deprecates women in some of his other stories, and who usually describes his male heroes as "strong characters," describes a submissive relationship of son to mother. However, this relationship is as lacking in warmth as are the others. The forgiveness by the mother at the end lacks any real feeling of affiliation or nurturance.
In his story to Picture 8, Larry approaches a theme often produced by high-scoring men, the intense amount of hostility being more typical of high than of low scorers. The components that are consistent with the trends common to stories of low scorers are found in the extensive description of the feelings of each man and in the mtionalization of the crime.
Mack appears severely disturbed by this picture. It is not the type of distress often evidenced in stories of low-scoring men, who apparently find it dif- ficult to respond to the aggressive aspect of the picture. A real concern over homosexual attack appears to be expressed here, although it is perhaps not consciously recognized as such by the story-teller. The question, "Do people keep their clothes on while receiving hypnotic treatment? ," the annoyance at being questioned by friends, as well as the symbolic description of the patient, are strongly suggestive of personally determined fantasies of a homo- sexual nature.
The concreteness of thinking exhibited in Mack's st'ory in response to Picture w, compared with the more intense creativity of Larry's expression, demonstrates well the difference with respect to this factor found in our two groups of subjects and described eariier in this chapter. Although Mack in-
? 542
THE AUTHORIT ARIAN PERSONALITY
tellectualizes about the impression that the vision makes on the boy, he never describes what it actually means to him. Larry, on the other hand, discusses in detail his hero's problem, and his thoughts and feelings about the solution.
To Pictures 2, 4, 6 and 9 Larry tells stories of more intensity than does Mack. The former is able to identify more closely with the heroes drawn from minority groups and to describe their thoughts and feelings. In stories to Pictures 2 and 9 he identifies with the antisocial behavior of the character, and attempts to rationalize the action as he does in his story to Picture I.
Mack makes no positive identifications with the "minority" heroes. In general, his stories consist of a statement of the immediate situation, the en- vironmental surroundings, and the age, status, and costumes of the charac- ters. The stories are almost completely devoid of any indications of the thoughts or feelings of the heroes.
Both Larry and Mack reject the man captured by the police in Picture 6. Larry rejects him because he is unworthy of his family and does not ade- quately care for them; Mack rejects him because he is weak, and at the same time dangerous and to be feared. Larry's story again expresses a strong empathy-in other individuals; in this case, the concern is for the woman.
Larry's T. A. T. stories then are essentially consistent with his low E score, although the patterning of scores in some instances deviates from that most commonly found in the records,for unprejudiced men. However, as has been pointed out, these discrepancies reflect this individual's personal con- flicts which he deals with in a manner distinctly representative of the unprej- udiced men.
The features of stories of low scorers-intensity of story content, close identifications with the characters portrayed, description of personal inter- action, and of reflective feelings and thoughts of the characters about their behavior-all are present in Larry's stories. However, it should be emphasized that the strength of the dependence upon. sources of love, as described in this man's stories, and the intensity of reaction to frustration, is most extreme for our low-scoring men.
We would expect Larry to be sensitive to the feelings and thoughts of others, and capable of empathizing with them. At the same time he is prob- ably unusually sensitive to signs of rejection from others. He appears to be a person who attempts to understand his own behavior, and to keep this be- havior in line with a code of ethics that he has set up for himself despite impulses that are contradictory.
Mack's record reveals many of the trends that we have previously pointed out as being commonly found in stories of high-scoring men. The record is comparatively meager; there is a lack of intensity of identification, and partial rejections of story characters often occur in his stories. A dichotomy of roles characterizes the relationships depicted in his stories. Father, mother, hus-
? THE THEMA TIC APPERCEPTION TEST
543 band are depicted as dominant and as determining the behavior of the wife or son, who are pictured in submissive roles. Little reference is made to in- trospectiveness or to consideration of underlying motivation. Behavior is often attributed to innate tendencies within the individual, over which he
has no control.
Mack appears to be a person bound to conventional standards, attempting
to ignore or deny unacceptable desires by projecting them onto others. He is unable to admit his own weakness, and he defends himself rigidly against re- vealing any feelings of inadequacy. This guarding causes a restriction of spon- taneity and a limitation of the environmental stimuli to which he can allow himself to respond.
D. SUMMARY
We can conclude from the above discussion of data that certain types of expression in T. A. T. stories tend to differentiate our two groups of subjects. Although the differences can be considered as no more than trends, each variable having at least some degree of overlap between the two groups, a large percentage of our subjects demonstrate a sufficient number of these trends so that it is possible, by considering the content of their T. A. T. stories alone, to identify them as prejudiced or unprejudiced individuals.
We find that low scorers, as compared with high scorers, identify more closely with the heroes in their stories, and attribute to them more creative activity, more enjoyment of sensual pleasures, and more congenial relation- ships with other individuals. Aggression is expressed in more sublimated forms, most often being in the service of a goal of creativity, nurturance, or autonomy from imposed coercion. The activity described is more often determined by inner rational decision rather than by external forces. These subjects tend to emphasize autonomous behavior, and they often reject dom- ination by authoritarian figures suggested by the pictures. Although the heroes in their stories often seek advice and sympathy from parents and friends, the ultimate decision is usually one of the hero'sown choosing. Status relationships between man and woman, parent and child, or Negro and white, are more nearly equal in their stories than in those of high scorers.
The high scorers, as compared with the low scorers, tend to describe be- havior of a less constructive nature. Expression of aggression is more often of a primitive, impulsive sort; it is condemned by the story-teller and is fol- lowed by an outcome of punishment of the hero.
High scorers tend more often to describe the motivation for the actions of their heroes in terms of external influence or innate tendencies over which the individual has no control. Their heroes more often appear as dependent upon the demands and rules and regulations of authority and are more often activated by parental demands and social custom. They are more frequently victimized by affiiction or death.
? 544
THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
Contrasting status relationships are more marked in the stories of high scorers. The male and female roles tend to be dichotomized, the man as the master, the woman as weak, dependent, and submissive. Parents are more often described as domineering and demanding, and their children as submis- sive and compliant.
? CHAPTER XV
PROJECTIVE QUESTIONS IN THE STUDY OF PERSONALITY AND IDEOLOGY Daniel J. Levinson
A. INTRODUCTION
The Projective Question technique is an application of the general prin- ciples of projective techniques to the questionnaire method and to the study of the dynamics of ideology. A Projective Question is an open-ended ques- tion which is answered in a few words or lines and which deals with unusual events or experiences likely to have emotional significance for the individual. Care is taken to give the question a "homey," even humorous wording; also, an emphasis on the universal nature of certain emotional experiences (e. g. , moods, embarrassment) may make the subject feel freer in giving an answer. The following eight questions were used in the present research:1
1. We all have times when we feel below par. What moods or feelings are the most unpleasant or disturbing to you?
2. We all have impulses and desires which are at times hard to control but which we try to keep in check. What desires do you often have diffi- culty in controlling?
3? What great people, living or dead, do you admire most?
1 These questions were selected from among an original set of some thirty questions given to several groups of college students. The criteria for selection included statistical differentiation, theoretical significance, and nonduplication of content. It was necessary, for practical reasons, to eliminate many items which showed much promise. For example: What are your greatest weaknesses?
n Abasement 3 n Succorance 3 n Affiliation 2 n Deference 4 n Passivity 2 n Counteraction 2
p Bad Luck 2 p Death of Object 3 p Affiliation 3 p Gratuity 3 p Nurturance 3
? 534
THE AUTHORIT ARIAN PERSONALITY
2. MACK'S STORIES
M 1 ( 6o) This would indicate to me a man in distress and a comforting friend. Some accident may have happened, or a death in one of the younger man's family. (p) There is a certain dullness to the man's expression, probably from the great shock. (p) {Are the two men related? ) It's possible, but I can't say; I think they may be just friends. I doubt if it's his father. The efforts of the older man to help the other fellow see the brighter side and get him on a steady course again will be successful. The young fellow is a deeply brooding type and maybe won't be too successful, or at best only temporarily. The young fellow indicates the type of person who might do violence if pushed too far. (Q-m) I think he could easily murder somebody on being oppressed. I think he will never completely get over the shock of the death and it affects him in such a way that it makes him hard to get
along with from then on.
n Succorance 3 n Affiliation 3 n Counteraction 2 n Understanding
n Abasement
n Aggression 3
p Nurturance 3 p Death of Object 3 p Physical Danger r p Affiliation 3 p Dominance 3
2 ( 2 0 ) This is a young fellow and his girl. They are all dolled up for the occa- sion. They are just starting out for the night. The style of his clothing is foreign to me; I never saw that sort of thing before. The girl looks to be about 17 and the man about 2 r-considerably older. After a show, they go some place and eat. Then he gets the girl home about ten or eleven o'clock. From the age of the girl they would get in at a reasonable hour. (Are they related? ) No, I don't think they are; they are not the same type. I don't think they are husband and wife; they just go together. The girl has a nice, pleasant personality. He is not so deep, and he has a less full character than the girl. (p) The partial view of the other fellow gives me an idea of another story. This involves the same original setup except that they had their pictures taken at a party. This man stepped up and made a smart remark to make them smile for the picture. That fellows dress doesn't correspond to the girl's.
He looks like he was from another period. It might be the early '3o's. Maybe the suit was designed for a gag. (Q-o) They have other dates but they gradually drifted apart.
n Recognition 3 n Nutriance 2 n Affiliation
n Excitance
n Play 2
p Exposition
p Affiliation
p Superiority 2 p Cognizance
3 (10) My first impression is from what I read in newspapers, you know, about the war. He is saying goodbye to his mother. He is of military age-about 2 3? His mother is about in her early so's. He is advising her not to worry. He says he will write and asks her to keep him informed of the folks and his friends. He tries to lead her to believe he will see her again soon-like most men would. He seems to be a strong individual. He is clean-cut. Of course, we always like to hope they will all come back, but I can't help but guess that he will not come back. He was killed in the war. They are very close and yet are not the kind to show a lot of observable affection and make a lot of one another. They used to kid one another, and make fun of one another and yet if one got in trouble they all came to his rescue. That's the kind of family they were.
3
? n Nurturance n Dominance n Affiliation n Succorance n Deference
3
2
3
2 2
3 p Succorance 2
n Acquisition n Construction n Nurturance
3 p Uncongenial Environment 2 p Affliction 2 2 p Lack 2
THE THEMA TIC
APPERCEPTION TEST p Task
535
4 (;o) It looks something like a street off the main track in New York City. It's a run-down section of the city. These pictures are cleverly done-they don't tell you anything. (What preceded this picture? ) Well, its perhaps on a Saturday or Sunday and this businessman is on his way home. I don't think he is very well, all bundled up like that. I think he must be a tailor. He isn't too well off, but is better off than most of his neighbors. He is a family man. As for the woman, it's difficult to give a motive for her. She has something to sell, is poor, and can just keep her family in food and clothes. (Q-o) There is no relationship between these people. It is just the end of the day and each is going home. Each represents a class-the well off and the poor. This is just a typical scene.
M5' (7o) Oh, oh! This is apt to be rather sordid. It doesn't represent a family scene to me! It may be a prostitute, and I see the old bottle there. This may be a young American down in the tropics; he is dressed in white because of the tempera- ture. As for the woman, it's difficult to say because of the shadows, but she appears of darker skin. The place has crude furnishings. (p) (What preceded? ) The natural assumption is that they had sexual intercourse. The fellow is about half drunk and is about to consume more. The fellow looks kind of "hang-dog"; perhaps he regrets his recent act or perhaps his station in life. He is down and out and liquor isn't much of a boon to him. He has sufficient depth of character to take himself out of a place like that and to genuinely regret what he did to the woman. She doesn't enter into the story, except to be the object of his lust. He is a better type than she. He can take care of himself. He finally drags himself out of such surroundings and gradually amounts to something. Do I take too long? I get quite involved in these stories.
n n n n n n
Excitance
Abasement
Blamavoidance 2 Sex
Blamescape
Counteraction
p Death of Hero 3
p Affiliation p Nurturance
3 3
p Sex 3 3 p Uncongenial Environment 1
3 3
6 (45') This is a public disturbance, perhaps a strike or a race disturbance. He has some Negroid features. He started a riot and has now been separated from the group he organized. The police have frightened him and he expects the worst. He is lodged in the local jail for a time and is scared out of such activities again. Maybe he was the fall guy for the group. Without the crowd influence he was pretty docile.
n Dominance
n Aggression
n Autonomy
n Abasement
n Succorance 2
2 p Dominance
3 p Aggression 3
2 p Claustrum 2 4
3
? THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
M7 (45) These people are related. They are mother and son since their features correspond. She is about 6o and he about 25. He has just told her something he has done which causes her grief and apprehension. She can't condone it, and is shocked. He's upset too, like he'd rather not have told her but had to. He doesn't look the type to get into trouble. (p) This picture gives me trouble. (Q-m) Well, it's the expressions on their faces. This man was responsible for the death of someone loved by both the mother and the man. It was not a crime, but an auto accident. It was sort of negligence on his part and he feels responsible. His mother turns away at first, then comes back to him and decides to help him. It was this way: this fellow in the picture and a friend went for a ride. There was an accident and this fellow (in the picture) was driving. He was negligent in some way or another, and caused the death of the person riding with him. He is now telling his mother all about it. He has a strong character, and feels badly about it all. He is serious. (p) (Q-o) Well, he and his mother talk it all over, and she helps him by giving him some good advice. (Q-m) She tells him it could have happened to anyone, and that the thing to do now is to forget it and just go right on living as usual. She tells him it is bad to keep thinking about it. (Does he? ) Yes, he doesn't let it drag his life down. It finally passes out of his memory.
n Exposition 2 on Succorance 3 n Abasement 3
n Aggression 2 n Affiliation
n Blamescape 2 n Passivity 2
p Rejection 2 p Death of Object 3 p ~urturance 4 p Affiliation 2 p PhysicalDanger? 2 p Exposition 2
8 (30) Well, this suggests a doctor and his patient. Yet, the gesture gives me the idea it might be a hypnotist at work. I dont know much about the field of hypnosis. The patient is unconscious about the face, but his legs aren't relaxed. Usually such performances are put on on the stage, and this seems to be in a private home. Do people keep their clothes on while reciving hypnotic treatment? (I'm sure I don't know; let's just use our imagination. ) I guess this is a scene on the stage of a theatre. This man is a hypnotist and is directing the performance along the lines that would be funny to the audience. The other fellow was taken from the audience and later joins his friends who ask him a lot of silly questions. The performance ends and all go home.
n Dominance 2 n Play 2 n Recognition 3 n Affiliation 2
p Deference 2 p Affiliation 2 p Cognizance 3
9 (30) These people are ~egroes, of course. It's the grandmother and the grand- son. I'm not very familiar with ~egro features, but they look alike, these two. She is a kindly old lady. She looks toil-worn, and has had a hard life of work. She is dressed well. I guess it's a portrait in the home. Some ~egroes carry their fortune on their back. These may be of a higher type and are better educated than most ~egroes. She was a slave and was freed, and gradually accumulated some money. They are quiet folks. It may be they are enjoying a musical here. (Qo). After their picture is taken, they go back to their regular routine lives-he to school and she to helping their children to run their homes and just being generally useful.
? THE THEMA TIC n Recognition
APPERCEPTION TEST
537
n Acquisition
n Sentience
n Cognizance
n Achievement n Nurturance n Deference
3
2 2
3
zo (6o) This is Christ on the cross, in the midst of flames or smoke. I can hardly reconcile myself to the fact that this is just a photo. It might be a trick picture. Jesus appears life-sized, and so does the cross, yet I don't know of a church with this sized crucifix. Here is a young boy of 8 or 9? In Sunday School he just received a vivid portrayal of Jesus on the cross by a very fine preacher and is very much impressed. That night he has trouble sleeping soundly and while in a semi-conscious state sees this image. He is just coming out of this dream when the image fades. This experience stays with him the rest of his life. I know I can remember a few dreams I had at about that age. (Do you think they influenced you? ) I think they really did, all my life. This boy wakes up in the morning and tells his parents about it, and retains this memory the rest of his life.
n Deference 3 p Exposition 3 p Dominance
3. ANALYSIS OF THE STORIES
The analysis of Larry's T. A. T. reveals a person who indulges actively in fantasy. (The total of the need and pres~ scoring for this subject, 276, is much above the mean, 209, for the group of low-scoring men. )
His fantasies, however, exhibit a disphoric quality that is unusually marked in relation to other subjects tested. Death is often referred to in his stories and his heroes tend to be emotionally dependent and self-depreciating (p Death- object: Larry 15, Mean for low-scoring men 3. 6; n Succorance: Larry 19, Mean for low-scoring men 7. 6; n Abasement: Larry 14, Mean for low-scoring men 7. 90). These depressive tones are accompanied by a greater concern over moral values than is usually apparent in stories of low-scoring men (n Blamavoidance: Larry 6, Mean for low-scoring men 1. 75). The variable n Blamavoidance is found more often in stories of high- than in those of low- scoring men; but in the case of Larry the manner of dealing with moral values, which is revealed in the expression of succorance, of the intragres- sive type of abasement, and of n Cognizance (Larry 8, group mean 6. o5), suggests an internalization of values that is more characteristic of low than of high scorers.
Larry expresses an excessive amount of aggressive fantasy (n Aggression: Larry 15, Mean for low-scoring men 7. 65); it is of an impulsive, antisocial type, the type that is more often found in stories of high scorers. Were it not for the fact that the expressions of aggression are followed by evaluation of the act and acceptance of self-blame, the trend would be contradictory to the low E score. It has been noted often in this volume that one of the factors
p Task
p Dominance 2 p Exposition 2 p Cognizance 2
3
? THE AUTHORIT ARIAN PERSONALITY
which most clearly differentiates prejudiced and unprejudiced subjects is the amount of intraceptiveness of the individual, a tendency which disposes him to evaluate, and sometimes even to be overly concerned with, his reac- tions in relation to other people. In the present case, if we accept the T. A. T. responses as representative of the subject's fantasy, it appears that Larry is preoccupied with a conflict over his rather generalized feelings of hostility. This conflict is reflected in the constant interplay between aggression and intragressive abasement and passivity. The fact that Larry's stories reveal a persistent attempt to evaluate and to deal with this conflict is consistent with a comparative lack of stereotyped projections of hostility, and, hence, with a low E score.
The summary of the scoring of Mack's stories is strikingly similar to the mean scores for the group of high-scoring men. Although he tends to be more restricted in amount of expression than many high-scoring men
(Mack's total need and press scores 193, Mean for high-scoring group 213), the patterning of the scoring is rather typical of the group to which he belongs. As compared with low-scoring men, his fantasies exhibit less creative activity, less curiosity, and less independent striving. He describes the same type of impulsive aggressive behavior as did Larry although Mack does not do so as frequently as Larry. However, the variables which express an intra- ceptive mode of dealing with such behavior (n Cognizance, n Succorance, n Abasement) are also given considerably less weight by Mack than by our unprejudiced subjects.
In Mack's stories we find an excessive amount of n Affiliation and n Rec- ognition, two variables which in our total group have higher mean scores for unprejudiced than for prejudiced subjects. However, Mack in contrast to Larry tends to express these variables through statements of relationship or status rather than through the description of personal interaction or active striving. In Mack's stories Affiliation is very rarely found in combination with n Nurturance or n Succorance or with n Recognition or n Cognizance.
Neither of these two men refers to more than a minimum amount of physical press. However, much of the n Abasement scored for Mack re- flects story content that appears to describe submission to implied environ- mental demands.
From the stories told in response to Picture 1, we get the first indications of the differences in the quality of the fantasies of the two men.
Although both express, through their heroes, strong underlying hostile feelings toward the world, Larry identifies more closely with these feelings and makes stronger attempts to understand them. Mack, on the other hand, describes a more primitive type of aggressive fantasy and tends to reject the hero of the story (although not directly enough to warrant the scoring of "object needs"), thereby disowning responsibility for the expression of hostility. In contrast to Larry, who attempts to understand the reasons for antisocial be-
? 1. Variables of Interpersonal Relationships:
n Affiliation p Affilication n Deference
p Deference
n Dominance
p Dominance
n Nurturance
p Nurturance
n Recognition n Succorance
p Succorance
2. Variables of Rebellion: n Aggression
n Autonomy
n Rejection
3. Variables of Positive Con- structive Activit,r:
n Cognizance
n Construction n Expression
n Understanding p Task
4. Variables of Sensuality: n Excitance
L a r r y
9 9 5 3 0 9
12 5 3 19 2
15 3 3
8 0 4 1 6
0
Unprejudiced Men
Mean Score
6. 8 5. 6 4. 9 2. 6 2. 1 9. 2 5. 55 4. 75 4. 55 7. 6 2. 5
7. 65 6. 55 5. 45
6. 05 . 45 4. 15 1. 85 4. 30
1. 25 2. 95 3. 05 5. 70 3. 50
7. 90 1. 75 1. 95
2. 75 . 10 1. 55
3. 6
Prejudiced Mack Men
Mean Score
10 5. 3 11 5. 15 6 5. 25
2 1. 9 6 2. 85 9 9. 8 8 4. 4
10 5. 25 7 3. 95
10 8. 2 2 2. 25
8 5. 70 2 5. 90 0 2. 90
2 3. 75 1 . 45 2 2. 85 1 . 45 6 3. 20
2 1. 05 2 2. 25 4 1. 65 3 3. 80 2 . 90
11 10. 00 4 3. 20 0 2. 95
2 3. 65 0 1. 15 3 2. 75 6 4. 2
n Passivity
nPlay 0 nSex 4
n Sentience
5. Variables of Moral Control and Withdrawal. :
n Abasement
n Blamavoidance n Seclusion
6. Variables of Environmental Press:
p Affliction
p Bad Luck
p Death of hero
p Death of object
7
0
14 6 3
0 2 0
15
THE THEMA TIC APPERCEPTION TEST TABLE 6 (XIV)
539
COMPARISON OF THE SCORES OF MACK AND LARRY ON THE THEMATIC APPERCEPI'ION TEST WITH THE MEAN SCORES . OF PREJUDICED AND UNPREJUDICED MEN
? 540
THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
havior, i. e. , why his own impulses cause him to have unacceptable thoughts, Mack seems to express the feeling that thinking about things too much causes a person to lose control of himself. He calls the hero a "deeply brooding type . . . who might do violence if pushed too far. ""
Mack is more sympathetic with the older man than with the younger one. The older man is a stronger individual who is able to withstand the stress of a difficult situation; the younger man is weak and dependent upon the direc- tion of the older one. When Larry's hero gets into trouble, he seeks comfort and guidance from the father, but he nevertheless accepts the responsibility for his own acts. Larry fantasies a dependent relationship with the father that is based on respect and a need for sympathy, and he describes guilt resulting from action that is displeasing to the father. It is a dependence on love, not on power as in the case of Mack's story. The problem of the son and of the father is a mutual one for Larry; for Mack the responsibility for the impulsive act and the responsibility for restraint are separated. The one is "bad" and the other is "good," and there appears to be little reconciliation of the two.
In response to Picture 3, Larry describes the common "low" thema of mutual sympathy resulting from a crucial situation. He seems to identify with a nurturant father figure who is deeply concerned over his wife and family. However, Larry's tendency to exaggerate the morbid, as well as his preoc- cupation with self-destruction, is revealed in the description of the son who is killed in battle.
The story of Mack expresses little of the sensitivity and desire to be under- stood that is found in Larry's story. Rather, this subject describes in cliche phraseology the age and character of each of the people in his story. He iden- tifies with the son, who is given a role of heroic bravery. In his story, as well as in Larry's, a man is killed in battle. However, concern about the dangers of war is restricted to the woman. The man is idealized as a "strong individual" behaving fearlessly, "like most men would. "
The main difference between the stories told by Larry and by Mack to Picture 5 lies in the fact that the former accepts responsibility for his actions, whereas the latter projects most of the blame onto the woman. Both of these subjects reject the woman who freely enters into a sexual relationship. How- ever, Larry appears to condemn her because she deceives the hero, with whom he is closely identified. The hostility that is directed at the woman does not appear to reflect a lack of respect for her as appears to be true in Mack's story, but rather it is the result of despair over her ability to frus- trate him. Mack not only manifests a decided lack of respect for the woman in his story, but he blames her for causing his hero to act in an unbecoming manner; at the same time he defends the man's position and describes him as an individual with "depth of character," who allows himself to become a part of this "sordid" scene because of urges beyond a man's control.
? THE THEMA TIC APPERCEPTION TEST
54I
These stories differ somewhat from the more common themes produced by low- and high-scoring men in response to Picture 5? The story of Larry is more hostile than those of most of his group. Mack is more rejecting of heterosexuality, and he projects more blame onto women, than is usually the case with high-scoring men. However, the lack of concern for the woman, and for her part in a sexual relationship, that we see in Mack's story, as contrasted with the more personal relationship in Larry's, fits closely the general difference in themes between high and low scorers described earlier.
The differing types of dependence expressed by these two subjects in their stories to Picture 7 are typical of those described by low and high scorers generally. Larry's hero seeks understanding and support, while Mack describes a hero who is dependent on external forces to direct his ac- tivity within acceptable channels.
Larry, however, refrains from giving the most common "low" theme of striving to act independently of the demands of the mother. Instead, he fantasies about a hero who performs unusual and wonderful deeds that please the mother and cause her to admire him.
Mack describes a theme commonly told by high-scoring men, one in which the son displeases the mother. She rejects him and he becomes de- pendent on her "good advice," forgiveness, and reassurance that he did not really do wrong. It is interesting how this man, who deprecates women in some of his other stories, and who usually describes his male heroes as "strong characters," describes a submissive relationship of son to mother. However, this relationship is as lacking in warmth as are the others. The forgiveness by the mother at the end lacks any real feeling of affiliation or nurturance.
In his story to Picture 8, Larry approaches a theme often produced by high-scoring men, the intense amount of hostility being more typical of high than of low scorers. The components that are consistent with the trends common to stories of low scorers are found in the extensive description of the feelings of each man and in the mtionalization of the crime.
Mack appears severely disturbed by this picture. It is not the type of distress often evidenced in stories of low-scoring men, who apparently find it dif- ficult to respond to the aggressive aspect of the picture. A real concern over homosexual attack appears to be expressed here, although it is perhaps not consciously recognized as such by the story-teller. The question, "Do people keep their clothes on while receiving hypnotic treatment? ," the annoyance at being questioned by friends, as well as the symbolic description of the patient, are strongly suggestive of personally determined fantasies of a homo- sexual nature.
The concreteness of thinking exhibited in Mack's st'ory in response to Picture w, compared with the more intense creativity of Larry's expression, demonstrates well the difference with respect to this factor found in our two groups of subjects and described eariier in this chapter. Although Mack in-
? 542
THE AUTHORIT ARIAN PERSONALITY
tellectualizes about the impression that the vision makes on the boy, he never describes what it actually means to him. Larry, on the other hand, discusses in detail his hero's problem, and his thoughts and feelings about the solution.
To Pictures 2, 4, 6 and 9 Larry tells stories of more intensity than does Mack. The former is able to identify more closely with the heroes drawn from minority groups and to describe their thoughts and feelings. In stories to Pictures 2 and 9 he identifies with the antisocial behavior of the character, and attempts to rationalize the action as he does in his story to Picture I.
Mack makes no positive identifications with the "minority" heroes. In general, his stories consist of a statement of the immediate situation, the en- vironmental surroundings, and the age, status, and costumes of the charac- ters. The stories are almost completely devoid of any indications of the thoughts or feelings of the heroes.
Both Larry and Mack reject the man captured by the police in Picture 6. Larry rejects him because he is unworthy of his family and does not ade- quately care for them; Mack rejects him because he is weak, and at the same time dangerous and to be feared. Larry's story again expresses a strong empathy-in other individuals; in this case, the concern is for the woman.
Larry's T. A. T. stories then are essentially consistent with his low E score, although the patterning of scores in some instances deviates from that most commonly found in the records,for unprejudiced men. However, as has been pointed out, these discrepancies reflect this individual's personal con- flicts which he deals with in a manner distinctly representative of the unprej- udiced men.
The features of stories of low scorers-intensity of story content, close identifications with the characters portrayed, description of personal inter- action, and of reflective feelings and thoughts of the characters about their behavior-all are present in Larry's stories. However, it should be emphasized that the strength of the dependence upon. sources of love, as described in this man's stories, and the intensity of reaction to frustration, is most extreme for our low-scoring men.
We would expect Larry to be sensitive to the feelings and thoughts of others, and capable of empathizing with them. At the same time he is prob- ably unusually sensitive to signs of rejection from others. He appears to be a person who attempts to understand his own behavior, and to keep this be- havior in line with a code of ethics that he has set up for himself despite impulses that are contradictory.
Mack's record reveals many of the trends that we have previously pointed out as being commonly found in stories of high-scoring men. The record is comparatively meager; there is a lack of intensity of identification, and partial rejections of story characters often occur in his stories. A dichotomy of roles characterizes the relationships depicted in his stories. Father, mother, hus-
? THE THEMA TIC APPERCEPTION TEST
543 band are depicted as dominant and as determining the behavior of the wife or son, who are pictured in submissive roles. Little reference is made to in- trospectiveness or to consideration of underlying motivation. Behavior is often attributed to innate tendencies within the individual, over which he
has no control.
Mack appears to be a person bound to conventional standards, attempting
to ignore or deny unacceptable desires by projecting them onto others. He is unable to admit his own weakness, and he defends himself rigidly against re- vealing any feelings of inadequacy. This guarding causes a restriction of spon- taneity and a limitation of the environmental stimuli to which he can allow himself to respond.
D. SUMMARY
We can conclude from the above discussion of data that certain types of expression in T. A. T. stories tend to differentiate our two groups of subjects. Although the differences can be considered as no more than trends, each variable having at least some degree of overlap between the two groups, a large percentage of our subjects demonstrate a sufficient number of these trends so that it is possible, by considering the content of their T. A. T. stories alone, to identify them as prejudiced or unprejudiced individuals.
We find that low scorers, as compared with high scorers, identify more closely with the heroes in their stories, and attribute to them more creative activity, more enjoyment of sensual pleasures, and more congenial relation- ships with other individuals. Aggression is expressed in more sublimated forms, most often being in the service of a goal of creativity, nurturance, or autonomy from imposed coercion. The activity described is more often determined by inner rational decision rather than by external forces. These subjects tend to emphasize autonomous behavior, and they often reject dom- ination by authoritarian figures suggested by the pictures. Although the heroes in their stories often seek advice and sympathy from parents and friends, the ultimate decision is usually one of the hero'sown choosing. Status relationships between man and woman, parent and child, or Negro and white, are more nearly equal in their stories than in those of high scorers.
The high scorers, as compared with the low scorers, tend to describe be- havior of a less constructive nature. Expression of aggression is more often of a primitive, impulsive sort; it is condemned by the story-teller and is fol- lowed by an outcome of punishment of the hero.
High scorers tend more often to describe the motivation for the actions of their heroes in terms of external influence or innate tendencies over which the individual has no control. Their heroes more often appear as dependent upon the demands and rules and regulations of authority and are more often activated by parental demands and social custom. They are more frequently victimized by affiiction or death.
? 544
THE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY
Contrasting status relationships are more marked in the stories of high scorers. The male and female roles tend to be dichotomized, the man as the master, the woman as weak, dependent, and submissive. Parents are more often described as domineering and demanding, and their children as submis- sive and compliant.
? CHAPTER XV
PROJECTIVE QUESTIONS IN THE STUDY OF PERSONALITY AND IDEOLOGY Daniel J. Levinson
A. INTRODUCTION
The Projective Question technique is an application of the general prin- ciples of projective techniques to the questionnaire method and to the study of the dynamics of ideology. A Projective Question is an open-ended ques- tion which is answered in a few words or lines and which deals with unusual events or experiences likely to have emotional significance for the individual. Care is taken to give the question a "homey," even humorous wording; also, an emphasis on the universal nature of certain emotional experiences (e. g. , moods, embarrassment) may make the subject feel freer in giving an answer. The following eight questions were used in the present research:1
1. We all have times when we feel below par. What moods or feelings are the most unpleasant or disturbing to you?
2. We all have impulses and desires which are at times hard to control but which we try to keep in check. What desires do you often have diffi- culty in controlling?
3? What great people, living or dead, do you admire most?
1 These questions were selected from among an original set of some thirty questions given to several groups of college students. The criteria for selection included statistical differentiation, theoretical significance, and nonduplication of content. It was necessary, for practical reasons, to eliminate many items which showed much promise. For example: What are your greatest weaknesses?
