[Read this glossary entry on atharkhan.com](https://atharkhan.com/glossary/thematic-apperception-test-tat/) The **Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)** is a projective psychological assessment in which a person creates stories about ambiguous pictures. Used in clinical work and research, it involves an examiner interpreting aspects of the narratives to explore themes in personality, emotions, motives and relationships. It is not a direct reading of someone's thoughts or a factual record of events described in a story. ## In California Family Law The [American Psychological Association's dictionary](https://dictionary.apa.org/thematic-apperception-test) describes the storytelling method and the development of different coding systems. The method, purpose and interpretation matter; the name of the test alone does not establish the strength of a particular conclusion. If psychological tests are used in a [[Child Custody Evaluation|court-ordered custody evaluation]], [[Cal. Rules of Court, Rule 5.220|California Rules of Court, rule 5.220]] requires an explanation of their role in confirming or questioning other information. The rule also calls for balanced information, substantiation from multiple sources when possible, and disclosure of evaluation limitations. It does not require every parent to take the TAT. An expert opinion offered in court remains subject to the applicable evidentiary requirements, including [[Cal. Evid. Code § 801|Evidence Code section 801]]. A test interpretation should not be presented as automatic proof of a diagnosis, abuse or parenting capacity. The evaluator should explain the reasoning and supporting information rather than rely only on the test's label. **Example:** A narrative contains a theme of conflict. The evaluator must consider what that observation can reasonably support, the method used and other relevant information. It does not, by itself, establish that a particular incident occurred or determine a custody recommendation.