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The Fairy Tale Test (FTT) is a recently developed projective test for children aged 6 to 12 yrs. It is not only used for the purpose of education and training, but also for diagnostic purposes. The test provides a rich tapestry of personality domains and as such, is increasingly being used in the clinical research and therapy perspectives. The paper highlights the application of the FTT as one of the main diagnostic instruments in assessing a child's personality, aged 11 yrs, 6 months, hailing from a Bengali middle-class joint family. Results reveal striking congruence of the findings of FTT with that of the Children's' Apperception Test (CAT).
Key Words: Fairy Tale Test, diagnostic efficacy
Assessment of children's personality, for basic research (Dasgupta and Sanyal, 2006; Malik, 1985; Pestonjee, 1984) or for clinical diagnosis (Kumar, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963; Tuber, 2000; Fowler et. al. 2000; Sanyal, et al. 2006, Sanyal and Dasgupta, 2008) is not an uncommon phenomenon. Attempts are found on the part of test developers to design new tests, so that assessment becomes more comprehensive and helpful in designing therapeutic interventions complementary to the Children's Apperception Test (CAT).
In case of children in India, the most common projective test is the CAT (Chowdhury, 1964; Mathur and Kumar, 1967). An additional test has been found in recent times, which seems to have a penetrative orientation of a different nature. The test is named as the Fairy Tale Test (FTT).
The Fairy Tale Test (FTT; Coulacoglou, 1993; 2000; 2003) is a projective personality test for children aged 7-12 yrs. Its broader purpose is to help the therapist assess the child's personality dynamics, offering information, not just on single personality variables, but also on their combination. Its rationale rests on the relation between fairy tales and unconscious processes (Bettelheim, 1976). Its appropriate use is restricted to:
i) Administration to children for the purpose of diagnostic evaluation;
ii) Demonstration to students for the purpose of education and training, and
iii) Use as a research instrument, with the necessary safeguards for ethical issue and confidentiality.
The test permits a detailed profile analysis of aggression and assesses twenty-nine personality variables in total. First order factor analyses resulted in the formation of twelve primary factors: anxiety and depression, assertiveness,...