You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
Applying the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale-Global (SCORS-G; Stein, Hilsenroth, Slavin-Mumford, & Pinsker, 2011; Westen, 1995) rating method to Thematic Apperception Test (TAT; Murray, 1943) narratives, this study of undergraduates aimed to (a) assess the component structure and construct validity of the SCORS-G in a nonclinical sample and (b) contribute to the development of a set of norms to guide clinical interpretation of this method. A 2-component solution for the SCORS-G entailed cognitive and affective components. Support for construct validity came from known-groups analyses in which this nonclinical sample was healthier on all 8 scales of the SCORS-G compared with a composite of previously published clinical samples. The cognitive scales (complexity of representations of people, understanding of social causality) were particularly strong in differentiating between the nonclinical and clinical groups. Additionally, in the overall sample the affective component of the SCORS-G was positively, significantly, and meaningfully related to a self-report measure of interpersonal functioning. This association
This article was published Online First May 5, 2014.
Anthony D. Bram, PhD, private practice, Lexington, Massachusetts, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School, and Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute, Newton Centre, Massachusetts.
This research was supported by a grant from the International Psycho-Analytical Association. The author is grateful to Drs. Michelle Stein, Chris Segrin, Kim Pulvers, Linda Helmig Bram, Jonathan Shedler, Mark Hilsenroth, Jenelle Slavin-Mulford, and Sheryle Gallant for their generous consultations and contributions, as well as to the two anonymous reviewers. The author is also appreciative of Ashley Parr, Kiley Gottschalk, and Arin Evans for their research assistantship.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Anthony D. Bram, PhD, 363 Massachusetts Avenue, Lower Level #1, Lexington, MA 02420. E-mail:
was stronger among male participants; among females, the affective component was more strongly and negatively correlated with self-reported physical symptoms. Unexpectedly, the affective component did not correlate with a self-report measure of mental health, but its correlation with a performance-based measure of mental health involved a small effect in the predicted direction. Addressing a gap in the literature, this study also contributes a set of nonclinical norms that can be used to guide clinical interpretation of the TAT SCORS-G with some patients. Theoretical and clinical implications, as well as limitations, are discussed.