Interpersonal Decentering and Person–Situation Interaction in the Thematic Apperception Test: Is It all in the Cards? What’s the Story?

Arousing Motives or Eliciting Stories? On the Role of Pictures in a Picture–Story Exercise

“…This may be viewed as further evidence that interindividual differences in motive scores derived from imaginative stories only, i.e., without being specifically aroused through pictures, may reflect valid interpretations (see also McClelland, 1987; Winter, 1994). However, our findings are in contrast to Jenkins et al (2020) who used generalizability theory and uncovered that a significant proportion of variance was due to person-card interactions. Hence, future research should examine the effects of presenting versus omitting picture cues on the construct-related validity of PSEs in more detail.…”

What is expressed in expressive writing: Gendered differences in narrative processes for low closure interpersonal and impersonal stressors.

“…The current study assessed how event type (i.e., interpersonal, impersonal) might incite individuals' social cognitive processing of stressful events by meaning making and decentering. We applied Jenkins et al's (2020) situation-specificity argument for decentering to people's efforts to understand and resolve stressful interpersonal situations that require relational, rather than impersonal, problem-solving. Interpersonal situations often require attention to others' internal states or coordination of complex interpersonal interactions in the process of conflict resolution.…”

“…Typically, individuals develop this perspective-taking ability by adulthood, but they do not always use this capability at its most mature level. Instead, people tend to mobilize interpersonal decentering selectively according to developmentally relevant social roles and situational demands (Jenkins et al, 2020). The content identified at the most mature levels demonstrates the individual's EXPRESSIVE WRITING NARRATIVE PROCESSES DIFFER inclination spontaneously to anticipate and consider the implications of their own thoughts, feelings, and actions in regard to others, a social cognitive process akin to reflective functioning (Bucci, 2002) or mentalizing (Fonagy & Target, 1998).…”

“…Shaw et al (2022) reported that interpersonal and impersonal trauma types are related to differing social goal orientations. Jenkins et al (2020) hypothesized that young adults would activate more mature interpersonal decentering to understand romantic, rather than non-romantic, interactions. In the present study, we broaden this argument to a variety of interpersonal stressors (interpersonal conflict—abuse, arguments, parental divorce; or loss—breakups, divorce, illness/injury/death of close others), as compared to impersonal events (own illness or injury, academic challenges, natural disasters, property loss).…”

“…Shaw et al (2022) found important gender differences in social goal orientation in interpersonal and impersonal traumas. Women tend to mobilize more mature decentering and reflective thoughts about themselves and others when contemplating a heterosexual relationship than men do (Jenkins et al, 2020). Therefore, in EW, we expect women to write about interpersonal stressors more often than impersonal stressors, to put forth more effort at meaning making, and to decenter more maturely overall than men do.…”