The Fairy Tale Test - http://www.fairytaletest.

com/

The Fairy Tale Test is a projective test for children aged 6-12 yrs and has been developed as part of a doctoral thesis by
Carina Coulacoglou, at the University of Exeter in Great Britain (1989-1993). Since then it has been translated and
standardized in different countries. It has already been published in French, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, Slovenian, Polish,
Russian and Greek.

The material of the test consists of: 21 cards (7 sets of cards), each set consisting of three cards presented to the child at a
time, a manual, and 25 protocols which demonstrate the general set of questions the child is asked.

The characters depicted on the cards are part of one or more fairy tales (“Little Red Riding Hood”, “Snow White and the
seven dwarfs”, “Jack and the Beanstalk” etc.). In the stories, the thoughts and emotions of the characters are not clearly
defined, for example, the reader is unaware of the underlying motive of the wolf’s violent behavior: was he hungry or
bad? Therefore, the children through the process of identification, project their own thoughts, emotions or conflicts.
Furthermore, in the last 2 sets of cards depicting “scenes” of the fairy tales of Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White,
children have the opportunity to develop their own story and sequence of events, independently of the actual version of
the story.

Concept

Children’s fascination with fairy tales has been the subject of various studies, mainly from a literary (eg. Tolkien, 1964)
and a cognitive-developmental perspective (eg. Favat 1977, Applebee 1978). The symbolic interpretation of fairy tales as
well as their relation to the unconscious has become a challenging field of speculation for a number of Freudian and
Jungian analysts (for example, Bettelheim 1976, Von Franz 1982, Kaes, Perrot, Guerin, Mery, & Reumaux, 1989, Kast
1995, De la Genardiere 1996).

Freud (1900) was the first to discover the symbolic nature of fairy tales. Like the myth and the legend, the fairy tale is
concerned with the most primitive parts of the psyche. In the Wolf Man, Freud argues that the fairy tale offers the child a
way of thinking which corresponds to the representation of himself. Then there were analysts like Erich Fromm (1951),
who wrote the first important psychoanalytic interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood and Ferenczi (1990) who believed
that fairy tales represent a return to self omnipotence.

Jung places great importance on fairy tales when he claimed that through these stories one can study the comparative
anatomy of the psyche in the best possible way. Jungian Marie Louise Von Franz (1982) observed that these stories are
the simplest and purest form of psychic processes of the collective unconscious. Whereas Hans Dieckmann (1986)
suggested that fairy tales describe our primary complexes and the standard ways of behavior we learn through them.

Bettelheim’s book "The Uses of Enchantment" (1976) has become a landmark in the psychoanalytic theory of fairy tales.
The author presents extensive analyses of popular fairy tales and tries to demonstrate how each fairy tale reflects
conflicts or anxieties in different stages of development.

Even though the value of fairy tales on a therapeutic level is now widely accepted, the Fairy Tale Test is the only
standardized psychometric tool which highlights the significant value of fairy tales on a diagnostic level.

Purpose and Application

The broader purpose of using the FTT is to help the therapist assess the child’s personality dynamics, offering information
not just about single personality traits, but also on how they interrelate.

The FTT can effectively be employed for: (1) personality assessment, research purposes (developmental, cross cultural
and longitudinal studies), (2) diagnostic evaluation of clinical cases and (3) evaluation of the outcome of
psychotherapeutic treatment.
Theoretical Background

The Theoretical background of the Fairy Tale Test consists of Psychoanalytic theories of personality (eg. ego analytic and
object relations theories).
Administration
The administration time of all seven sets of cards is approximately 45 minutes; it is administered individually and is
completed in one session.

A prerequisite is that the child is familiar with the fairy tales. If a child is unfamiliar with these tales then it is
necessary for the administrator to reschedule the test for at least one week later during which period the child can read
the stories or they can be narrated to him/her.

Each set of cards is presented to the child in standard sequence, one set at a time, whilst the rest of the cards are
kept out of sight. The presentation is followed by a set of specific questions aimed at evoking the forms of identification,
feelings and thoughts that the child projects to the visual stimulus.

The administrator records the answers and comments, as well as any nonverbal communication made by the child,
including the order in which the cards were chosen.

Sample Interview
Administrator: “Here are three dwarfs. I would like you to tell me what each one is thinking”.

Child: “This one here (points to Card 3) is thinking that he is going to meet Snow white on his way and he wants to
wear his best clothes.

Administrator: “How does he feel?”

Child: “He feels happy because he thinks that when SW sees him, she will compliment him on his clothes”.

Administrator: “Good,… now can you choose one of the others and tell me what he is thinking”.

Interpretation
The Fairy Tale Test can be interpreted both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Quantitative interpretation allows the evaluation of 30 variables and their scoring based on a predetermined method
of rating. This method of rating shows the intensity with which each variable is manifested (scale 0, 1, 2, 3) or its quality
(+1, -1), as expressed through the child’s responses. The administrator assesses each variable based on its high or low rate
always in relation to the norms of the corresponding country.

The FTT variables are:

1. Sexual Preoccupation-SEXPR
2. Oral Aggression-ΟΑ
3. Aggression as Dominance-AGRDOM
4. Instrumental Aggression-AGRINSTR
5. Ιmpulsive Aggression-AGRIMP
6. Aggression as Envy-AGRENVY
7. Aggression as Jealousy-AGRJEAL
8. Aggression as Defense-AGRDEF
9. Aggression as Retaliation-AGRRET
10. Desire for Material Things-DMT
11. Desire for Superiority-DSUP
12. Desire to Help-DH
13. Oral Needs-ON
 14. Need for Affiliation-NAFIL
15. Need for Affection-NAFCT
16. Need for Approval-NAPRO
17. Need for Protection-NPRO
18. Ambivalence-AMB
19. Self-Esteem-SE
20. Morality-MOR
21. Sense of Property-SPRO
22. Sense of Privacy-SPRIV
23. Adaptation to the Fairy Tale Content-AFTC
24. Bizarres-B
25. Repetitions-REP
26. Anxiety-ANX
27. Fear of Aggression-FA
28. Depression-D
29. Relationship with Mother-REL/MO
30. Relationship with Father-REL/FA
Qualitative interpretation is richer than quantitative interpretation. In this process the rated and unrated material
(defense mechanisms, reoccurring themes, responses in the first person, interaction between the illustrated figures,
contamination, overinvolvement as well as the child’s non verbal communication during the test) are interpreted in
combination so as to get as complete a picture as possible of the child’s personality. However, we must always take into
consideration the subjective view of the administrator which not only depends on his/her theoretical background but on
his/her clinical experience as well.

In general terms certain elements can be revealed from the collected data for the assessment of intrafamily dynamics
(Oedipus complex, sibling rivalry, relationship with parents) and the degree of Ego strength and its functions (intrapsyche
conflicts and ways of resolvement, type and quality of anxiety, impulse control and quality of superego, quality of bizarre
responses, defense mechanisms).

Psychometric Properties
Validity

The construct validity of the FTT was examined in two ways: (a) Internal validity: through the application of factor
analysis and the comparison between FTT factor scores and defense mechanisms, and (b) External validity: through
comparisons with structured questionnaires of personality dimensions and disorders such as the Child Behavior Checklist
for parents (CBCL), the Beck Youth Inventories (BYI) and the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ).

For further information regarding validity please refer to the respective chapter of the manual.

Reliability

The retest reliabilities range from moderate to high for the majority of variables.

For further information regarding reliability please refer to the respective chapter of the manual.

Standardization
The initial standardization of the FTT was accomplished in Greece in 1989-1990 on a wide sample of children (760
“non-clinical” cases) aged 7-12 years and was re-standardized in 2001-2003. Re-standardization was conducted in order
to include an additional younger age group (873 “non-clinical” cases) aged 6-7 years and retest the reliability and
construct validity of the test. This resulted in the revised manual of the test which included more variables (Sense of
Privacy, Instrumental Aggression and Need for Approval).

For further information regarding standardization please refer to the respective chapter of the manual.
Advantages
Advantages of the FTT over other projective tests.

A) Pictures – Visual stimulus

The child is presented with three stimulus pictures instead of one and is asked to respond to specific questions instead of
producing a story.

Making up a story may prove to be a difficult or frustrating task for a young child, especially if the child is inhibited or has
a limited imagination. In the FTT the story pre-exists and the child can use the pre-existing elements of the story in his
responses.

In contrast to other tests, the presented characters are well-known and popular among children. The close relation
between fairy tales and unconscious processes has been researched and stated by a plethora of researchers, mainly from
a psychoanalytic point of view.

The technique of the illustrations differs from one set to another as the varied drawing materials (pencil, ink, colors) can
intensify specific elements which in turn can facilitate the process of projection, i.e. abstractness, form, expression,
emotions. The variety in the drawing techniques can make the administration of the test less boring and more stimulating
for the child.

B) Numerous variables

The assessor has the opportunity to identify and rate a large number of variables concerning many inner processes and
not only family relationships and interpersonal situations, which are usually assessed in other projective tests.

C) Scoring

The instructions concerning the rating of the variables are explicit and numerous examples for each rating are presented
in the manual.

Author
Carina Coulacoglou, Ph.D

Carina Coulacoglou was born in Athens, Greece in 1956. In the late 70s she decided to study abroad, as Psychology
was still in its infancy in Greece. In 1979 she received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Education and
subsequently her MSc in Child Development, from the London Institute of Education. On her return to Athens she worked
at the Mitera the largest Infant Center in Greece, in the research department, where she had the opportunity to conduct
research concerning issues of Infant Development.

Her interests gradually shifted towards the psychology of fairy tales and in 1985 she received her MPhil. Degree at
the University of Sussex. Her thesis was entitled: "Fairy tales as a means of investigating developmental issues revealed in
children’s verbal responses". Her verification that fairy tales can facilitate the possibility of assessment of personality
traits and not only social and moral issues, awarded her PhD, on the creation and development of a projective instrument
the Fairy Tale Test.

Her doctorate was awarded by the University of Exeter under the supervision of Professor Paul Kline, an expert in the
field of psychometrics. Since 1993, Dr. Coulacoglou has dedicated her time to furthering the development and promotion
of the FTT around the world.

She has published several articles on the FTT as well as two text books on psychometrics and personality assessment.
Her recent book (2008) is entitled "Exploring the Child's Personality: Developmental, Clinical and Cross-Cultural
Applications of the Fairy Tale Test". Dr. Coulacoglou has taught courses in Psychometrics and Psychological Assessment at
the Pantion University of Athens, and courses in Psychology at the American College of Greece and the University of La
Verne (Athens campus).

The Projective Fairy Tale Test Society was founded by Dr. Coulacoglou in Athens in 2006.

FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions

Is the FTT difficult to administer?

No, provided the instructions for administration are read carefully.

Is scoring the FTT difficult or time consuming?

As with most projective tests assessment of results is not an easy task. The level of difficulty depends on how familiar the
clinician is with projective techniques. Efficient scoring of the FTT variables depends on knowledge of psychoanalytic
theory or theories of child development and personality, combined with practice based on the FTT manual instructions.

Can the FTT be administered to all children?

The major prerequisite for administering the FTT is that children are familiar with fairy tales and, in particular the stories
of Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and one story involving giants.

If a child is not familiar with the tales, can the examiner narrate the stories and then administer the FTT?

If a child is not familiar with the tales, a parent or teacher could be asked to narrate the tales. You may then administer
the test at a later time. Under no circumstances should the administrator recount the tales nor test the child immediately
after the narration of the tales.

For further clarification/queries/comments please contact.

Hungarian

Hungarian
Juhasz Laszlo
1094 Budapest, Liliom u.39
e: juhaszlaci@e-pakk.hu
i: www.e-pakk.hu
t: +36 1 216 4591
f: +36 1 216 4591