Object relations of sexually abused female subjects: a TAT analysis

TAT stories of 17 sexually abused female subjects and a clinical group of 25 female subjects with no documented history of sexual abuse were analyzed using the Object Relations and Social Cognition Scoring System (Western, Lohr, Silk, Kerber, & Goodrich, 1985). Subjects ranged in age from 5 to 16 years. As predicted, mean scores on a measure of overall object relations were significantly different between groups. Specifically, the mental representations of subjects in the abuse group were characterized by more primitive and simple characterizations of people, more negative and punitive affect in their perceptions of the interpersonal world, an inability to invest in people and relationships in other than need-gratifying ways, and an inability to make sensible attributions of self and others. Abuse subjects also produced more pathological responses overall than did their nonabuse counterparts, indicating a tendency toward more extreme and immature functioning. These group differences were independent of any contribution of age and a measure of verbal productivity. Treatment and diagnostic implications are discussed.