Construct Validation of the Fairy Tale Test-Standardization Data

Abstract

The conception of the Fairy Tale Test (FTT) rests on the association between fairy tales and unconscious processes. The stimulus material is derived from classic fairy tales and in particular the stories of Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The sample of the study consisted of 800 Greek boys and girls 8, 10, and 12 years old from 3 socioeconomic levels. The material consists of 7 sets of cards with 3 pictures per set. The FTT is an individually administered instrument, whereby the child has to respond to questions concerning well-known fairy tale characters. The FTT assesses 26 personality variables. Construct validity was determined in a variety of ways: through factor analysis and correlations between the FTT and more objective measures such as the Children's Personality Questionnaire and the Rutter Behaviour Scales for Parents and Teachers. Factor analysis led to the formation of 8 primary factors: Reality Testing, Mother Image, Assertiveness, Orality, Possessiveness, Aggression, Helpfulness, and Depression. Teachers consider troubled children those who express Type A or "hostile" aggression, whereas parents evaluate troubled children as nonhelpful and depressed. Additional comparisons between the FTT and the other 2 instruments are presented.