Adaptation of Children Apperception Test- Human Cards to Pakistani Culture

Abstract

The original CAT-H contains cultural biases, as some of its images do not reflect the valid experiences of children in Pakistan. Therefore, this study aimed to culturally adapt the CAT-H, to align with the local stereotypes of family structures, dress codes, culture, and social events. A sample of 25 children ranging in age between 5 to 10 years was recruited for the study. Sample included psychologically healthy children (N = 10, Mean age = 7.7 years, SD = 1.6) recruited through purposive sampling and children diagnosed with psychiatric Disorders (N = 15, Mean age = 7.6 years, SD = 1.5) recruited through convenient sampling. The adaptation process involved Recruitment of Artist and Initial Adaptation, Process of Review & Refinement Expert Panel and Finalization of adapted Test Cards. To ensure the reliability of the adapted CAT-H, the parallel form and test-retest reliability analysis was carried out. Results revealed strong parallel form and inter-rater reliability index for the Adapted Children Apperception Test-Human. The use of the culturally adapted CAT-H proves to valuable, as it will enable psychologists to evaluate children’s psycho-social and emotional well-being effectively. It will support the screening of relevant factors such as family dynamics, trauma, social relationships, personality characteristics, and developmental concerns that were timely and culturally appropriate within the Pakistani context.