Exploring the Child's Personality

Book excerpt: The objective of this book is to provide readers with a comprehensive account of the childOCOs personality. The book examines in detail significant personality dimensions from developmental, clinical and cross-cultural perspectives. The intricacies of personality are exposed by means of the Fairy Tale Test, an instrument that attempts to track the preconscious and unconscious processes that OC conspireOCO beneath the behavioral and overt manifestations of personality. ChildrenOCOs responses to the FTT questions are assessed both from a quantitative and a qualitative perspective. Twenty-nine personality variables are used to rate the broad range of personality characteristics. No other personality test assesses such a large number of personality parameters. The qualitative evaluation of responses includes the analysis of 14 defense mechanisms, the study of the nature of anxiety, family dynamics, and the examination of ego integration and ego strength. The unique quality of this book is the use of the FTT in the exploration of the childOCOs personality, using large samples of children derived from diverse cultures. Additional advantages of this book are the chapters which focus on the research into two significant personality traits: aggression and ambivalence and the chapter on the analysis of idiosyncratic responses; the latter offers valuable information in the classification of original responses into levels of psychopathology. While the FTT has taken significant steps towards becoming a valid and reliable instrument, studies of its psychometric properties are an ongoing process. The book also includes examples, case studies and appendices for further study and review."