Evaluate children's personality with the Children's Apperception Test (CAT), a downward extension of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). CAT measures aspects of personality, including level of reality testing and judgment, control and regulation of drives, and degree of autonomy. Composed of 10 drawings of animals, the test is based on the theory that children identify more readily with animal figures than human figures.
A supplement, CAT–S, features a set of 10 irregularly shaped pictures of animals for further exploration of tension. Another version, CAT–H, features drawings of humans and was designed for use with older children and in research.