English abstract
This study aims to identify the differences between the children of foster families and children of original families in the way of responding to the Children's Apperception Test (C.A.T), and comparing the stories of foster children and children in original families in order to reveal the physiological state of the children, and what they think about themselves and others, which will contribute to better understanding for this features, building precautionary, qualifying and training programs, as well as adopt treatment procedures if the result showed that it is necessary to do the same. Accordingly, the study used the clinical approach that focuses on individual cases, that's why the Children's Apperception Test (C.A.T) were chosen as a tool for the study. The test was applied to two categories of children:
- The first Category is the children of foster families in Muscat Governorate.
- the second Category is the children of original families in Muscat Governorate.
The sample was selected from both communities in the random stratified manner. The sample consisted of 10 children from natural families and 10 children from
foster families.
The study concludes with a set of results:
- The study found that the results were similar between males and females in
both samples, although the differences were not at high rates in the responses to the test items.
- There is a difference in the rate of recurrence between male children in natural families and foster families in a number of responses related to self image, mother's personality, father's personality, ego structure, ego integration (end, adaptation, thinking processes). The results showed that more frequent rates of children in foster families showed a low self-esteem, negative and unstable environment in their stories this may be attributed to the mother's image that appears in an angry and cruel image, indicating a tense relationship and an abnormal growth environment in general , caused conflict between sibling and growth of immature and cruel super-ego this is manifested in cruel punishment and fear of corporal punishment.
- The results also showed a similarity in the main subject of stories, lack of motives and needs, ignoring the mother image ,father image and sibling image in the stories, and high rates of fear from corporal punishment and loss of love, this indicating the success of foster families in providing love for children.
