The Adolescent Story Stem Profile (ASSP)
The Adolescent Story Stem Profile (ASSP) is an adaptation of the Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP). It has been designed for use with older children and adolescents to explore attachment, peer relations and self-esteem. Unlike the SSAP, which uses toys and dolls to illustrate story stems, the ASSP uses animated videos to tell the beginning of a story, which the participants are then asked to reflect upon and respond to.
Participants are asked to view six brief video vignettes of ambiguous social scenarios and are then asked to respond to a series of questions regarding the characters and events in the different scenarios. The task takes about 30 minutes and requires them to log onto a device with their own unique user ID and password.
We are currently collecting community data on young people, while the measure is being used with children in foster care and residential care. Findings from this research are currently being written up for publication. Further funding is being sought to develop the ASSP and provide both an improved platform for it and a manualisation which would lead to more formal trainings in the use and application of the tool.
Funders: Five Rivers Child Care and the International Psychoanalytic Association
Chief investigator: Dr Saul Hillman