Breaching of family generation boundaries by schizophrenics,disturbed, and normals

This study tested the hypothesis that the breaching of generational boundaries, whereby the child assumes mate-like or parent-like role relations with parents, is one of the dysfunctional family processes linked to schizophrenia. Presence of child-as-mate and parentification fantasies was systematically assessed in individual and conjoint projective stories of young adults and their parents in schizophrenic (N=23), disturbed non-schizophrenic (N=19), and normal (N=20) comparison groups. The variable parentification was not found to discriminate groups. Child-as-mate fantasies strongly differentiated the schizophrenic group. Significantly more than controls, schizophrenics and their parents failed to see generationally appropriate family relationships between parent-like and child-like figures, instead projecting mate-like bonds, often explicitly sexual and usually involving a love triangle. In the conjoint family process, although members were equally likely to communicate a child-as-mate fantasy, those introduced by parents received more agreement and less disagreement in response. Methodological and conceptual issues are discussed.This study was part of a comprehensive schizophrenia research program conducted jointly by the Departments of Psychiatry of Michael Reese Hospital and the University of Chicago, R. R. Grinker, Sr., Principal Investigator, supported in part by USPHS grant MH05519-14. Cohler, William Henry, Roy Grinker, Sr., and Martin Harrow for support and consultation.     

Interhemispheric transfer in schizophrenics, depressives, and normals with schizoid tendencies

Although several studies suggest that schizophrenics suffer from an impairment in the interhemispheric transfer (IHT) of information, methodological weaknesses in these studies preclude clear interpretation of their results. This study addresses these criticisms in order to provide a clearer test of the IHT theory. Schizophrenics, depressives, normal controls, and normals with schizoid tendencies were assessed on five measures of IHT (verbal and nonverbal dichotic listening, intermanual transfer, bimanual block design, finger sequence repetition) and two measures of unilateral hemispheric processing (lateral eye movements, auditory thresholds). Results consistently failed to support an IHT deficit interpretation of schizophrenia. Schizoid normals had a significantly greater right-ear advantage on verbal dichotic listening than both psychiatric groups, a result suggesting enhanced left-hemisphere activation in schizoid normals. It is concluded that the IHT theory requires stronger empirical substantiation than has been obtained to date to warrant further consideration as a central theory of schizophrenia.     

Passive and participant modelling in exposure treatment of obsessive-compulsive neurotics

The effects of passive modelling and participant modelling in exposure treatment were compared in an experimental study on 10 severe obsessive-compulsive neurotics. These effects were assessed in several ways; by self and independent ratings, attitude scales, a psychometric test and a behavioural avoidance test. On most measures, the modelling treatments were more effective than the placebo relaxation treatment and the participant form was superior to the passive form on most indices. The overall therapeutic results were consistent with those obtained in earlier studies in this series.     

Performance of neurotics and stables on the standard progressive matrices

The significance of the role of Neuroticism (N) as an important determiner of learning and performance was investigated. The relation of N to performance on intelligence tests was analyzed and it was predicted that as item difficulty increased high N subjects would perform progressively worse and low N subjects would perform better. This type of analysis was shown to demonstrate the Yerkes-Dodson phenomenon better than a single total test score. In the present investigation, 400 subjects were selected for a 2 × 2 design consisting of two personality groups (neurotics vs. stables) and two sexes. Subjects were administered the Standard Progressive Matrices, an intelligence test having five progressively more difficult stages. The findings were that neurotics performed better on the simpler set, but as items became more difficult the stables performed significantly better than neurotics. A correlational analysis also showed a positive relation between N and the first set of items, and a negative relation between N and the other four sets.     

Brain stem electrical responses of stutterers and normals by sex,ears, and recovery

Auditory brainstem electrical responses (BSER) of right and left ears of active stutterers, recovered stutterers, and nonstutterers, both male and female adults, were obtained at click rates of 11.1 and 71.1/sec. Latency intervals of waves I, III, and V were measured. The auditory systems of subjects were stressed using a rapid rate of 71.1 clicks/sec. The latency of wave V was used as the measure of the stress condition.Analysis of variance was used to determine statistical significances of main effects and interactions of mean BSER (waves I, III, V, and wave V in stress condition) of left and right ears of male stutterers (active and recovered), female stutterers (active and recovered), and male and female nonstutterers.With one exception, all main effects and all higher order interactions were nonsignificant. The one main effect that was significant was gender. Females have significantly faster rates of neural transmission than do males. The question was raised, does this finding contribute toward an explanation of the sex ratio in stuttering?     

A matched-subject comparison of underachievers with normals on intellectual,behavioral, and emotional variables

Children labeled as under achievers are compared to a matched group functioning normally within the classroom. Factor analyses of the data from several tests reveal that the normal children not only have achieved higher academic performance but also have better learning aptitude. The inference may be made that many underachievers actually have a low general aptitude when carefully measured.This study was supported from funds from the Holden Foundation at the Children's Hospital of Michigan. The authors extend their thanks to Mrs. Barrie Lowy, Mrs. Sheila Kempler, and Ms. Enid Braun.     

The treatment of obsessive-compulsive neurotics by modelling and flooding in vivo

Five obsessive-compulsive patients were treated by modelling plus flooding in an attempt to replicate earlier findings with this method. The attempt succeeded and the present results are discussed in the light of the outcomes observed in the total series of 20 patients. Modelling and/or flooding produced significantly greater improvements than a relaxation (control) treatment. Improvement continued to 6 months follow-up. Ten other patients have been followed up for 2 yr so far and maintained their improvement. The magnitude of clinically-assessed change is satisfactory in most cases but some failures are noted. The search for prognostic indices was unsuccessful. Subject to reservations, we feel that the treatment method can now be used with routine cases.     

Schizophrenic tendencies and memory deficits in normals

The report tests the hypothesis that normals who exhibit schizophrenic tendencies are likely to show verbal-memory deficits of the types observed in schizophrenics. Thirty-four middle-aged men were tested using the MMPI 2–7–8 schizophrenic-tendency scales, the Sorting Consistency Task and the Physical Anhedonia Scale. The dependent variables were four memory tests selected on the basis of their known discriminating power and their relevance. The results showed the Schizophrenia (8) and Psychasthenia (7) scales of MMPI, and the Sorting Consistency Task effectively detected memory deficits in normals. When partialling out intelligence, as a measure of general current cognitive functioning, it appeared that one of the deficits reflecting encoding difficulty disappeared. This suggests that normal ‘high-risk’ subjects for schizophrenia show a ‘generalized deficit’, which affects memory in addition to a ‘differential deficit’ in retention. Though tentative, the results can be taken as an indication that ‘high-risk’ subjects indeed show memory deficits and that detecting these deficits requires relatively sensitive tools.