„Affektlose Zustände?“

In clinical work psychoanalysts are confronted with phenomena that are marked by affectless states and an apparent non-existence of affects. The author refers to patients who are addicted to near-death, dwell in states of confusion and inhibition in which affects are not found to be attached to thoughts, where splitting dominates and containment for fragmentation is sought. Instead of the latter it comes to pulverization and atomization and therefore to the annihilation of affects: affects seem to be unperceivable. Such phenomena allow considerations concerning the concept of the death drive. The questions are considered whether the apparent non-existence of affects is an expression of a silent death drive, what the function of these affectless states is and what the object relationship, which is expressed and communicated within these states looks like. Three concepts are taken into consideration: whether these affectless states are manifestations of a developmental state in which splitting is yet not an issue (Fairbairn), or must they be seen under a defensive aspect as a protection against persecutory tantalizing affects (Klein), or are these states the pure manifestations of the death drive (Green). By means of a clinical vignette of a patient suffering from an inhibition of thought processes, an inability to work on the basis of a borderline pathology and treated with high-frequency psychoanalysis, the phenomenon of ?affectless states“ is elaborated on the basis of the three aforementioned theoretical concepts and the dynamic unconscious fantasy associated with these seemingly affectless states is discussed.     

Der ästhetische Eindruck als Funktion der „objektiven“ und „phänomenalen“ Komplexität von Bildern

Zusammenfassung Es wird von der Annahme ausgegangen, daß die häufig gefundene verkehrt u-förmige Beziehung zwischen der objektiven Komplexität (syntaktischen Information) von Reizkonfigurationen und dem Grad des durch sie ausgelösten Wohlgefallens durch eine Variable phänomenale Komplexität vermittelt wird, die ihrerseits von der Schwierigkeit einer zentralen Codierung (kognitiven Repräsentation) der Reizgrundlage abhängt. Der Zusammenhang zwischen objektiver und phänomenaler Komplexität wird als verkehrt u-förmig, die Beziehung zwischen phänomenaler Komplexität und Wohlgefallen hingegen als monoton angenommen.Um den Grad der phänomenalen Komplexität zweidimensionaler visueller Bildmuster unabhängig von evaluativen Einflüssen schätzen zu können, wurde folgende Technik angewendet: Alle nach den Merkmalen Rasterfeinheit, Farbanzahl und Verteilung der Farbhäufigkeiten variierten konstruierten Rasterbilder wurden in standardisierte Einzelteile zerschnitten. Die Versuchspersonen erhielten die Aufgabe, jedes Bild nach Art eines Puzzles aus den Einzelteilen zu rekonstruieren. Als Indikator der phänomenalen Komplexität wurde die Rekonstruktionszeit herangezogen.Die gefundenen Beziehungen zwischen objektiver Komplexität, subjektiver Komplexität und Wohlgefallen entsprechen — zumindest im untersuchten Komplexitätsbereich — der oben angeführten Hypothese.

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The esthetic impression as a function of the objective and phenomenal complexity of pictures

Summary Previous studies frequently revealed an inverted u-shaped relation between objective complexity (syntactic information) and the degree of judged pleasingness of stimulus configurations. The study presented here rests on the hypothesis that this relation is mediated by a variable phenomenal complexity which depends on the difficulty of encoding the configuration perceptually. It is hypothesized that the relation between objective and phenomenal complexity is inverted u-shaped, whereas the relation between phenomenal complexity and pleasingness is monotonic.To get an estimate of the phenomenal complexity of two-dimensional visual patterns which is independent of evaluation effects the following technique was used: Each of the pattern was presented to the Ss in form of a puzzle and had to be reconstructed by aid of the original pattern. Patterns were generated on n × n-matrices with varying n, varying number of colors and varying distribution of color frequencies. As an indicator of phenomenal complexity the time needed to reconstruct the original pattern was used.The relations between objective complexity, phenomenal complexity and evaluation conformed quite well to the assumptions cited above — at least within the range of objective complexity investigated.

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Frau cand. phil. Andrea Werner danke ich für ihre wertvolle Hilfe bei der Durchführung und Auswertung der Versuche.     

Amodale Ergänzung und „Erwartungsfehler“ des Gestaltpsychologen

Zusammenfassung Der Fehler des Gestaltpsychologen wird durch das Erstaunen enthüllt, das von einem gestaltpsychologisch orientierten Forscher empfunden wird, wenn eine gewisse Erscheinung den Erwartungen nicht entspricht, die eine schematische Anwendung des Gestaltprinzips hervorrufen würde. Einige Beispiele, in denen ein solcher Fehler in klarer Weise erscheint, werden angegeben und besprochen. Es werden noch einige Bemerkungen über manche Bedingungen und Folgen der amodalen Ergänzung hinzugefügt.

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Amodal totalization and the Gestalt-Error

Summary The gestalt-expectation-error consists in the surprise felt by a gestalt oriented student of perception, when a perceptual phenomenon does not correspond to the expectations raised by a schematic application of gestalt laws. Some examples of such expectation-errors are presented and discussed. A few remarks on the conditions and the effects of amodal completion phenomena are added.

     

„Neglekt“ bei der Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-und-Hyperaktivitäts-Störung

They say he is an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) child. He cannot engage in anything and cannot even play as normal. At home fierce and very loud power struggles are frequent. He has no friends, mostly he is sitting alone before his computer and he has no other interests. He suffers from sleep disturbances, he sleeps only with the light on, he comes often into the bed of the parents, where he makes a fuss. What does this child have? Is he only ill-bred? Is he anxious – at school or at home? Does he suffer from separation? Or is it a matter of a genetic development problem? The strange phenomenon of “neglect” is traced here in connection with the diagnosis of an ADHD. Lopsided considerations are implicitly connected with this disorder and entice to neglect the developmental disorder in its real cognitive and somatic complexity. In a critical review of biomedical and psychodynamical models, it becomes apparent that newer concepts and results in research are, beside further illuminating this disorder, also helpful for the therapy of these children. Finally, a detailed discussion of the specificities of a psychodynamic developmental therapy follows.     

Einsatz von „virtuellen Realitäten“ in der Psychotherapie

The internet, as well as various mobile media (e.g. cellular phones, handhelds, mobile paddles) have proven very useful in supporting psychotherapeutic measures in various projects. Virtual reality technologies (VR) take technical as well as intervention possibilities a step further. They enable the creation of computer-based models of the real world, with which interaction via the human-machine interface is enabled. The three-dimensional and interactively explorable environment is predominately used for exposure treatment in the behavior therapy setting. The features of VR applications are utilized as a medium between imagined and in vivo confrontation. This article illustrates various applications and compiles findings regarding effectiveness. It is concluded that the exposure treatments using this technology for various described phobias have proven effective. The use of VR for treatment of other psychological illnesses, however, for example trauma disorders, as was demonstrated in the study at hand, is viewed very critically. Finally, research necessities are indicated and psychodynamic facets of VR are discussed.     

„Bluttaten“ und „schizophrene Politik“

Background

The role of printed media in the maintenance of stigmatization has been a subject of debate for several years now. As for stigmatization of schizophrenia, previous research has frequently focused on stereotypes in newspaper articles and the metaphoric use of the word “schizophrenic” for something contradictory, aloof or ridiculous.

Aim

The objective of this study was to quantify the frequency of stigmatizing articles with regard to the specific type of stigmatizing content in German broadsheets and tabloids.

Material and methods

A total of 391 articles extracted from the entirety of all issues of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Spiegel, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the tabloid BILD from 2011 were content-analyzed for stereotypes, false statements and metaphoric use of schizophrenia.

Results

Stigmatizing elements were prevalent in each newspaper (40.4–66.7?%). Among broadsheets the metaphoric use constituted the predominant form of stigmatization, whereas depictions of persons with schizophrenia as dangerous and unpredictable prevailed in the tabloid BILD.

Conclusion

Metaphoric use and blatant discrimination are still highly prevalent in German newspapers. While metaphoric use may be stopped by renaming the disorder schizophrenia, further efforts are needed to raise awareness for and ultimately prevent the reification of stereotypes in printed media.     

Was sagen „objektive“ Messverfahren über Sexualstraftäter?

A great deal of effort has been made to use so-called objective measurements in men convicted of child sexual abuse in recent years. The aim of using these procedures is to measure sexual preference for children more effectively while being less vulnerable for deception and to add information to subjective reports. In this paper it was investigated why research activities in this area have increased and what so-called “objective” measurements can reveal about sexual offenders. This article will discuss possible pros and cons of the use of such procedures for forensic court reports or in the context of therapy in a forensic setting.     

„FreiRaum“

Zusammenfassung  Ein Blick in die kunsttherapeutische Praxis und Theorie ergibt weiterhin — nach einer vieljährigen Entwicklungs- und Etablierungsgeschichte in unterschiedlichsten Praxisfeldern in Deutschland — ein sehr buntes und vielfältiges Bild. Diese Vielfalt bezieht sich auf die Vorgehensweisen, die Arbeitsfelder und die zugrunde liegenden Theorien. Sie birgt viele Chancen eines individuellen Freiraums und macht die Kunsttherapie zu einem wertvollen Teil des therapeutischen Angebots in Medizin, Psychotherapie und Pädagogik. Gleichzeitig erschwert die Vielfalt den Versuch einer systematischen Erfassung der verschiedenen Facetten. Unser Augenmerk bei der Sichtung wichtiger Grundorientierungen und Konzepte von Kunsttherapie liegt dabei besonders auf den Potentialen der bildenden Kunst in der therapeutischen Beziehung.

„Intention to treat“ oder „treatment as received“ – Umgang mit Abbrechern in der Forschung zur Straftäterbehandlung

Lack of internal validity is a frequent problem in evaluation studies of offender treatment, as randomized controlled trials are difficult to implement and comparison groups in quasi-experimental studies are often not completely equivalent. Special matching procedures or statistical control of selection bias by using potentially interfering variables as covariates can provide a solution to some of these problems; however, a high dropout rate from offender treatment programs presents another problem, as the variables that cause attrition are often risk factors for reoffending. It is argued that a treatment-as-received (TR) approach which compares treatment completers with the comparison group may confound genuine treatment effects with selection effects. Particularly high recidivism rates in dropouts may be due to negative effects of attrition (e.g. stigmatization) but may more likely reflect a higher a priori risk for reoffending. Using data from some recent treatment studies, the authors show that alleged positive effects often disappear when a more adequate intention-to-treat (ITT) approach is used in which dropouts are retained in the treatment sample.     

„Homo ambivalens“

For many individuals, under the present social conditions the processes of constituting, developing and articulating the self, i.e. a dynamic personal identity, imply experience of ambivalences. The reference to ambivalences is also an important topic in the social diagnostics of a “globalized postmodernity” and its contradictions. Psychotherapy has accumulated a rich stock of knowledge about the analysis of ambivalences and ways to deal with them. This wisdom can be used to stimulate the repeatedly claimed interdisciplinary discourses between psychotherapy and social, cultural and biological sciences. For this purpose a concept of human nature (“Menschenbild”), labelled “homo ambivalens” is proposed. This concept is to be thought of as a general heuristic orientation. It postulates not only the ability of human beings to experience and reflect ambivalences but also to judge them in an ambivalent way, namely as disturbances and burdens as well as possibilities for openness, creativity and freedom.     

Projekt „Brisant“

Die hier vorgestellte Ma?nahme versucht die Lücke zwischen station?rer Entw?hnungsbehandlung und dem beruflichen (Wieder-)Einstieg zu schlie?en. Gerade nach der Entlassung kommt es innerhalb der ersten drei Monate h?ufig zu Rückf?llen. Grund dafür ist unter anderem der Umstand, dass viele Verhaltens- und Denkweisen erstmals seit langer Zeit nüchtern und in abstinentem Zustand ausgehalten werden müssen. In dieser hoch sensiblen Phase ist es daher verst?ndlich, dass viele Patienten verunsichert und nicht ausreichend stabilisiert sind für die Herausforderungen der Arbeitswelt beziehungsweise der aktiven Jobsuche.     

Diagnose „Gesundheit“

In the early days of psychotherapy diagnoses were seen as unnecessary and even not helpful. After psychotherapy has become a method of medical treatment diagnoses are necessary in order to justify reimbursement of treatment by health insurance. Diagnoses are also useful to guide treatment, help communication between professionals and morbidity statistics. Diagnoses can have negative effects, such as simplification of complex problems, aggravation of normal life experiences or stigmatization and labelling. Therefore, diagnoses should be made when a person is suffering from an illness in order to avoid underrecognition and undertreatment. Similarly, the diagnosis “healthy” is important when no disease is present but only a normal problem in everyday life. To say that a person is healthy is an important and difficult task in all areas in medicine. Therapists must not only know the criteria for illnesses but also those for the spectrum of healthy problems in normal life. This can be done when the psychopathological assessment is professionally precise and makes a differentiation between signs of illness and other negative feelings. Also, normal life events must not be directly translated into illness states. Furthermore, therapists must be aware of their diagnostic preferences and bias. In the training of psychotherapists recognition of healthy states should get as much attention as the diagnosis of illnesses.     

„Insightfulness Assessment“

In this article a new method of Oppenheim and Koren-Karie (2002) is presented for the assessment of the insightfulness of parents regarding their children’s inner world. Parental insightfulness involves the capacity to see things from the child’s point of view, and is based on a) insight into the child’s motives, b) a complex view of the child and c) openness to new information about the child. Insightfulness is seen as the capacity underlying sensitive and positive parenting and providing the context for secure child-parent attachment. In the assessment of insightfulness parents view video segments of their interactions with their children and are subsequently interviewed regarding their children’s and their own thoughts and feelings during the segments. Interviews are transcribed, rated in 10 scales and subsequently classified into 1 of 4 groups. The first of the four groups indicates insightfulness while the remaining three indicate a lack of insightfulness.     

Die „Seelenkulturrevolution“

In this paper the work of the author as a psychoanalytic training therapist and supervisor at a counselling centre in a Chinese metropolis will be described. In the first part her experiences with adults of the age cohort 25–35 years will be described, the second generation after the Cultural Revolution. Special attention is devoted to biographically relevant life stages such as childhood, education and marriage in a transient society between a system of traditional Confucian values and that of the new capitalism. The second part of the paper focuses on culture-specific characteristics of a collectivist society from a psychoanalytic perspective, such as setting limits, saving face, empathy, transference and sexuality.     

„Peak Oil“

Scientific prognoses augur the advent of “Peak Oil”, or maximum possible global oil production, in our time. After this maximum, production rates will begin to drop due to increasing capillary pressure in rock deposits, and new discoveries will be unable to compensate for the additive drop in production rates. At the same time, a global increase in energy consumption is also predicted. It is to be expected that the discrepancy between production and demand (heat, mobility, oil-based chemicals) will lead to political destabilisation not only between the “industrial” and “developing” nations, but also in democratic systems. Like the biblical “mene tekel”, “Peak Oil” may be interpreted psychoanalytically as another ecological omen which should arouse civilization to ward off coming disaster. Up to now, psychoanalysts have dealt only sparingly with this perspective. The wake-up call of scientists and publicists in the media has prompted little reaction among consumers and decision-makers. Instead, utopian and/or apocalyptic visions of the future are the order of the day. In correspondence with the Airbus motto: “We must use the air to preserve the earth”, a project of the Max Planck Society is working on “flying automobiles”. In view of these phenomena, our paper presents for discussion the hypothesis of a collective manic denial with splitting of the ego. We try here to limit psychoanalytic speculations with a clinical vignette. It may be asked to what extent the psychoanalytic method – in matters of ecological reality – runs the risk today of entering into collusion with the above-mentioned collective denial, instead of working through it lege artis on the basis of the reality principle.