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.     

Revitalizing Academic Advisement

Academic advisement has traditionally been thought of as limited to such routine functions as course registration and academic record-keeping. Advisement, however, should be redefined so that developmental functions are central. It would then perform a much-needed service in higher education, for students need assistance in planning academic programs and integrating academic, career, and life goals. Faculty and advisors will need to learn some unaccustomed roles (counselor, advocate, and guardian) as well as some new skills. With appropriate support, however, acceptance of developmental advising will be possible.     

Concurrent validity of Holland's theory for college degreed working women

The study was designed to explore two areas: (1) the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed college degreed women using two different operational definitions (Vocational Preference Inventory and the Self-Directed Search) of vocational orientation; and (2) the relationships among same named scales across the VPI and the SDS. Concurrent validity was studied by administering the VPI and the SDS to 179 women workers in occupational environments consistent with Holland's six vocational environments. In general, the findings indicate that the VPI and SDS scales tend to effectively discriminate among the occupational groups consistent with Holland's theoretical framework. In addition, the correlation coefficients for same named scales for the two inventories were all found to be significant. In sum, the results of the study lend some support to the concurrent validity of Holland's theory for employed college degreed women.