Activism and Powerful Others: Distinctions within the Concept of Internal-External Control

Some studies report that activists are Internals, while others claim they are Externals, holding a belief in chance, fate, and powerful others. Three new scales were constructed in order to measure belief in chance (C) as separate from expectancy for control by powerful others (P), and perceived mastery over one's personal life (I). Two studies are reported. (1.) As predicted, responses from 96 adults indicated that only a belief in chance was differentially related to involvement and information on anti-pollution activities. (2.) In factor analyzing the responses of 329 college males to the 24 items of the new scales, three main factors were identified — I, P, and C. The validity and usefulness of the tripartite division in clarifying past findings regarding the multidimensionality of I-E were discussed.     

Existential Assessment

Present day psychological assessment stems from a philosophy of sicence that values objectivity but fails to comprehend the existence of the person being evaluated. A humanistic-existential model shifts the focus from omnipotence to encounter and encourages client responsibility. The vehicle for this conceptualization is the nature and meaning of the encounter between clinician and client. New questions are posed for the assessor by altering the assessment goals, the stance toward interpretation, and the criterion for validation.     

Body Image Alterations in Adults Due to Cerebrovascular Insufficiency

Changes in body image boundary were investigated in eighty-one patients with cerebrovascular insufficiency having varying degrees and sites of impairment. Barrier and Penetration scores were derived from the Rorschach according to the Fisher and Cleveland technique and were correlated with several indices of impairment and analyzed for changes over a two year period. Penetration scores were associated with three measures of intellectual ability. Barrier scores were correlated with verbal ability and vertebrobasilar angiogram. Barrier changed over time with a quadratic trend while Penetration did not change.     

Some Personality Correlates of the Conjugate Lateral Eye-Movement Phenomenon

One can observe, in many Ss, relatively consistent, unidirectional, conjugate lateral eye movements (CLEM) occuring in relation to reflective thought. Some studies have suggested an affinity between CLEM catagories (Right Lookers, Left Lookers) and catagories in other personality typologies (e.g., William James). An attempt was made to test this notion and determine cognitive and perceptual correlates of CLEM, employing the Rorschach. Hypotheses predicted a diffuse, “tender-minded” cognition for Left Lookers and a focused “tough-mindedness” for Right Lookers. Results were marginal for all instruments with the exception that sample extremes differed in Form-level and organization.     

Some Developmental Aspects of Primary Process Manifestations in the Rorschach

A group of 27 male subjects were administered the Rorschach at ages 14 and 24. The protocols were scored for the main categories of the Holt Primary Process scoring system. A comparison of the two age groups indicates that at age 24 there is a decrease in the percentage of primary process responses and an increase in “adaptive regression.” Individual differences for all the primary process scoring categories remained highly consistent for the 10-year period spanned by the data. Adaptive regression was found to be significantly correlated with IQ, field independence (RFT), and Rorschach ratings of intellectualization at both ages. The results were viewed as suggesting that primary process manifestations on the Rorschach seem to be mediated by stable aspects of an individual's cognitive abilities and cognitive style.     

A Comparison of Rorschach Records of Three Multiple Personalities

Inter- and intra-protocol comparisons among the Rorschachs of three authenticated cases of multiple personality were presented. The original or primary personalities seemed reasonably complex but, as successive personalities emerged, a definite tendency toward simplification was noted. A theoretical explanation for this phenomenon was advanced.     

In Honor of Sex Roles: Reflections on the History and Development of the Journal

This article celebrates 35 years of Sex Roles’ contributions to research and other scholarship about gender. It begins with a reminder of what academia was like prior to the rise of second-wave feminism and shows how Sex Roles contributed to changing that androcentric climate. The article describes the founding of the journal and traces its growth and development, including its internationalization. Trends in the research topics reported in its pages are reviewed; assessment measures that debuted in Sex Roles, topics of special issues of the journal, and names of all of those who served on the editorial board over the years are mentioned. The article closes with speculation about the journal’s future.     

The Role of Attachment Style in Predicting Repetition of Adolescent Self‐Harm: A Longitudinal Study

This study investigated whether insecure attachment is associated with poorer outcomes at 6‐month follow‐up in adolescents who self‐harm. At baseline the Child Attachment Interview was administered to 52 adolescents (13‐17 years) referred to specialist child and adolescent mental health services and with a recent history of self‐harm. Participants also completed self‐report measures of self‐harm, peer attachment, anxiety, and depression and were administered the means end problem‐solving task. Self‐harm behavior and problem‐solving skills were assessed again at 6‐month follow‐up. At baseline, 14 (27%) were securely attached to their mothers. In the 49 (94%) adolescents followed‐up, those with insecure maternal attachment and insecure peer attachment were more likely to have repeated self‐harm. In addition, securely attached adolescents showed greater improvement in problem‐solving skills. These findings indicate that secure maternal and peer attachments may help recovery from self‐harm, possibly by supporting the acquisition of problem‐solving skills, and highlights the importance of social connections and attachments for youth with a history of self‐harm.     

My Psychoanalytic Journey

In this article I describe the evolution of my psychoanalytic thought and my current perspective of psychoanalysis, after almost a half century of professional practice. For the most part, three ideas have guided this evolution: (1) considering the patient’s mind as the major source of knowledge; (2) my firm belief that the patient–analyst dialogue, taken from the Gadamerian point of view, is the best way to have access to the patient’s mind and also to that of the analyst himself; and (3) the notion that the mind constitutes an open, dynamic, and nonlinear system in constant interaction with the environment that surrounds it. In my writings, I have tried to show that the therapeutic action in the psychoanalytic process is formed by the therapist–patient interaction. I also propose that psychoanalysis must endeavor to be a social therapy, even as it treats individuals, and go beyond what is purely instinctual so as to emphasize what is particular to human beings and sets us apart from the other animal species.