Theory-practice contradiction in therapy-relevant psychodiagnosis

In the contribution the recent situation of the therapy-important psychodiagnostic is discribed as characterized through a contradiction. On one hand there's an substantial pressure for an effective treatment, on the other hand we have only a few well developed theoretical models and practical instruments. Three empirical questions in the experience of conflicts are investigated: First the rather few percentage of conscious conflicts as consequence of the substantial unconsciousness from central motives; second the still relative abstract definition of needs, and third problems in diagnostic of the so called personality strukture'. The article is closed with a discussion of some new possibilities of a action-related diagnostic of conflicts and motives.     

The role of the face in human emotion: first system or one of many?

Evidence relating to the hypothesis on facial feedback which ties the experience of discrete emotions to feedback from innately patterned facial expressions is discussed. Strong evidence is deduced for a more general form of the hypothesis, but the requirements of necessity and sufficiency representing the strictest form are only satisfied within narrow limits of experimental manipulations which are not common to all investigations. Evidence is deemed to support a relationship between facial expression and emotion, but facial expression is regarded as one of many systems and cannot be assigned an exclusive role (either as first system or as necessary system).     

Exner's Four Square: useful index in appraisal of learning disability?

Rorschach protocols, focusing on Exner's Four Square, were obtained for 14 boys who had been referred for a second opinion following an initial diagnosis as learning disabled. The findings indicated wide diversity, suggesting that a significant proportion of students manifest fundamental problems which are not essentially cognitive in nature. For these students, traditional psychoeducational decisions may be inappropriate and unproductive.