A case of phallic-narcissistic personality

A case of phallic-narcissistic personality is presented to demonstrate the intermingling of oedipal and narcissistic transferences and to suggest a therapeutic rationale for the analytic treatment of similar cases. The therapeutic approach to dealing with the narcissistic configurations involves: Empathic and receptive listening to the patient's material relating to and reflecting narcissistic motifs. This early objective extends only to gaining access to the detailed scope of the narcissistic material in its multiple aspects. Clarifying and identifying the relevant narcissistic configurations, both superior and inferior aspects, so that the patient becomes increasingly aware of their pervasive influence, and increasingly able to identify the respective motifs. Interpretively linking the narcissistically inferior and superior configurations into a common gestalt, so that the patient comes to understand that these opposing aspects are mutually linked, defensively interconnected, and reciprocally reinforcing. Identification and interpretation of interlocking patterns of projection and introjection, particularly as they reflect and express narcissistic configurations. Modification of patterns of projection and introjection through the medium of the ongoing interaction (partly interpretive, partly extra-interpretive) that characterizes the relationship between analyst and patient. Patient projections are thus modified and replaced by more autonomous and adaptive introjections derived from the analytic relation that facilitate the alteration of pathogenic narcissistic formations.     

Looks like a liar? Beliefs about native and non-native speakers' deception

We examined whether observers' beliefs about deception were affected by a speaker's language proficiency. Laypersons (N = 105) and police officers (N = 75) indicated which nonverbal and verbal behaviors were predictive of native versus non-native speakers' deception. In addition, they provided their beliefs about these speakers' interrogation experiences. Participants believed that native and non-native speakers would exhibit the same cues to deception. However, they did predict that non-native speakers would likely face several challenges during interrogations (e.g., longer interrogations and difficulties understanding the interrogator's questions). Police officers and laypersons also differed in their beliefs about cues to deception and interrogation experiences.     

Clinical differentiation of borderline syndromes from the psychoses

The discrimination of borderline syndromes from the psychoses is often a difficult task clinically. The problem most often arises in the acute setting in which a crisis has arisen--the typical example being that of acute hospitalization. The clinician's task is to assess the patient's apparently psychotic symptoms and behaviors to determine whether they are the manifestations of an underlying psychotic process, or whether they reflect a more or less transient regression from a somewhat higher level of habitual functioning. Some discrimination between these categories is possible even in the acute presentation, since borderline patients only exceptionally demonstrate Schneiderian first-rank symptoms or any other discriminating indices of psychosis. While the differentiation may be clear cut between the psychotic and the higher-order, better functioning borderline, there may be less precision in discriminating between the lower-order borderline forms or transient borderline states and psychoses. We have focused on this area of differentiation in this study. The discriminating indices are both short- and long-term. The differentiation cannot be adequately made without longer-term evaluation of the patient. Nonetheless, on a short-term basis, evaluation of the patient's behavior can point the diagnosis in one direction or other. The presence of a clear precipitant; the presence of intense (often verbalized) anger; the patient's attempts to engage the therapist in an intense, dependent, clinging and demanding relationship, usually in manipulative fashion; the partial, fragmentary, often circumscribed and ego-alien quality of the patient's psychotic productions; the marked tendency to act-out feelings, particularly anger, in a way that gains increased attention and concern from doctors, family, friends, or hospital staff; the persistence of some degree of reality testing and areas of significant realistic functioning; the transient nature of regressive manifestations and the ready reversal of regression in structured environments and with appropriate therapeutic management, particularly adequate limit-setting--all point toward a borderline diagnosis. Moreover, these factors carry an accumulative weight so that the more of these factors that can be validated, the more secure the diagnosis of borderline psychopathology. On a longer-term basis, beyond a few days, one would expect the above indices to be better discriminated. In addition, there is greater opportunity to study patterns of patient behavior--both his interaction with staff and other patients and with the therapist.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)