Primary process thinking and anxiety in children

The relationship between primary process thinking and two measures of anxiety was investigated in fourth- and fifth-grade children. Holt's Scoring System for Primary Process Responses on the Rorschach was the measure of primary process thinking. The major hypotheses were supported for boys in that frequency of expression of primary process material was positively related to behavioral manifestations of anxiety as measured by the Teacher's Rating Scale. Also, controlled access to and integration of primary process was negatively related to teacher's ratings of anxiety. There were no significant results for girls. Primary process measures were not related to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. Possible reasons for the different relationships between the primary process measures and the anxiety measures are discussed.     

Effects of Salience of Consciousness-Raising Information on Perceptions of Acquaintance versus Stranger Rape

In the present study the effects of salience of consciousness-raising information on the perception of acquaintance vs. stranger rape were focused on. One half of the subjects were exposed to information which emphasized the inappropriateness of sexual inequality (salient condition), while the other half were exposed to no such information (nonsalient condition). Subsequently, subjects read a passage which depicted an acquaintance rape or a stranger rape. The results indicated that those subjects in the salient condition perceived the victim more favorable and reported a lesser likelihood to commit rape (male subjects) than those in the nonsalient condition. Additionally, those in the stranger rape condition perceived the victim more favorably and reported a lesser likelihood of committing rape (male subjects) than those in the acquaintance rape condition. Finally, there was a significant interaction between salience and type of rape. To amplify, when subjects read the stranger rape passage, perceptions did not vary as a function of salience. On the other hand, when subjects read the acquaintance rape passage, those in the salient condition perceived the victim more favoraby and reported a lesser likelihood of committing rape than those in the nonsalient condition.     

Relationships among affect in play, interpersonal themes in fantasy, and children's interpersonal behavior

Relationships among children's affective expression in fantasy play, interpersonal themes in projective stories, and concurrent interpersonal behaviors were investigated in 49 children. Participants completed a play task, a projective storytelling task, and a brief IQ measure. Peer and teacher ratings provided measures of interpersonal functioning. Results found that access to and comfort with affect is related to the ability to think in interpersonal ways. Neither affective expression in play nor interpersonal themes in projective stories were related to actual interpersonal behavior.     

Adaptive regression and types of cognitive flexibility

The relationship between adaptive regression and cognitive flexibility was explored in a group of 42 college students. Adaptive regression was measured with the Holt scoring system for the Rorschach. One type of cognitive flexibility was measured by Guilford's tests of divergent production (Word Fluency, Associational Fluency, and Alternate Uses) and a second type by Mednick's Remote Associates Test. Adaptive regression was found to be significantly positively related to the Remote Associates Test in males but not in females. Adaptive regression was found to be unrelated to divergent production tests. These relationships were not found to be mediated by Rorschach productivity or verbal intelligence. A two-stage process was proposed to account for the cognitive operations underlying adaptive regression and the Remote Associates Test. The first stage is seen as a generative (primary process) stage, while the second stage is seen as an evaluative (secondary process) stage. Possible reasons for sex differences were also discussed.     

Primary process integration on the Rorschach and achievement in children: a follow-up study

The purpose of the present study was to follow-up children who had participated in a previous study which investigated the relationship between primary process integration and achievement. The major hypothesis of this follow-up study was supported in that Adaptive Regression (Holt's primary process integration measure on the Rorschach) was significantly positively related to reading achievement (r = .52, p < .001) and to overall achievement (r = .49) in third-grade children. These relationships remained significant when IQ was partialed out. Second-grade AR scores were significantly predictive of third-grade reading (r = .29, p < .05). The correlations between third-grade AR scores and achievement are similar in magnitude to second-grade correlations between these variables. This finding points to the consistency of the relationship between primary process integration and achievement over a one-year period.     

The role of the psychologist expert witness: Provider of perspective and input

The definition and role of the expert witness is reviewed. Two conceptual systems for viewing the world, the scientific method and the adversarial system, are compared. The reconciliation and integration of these two discrepant systems are discussed in terms of input versus outcome. The rules of evidence, as well as problems of communication between the systems, are reviewed with the aim of providing expert witnesses with a better understanding of effective testimony. Finally, collaboration between the two systems is called for in order to provide guidelines for both neuropsychologists and attorneys.     

Sex differences in primary process thinking and flexibility in problem-solving in children

The relationship between primary process thinking and flexibility in problem-solving was investigated. Specifically, it was hypothesized from psychodynamic theory that primary process integration on the Rorschach (Holt's scoring system) would be positively related to the capacity to shift problem-solving strategies on the Luchins' water-jar test. The Rorschach and water-jar test were individually administered to 47 third grade children. The hypothesis was confirmed for boys in that the Adaptive Regression score on the Rorschach was significantly related to performance on Luchins' water-jar test (r = .64, df = 16, p < .01). This relationship remained significant when IQ was partialed out (r = .59, df = 16, p < .01). There was no relationship between primary process integration and flexibility in problem solving for girls (r = .02, df = 26, NS). These results and sex differences were replicated with a second sample of children. Consistent sex differences also were found in the amount of primary process material expressed. Girls showed a significantly smaller percentage of primary process material than boys. Primary process integration was also related to Iowa test achievement scores, independent of IQ. This finding is consistent with previous studies.