Attitudes toward Self in Suicidal Individuals*

ABSTRACT: Attitudes toward the self and other people were gathered from suicidal, psychosomatic, and normal hospitalized patients via semantic differential ratings. The data were analyzed by comparing the ratings of “Myself” and “Other People” (and their divergencies) made by the three groups of subjects on the Evaluative, Activity, and Potency factors of the semantic differential. It was found that the suicidal individuals had the (a) lowest self-appraisal, (b) highest other appraisal, and (c) greatest self-other divergency among the three groups. The effect was found to be greatest on the Potency factor giving rise to the speculations that feelings of impotency may be extremely critical for the production of suicidal activity.