Changes in identity and self-organization in psychotherapy of multiple personality disorder.

Studied change in client identity and self-organization during the treatment of a 38-yr-old man with multiple personality disorder. Assessment measures were administered to the host personality and 2 secondary personalities before and after 12 wks of intensive treatment. Measures included the MMPI and the Bell Object Relations Reality Testing Inventory (BORRTI). Therapy focused on the posttraumatic aspects of the patient's early childhood sexual abuse. A cognitive-affective approach combined psychoanalytically informed psychotherapy with abreactive-hypnotic work for recovering and reexamining traumatic memories. A greater degree of intrapsychic awareness and interpersonal sensitivity was suggested by changes in BORRTI ratings. The magnitude of observed changes in self-organization was substantial. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dynamic factors in patient assessment and prediction of change in short-term dynamic psychotherapy.

Assessed 25 outpatients via the Rorschach assessment prior to short-term, dynamic therapy to see whether patient characteristics would predict outcome in intrapsychic organization, as measured with L. S. Benjamin's (see record 1975-02991-001) Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB). SASB and other outcome measures were administered after termination of psychodynamic therapy. Findings show good predictive value of the Rorschach developmental dimensions Differentiation and Articulation in predicting an Introject change outcome index. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Whatever happened to psychology as a science of behavior?": Comment.

Comments that there are some fundamental misunderstandings in B. F. Skinner (see record 1988-00027-001). According to the author, Skinner seems to think that there is something inherently objective about behavioral data. The author notes that behavior is subject to interpretation, inference, and bias in conceptualization and measurement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interpersonal complementarity and appeasement in relationships with initiators of childhood psychosocial trauma.

Childhood psychosocial trauma (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse) influences perceptions and expectations about interpersonal relations. This study tests the hypothesis that these influences can be assessed through measurement of interpersonal complementarity. Self-reports of perceptions of relationships with childhood abuse initiators are examined for a clinical sample of 20 dissociative disorder patients (aged 19–52 yrs) using Structural Analysis of Social Behavior. Patient ratings of their relationships with abuse initiators showed marked deviations from complementarity. Substantial appeasement of the abuser was also indicated in the ratings. Implications for psychotherapy of abuse victims are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Identity and introject in dissociative disorders.

The structural analysis of social behavior (SASB) shows promise for systematically examining identity issues in clinical populations. In this study, identity is assessed with the SASB in a sample of women with dissociative disorder (n?=?25) and a nonpatient clinical contrast group (n?=?25). The SASB Introject—a multivariate measure of identity—effectively differentiated the 2 samples. Despite greater self-directed hostility than the clinical contrast group, dissociative disorder patients showed lower levels of intrapsychic conflict. Implications for further research on identity and psychopathology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between the Rorschach and assessment of the capacity to engage in short-term dynamic psychotherapy.

Administered the Rorschach and a capacity-for-dynamic-process scale to 42 adults (aged 18–65 yrs) in short-term psychotherapy. A 5-variable stepwise regression model demonstrated a strong association between personality attributes assessed through the Rorschach and judgments of Ss' potential for engaging in dynamic psychotherapy. Common factors from Rorschach protocols were organizational activity, deviant responses, and experience potential. Texture and lambda were unique predictor variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of personality disorder descriptions.

A study of 14 abnormal psychology textbooks suggests that such textbooks present very little information on personality disorders. Antisocial personality disorder was the most thoroughly covered disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)