Self in which relation?

Comments on S. Guisinger and S. J. Blatt's (see record 1994-25035-001) evolutionary solution to integrate egocentric and sociocentric directions of ontogenetic development. Furth focuses on the phrase "self-in-relation" as referred to in Guisinger and Blatt's claim that there is evidence to accept an innate tendency toward self-in-separation and toward self-in-relation and that these tendencies have been selected for the evolutionary advantage this dialectic attains in modern humans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Polarities of experience: Relatedness and self-definition in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process and Relatedness, self-definition and mental representation: Essays in honor of Sidney J. Blatt.

Reviews the books, Polarities of experience: Relatedness and self-definition in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process by Sidney J. Blatt (see record 2008-01813-000) and Relatedness, self-definition and mental representation: Essays in honor of Sidney J. Blatt edited by John S. Auerbach, Kenneth N. Levy, and Carrie E. Schaffer (2005). These two volumes present a most impressive and fitting capstone to Sidney Blatt’s very productive lifetime of almost unmatched threefold integration of (a) clinical experience, beginning with his astute observation of the strikingly different thematic preoccupations of two otherwise very similarly depressed patients whom Blatt was analyzing during his psychoanalytic training; (b) the theoretic conceptualization stemming from these clinical observations, which became the basic fabric of his lifetime major addition to our psychological explanatory universe; and (c) the painstaking systematic empirical data gathering, together with the creation of necessary—and truly appropriate—measures and instruments that, in ensemble, provide such strong data-based support for Blatt’s clinically inspired theoretic harvesting. In the book Polarities of experience: Relatedness and self-definition in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process, Blatt draws upon a vast literature review of his own work with his collaborating authors—as well as a seemingly exhaustive list of contributors in all the linked and related areas. Blatt has organized his volume sequentially (after defining and describing his fundamental polarity of experience) into three logically following sections on personality development, personality organization and psychopathology, and lastly, the therapeutic process. Relatedness, self-definition and mental representation: Essays in honor of Sidney J. Blatt is put together by three of Blatt’s former students, and now collaborating partners, although published 3 years earlier (2005), is best read as a supplement to, and a complement of, Blatt’s own account. There are 18 chapters, about half of them by Blatt’s former students who became working colleagues, and they are all well represented in Blatt’s own volume as well as having ample references to papers by, and with, Blatt in their own chapters here (anywhere from a dozen references to their work together, and on up, per chapter). The other half are by eminent colleagues, at Yale University and elsewhere, contemporaries of Blatt, with shared or related interests, and some of their chapters are based on that shared interest, though usually approached from a differing perspective, and some are expositions of their own work, with only tangentially shared themes. This half is a set of most distinguished psychological colleagues, all joined in paying tribute to their admired colleague. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subtyping major depression: A taxometric analysis.

Taxometric procedures were used to test claims for the content and latent structure of 5 proposed subtypes of major depression: an endogenous form, sociotropic and autonomous forms proposed by A. T. Beck (1983), a self-critical form proposed by S. J. Blatt (e.g., S. J. Blatt and E. Homann; see record 1992-23621-001), and a hopelessness form proposed by L. Y. Abramson et al (1989). Analysis of self-reported symptom and personality profiles of 531 consecutively admitted outpatients with a primary major depressive diagnosis sought to determine whether the clinical features proposed by the respective accounts systematically covary; which features are central to the respective latent structures; and whether these structures are discrete or continuous. Clear evidence for discreteness was found only for the endogenous subtype. The other proposed forms lacked internal coherence or were more consistent with a continuous or dimensional account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Convergences among psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioral theories of depression.

Discusses 2 types of depression based on disruptions of (1) interpersonal relatedness or (2) self-esteem, and considers the nature, etiology, and treatment of depression based on the phenomenology of the issues that cause individuals to become depressed. The interpersonal perspective of S. Arieti and J. Bemporad (1980), the object relations perspective of J. Bowlby (see record 1988-16459-001), and the psychoanalytic ego psychology and cognitive developmental theory perspective of S. J. Blatt (1992) are compared and contrasted with each other and with the cognitive-behavioral perspective of A. T. Beck (1983). Areas of agreement and differences among these 4 theoretical positions are discussed in terms of their implications for treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation of therapeutic alliance and perfectionism to outcome in brief outpatient treatment of depression.

Prior analyses of the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program demonstrated that perfectionism was negatively related to outcome, whereas both the patient's perception of the quality of the therapeutic relationship and the patient contribution to the therapeutic alliance were positively related to outcome across treatment conditions (S. J. Blatt et al, see record 1996-02770-018; J. L. Krupnick et al, see record 1996-05271-014). New analyses examining the relations among perfectionism, perceived relationship quality, and the therapeutic alliance demonstrated that (a) the patient contribution to the alliance and the perceived quality of the therapeutic relationship were independent predictors of outcome, (b) perfectionistic patients showed smaller increases in the Patient Alliance factor over the course of treatment, and (c) the negative relation between perfectionism and outcome was explained (mediated) by perfectionistic patients' failure to develop stronger therapeutic alliances. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Polarities of experience: Relatedness and self-definition in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process.

Reviews the book, Polarities of experience: Relatedness and self-definition in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process by Sidney J. Blatt (see record 2008-01813-000). In this book, Blatt sets forth a model of personality and psychopathology that is unique in its systematic, multifaceted attempt to understand a person’s dynamic experiences. The model, which is framed by psychoanalytic theory and practice, also includes forays into cognitive–emotional development, social theory, and culture. The qualitative and quantitative examination of the model relies on observations and methods used in personality assessment, as well as in treatment process–outcome research. The combination of a complex and nuanced model, with a seemingly endless field of data to support it, contributes to this successful work. The book is centered on the idea that self-definition and interpersonal relatedness are essential interacting dimensions of a person’s experience. It offers a sweeping and systematic model of dynamic interactions between self and other, as they appear in personality development and organization, in psychopathology, and in treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality Organizations, Psychiatric Severity, and Self and Object Representations.

This study examined the hypothesis that psychotic, borderline, and neurotic personality organizations (POs) present a progressive differentiation between self and object representations and an increasing integration of their bad and good aspects. Fifty patients participated in the study. Measures included scales of self and object representations (S. J. Blatt, S. A. Bers, & C. E. Schaffer, 1993; S. J. Blatt, H. Wiseman, E. Prince-Gibson, & C. Gatt, 1991), as well as the Personality Organization Diagnostic Form (L. Diguer & L. Normandin, 1997) and estimations of psychiatric severity. Results showed that PO groups differed in terms of the integration of the object and its valence. It was also observed that although object and self representations were closely intertwined, the latter showed more discrimination between POs than the former. Psychiatric severity was shown to correlate more with object representations than self representations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotic patterns of the concept of the object on the Rorschach test.

An object concept scoring system developed by S. Blatt et al (see record 1976-29990-001) was applied to Rorschach tests obtained from 67 psychotic and 18 nonpsychotic patients aged 18–55 yrs. The psychotics were diagnosed across 3 dimensions: schizophrenia, premorbid functioning, and paranoia. Psychotics, compared to nonpsychotics, showed higher levels of articulation and integration of the concept of the object on inaccurately perceived (F–) responses. Furthermore, schizophrenics showed more of the psychotic pattern than did nonschizophrenic psychotics. No major differences were found for good vs poor premorbid psychotics or paranoid vs nonparanoid schizophrenics. Results are interpreted as evidence supporting the explanation that the psychotic individual cannot effectively utilize existing ego potential for higher levels of integrated and organized behavior. Instead, the greater ego resources are absorbed in the unrealistic fantasy and symptomatic behavior that interfere with rather than facilitate effective adaptation. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revealed, concealed, congealed, curdled: A reply to Pomichalek, Lamb, and Denner.

Replies to M. Pomichalek's (see record 1992-19269-001), S. Lamb's (see record 1992-19263-001), and B. Denner's (see record 1992-19257-001) remarks on P. Cushman's comments (see record 1991-17982-001) on D. Stern's (1985) study. Cushman defends constructionist research by maintaining that it can acknowledge and interpret ideology and thereby the moral framework in which the study is embedded. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modernity, postmodernity, and psychology.

Responds to the S. Greer (see record 2001-00625-016), J. D. Raskin (see record 2001-00625-017), and M. Glassman (see record 2001-00625-018) comments on the J. Martin and J. Sugarman (see record 2000-08148-003) discussion on finding the middle ground between modern and postmodern approaches to psychology. All of the critiques are responded to in turn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Happiness, flow, and economic equality.

Replies to comments by D. Belle et al (see record 2000-02781-018), S. Reiss (see record 2000-02781-019), T. B. Smith (see record 2000-02781-020), and J. R. Sink (see record 2000-02781-021) on the article by M. Csikszentmihalyi (see record 1999-11644-003) on materialism and the flow experience as an explanation of happiness. Csikszentmihalyi addresses the concerns of each author. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on "Linguistic deficiency and thinking: Research with deaf subjects 1964-1969."

In H. Furth's (see record 1972-03464-001) previous review of 39 studies, with some exceptions, deaf children performed as well as hearing children on cognitive tasks. Because Furth believes that deaf subjects are linguistically deficient, he concluded that the thinking processes of deaf children are similar to those of hearing children and therefore must be explained without recourse to verbal processes. He offers as evidence for language deficiency 1 standardization study which shows that the mean reading achievement of deaf students on the nationally standardized Metropolitan Achievement Tests (MAT) falls below 4th grade equivalence. The present authors argue that (a) the MAT was normative referenced and does not provide evidence for an inability to handle English sentences, and (b) there exists still other evidence of deaf student mean achievement at 4th and 5th grade equivalence. Deaf Ss cannot be regarded as language deficient without explicit demonstration to that effect. Failing this, the reviewed studies cannot be said to contribute evidence for or against the hypothesis that language is not related to or required for cognitive development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Spirituality, Health, and the Discipline of Psychology.

Replies to comments by D. J. McCormick (see record 2004-10043-013), L. J. Richmond (see record 2004-10043-014), C. A. Rayburn (see record 2004-10043-015), and F. J. Kier and D. S. Davenport (see record 2004-10043-016) on the special section on spirituality, religion, and health in the January 2003 issue of American Psychologist (2003, Vol 58, 24-74). Each of the comments is addressed in turn. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Young adult children of alcoholic fathers: Depressive experiences, coping styles, and family systems.

Studied 84 college students with alcoholic fathers (adult children of alcoholics [ACAs]) and 123 with nonalcoholic parents with regard to perceptions of their families, depressive experiences, and coping styles within a developmental model of depression that focuses on object representations (S. J. Blatt, 1974). Eight measures were used. Multivariate analyses of variance (MAN0VAs) showed that ACAs differed in family perceptions (p?p?p?     

Sacred space, not sacred cows, or it's never fun being prophetic.

Replies to comments by E. F. Loftus (see record 1998-00766-029), S. Buchholz (see record 1998-00766-030), L. G. Humphreys (see record 1998-00766-031), D. S. Lindsay (see record 1998-00766-032), and T. Dineen (see record 1998-00766-033) regarding the article (see record 84-26142) concerning managed care and false memory movement issues in social justice-oriented psychology. Firstly, Brown contends that Loftus"s assertions of misrepresentation are inaccurate. Secondly, Brown argues that making memory retrieval per se the guiding strategy and goal of therapy is more likely to be detrimental than helpful to abuse survivors, and is not consistent with a pro-survivor stance. It is also stated that each claim of recovered memories must be evaluated carefully and on an individual basis in light of all available evidence. Lastly, Brown argues that her goal for her colleagues and readers was for them to develop and assert their own strategies for the achievement of tikkunolam, to be the authors of their own actions, as she attempts to create a therapy in which clients are the authors of their own lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A note on theory, epistemology, and experience in the practice of family therapy.

Replies to the comments of S. Golann (see record 1989-40688-001) and H. A. Guttman (see record 1989-40690-001) on the work of P. R. Falzer (see record 1989-40687-001). It is suggested that as a brutal negation of family therapy's constructions and as an unrefusable offer to examine its prejudices, habits, and customs, G. Bateman's (1979) cybernetic epistemology has already provided a valuable service. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Method, theory, and drawing inferences.

Responds to the comment by T. A. Brigham (see record 1989-31532-001) criticizing the labeling of correlational studies as experiments in the article by S. J. Lynn and J. W. Rhue (see record 1988-15963-001). The present author considers the labeling question less critical and differs from Brigham on the issue of methods and inferences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Primate research, family politics, and social policy: Transforming 'cads' into 'dads' ": Reply.

Responds to the comments of S. Sperling (see record 1994-17265-001), J. Belsky (see record 1994-17245-001), V. Phares (see record 1994-17261-001), and M. E. Lamb (see record 1994-17257-001) on the work of L. B. Silverstein (see record 1994-17264-001) on evolutionary biology and human paternal behavior, father involvement, father absence, and biological determinism. Silverstein asserts that her overriding goal was to dramatize how extrascientific factors (e.g., political ideology) shape the construction of scientific knowledge. It is argued that the experience of nurturing and caring for young children has the power to change the cultural construction of masculinity into something less coercive and oppressive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nature, culture, and explanations for erotic plasticity: Reply to Andersen, Cyranowski, and Aarestad (2000) and Hyde and Durik (2000).

R. F. Baumeister's (2000) (see record 2000-15386-001) article on erotic plasticity was criticized by B. L. Andersen, J. M. Cyranowski, and S. Aarestad (2000) (see record 2000-15386-003) for not being biological enough and by J. S. Hyde and A. M. Durik (2000) (see record 2000-15386-002) for being too biological. Both critiques were based on drawing a polarized caricature of R. F. Baumeister's actual view, although the two caricatures are opposites. Actually, neither commentary questioned the gender difference R. F. Baumeister documented; rather, the dispute is about how to explain it, which is indeed a challenge remaining for further work. Although both commentaries provided valuable suggestions about how to approach an explanation, neither approach can provide a coherent account until various theoretical problems are resolved and seemingly contrary empirical findings are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

IQ, race, and adoption.

Argues that the genetic and social variables were so confounded in S. Scarr and R. A. Weinberg's (see record 1977-07996-001) article on Black children adopted by White families that the results are consistent with virtually any theory of race differences in IQ. It is difficult to see any scientific or applied value in transracial adoption studies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)