Experimental effects of ego-defense preference on interpersonal relations.

The hypothesis that a connection exists between the personality personality defenses of interacting individuals and their attitudes toward and perceptions of their interaction is explored by assessing the defense mechanisms of a group of Ss to psychosexual stimuli, the Blacky Pictures, and evaluating their interaction when pairs of Ss are engaged in a task which arouses a specific psychosexual disturbance. The results indicate that the interaction of two people who project the same psychosexual impulse is more negative than pairs of people who use other defenses. Dissimilar defenses do not seem to adversely affect the interaction; however, when both partners have high conflict, more negative interaction tends to result than when only one is disturbed. The relative hierarchies of defense mechanisms and psychosexual dimensions, with regard to their effect on interpersonal relations are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in the perception of interpersonal relationships in successfully treated adolescent delinquent boys.

Successful psychotherapy with adolescent delinquent boys revealed significant improvement in the perception of interpersonal relationships on thematic stories to pictures selected to measure 3 areas of personality functioning (self-image, control of aggression, and attitude toward authority). People in the stories were seen as having more highly differentiated roles and relationships. These changes were highly correlated with improved academic performance (revealed on achievement tests) and improvement in overt behavior (reduction in antisocial behavior and better employment history). The results are consistent with many views regarding the nature of personality change in psychotherapy and strongly indicate that improvement in the perception of interpersonal relationships is associated with higher levels of overall performance and integration. Exactly how these changes are brought about during psychotherapy still remains to be explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Longitudinal study of social class and defense preferences": Erratum.

Reports an error in the original article by A. Weinstock (Journal of Consulting Psychology, 1967[Oct], 31[5], 539-541). In this article, the author failed to mention that the study was done at the University of California Institute of Human Development and was supported in part by United States Public Health Service Grant MH 06238-02. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1967-16574-001.) Longitudinal data were used to assess the relationship between childhood social class and the development of particular defense mechanisms in adulthood. Childhood social class was correlated with ratings of defense mechanisms made when Ss were 30 yr. old. The results show that denial is negatively and projection and intellectualization are positively correlated with childhood social class. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Therapists' race and African American clients' reactions to therapy.

This study examines the posttherapy reactions and attitudes of 44 African American clients seen at a university clinic in a midwestern city. Clients were randomly assigned to European American or African American therapists for 10 sessions of interpersonal or problem solving therapy. Therapy attitudes and reactions were assessed through clients' ratings of how well they understood and accepted the goals of therapy, their ability to accept and make use of therapeutic interventions, and perceptions of therapeutic benefit. The impact of European American therapists' efforts to cope with racial differences through therapist-initiated discussion of race in the first session or no therapist-initiated discussion of race were examined. African American clients' ratings of therapy indicated that there was a relationship between therapists' race and the understanding and acceptance of therapeutic interventions and perceived benefit of therapy. Clients rated therapeutic understanding and acceptance higher when assigned to an African American therapist. Therapists' initiation of or noninitiation of discussions of race had no affect on ratings of therapy. The clinical implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality adjustment and the study of abnormal psychology.

Rorschach story-completion test and autobiographical data were obtained from 21 students in an abnormal psychology class and 22 students in a history class, both at the beginning and the end of the semester. Comparisons of the pre- and post-test data "support the belief that, (a) as a group, students studying abnormal psychology differ in personality from those not enrolled in the course, and (b) while the study of abnormal psychology has little immediate effect on personality ad ustment, measurable changes occur which appear to be related to course experience." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Punitiveness, authoritarianism, and parental discipline of grade school children.

"The purpose of this study was to investigate the interrelationships among ethnocentrism-authoritarianism in children, the child's willingness to be punitive, and the punitiveness of the parent as the child sees it. Three hypotheses postulating positive correlations among the three variables were set up… . It is concluded that the three hypotheses of the study are supported by the data, and that this evidence is in accord with, and reflects favorably upon, the theory of the origin of ethnocentrism-authoritarianism proposed by Frenkel-Brunswik and her associates." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Test performance as an involuntary function of interpersonal relationships.

The hypothesis that tension aroused by making a new acquaintance might adversely affect test performance is here investigated. Two person teams of subjects are given the Vigotsky Blocks Tests. In the control group, the subjects knew each other before the experiment and knew the experimenter. In the experimental group, the subjects were unacquainted before the experimental session. Analysis of the results shows that the experimental groups took significantly longer to complete the test. Although this result tends to support the hypothesis, several alternate explanations are proposed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)