Wild analysis revisited: A comment on Summers (2011) and Zamanian (2011).

Recent papers by Summers (2011) and Zamanian (2011) are compared for their differing understanding of what makes psychoanalysis “wild” and are critiqued for their arguable assertions. The pairing of the papers attests to the continuing generativity of Freud's ideas and the excitement of contemporary psychoanalytic theorizing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Self is Alive and Well and Living in Relational Psychoanalysis.

Within relational theory the concept of the self continues to occupy a central role. It has survived the premature reports of its demise through a supposed postmodern dissolution and has changed in significant ways to now include areas of subjective experiencing that were previously excluded from consideration. This article illustrates some of those changes, and the tensions within psychoanalysis that have accompanied them. Suggestion is made for a fresh return to thinking about the self that will continue to expand its boundaries and will embrace an inclusive abundance of experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Freud, Psychoanalysis and Symbolism: Book review.

Review of book: Agnes Petocz (Au.) Freud, Psychoanalysis and Symbolism. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1999, 284 pp. Reviewed by Nigel Mackay. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Introduction: Psychoanalysis and sexuality.

Articles originally presented at the 18th annual spring meeting of the Division of Psychoanalysis of the American Psychological Association collected in an issue of Psychoanalytic Psychology are introduced. The title of the conference was Psychoanalysis and sexuality: Reflections on an old love affair, and articles selected address aspects of this theme. Included in the issue are contributions from R. Schafer (1999a, 1999b), O. Renik (1999), D. Kriegman (1999), D. Schwartz (1999), M. O. Slavin (1999), H. G. Russ (1999), and J. K. Ogden (1999). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychoanalysis, Neuroscience, and Cognitive Psychology: Some Samples From Recent Research.

As a demonstration of ways in which the burgeoning work in neuroscience and cognitive psychology have important relevance for psychoanalysis, samples are offered from the literature of the past 9 months. Reports address such topics as neural transmission at the cellular level; a revolutionary new instrument capable of recording neurons at work in the brain; the latest data on the effect of psychotropic drugs on children; the research validity of measuring emotional expression (e.g., do baby rats cry); longitudinal work on inhibited children; the importance of implicit cognitive processes; emotion, attention, and the amygdala; and recent findings about glutamate, "the workhorse of the brain," and how its deleterious effects in neurodegenerative disorders may be modulated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consilient Psychoanalysis.

The concept of consilience, that is, the fundamental unity of knowledge across disciplines, is applied to the field of psychoanalysis. Whereas practitioners in other disciplines, especially the natural sciences, strive for consilience, psychoanalysis as a discipline is found to be frequently lacking in consilience. Implications for paradigm change, metatheory, and evidence-based practice are discussed, and it is suggested that all psychoanalytic theories should be evaluated for their degree of consilience so as to make the discipline as robust and well integrated with knowledge in other disciplines as possible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamics.

W. S. Taylor's ("Psychoanalysis revised or psychodynamics developed?" American Psychologist, 1962, 17, 784-788, see record 1963-05882-001) polemic may be assessed against the background provided by Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions as conveniently reviewed by Gillispie (1962) in a recent issue of Science. The present author comments that Taylor fails to see that psychoanalysis is a relatively coherent system of theories rather than an accumulation of the various theories that Taylor says had been put forward by others, sometimes centuries earlier. A major part of his misapprehension is his overlooking the fact that psychoanalysis is primarily a method of research rather than the body of theories that happen, at the present time, to be based on following that method (for a recent discussion of psychoanalysis as a scientific method, see Ramzy, 1962). More important, however, he adopts an either-or attitude, "Psychoanalysis Revised or Psychodynamics Developed," that is quite unnecessary. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Roman Catholic Background and Psychoanalysis.

The author's Roman Catholic background prepared her to become a psychoanalyst. Biblical words and Christ, God's personal Word, gave the author respect for the meaning of words. The Church's sacraments, suggesting that liturgical actions affect nonvisible levels of reality, pointed to the transformative power of certain symbolic actions and words. The Church helped the author to grasp that in words, actions, and objects there are meanings that transcend ordinary perceptions, which also led her to "converse" with angels, saints, and God as the nonvisible objects matching those of daily life. Discernment of sinful intentions facilitated self-exploration. The uncovering of ulterior motives led to later acceptance of the unconscious. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality, Family History, and Competence in Early Adult Romantic Relationships.

The present investigation tested how well family characteristics and the personality traits assessed by the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (A. Tellegen, 1982) measured in late adolescence predict aspects of romantic relationships in early adulthood. Nurturant-involved parenting practices and personality traits were related to observed negative interactions and to couples' reports of relationship quality. These results from a prospective longitudinal study suggest that the origins of competence in romantic relationships can be found both in individual differences in personality (especially in negative emotionality) and in differences in developmental experiences. Discussion further develops an account of relationship success and dysfunction that integrates proximal factors, such as couple interactions, with more distal factors such as personality and socialization experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychoanalysis, feminism, and the politics of exclusion: A rejoinder.

In a book review published in this journal, Fine (see record 2003-05429-013) criticized Lerner's (see record 2006-00700-000) The Dance of Anger: A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships and raised broader concerns about the popularization of psychological ideas and about feminist psychoanalytic theory. This rejoinder takes issue with his criticisms, arguing that there is a legitimate place for careful popular presentation of psychological knowledge and that feminist psychoanalytic writings represent a serious and thoughtful body of theoretical work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychoanalysis and the disenfranchised: Countertransference issues.

This article examines basic psychoanalytic principles and their applications to the understanding and treatment of individuals not historically included in psychoanalytic formulations. It looks at the impact of culture, ethnicity, and class, but particularly poverty. The hope is to develop successful application of psychoanalytic theory and technique to the psychological problems of people living in poverty. Careful examination of their psychological reality may offer a unique opportunity to broaden vision of assessment to what constitutes dysfunctional condition, the concept of adaptation, the development of the working alliance, the nature of resistance and transference reactions, and the like. The analyst's personal discomfort, motivations, and stubborn adherence to specific theoretical and technical stances are considered the most damaging obstacles in this endeavor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychoanalysis: Legitimate and illegitimate concerns.

R. F. Bornstein (2001) points to real problems but underestimates what is going on now clinically and scientifically, exaggerates the past acceptance, and undervalues the scientific value of clinical observations. He ignores the role of economic factors in determining the status of psychoanalysis. He rejects repression, castration anxiety, penis envy, free association, and dream analysis. Clinical observations from World War II, ordinary clinical practice, and experiments amply demonstrate the phenomena of repression (painful memories, fantasies, impulses, feelings, or connections being kept out of awareness). Free association and dream analyses are powerful therapeutic techniques. Castration anxiety and penis envy (not innate) can sometimes be observed. Psychoanalysis includes powerful ideas and effective therapy as experienced by patients and reflected in research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Freud's Discovery of Psychoanalysis: The Politics of Hysteria.

The reviewer states that there has been a long line of independent efforts to document and appraise Freud's life. William McGrath's book is a sign that professional historians have entered the field in strength and with a determination to link Feud's work to its social and cultural surroundings. Professor McGrath is especially interested in the period of the 1890s but explores whatever evidence is available about the intellectual origins of Freud's ideas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Progress in Self Psychology, Volume 2.

Similar to the 1st volume of Progress in Self Psychology, this 2nd volume is a collection of invited papers and papers from national conferences devoted to this area of psychoanalysis. According to Goldberg, these volumes are intended, perhaps temporarily, to serve as a substitute for a journal in self-psychology. Loosely divided into sections on theory, clinical problems, development, and applied psychoanalysis, the collection serves as a sampler of contemporary issues, but does not provide a unified structure for theory and practice that some readers may expect of want from a cutting-edge book. The one issue that rings clearly throughout the book is how self psychology compares and contrasts to classical psychoanalysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychoanalysis and Its Discontents.

There are only 5,000 patients in psychoanalysis with members of the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA), and these analysts are often viewed as arrogant and insular. As a laboratory for psychoanalytic institutions the APsaA provides crucial lessons for the future across the field. What ingredients are needed for psychoanalysis to be a vibrant discipline? What factors have prevailed where psychoanalysis is successful? The author explores the cases of Argentina and France, where psychoanalysis is relatively popular, and then returns to the U.S. situation. Insular mind-sets led to many missed opportunities for cultural and academic engagement in the United States. As an example, the author explores responses to the making of John Huston's film Freud: The Secret Passion. To become revitalized, psychoanalysis needs to be a cultural asset. Psychoanalysts need to build bridges, engage in partnerships, and emphasize the exciting method of philosophical probing of the human mind and the nature of human nature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Power of Feelings: Personal Meaning in Psychoanalysis, Gender, and Culture: Book review.

Review of book: Nancy J. Chodorow (Au.) The Power of Feelings: Personal Meaning in Psychoanalysis, Gender, and Culture. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1999, 320 pp. Reviewed by L. M. Zabarenko. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stephen A. Mitchell, Relational Psychoanalysis, and Empirical Data.

Stephen A. Mitchell's theoretical writings are examined, with particular emphasis on his differences with drive theory, the consequences of his recommendation for greater involvement by the analyst, his (naive) trust in psychoanalytic self-correction, and the problems that follow from his belief that empirical data have little to contribute to psychoanalysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Romantic involvement often reduces men's testosterone levels--but not always: The moderating role of extrapair sexual interest.

Testosterone (T) appears to facilitate what biologists refer to as mating effort--the investment of time and energy into same-sex competition and mate-seeking behavior. Multiple studies show that men who are romantically involved (i.e., are paired) have lower T than single men, which may be due to a facultative adjustment by men of T levels in response to lower demands for mating effort. The authors proceeded on the basis of the idea that men who retain interests in sexual opportunities with women other than a primary partner continue to dedicate more time and energy to mating effort when romantically paired, and so they predicted that the association between relationship status and T depends on men's extrapair sexual interests. Study 1 used the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory to measure extrapair sexual interests, whereas Study 2 used a broader measure to examine this interaction. Both studies found support for it. These results have implications for an understanding of the biosocial regulation of men's behavior in romantic relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Relational and Intersubjective Perspectives in Psychoanalysis: A Critique.

Reviews the book, Relational and Intersubjective Perspectives in Psychoanalysis: A Critique edited by Jon Mills (2005). This text contains many well reasoned arguments but the first part is so heavily theoretical and so removed from the consulting room that many clinicians will be unwilling to wade through it to get to the clinical sections. The authors' comments range from reasoned suggestions about areas where further work on the relational and intersubjective approaches is needed to rejecting these approaches as legitimate innovative bodies of work. I have mixed feelings about the book regarding its variable readability, its lack of balance, and its limited direct relevance to clinicians. However, it contains much thoughtful and provocative writing. This book will be of interest to mental health professionals who want detailed explanations of the theoretical, particularly philosophical basis for contemporary psychoanalysis, and to academic psychotherapists and philosophers with a direct interest in the subject. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychoanalysis with avoidant personality disorder: A systematic case study.

This case study of process and outcome is based upon data obtained during a 5-year psychoanalysis of an adult male with avoidant personality disorder (AVPD). To date, no known systematic case studies, effectiveness studies, or randomized control trials exist for psychoanalysis in the treatment of AVPD. In this study, self-reported symptoms and observer-rated personality disorder (PD), global functioning, object relations, and psychological health were gathered at intake, after each year of treatment, and at 1-year follow-up. Process data was gathered to determine the extent to which the treatment adhered to prototypes of psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and interpersonal therapy. Results indicated that the patient achieved clinically significant reductions in PD, symptom severity, and relational pathology. Gains were maintained at 1-year follow-up. The treatment significantly adhered to psychodynamic principles throughout, with some use of cognitive-behavioral and interpersonal principles in the third year of treatment. These findings warrant further investigation of psychoanalysis for AVPD and demonstrate the usefulness of assessing multiple domains of patient functioning and treatment process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)