Interpretation of psychic conflict and adversarial relationships: A self-psychological perspective.

Transference, as described in conflict theory, and self object transference, as considered within self psychology, are represented in a changing figure and ground relationship. An emphasis on conflict and resistance analysis may structure analytic treatment along an adversarial dimension, with implications for self object and object-related transferences. The analytic approach to psychic conflict involves interpreting what the patient defensively needs to ward off. The approach to self-pathology is to interpret the self object functions that the patient needs for self-consolidation and self-maintenance. Accurate assessment of instances in treatment where psychic conflict is the predominant configuration requires a clinical theory that embraces multiple perspectives. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Moving cultures: The perilous problems of cultural dichotomies in a globalizing society.

The accelerating process of globalization and the increasing interconnections between cultures involve an unprecedented challenge to contemporary psychology. In apparent contrast to these trends, academic mainstream conceptions continue to work in a tradition of cultural dichotomies (e.g., individualistic vs. collectivistic, independent vs. interdependent), reflecting a classificatory approach to culture and self. Three developments are presented that challenge this approach: (a) cultural connections leading to hybridization, (b) the emergence of a heterogeneous global system, and (c) the increasing cultural complexity. By elaborating on these challenges, a basic assumption of cross-cultural psychology is questioned: culture as geographically localized. Finally, 3 themes are described as examples of an alternative approach: a focus on the contact zones of cultures rather than on their center, the complexities of self and identity, and the experience of uncertainty. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From I to we: Social identity and the collective self.

Social identity theory is a nonreductionist account of the relationship between collective self and social group. Cognitive-motivational processes affect, and are affected by, group, intergroup, and societal processes, to make people behave and think about themselves and others in ways that are generally characteristics of groups and specifically shaped by the social context. The development and current status of social identity theory is described historically, as part of the debate between collectivistic and individualistic perspectives on social psychology, the social group, and the selfconcept. The authors trace the debate from Wundt through Durkheim, LeBon, McDougall, Mead, and the "crisis in social psychology" and show how the development of European social psychology framed the development of social identity theory. The article concludes with a critical discussion of the collectivistic credentials of social identity theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selfhood at risk: Postmodern perils and the perils of postmodernism.

Various commentaries on the threats to personal well-being involved in contemporary Western middle-class life are examined, especially K. J. Gergen's (1991) treatment of the "saturated self." The version of postmodernism that Gergen advocated is criticized as representing an increasingly fashionable style of metatheory that reflects contemporary threats to selfhood but paralyzes endeavors to cope with them. A. Giddens's (1991) treatment of self and society in late modernity is selectively described as better fitted to a stance within which scientific and professional psychology can contribute to realistic hopefulness rather than to fin de siècle hopelessness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Narratives and Culture: "Thickening" the Self for Cultural Psychotherapy.

The dominant framework for understanding selfhood in contemporary psychology has been one that privileges a highly individualistic conception of self. This is reflected in both the language and approaches of psychotherapy where the influence of contextual factors (factors outside of the individual) are given marginal consideration in order to maintain some type of 'objectivity' or 'neutrality' in counseling. We argue that an understanding of selfhood which does not take into account the 'relational' nature of selfhood as well as the cultural or historical context of the client, will likely alienate clients who do not view their self through the individualized lenses of (North American) psychology. In order to deal with this problem, we adopt an approach to cultural (and cross-cultural) psychology that views the self as a relational narrative. Such a narrative does not imply an unrestricted freedom to construct our self, but understands the limits to selfhood implied in the web of meanings constitutive of our culture and the web of relations from which our self emerges. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

True and false self in the development of the psychotherapist.

Explored the psychotherapist's struggle to achieve a position of security, using interviews with 15 doctoral students in clinical psychology who described their experiences of learning to do psychotherapy and the development of their identities as psychotherapists. Areas of experience within the psychotherapy training context and also in Ss' personal lives were considered. During the course of their training, Ss were seen to develop self-protective competencies, which are conceptualized in terms of the theory of the true self and the false self developed by D. W. Winnicott (1965). The psychotherapist false self is linked to commonly used terms such as professional identity and identity as a psychotherapist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heinz Kohut and Carl Rogers: A timely comparison.

States that H. Kohut (1971, 1978, 1984) has succeeded in integrating many of C. R. Rogers's (1951, 1961, 1980) concepts of humanistic psychology into his version of psychoanalysis. The similarities and differences between the 2 approaches are described. One important similarity concerns the therapist's attitude during the psychotherapeutic situation, with both authors stressing the value of empathy and openness. An important difference is that Kohut has theorized that the goal of psychotherapy, and of human development in general, is strengthening the structure of the self, rather than widening of the consciousness. The means by which Kohut has been able to provide a bridge between psychoanalysis and humanistic psychology are discussed, and the implications of Kohut's ideas for the practice of psychotherapy are considered. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Data vs. Capta or Sumpta.

In a recent book called Becoming, Gordon Allport points out that there are two approaches to psychology which historically have been called empiricism and rationalism and which he prefers to designate as Lockean and Leibnitzian. The former put the emphasis on the external world and described the human mind as essentially passive; the latter stressed the activity of the individual rather than the environment. With considerable philosophical insight, Allport showed that American psychology followed the leadership of British empiricism-behaviorism and operationalism are good examples of it. The rational position has been more current in Europe. In the psychology of personality, the Leibnitzian position has slowly gained some prominence. But despite the emphasis we are putting on the self and its creative nature, the terminology we use unfortunately is the old language of empiricism. When the word data is used, whether the writer is trying to emphasize what is empirically given or what is phenomenally taken is uncertain. This article recommends a different terminology for the phenomenologist. One might use the word capta for that which is taken from experience or sumpta for that which one takes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What is a self? A constructivist theory.

Presents a definition of the concept self based on the premise that there are 2 constructive processes that result in a self: (1) continuous construction of agents of self-referential statements and other actions and (2) identification of these agents with each other. Kohut's self psychology, the self as structure and process, and the self in clinical practice are discussed. The formation of a workable self symbol as both a discovery and a creation is illustrated with clinical material. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Carl Rogers and Heinz Kohut: A historical perspective.

Earlier psychoanalytic thinkers, with their humanistic orientations, anticipated Heinz Kohut's theories and, therefore, contributed to the historical evolution of self psychology. Carl Rogers, a founder of humanistic psychology in the US, was a theorist who struggled with many of the same issues as Kohut. Rogers had new ways of looking at therapy, and especially at the therapeutic ambience, ways that foreshadowed the discoveries of Kohut. This article discusses areas of compatibility of the 2 theorists, such as their focus on empathy and the self, to encourage a rapprochement between humanistic psychotherapy and self psychology. Kohut revolutionized psychoanalysis by making it more humanistic. In that revolution, many of Rogers's empirically tested ideas were incorporated into a comprehensive psychoanalytic theory and clinical method. Because of the areas of mutual concerns and overlap, a fuller appreciation of Rogers's important ideas will be beneficial to self psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self psychology and the analysis of the superego.

The thesis of this article is that self psychology can be construed as a superego psychology in that both involve an intensive study of the self-regulatory and self-evaluative functions of the mind and their precursors in early object relations. Kohut's clinical contribution can be redefined in terms of the structural model as the delineation of the regressive, pathological, and healthy methods through which the ego attempts to restore the approval of the superego. Kohut's grandiose self can be seen as a precursor of the ego ideal and his idealized parent imago as a precursor of conscience. Conflict between the ego ideal and the conscience constitutes a vital aspect of intrapsychic functioning which self psychology has neglected in its focus upon developmental arrest. Sexual and aggressive aims play an important role in regaining the approval of the superego through their unique capacity to evoke a sense of the omnipotence of the corporeal self. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reading psychoanalytic developments contextually: A reply to Bocknek on Kohut.

Replies to comments by Gene Bocknek (see record 2009-05605-008) on the author's original article (1986) on self psychology and Heinz Kohut. Masek believes that three problems separate his reading of Kohut's contributions from Bocknek's reading of Kohut and Masek's paper. All three problems converge on the issue of how Bocknek's response understands the issues raised in Masek's paper. These problems are as follows: (1) Precedents are not paradigms; (2) trends ≠ sameness of contributions; and (3) the relations between ego, the self, and Ego Psychology and Self Psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The theory and practice of self psychology.

Reviews the book, The theory and practice of self psychology by M. T. White and M. B. Weiner (see record 1986-97572-000). White and Weiner provide a clear and concise overview of the central concepts of Kohut's self psychology in this clinically useful volume. Readers uninitiated in the self psychological literature are likely to gain an appreciation for the clinical utility of self psychological concepts. Readers who have previously explored Kohut's work may find (as did this reviewer) that a close reading of White and Weiner's book promotes a greater grasp of the evolution of Kohut's thought and a renewed appreciation for the profundity of his clinical observations. White and Weiner's book does have some minor shortcomings. The authors make little effort to place Kohut's self psychology within the historical context of psychoanalytic thought (keeping alive a tradition that some have said began with Kohut himself). As a result, useful and related efforts by others (e.g., Winnicott, Rogers, Binswanger, Sullivan, and others) at explicating the concept of the self go essentially ignored. Shortcomings notwithstanding, White and Weiner succeed in providing a highly accessible and lucid overview of self psychological concepts and in offering the reader a demonstration of how these concepts apply to the clinical situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychotherapy after Kohut: A textbook of self psychology.

Reviews the book, Psychotherapy after Kohut: A textbook of self psychology by Ronald R. Lee and J. Colby Martin (see record 1991-98948-000). More than a decade since Kohut's death, the volume of writing in the field of self psychology continues to expand, testifying to the stimulating challenge of his theories not only to mental health professionals in all disciplines but to those in the humanities as well. The latest contribution, Psychotherapy after Kohut: A textbook of self psychology, is a welcome arrival. Each chapter opens with a paragraph outlining teaching goals and closes with a summary and suggested readings for the following chapter. Lee and Martin provide a review of classical Freudian theory, brief excerpts of the classic cases from which it was derived, the principal early controversies, and a new view of Ferenczi's contributions. Lee and Martin provide a thoughtful, carefully reasoned, and comprehensive synthesis of the work of those writers who in their opinion have enhanced and expanded the concepts of self psychology and those who deny the significance of self-psychological concepts for psychoanalysis or psychotherapy or seek to demonstrate that the ideas are not new. Informative and challenging, Psychotherapy after Kohut, with its integration and synthesis of many points of view, is a contribution to the field of textbooks. Readers will find much to inform and strengthen their understanding of psychotherapy after Kohut. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of United States of America psychology by the "four-years-absent" method.

Criticisms are leveled at psychology in the United States: (a) psychology, both as a discipline and as a profession is vague; (b) psychology lacks goals; (c) psychology is fragmented—the specialities are isolated from each other with little effective inter-communication; (d) psychology appears to be angry—the profession lacks harmony; (e) psychology is insecure—we have a status problem; (f) psychologists suffer from inbreeding—their views are often narrow; (g) psychology lacks tradition; (h) psychology has no modern heroes; and (i) psychologists have surrendered—not only do we lack a concept of self, but "we do not seem to seek one within the framework of our profession." Remedies are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The relational self: Theoretical convergences in psychoanalysis and social psychology.

Reviews the book, The relational self: Theoretical convergences in psychoanalysis and social psychology edited by Rebecca C. Curtis (see record 1991-97680-000). The relational self, a collection of papers from a conference held at Adelphi University in 1990, represents the latest attempt at rapprochement between psychoanalysis and social/personality psychology. The core unifying theme in this new effort at integration is the relational self. The dialectical relation between the self and environment is well illustrated by four essays devoted to current perspectives from social psychology. Several other essays provide the reader with a glimpse of the richness and vitality in current research on the self. I see no easy way of reconciling the two underlying research traditions, which differ not only in their methods and aims but also in the basic language used to describe human experiences. Perhaps in these postmodern times, there is no urgent need to stretch paradigms in the quest for unity of science. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brief psychotherapy of narcissistic disturbances.

Applies recent psychoanalytic theories of normal and pathological narcissistic development (the psychology of the self) to the brief psychotherapy of the narcissistically disturbed patient. The author discusses treatment goals, strategies, phases, and the typical transference–countertransference reactions that occur in treatment, illustrating with 4 case studies. The therapist's use of him/herself as a narcissistic object for the patient to reestablish a sense of self and self-esteem is described. The therapist's involvement, positive mirroring, and implicit permission to be idealized provide the patient with a vehicle for accomplishing the principal goal of brief psychotherapy: the reattainment of self-esteem and a positive self-image. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The liberating effect on the analyst of the paradigm shift in psychoanalysis": Comment to Rabin.

Comments on H. M. Rabin's (see record 1996-15142-001) article that discusses, from an intersubjective perspective, a paradigm shift from a one-person to a two-person psychology experienced in psychoanalysis. Baker contends that although intersubjectivity theory, which has had a separate line of development from self psychology, does not see all idealizing statements as defenses against aggression, defensive idealization is specifically addressed by the concept of the defensive self ideal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)