Mental representations in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process.

This article considers the construct of mental representation from the perspectives of psychoanalytic object-relations theory and cognitive developmental psychology and the congruence of these formulations with research and theory in cognitive science and social cognition. Concepts of mental representation are applied to the study of psychopathology, personality assessment, interpersonal relationships or attachment styles, and therapeutic progress in the long-term, inpatient treatment of seriously disturbed adolescents and young adults. Understanding of personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process is greatly enhanced by this constructivist perspective, which considers the construction of mental representations or cognitive–affective schemes to be a central constituent of personality development and organization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Personology: Method and content in personality assessment and psychobiography.

Reviews the book, Personology: Method and content in personality assessment and psychobiography by Irving E. Alexander (see record 1990-97879-000). The subtitle accurately specifies the scope of this volume, and the title, Personology, identifies the book with the tradition of Henry A. Murray and the Harvard Psychological Clinic, which focused on idiographic, holistic, psychodynamic personality assessment. The book is relevant to modern psychoanalysis in two distinct ways. On one hand, it attempts, with unusual success, to systematize the principles of psychodynamic interpretation that are common to many versions of psychoanalysis ("method" in "personality assessment," in the book's title). On the other hand, it applies these principles to illuminate salient ways in which the inner lives of major contributors to psychoanalytic theory (Freud, Jung, and Sullivan) may have shaped their theoretical contributions (i.e., "content" and "psychobiography" in the title). The psychobiographical chapters should fascinate readers already familiar with biographical studies of these Olympian innovators, and because of the general familiarity of the terrain, the chapters serve very well the didactic purpose of illustrating how personological inference is done. Recent polemics have made much of the hermeneutic approach to human psychology, as alternative to scientistic positivism, but not very much is being written on how to do hermeneutics, and little has been produced to show that it is worth doing. Personology is therefore a rare contribution that deserves to be widely read and pondered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A dissonance theory approach to defensive projection.

It was hypothesized that cognitive dissonance involving the self-concept leads to the use of projection to reduce the dissonance. Ss were given personality tests, and instead of true results received falisified data indicating favorable or unfavorable personality traits—thereby raising or lowering their self-esteem. In the presence of another S, Ss were shown pictures of men and were told this would be an indicator of their latent homosexuality; GSRs were supported to reflect their degree of anxiety. Ss were asked to estimate the reaction of the other S; Ss with high self-esteem tended to attribute a greater degree of responsiveness of the other S to the pictures. The relationship of psychoanalytic and dissonance theory is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depressive personality: Reliability, validity, and relation to dysthymia.

The reliability and validity of K. Schneider's (1958) construct of depressive personality was evaluated in a sample of 177 outpatients, who were administered structured diagnostic and family history interviews, an extensive battery of inventories, and a 6-mo follow-up assessment. The criteria for depressive personality had moderate to good interrater reliability, internal consistency, and test–retest stability, and the assessment of depressive personality traits was not influenced by patients' clinical states. In addition, preliminary support for the convergent and discriminant validity of the depressive personality construct was obtained. Although there were significant relations between the depressive personality and diagnoses of dysthymia from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) and DSM-III—Revised (DSM-III—R), the depressive personality was not entirely subsumed by existing mood disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Temporal stability and validity of two personality disorder inventories.

The 3-mo temporal stability of self-report personality disorder scores from the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire—Revised (PDQ—R; S. Hyler and R. Rieder, 1987) and the MMPI-Personality Disorder scales (MMPI-PD; L. Morey, M. Waugh, and R. Blashfield, 1985) was examined in a sample of 51 psychiatric outpatients. In addition, the convergent and discriminant validity of the scales from the PDQ—R and MMPI-PD were also assessed. Results indicate that PDQ—R and MMPI-PD scores were relatively stable over time, but support was obtained for the validity of only several of the personality disorder scales. Issues concerning the overlap of personality disorders as well as the lack of a "gold standard" to be used for establishing the validity of personality disorder instruments are discussed. Future research aimed at combining multiple forms of Axis II assessment (e.g., self-report, interview, informant) is recommended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The need for a "psychoanalytic psychology" in the cognitive science field.

Cognitive science has incorporated seminal concepts of psychoanalysis without acknowledging this influence. This article covers psychoanalytic ideas already incorporated—implicitly or explicitly—in modern cognitive psychology, as well as ideas whose inclusion would benefit the cognitive field. These include the emphasis on mental models, mind–body interaction, unconscious processes, dual processes of thought, and naturalistic research milieus. The article discusses reasons why the psychoanalytic roots of these ideas have not been acknowledged and shows how the theories of multiple coding and the referential process provide a basis for bridging the psychoanalytic and cognitive science fields. Finally, it is argued that scientific psychology requires a subfield of psychoanalytic psychology that covers the integration of information-processing functions, including somatic and emotional processes, in the context of an individual's overall goals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A revised psychoanalytic conception of schizophrenia: An interdisciplinary update.

The psychoanalytic conception and treatment of schizophrenia is in need of fundamental revision because of (a) refinements in nosology which have separated out the borderline and affective disorders with which it had formerly been confused; (b) the development of newer psychoanalytic schools; and (c) the impact of various aspects of neurobiological research, the putative outcome of which seems to confirm that many, if not most, schizophrenics begin with a hereditary and/or congenital vulnerability to life and are disadvantaged in how they experience life, not only emotionally, but also neuroperceptually, neurocognitively, and neurobehaviorally. This contribution seeks to put schizophrenia and psychoanalysis in an interdisciplinary perspective by assigning the concept of disorders of psychical meaningfulness to the neurotic portion of the schizophrenic personality and of psychical meaninglessness to the psychotic portion of the personality. Whereas all psychoanalytic schools traditionally employ models that address meaningfulness, I suggest the employment of a newer model to deal with schizophrenia as a "disorder of self-regulation" (of meaninglessness), the latter being the neurobiological contribution. To the former I should like also to append the concept of a "disorder of interactional regulation" as its interpersonal complement in the sense of psychosocial, object relations, and systems theory interactions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A convergence of the tender-minded and the tough-minded?

Compares the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) with an assessment instrument described by R. R. McCrae and P. T. Costa (see record 1987-01218-001). It is suggested that empirically oriented personality theorists and practitioner-oriented psychologists—converging on a common set of factors describing personality—may converge to produce a valid depiction of basic personality dimensions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Review of major theories of personality disorder.

Reviews the book, Review of major theories of personality disorder edited by J. Clarkin and M. Lenzenweger (see record 1996-97764-000). This book provides a comprehensive review of several major theories of personality disorder that exist today. With most studies examining specific aspects of the assessment and diagnosis of personality disorders, the editors hope to fill a void in contemporary work by presenting several broad theoretical frameworks. Some of the approaches to personality disorders discussed include the cognitive model, psychoanalytic approach, interpersonal theory, evolutionary theory, and a neurobiological framework. The reviewers note that although this variety provides a broad spectrum of approaches, it fails to integrate the different models. However, overall, the reviewers believe that this is a solid text that provides new information and divergent views. This book may be useful to academic psychologists who are interested in learning the theoretical underpinnings of different approaches to personality disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality differentiation, effectiveness of personality integration, and mood in female college students.

Personality differentiation was measured by an index computed from 72 female undergraduates' rod-and-frame test and Embedded Figures Test scores. Effectiveness of personality integration was measured by the Ego Identity Incomplete Sentences Blank. Personal Feelings scales were used as the mood assessment instrument. The final sample of 31 Ss rated their moods 3 times daily on each of the 16 Personal Feelings scales for 33 consecutive days. Measures of 3 characteristics of mood—affective complexity, mood level, and mood variability—were constructed by factor analysis of mood-rating records. Psychological differentiation theory was used to generate hypotheses concerning mood/personality relationships. Results indicate that (a) greater personality differentiation was associated with less affective complexity; (b) neither personality differentiation nor effectiveness of personality integration was significantly associated with mood level; and (c) greater effectiveness of personality integration was associated with less mood variability. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceiver effects as projective tests: What your perceptions of others say about you.

In 3 studies, we document various properties of perceiver effects—or how an individual generally tends to describe other people in a population. First, we document that perceiver effects have consistent relationships with dispositional characteristics of the perceiver, ranging from self-reported personality traits and academic performance to well-being and measures of personality disorders, to how liked the person is by peers. Second, we document that the covariation in perceiver effects among trait dimensions can be adequately captured by a single factor consisting of how positively others are seen across a wide range of traits (e.g., how nice, interesting, trustworthy, happy, and stable others are generally seen). Third, we estimate the 1-year stability of perceiver effects and show that individual differences in the typical perception of others have a level of stability comparable to that of personality traits. The results provide compelling evidence that how individuals generally perceive others is a stable individual difference that reveals much about the perceiver's own personality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two unconscious fantasies as mediators of successful psychotherapy.

Describes the role that the concept of the unconscious fantasy—an organized configuration of unconscious ideas and images—has played in psychoanalytic theory. A series of laboratory experiments that demonstrated under controlled "double blind" conditions how the activitation of 2 unconscious fantasies could serve an adaptation enhancing function are described. How they served the same function when they were inadvertently activated in various types of psychotherapy is also discussed. One of the fantasies—the "symbiotic gratification fantasy"—is cited as particularly apt to be activated in systematic desensitization, client-centered therapy, and meditation. The other—the "sanctioned oedipal gratification fantasy"—is cited as most apt to be activated in Masters and Johnson type sex therapy, touching and other body contact therapies, behavior assertiveness training, and encounter treatment. (66 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple personality disorder: Etiology, treatment, and treatment techniques from a psychodynamic perspective.

Academic psychologists have moved away from psychoanalytic and psychodynamic explanations of human functioning and pathology and have instead embraced neuropsychology and cognitive science. This trend has kept many psychologists and researchers from more fully understanding some of the important phenomena they chose to investigate. One area about which psychologists can learn in the psychodynamic literature is multiple personality disorder (MPD). A thorough knowledge of the psychodynamic perspective with regards to MPD is important to all those in psychology who deal with MPD patients or who study the phenomenon. By understanding the abuse most of these patients suffered and the resulting impact this has had on their personality development, psychologists can begin to create effective and promising assessment tools and intervention programs. In this article, I review MPD and its treatment from a psychodynamic perspective in hopes that those in psychology (researchers and clinicians alike) may benefit from such a discussion and will utilize this information in their attempts to understand MPD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The "ins and outs" of enactment: A relational bridge for psychotherapy integration.

Patients' enactments--their reflexive attempts to influence interpersonal interactions in particular ways based on their psychodynamics, both with the therapist and with others outside the psychotherapy setting--provide an important avenue for advancing the complex task of integrating action-oriented techniques with in-depth exploration. This article, written from a relational psychoanalytic perspective, shows how enactments create a valuable bridge for thinking about and practicing psychotherapy integration. To be most effective, psychotherapists must deal both behaviorally and psychodynamically with enactments, using integrative interventions that simultaneously encourage constructive new and adaptive behaviors, promote important new mutative relational experiences with therapists and with others, and facilitate deep insight. Acting together, these processes contribute to structural, including behavioral, personality reorganization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

It Takes Two to Tango: On Empathy With Fragile Processes.

This article elaborates on the problematic manner of experiencing and relating called fragile process. This fragile process, which is central with clients with borderline and narcissistic personality disorders, is described from a client-centered/experiential theoretical point of view. From this line of approach, psychoanalytic views that make understandable how clients developed such a fragile style of processing are examined. D. N. Stern's (1985) view on the development of the sense of self and the interpersonal world of the infant is referred to in order to further differentiate the fragile process and to offer speculations as to the fragile process's developmental roots. Finally, empathic ways of intervening that are likely to be helpful with different kinds of fragile processes are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relations between parents’ Big Five personality factors and parenting: A meta-analytic review.

To investigate the association between Big Five personality factors and three dimensions of parenting—warmth, behavioral control, and autonomy support—the authors conducted meta-analyses using 5,853 parent–child dyads that were included in 30 studies. Effect sizes were significant and robust across mother and father reports and across assessment methods of parenting (self-report versus observations) but were generally small in magnitude. Higher levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more warmth and behavioral control, whereas higher levels of Agreeableness and lower levels of Neuroticism were related to more autonomy support. Several factors moderated the relationship between specific personality dimensions and parenting: child and parental age, reliability of observational assessment of parenting behavior, and study design. Taken together, these results indicate that personality can be seen as an inner resource that affects parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Proposed changes in personality and personality disorder assessment and diagnosis for DSM-5 Part I: Description and rationale.

A major reconceptualization of personality psychopathology has been proposed for DSM-5 that identifies core impairments in personality functioning, pathological personality traits, and prominent pathological personality types. A comprehensive personality assessment consists of four components: levels of personality functioning, personality disorder types, pathological personality trait domains and facets, and general criteria for personality disorder. This four-part assessment focuses attention on identifying personality psychopathology with increasing degrees of specificity, based on a clinician's available time, information, and expertise. In Part I of this two-part article, we describe the components of the new model and present brief theoretical and empirical rationales for each. In Part II, we will illustrate the clinical application of the model with vignettes of patients with varying degrees of personality psychopathology, to show how assessments might be conducted and diagnoses reached. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)