-Vl“

 

IDEN'E'IFECAYION 0F MALE COLLEGE
STUQENYS‘ WETH ”Fl-{HR FATHERS AND
SOME RELATED iNDfCES GF AFFECT
EXPRESSION AND PSYCHOSEXUAL
ADJUSTMENT

The“: {or ”M Degree 0? pl’l. D.
MECEEGAN STATE UNIVERSETY

John L. Maes
1962

-"Y‘"-’."1t"“ .'
alum-.413

WW1H1WWNWWWIHININUIHIUHI

3 1293 0159

This is to certify that the

thesis entitled

Identification of Male College Students with
Their Fathers and Some . Related Indices of
Affect Expression and Psychosexuai Adjustment

presented by

John L. Maes

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for

flf/fi

Major professor

 

Date%%zé/yg

0-169

___._—__'_-4#._

 

ABSTRACT

IDENTIFICATION OF MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH THEIR
FATHERS AND SOME RELATED INDICES OF AFFECT
EXPRESSION AND PSYCHOSEXUAL ADJUSTMENT

by John L. Maes

This study was based on the theoretical assumption derived from
psychoanalytic theory that groups of adult males could be divided into
those who had been successful in identifying with their fathers and those
who had been unsuccessful. Having operationally defined a group of
successful identifiers, it was predicted that the successful identifiers
would demonstrate less psycho-sexual conflict, less defensiveness, and _
greater affective complexity when placed in a situation reminiscent of
relationship with parental figures.

‘Male undergraduate college students enrolled in an introductory
psychology course were used as subjects for the study. -One hundred
twenty-four subjects were divided into two groups of 62 successful identi-
fiers and 62 unsuccessful identifiers on the basis of their scores on the
Block Adjective Check List. The Block Adjective Check List contained
79 adjectives, 30 of which were chosen as being descriptive of the con-
cept "Your Ideal Self" and 30 of which were chosen as not being descrip-
tive of this concept. The same procedure was repeated using the concept
"Your Father. " Subjects scoring below the median number of differences
between the adjectives chosen for the two concepts were labeled success-
ful identifiers. Those scoring above the median were labeled unsuccess-
ful identifiers. ,

In a classroom setting containing groups of approximately 20 sub-

jects, the experimental instruments were administered. There were:

John "L. Maes

eleven slides depicting the Blacky cartoons, eight slides depicting TAT
cards 3BM, 6BM, 7BM, 8BM, 12M, 15BM, l4 and 17 BM, and the
Defense Preference Inventory. The Blacky cartoons were used to
measure psycho-sexual conflict, the TAT cards to measure affective
complexity, and the DPI to measure defensiveness. The Blacky Test

is designed to create a situation reminiscent of relationship with
parental figures and the TAT cards were chosen as those most likely to
create such asituation. The DPI was used in conjunction with the Blacky
slides.

l. The prediction regarding greater psychosexual conflict for the
unsuccessful identifiers was supported by the data at the . 025
level of confidence.

Four sub-hypotheses were tested predicting greater con-
flict indices on certain Blacky sub-scores for the unsuccessful
identifiers than for the successful identifiers. The four Blacky
sub-scores were: Castration, Anxiety,~ Positive Identification,
Guilt and the ‘Pre-genital Loading. The differences between
groups were significant at the . 005 level for the ‘Positive Identi-
fication and Pre-genital scores. The Castration Anxiety score
approached significance (. 10 level of significance)... The Guilt
score was in the opposite; direction than that predicted.

2. There was no measurable difference between the DPI scores
for the two groups.

3. The Affective Complexity scores were in the opposite direction
to that predicted for the two groups.

‘Psychoanalytic theory appeared to receive some support from the
Blacky responses for the two groups. It appeared that subjects who had
not been able to identify successfully with their fathers did manifest

greater psycho-sexual conflict than those who had been able to identify

John L. Maes

successfully, and that this conflict was most evident at the psycho-
sexual stages of development where it might be expected on the basis of
psychoanalytic theory.

The negative results on the tests of differences between groups for
the defensiveness and affective complexity hypotheses suggest that there
may be a need for further refinement and standardization of the instru-
ments used and for further research.

This study employed a scoring system for the Block Adjective
Check List which made the instrument more appropriate for this study
and may enhance the value of the instrument as a measure of identification
in the future. -

A curvilinear relationship between the Adjective Check Li st and the
Blacky Total and sub-tests scores was discovered. Subjects demonstrat-
ing greatest differences between responses to the concepts Father and
Ideal Self had decreased psychosexual conflict scores. Two possible
explanations of this phenomenon were offered.

a. These subjects may have identified successfully with models

other than their fathers.

b. Because of the development of defective character structure
they have made no strong identification with any model.
Consequently, little anxiety and conflict are experienced.

These latter alternatives present challenging possibilities for

further research.

Approved:

 

Committee Chairman

Date:

 

IDENTIFICATION OF MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH THEIR
FATHERS AND SOME RELATED INDICES OF AFFECT
EXPRESSION AND PSYCHOSEXUAL ADJUSTMENT

By A?”
John 'UXMaes

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Psychology

1962

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

To Dr. A. I. Rabin whose influence on my understanding
of human behavior antedates and includes this thesis, to
Dr. Louis McQuitty whose intellectual stature kept the statistical
operations honest; to Dr. Walter Johnson whose criticisms were
consistently constructive, to Dr. Bill Kell who made me believe
that I could do it; to Dr. Norman Abeles who was a continuous
catalyst, thank you.

To Mary who was willing to be alone, to Barbara and John
who traded some of their growth for mine, thank you very much.

*************

ii

TA BLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER Page

INTRODUCTION ................... l

I. THE CONCEPT OF IDENTIFICATION ....... ,3

Primary Identification ............. 4

Secondary Identification ............ 4

Successful or Unsuccessful Identification . . . 8

II. THE METHODS OF INVESTIGATION ........ 10

The'Screening Instrument ............ 10
Instruments for Measuring the Experimental

Variables ......... . . . . . . . . . 11

The Defense Preference Inventory ....... 13

The Affective Complexity Scale ......... 14

III. 'HYPOTHESES ................ . . . . 17

IV. SUBJECTS AND PROCEDURE ............ 18

The Sample ............... . . . . 18

Administration and Scoring of the Instruments. 18

1. Procedure .1 ......... . . . . . . 18

2.~ Scoring .................. 20

The Adjective Check List ....... 20

The Blacky Test ............ 22.

The Defense Preference Inventory . . 23

The Thematic Apperception Test. . . 23

Scoring Reliability ..... . . . . . . 24

V. RESULTS ....................... 25

Analysis of the Data ........... . . 25

Relationship of the Results to the Hypotheses . 30

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued

CHAPTER Page
VI,DISCUSSION................, ..... .33
VII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. ........... 41

SELECTED REFERENCES .................... 44

"APPENDICES ............. . . ..... . ..... 46

iv

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE Page

1. Summary of Classroom Testing Procedure ....... 21

II. Correlation Matrix for All Variables for Quartiles
landZ 27

III. Correlation Matrix for All Variables for Quartiles
3 and 4. O O O O O O C O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 27

IV. Correlation Ratio ETA for the Screening Instrument
and the Most Highly Related Experimental Variables . . 29

V. Comparison of Means and Standard Deviations for the
quartiles. O O O O O O I O O O O O O O O O O O O C O O O O 31

VI. Results of the t Tests for the Significance of Differ-
ences Between Successful and Unsuccessful Identifiers
forAllVariables..................... 31a

LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX
1. Instructions for the Blacky Test ...........
11. Instructions for the Defense Preference Inventory
III. Instructions for the Block Adjective Check List. .
IV. Scoring Matrix for the Defense Preference
Inventory ......................
V. Correlation Matrices for Quartiles 1 Through4 And

for Total N .....................

vi

Page

47

48

55

57

58

INTRODUCTION

This investigation was concerned with the successful and unsuccess-
ful identification of college students. - Such an attempt was immediately
complicated by the various meanings which have become attached to the
word identification. Knight,. (1940) recognizing this state of affairs,
suggested that identification was probably used in more different ways
than any other psychoanalytic term. His concern focused on the term as
it had been used by psychoanalytic writers. When non-psychoanalytic
writers are included, the problem of pinning the term down becomes
further magnified. Tolman, (1943) described the origin of the term and ‘
its increasingly complex meaning as follows:

Identification was apparently first used by Freud. But his
concept became unnecessarily complicated and it was too closely
bound up with his whole psychoanalytical system. I shall not
mean here by identification, therefore, Freud's own concept, but
merely a general neo-Freudian notion which seems now to be
widely accepted by most psychologists and sociologists.

Unfortunately the current usages of the word identification are
broader than "a general nee-Freudian notion. " Sanford (1955) has
enumerated some of the additional ways in which the word has been used
asfollows:

It may be added that the term identification is also commonly
used to refer to the phenomena of empathy and of vicarious living,
of sympathy and altruism, and that it creeps into our vocabulary
when we try to define closeness or loyalty, or even conformity or
submissiveness, as between two people. (And furthermore, we
know that the objects of identification, as the term is variously used,
are not confined to other people, singly or in groups, but may include
animals, machines, inanimate objects, parts or features of people;
and that identification may be expressed not alone in overt behavior
but in conscious experience, in attitude, in fantasy.)

In an attempt to lessen the semantic confusion surrounding the label
"identification, " Sanford (1955) suggested that a moratorium be placed on
its use. He said,

Why not agree that identification is not an explanatory
concept, and that as a descriptive one it is too vague to be
useful.

He then went on to suggest other ways in which the phenomena, usually
referred to by the word identification, might be labeled. - He suggested
greater use of the word introjection (a word which gives rise to confusion
in its own right). He also invented the term "identification proper" to
refer to certain kinds of phenomena which might generally be referred to as
identification. But each of these attempts at clarification was in reference
to one or more aspects of the groups of behavioral phenomena usually
referred to by use of the word identification. 1 These behavioral phenomena
occur in conjunction with the child's efforts to "be like" or to"'identify
with" the parent.

If a complex group of phenomena are generally subsumed under the
label of identification, the problem may be not to find better labels, but
to develop a more thorough understanding of the phenomena themselves.
Therefore, it was the purpose of this study to define identification within
the framework of existing theory, and to make an empirical test of

hypotheses suggested by that theory.

CHAPTER I

THE_CONCEPT OF IDENTIFICATION

In agreement with Tolman (1943) Stoke (1950) credits Freud with
the introduction of the term identification into psychological literature.
He offered the following quotations from Freud to demonstrate Freud's
usage of the term:

and here we have that higher nature, in this ego-ideal, or super-
ego, the representative of our parents. When we were little
children we knew these natures, we admired and feared them; and
later we took them into ourselves. (1935, p. 47)

identification endeavors to mold a person's own ego after the
fashion of the one that has been taken for a model. (1922, p. 63)

It is easy to state in a formula the distinction between an
identification with the father and choice of the father as an object.
In the first case one's father is what one would like to be, and in
the second he is what he would like to have. (1922, p. 62)

Stoke commented as follows:

From the wealth of context in which the term is used it is
usually implied that a child gives its emotional allegiance to one
of its parents and attempts to duplicate in its own life the ideas,
attitudes, and behavior of the parent with whom it is identifying.
There are occasional uses of identification invFreudian literature
aside from the above, but this is the chief usage and the one with
which we shall be concerned. (p. 163)

Mowrer (1950) enumerated three different uses for the word identifi-
cation as employed by Freud; while Stoke (1940) suggests there are
others. However, the two meanings, employed by Freud, which have

had the most impact on psychoanalytic thinking are those that follow.

- Primary Identification.

 

Freud's (1935) use of, what has later come to be called, "primary
identification"refers to the initial undifferentiated perception of the
infant in which an external object is perceived as part of the self.
Munroe (1955) defined Freud's usage of the concept as follows:

The yearning for release from unpleasant stimulation and
from desire is, of course, very closely associated with the mother.
At first the process takes the form of primary identification, that
is, the infant does not distinguish clearly between the mother's
breast (then the face and gradually the person of the mother) and
his own self. (p. 181)

In primary identification the child attempts to attain a oneness with
the parent that will restore homeostasis in the face of physiological tensions.
It begins with the child's attempt to incorporate the mother's breast.
Fenichel (1945) in elaborating this developmental phenomenon said:

By incorporating objects one becomes united with them . . .
the "oral introjection" is simultaneously the executive of the
"primary identification. " (p. 63) What is called primary identifi-
cation . . . is identical with what might be called oral incorporation
from the point of view of the instincts. - (p. 83)

Fenichel appears to be saying that primary identification is,
instinctually, an attempt to incorporate the parent into oneself.

Although primary identification per se is not important to the dis-
cussion that will follow, it is important in the contribution that it has
made to Freud's most frequent usage of the word identification--Secondary
identification. Secondary identification will be the focus for the remainder

of this study.

Secondary Identification

 

Secondary identification, like primary identification, is an attempt
to decrease tension and to restore tranquility to the organism. .In this
case, however, the tension is not caused by annoying physical stimuli such

as hunger, thirst, etc. , but by anxiety. Secondary identification occurs

at a later stage in the development of the child than primary identification.
Most of Freud's references to this process pertain to the stage of
psychosexual development which he called the phallic stage. . (1949)1
By this time the child has developed means for coping with basic bio-
logical needs. ~ His attention at this point is focused on the discovery of
himself as a social being. ~His interaction with "significant others, " both
parents and peers, has great emotional meaning for him. His struggle
for biological survival no longer commands all of his energies. Instead,
a psychological struggle for survival has taken its place. He has learned
to know the powerful figures (parents) on whom his sense of well-being
depends. . He has become aware of the nuances in their relationship with
him that signify emotional acceptance or rejection. To be accepted is to
survive emotionally. To be rejected is to be threatened with destruction.
This is the milieu in which the Oedipus complex is said to occur.
Freud (1949) offered one of his most succinct descriptions of this
phenomenon as follows:

Now the paths of the sexes divide. The boy enters the
Oedipus phase; he begins to manipulate his penis, and-simultaneously
has phantasies of carrying out some sort of activity with it in re-
lation to his mother; but at last, owing to the combined effect of a
threat of castration and the spectacle of women's lack of a penis, he
experiences the greatest trauma. of his life, and this introduces the
period of latency with its attendant consequences. .(pp. 29-30)

That which is typical of Freud's writings about the Oedipus complex
may be noted here. That is, the phenomenon appears more nearly
complete in the case of males than in the case of females. For this
reason, and because it will greatly simplify the subsequent design for this
study, all future references will be to developmental phenomena as they

occur in males rather than females.

 

1Published posthumously, originally appeared in 1940 under the
title Abriss Der Psycho-Analyse.

In an attempt to defend himself against this"greatest trauma of
his life, " the child employs a mechanism which he has learned at an
earlier stage in his development. —Anna Freud described this mechanism

in her book The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense (1937). In a chapter

 

entitled“Identification with the Agressor" she described the situation
wherein the child experiences severe anxiety because of conflict between
his own infantile desires and the injunctions and prohibitions of parents
or other "moral authorities. " Under the pressure of anxiety, the child
searches for some method of reducing the anxiety. He discovers that

if he allies himself with the aggressive, punitive socializer, he is no
longer threated with punishment but, in effect, becomes one with the
powerful authority figure. In the chapter cited, Anna Freud stated that:

By impersonating the aggressor, assuming his attributes
or imitating his aggression, the child transformed himself from
the person threatened into the person who makes the threat.

(p. 121)

This method of dealing with threat, learned at an earlier age, is
brought to bear on the oedipal situation. The child attempts to attain
oneness or "identify" with the parent as a means of tension reduction.
However, in the case of secondary identification it is not the person,
but his attitudes, characteristics and/or behavior which are incorporated
or "introjected. " Yet the attempt to make oneself into the aggressor is
so powerful that; Freud (1933) stated that this process has been-"not in-
appropriately compared with the oral cannibalistic incorporation of
another person. " (p. 90)

The attitudes, values, and/or behavior of the parent which become
incorporated by the child as he attempts to decrease threat by identifying
with the parent, Freud (1933) called superego. He stated:

The external restrictions are introjected, so that the superego
takes the place of the parental function, and thence-forward
observes, guides and threatens the ego in just the same way as
parents acted to the child before. ~ (p. 89)

Initially the superego (internalized parental values, attitudes, etc.)
is very severe. Referring again to Freud (1933) he stated,

, The superego seems to have made a one-sided selection, . and to
have chosen the harshness and severity of the parents- . . .
contrary to our expectations experience shows that the superego
may reflect the same relentless harshness even when the upbring-
ing has been gentle and kind. . . . (pp. 89-90)

If the oedipus complex is resolved, resulting in successful identifi-
cation, the punitive superego becomes somewhat modified by succeeding
life experiences. The following quotations from Freud (1933) suggest such
a modification:

During the course of its growth the superego takes over the influ-
ence of those persons who have taken the place of the parents, that
is to say of persons who have been concerned in the child's up-
bringing, and whom it has regarded as ideal models. -Normally
the superego is constantly becoming more remote from the original
parents, becoming, as it were, more impersonal. -(p. 92)

The course of superego development, resolution of the oedipus com-
plex and the completion of the identification process can be seen from the
following quotations from Freud (1933):

The establishment of the superego can be described as a successful
instance of identification with the parental function. ~ (p. 91)

When the oedipus complex passes away, the child must give up y
the intense object-cathexes which it has formed toward its parents,
and to compensate for this loss of object, its identificvations with its
parents, which have probably long been present, . become greatly
intensified.

- Further investigation also reveals that the superego does not attain
to full strength and development if the overcoming of the oedipus
complex has not been completely successful.

, Normally the superego is constantly becoming more and more remote ,
from the original parents, becoming, as it were, more impersonal.

- At the time at which the oedipus complex makes way for the super-
ego they seem to be splendid figures, but later on they lose a great
deal of their prestige. Identifications take place with these later

editions of the parents as well, and regularly provide important
contributions to the formation of character. . . . (PP. 91-92)

 

Successful or Unsuccessful Identification

Freud has implied in the above quotations that identification may not
always be successful. - If it has been successful certain resultants may be
expected: The oedipus complex will have been resolved; the child re-
linquishing the mother as a sex object; parental values and attitudes will
have been incorporated, permitting greater autonomy to the child; anxiety
will have decreased, permitting a more comfortable relationship with the
parents. 1 This then would free the child to learn from his environment.

He would be more nearly able to subject his values to social scrutiny, and
to verify or change them accordingly. One could infer that he would
become more flexible and less anxiety ridden, particularly in his dealings
with parents, parent surrogates, and authority figures in general.

If identification has not been successful it might be expected that
the Oedipus complex would not have been completely resolved. At some
level the mother might still be viewed as a sex object. - Fears of destruction
or punishment by one or both parents, especially the father, would persist.
Anxiety would be experienced whenever relationships with adults were
reminiscent of those with mother or father. Because of this anxiety,
behavior in relationship to authority figures could be expected to be more
confused less flexible and spontaneous, and generally more defensive.

~Some of the expected differences in the personality structures of

successful and unsuccessful identifiers could be diagrammed as follows:

/ Identification \

Successful Unsuccessful

Oedip‘us Complex Resolved Oedilpus Complex Unresolved
Super|ego Incorporated and Matured . Supe'rego Defective

Anxiety Reduced Anxiety Strong

Relatively Comfortable with Parents DefeLsive and Uncomfortable with

Parents

In the light of the above discussion it seemed appropriate to offer
the following general hypothesis:

If from some population of persons an experimental sample can

 

be screened into two groups of subjects, one designated "successful

 

identifiers" andthe other "unsuccessful identifiers” interms of the

 

above definitions of these labels,‘. then: The successful identifiers will

 

demonstrate less confusion and conflict in sexual identity, less defensive-

 

ness in a situation reminiscent of relationship with parental figures,

 

and greater affective complexity than unsuccessful identifiers.

 

CHAPTER II

THE METHODS OF INVESTIGATION

The independent variable in this study was the mode of identifi-
cation. -Subjects were labeled successful or unsuccessful identifiers
on the basis of their responses to a screening instrument.

The dependent variables were sexual conflict (or confusion),
affective complexity, and defensiveness in a situation reminiscent of

relationship with parental figures.

The Screeninilnstrument

 

Block (1958) developed an adjective check list which he used to
measure the similarity between a subject's ideal self and his perception
of one or both of his parents. - It consisted of 79 adjectives which were
presented three times; first to the concept "Your Ideal Self" next to the
concept "Your Father" and finally to the concept "Your Mother. "

For each of the three presentations the subject was asked to use sixty
adjectives, thirty of which were to be marked X and thirty of which were
to be marked 0. The X stood for agreement with the adjective as a
description of ideal self, mother or father, and the 0 stood for disagree-
ment with the adjective as a description of these concepts. , A copy of
the Block Adjective Check List may be found in Appendix 111. Block used
the Adjective Check List as a measure of identification. He stated, on
the basis of theorizing by Stoke (1950), and Sanford (1955), that the
"similarity of one's ideal self to one's parent is a kind of identification"

(1958, p. 235). Lazowick (1955) used the Semantic Differential to obtain

10

11

a difference score between the subject and a' "model" with whom he
identified. The concepts used in this study were "myself" and"'father" '
and "myself" and"'mother. " Block (1958) used both the-Semantic
Differential and the Adjective Check List as measures of identification
between the concepts "Your Ideal Self" and"'You‘r Father" or "Your
‘Mother, " employing a group of University of California. students as
subjects. When corrected for attenuation, he obtained a correlation
coefficient of . 94 between the two methods. His conclusion was that while
the Semantic Differential is often assumed to reveal- "relationships among
concepts of which the subject may be unaware, " hence revealing unconscious
or preconscious material, the Adjective Check List served just as well
as a measure of identification as did the Semantic Differential. , Block
(1958) also obtained aslightly higher split-half reliability for the Adjective
Check List than for the Semantic Differential.

.On the basis of this and further research (Champ and Block 1960)
the Adjective Check Li st appeared to be an appropriate instrument to use
for screening subjects into groups of successful and unsuccessful
identifiers. The successful identifiers were those subjects with» low dif-
ference scores between the responses to the concepts "Your'ldeal Self"
and "Your Father.- " The unsuccessful identifiers were those with high

difference score 3 .

- Instruments for Measuring the Experimental Variables

Let us now turn to the task of measuring the first of the experimental
variables; sexual conflict. .Blum (1949) devised an instrument, designed
to measure psychosexual conflict, which he called the Blacky Test. - It con-
sisted of eleven cartoons depicting the "Adventures of Blacky. " These
cartoons features a little black dog, "Blacky, " his mother and father and

asibling named “Tippy. " The cartoons were designed to act as stimuli

12

for spontaneous stories and objective questions which would reveal con-
flict at the various psychoanalytic psycho-sexual stages of development.

They progress beginning with the oral stage as follows:

Cartoon I Oral Eroticism

Cartoon 11 Oral Sadism

Cartoon III Anal Expulsiveness-Retentiveness
Cartoon IV Oedipal Intensity

Cartoon V Masturbation Guilt

Cartoon VI Castration Anxiety

Cartoon VII Positive Identification

Cartoon VIII Sibling Rivalry

Cartoon IX Guilt Feelings
Cartoon X Positive Ego Ideal
- Cartoon XI Narcissistic-Anaclitic Love Object

This instrument has several advantages for this study. - It is closely
tied to Psychoanalytic theory. -It has been used extensively for research
purposes, thus has attained some measure of validity. It lends itself to
investigation of specific aspects of the identification process, thus allow-
ing specific hypotheses to be tested. The cartoons that appear most
appropriate for the purposes of this study are: Castration Anxiety,

- Positive Identification, , and Guilt Feelings (Cartoons VI, VII, and-IX).

. In the light of the preceding discussion of psychoanalytic theory these
particular cartoons appear to be relevant since they were intended to
measure discrete aspects of the identification process, which are particu-
larly relevant to the resolution of the Oedipus complex.

The Blacky Test provides the additional advantage of an objective
scoring system. The test can be scored for a general index of psycho-
sexual conflict, as well as for specific indices of psychossexual. conflict
such as those mentioned above. In this study it was thought that unsuccess-

ful identifiers would have higher total conflict scores than successful

l3

identifiers. Objective scoring was also available for any of the specific
aspects of the identification process such as those represented by the

five cartoons mentioned above.

The Defense Preference Inventory

 

The next variable to be measured was defensiveness and discomfort
in a situation reminiscent of relationship with parental figures. -B1um
and his colleagues at the University of Michigan have developed an instru-
ment which appeared to be the most appropriate measure of this variable.
This instrument is the Defense Preference Inventory. (M 53) as revised by
Blum (1956). The DPI is used in conjunction with the Blacky Test (1949)
and consists of a subject's rankings of five defensive modes to each of
the Blacky cartoons. The five defensive modes, derived from Psycho-
analytic theory, are: intellectualization, regression, projection, reaction
formation and avoidance. In an initial tryout of the DPI items, Goldstein.
(1952) discovered that subjects who tended to use the same type of defense
across Blacky dimensions demonstrated more disturbance in their spon-
taneous stories than persons who exhibited more flexible defense pref-
erences. ~ He labeled the former general defenders and latter specific
defenders. 7 Significant differences between the general defenders and
specific defenders have been reported by Shire (1954) andSegal (1954).
-Shire demonstrated that the general defender was significantly more
maladjusted on two measures: the Munroe‘lnspection Technique for the
Rorschach, and the spontaneous stories on the Blacky Pictures. Segal
divided female subjects into general and specific defender categories.
Both groups were equated for the strength of hostile and dependent im-
pulses on the basis of TAT and Blacky stories. ~ The results showed that
general defenders were less able to express hostile or dependent feelings

toward their mothers in a personal interview situation than were specific

l4

defenders. This study provided validation of avoidance as a defense
preference. The other defense items have not been validated as separate
measures. . However, the relationship between specific defenders and
general defenders with regards to psychosexual conflict on the Blacky Test
offers validity for the instrument as a whole.

The DPI has been used in an extensive research program at the
University of Michigan (Blum 1956) which providedlsome reliability data
for the instrument. Two test-retest measures resulted in product moment
correlation coefficients of .45 and .46. Seventy-three per cent of the first
choice rankings on one administration occurred as either first or second
choices on the second administration. Last choices proved to be almost as
stable as first choices.

-In the above studies, subjects demonstrating greater psycho-sexual
conflict in their spontaneous stories to the Blacky Pictures tended to be
general defenders. Subjects demonstrating less psycho-sexual conflict
in their spontaneous stories tended to be specific defenders. In this study
it was expected that unsuccessful identifiers would demonstrate more
psycho-sexual conflict in response to the Blacky Pictures and would more

likely be general defenders than would the successful identifiers.

The Affective Complexity Scale

 

A second measure of discomfort in a situation reminiscent of relation-
ship with parental figures was obtained by the use of the Thematic Apper-
ception Test. Henry and Shlien (1958) have developed a scoring system for
the TAT, . later revised by Greenwald (1958) which measures what they have
labeled"'affective complexity. " They have reasoned that the ability to.
experience complex affect, rather than being a sign of conflict, may be a
sign of emotional health, They question

the correctness of assuming, (a) the inevitable association of
distress and conflict with complex mental states and (b) in equating
the reduction of affect differentiation with improvement in per sonal-
ity adjustment. (pp. 153-154)

15

They state that Hedda Bolgar has informed them, via personal communi-
cation, of patients in therapy who showed an increase in utilization of
complex determinants of action~(Rorschach- "blends") with progress in
therapy. 1 Bolgar called this "increased tolerance for complexity. "

In discussing the method of scoring the authors have stated,

It will be apparent that we are using as a model aconcept of psycho-
sexual development. 1 This model, in its most primitive form,
refers to the development of the child from monolithic positive affect
toward a mother to the realization that both good and bad, positive
and negative attributes can exist in the same person. 1 We take as
less advanced, and thus in the adolescent or adult, less desirable,
the tendency to assume an individual to be entirely of one affect
quality. 1Failure to reconcile the presence of contradictory attributes
in a single object, we take as suggestive of developmental hazards.
- In this instance, we would anticipate a tendency to suppress either
the positive or the negative attribute and thus to continue seeing the
object as all good or all bad. ~ (pp. 156-157)

Although the language is different, the statement by Henry and
Shlien appeared to be in agreement with conclusions which can be drawn
from psychoanalytic theory. To wit; if identification with the same sexed
parent has not been successful and the mother has not been relinquished
as a sex object, then anxiety might be expected to permeate relationships
with the parents because of the threat of punishment for unacceptable
impulses. In the face of this anxiety, the child would not be free to be
flexible and spontaneous but instead would become defensive. He would
not be free to express the full range of affect experienced in relation to
the parent. He might be forced to disguise certain kinds of affect even
from himself such as: hostility toward the father and tenderness toward
the mother. Instead, as is the case with anxiety produced behavior, he
might be expected to make non-adaptive responses of a defensive nature
in an attempt to ward off anxiety. Thus, persons whose attempts at
identification had been unsuccessful might be expected to demonstrate less
affective spontaneity and variety in responding to parental figures than

persons who had successfully identified.

 

 

16

It might be expected that a correlation would exist between subjects
who were general defenders as measured by the DPI and those who
demonstrated low affective complexity on the T.A. T.

The following categories were developed (Henry and Schlien, p.
160) to differentiate the nature and complexity of affect:

A. Affect Inhibition. No affect or feeling expressed in the
story. Largely descriptive with no indication of emotional
involvement. Scored zero.

 

B. Monotonic Positive Affect. Affect expressed is pleasant,
positive, the focus on feelings or attitudes is entirely pleasurable.
No ambivalence or negative affect expressed. .Scored plus 1.

 

C. Monotonic Negative Affect. Predominant mood is neg- 1
ative, painful depressed. Feelings or attitudes focus on negative
aspects of the event or person. No ambivalence or positive affect '
expressed. Scored minus I.

 

D. Ambi-valent Affect. Affects with dual, conflicting
qualities of attrition-avoidance, but with no conflict resolution
evidenced. Complex, vascillating moods, fluctuating emotional
attitudes. Scored 2.

 

E. Ambi-valent affect with controlled Resolutions Indicated.
This is the most adaptive and efficiently complex pattern in which
there is flexibility of thought, sensitivity to intricate object
relationships. Differences accepted as non-threatening, ability
to respond to rather than rebel against different and complex
affects. Energy mobilized toward active conflict resolution.
Scored 3.

Eight TAT cards were chosen for use in the study. Four of these
cards: 6BM, 7BM, 8BM, and 12M depict a younger person with an older
person or persons. These cards are usually seen as picturing parent-
child relationships (Abt and Bellak 1950, pp. 207-211). The stimulus
value of these cards was judged to be such that they would create a situ-
ation reminiscent of relationship with parental figures. Four additional
cards were used: 3BM, 13BM, 14, and 17BM. Each of these cards
depicted a person by himself. They were judged to be relatively neutral

in stimulus value as compared with the parental related cards.

CHAPTER III
HYPOTHESES

The general hypothesis, as previously stated, was as follows:
the successful identifiers will demonstrate less confusion and conflict in
sexual identity, less defensiveness in a situation reminiscent of relation-
ship with parental figures and greater affective complexity than
unsuccessful identifiers.

From this general hypothesis the following operational hypotheses

were deduced:

l. The successful identifiers will demonstrate lower overall
psychosexual disturbance on the Blacky than the unsuccessful
identifier s .

a. The successful identifiers will demonstrate less disturb-
ance in response to the positive identification cartoon on
the Blacky Test than will unsuccessful identifiers.

b. Successful identifiers will exhibit fewer guilt feelings, as
measured by the Blacky, than will unsuccessful identifiers.

c. Successful identifiers will show less evidence of
castration anxiety, as measured by the Blacky, than un-
successful identifiers.

d. The successful identifiers will have lower pre-genital
loadings than the unsuccessful identifiers, as measured
by the Blacky.

2. The successful identifiers will include more specific defenders
and fewer general defenders than the unsuccessful identifiers
as measured by the DPI.

3. The mean affective complexity scores for the successful identi-
fiers will be higher than for the unsuccessful identifiers.

l7

CHAPTER IV.

SUBJECTS AND PROCEDURE

The Sample

 

The sample consisted of male college students enrolled in an
introductory course in general psychology. at Michigan State University.
- They consisted mostly of sophomores and juniors with afew seniors and
apvery few freshmen. The subjects were drawn from eight sections out
of the total of thirty sections of Psychology 151 which were conducted at
the University during the fall term of 1961. Approximately 160 male
students were enrolled in the eight sections. ‘However, because of
absences, the tests were actually administered to 138 subjects. Because
of incomplete protocols the usable N was further reduced to 124 subjects.

The sample, although not random, should be representative of the

male students enrolled in the Psychology 151 course at that time.

Administration and Scoring of the Instruments

The instruments were administered in conventional classrooms to
groups of approximately forty-five students. The classes were co...
educational and contained an approximate average of twenty male students.
The instruments were administered to the entire class, with only the
data from the male students being used for this study.

1. Procedure

Each student was presented with a booklet consisting of two blank
sheets of paper to be used for responses to the TAT pictures and several

mimeographed pages containing the standard Blacky Test for males.

18

19

Both the TAT and Blacky pictures were projected on a screen, using a
.35MM projector and one inch by one and three-eights inch slides. The
administration began with the TAT slides. They were administered
alternately using first a neutral picture andthen a parental figure re-
lated picture. The classrooms were darkened for the presentation of
the slides, but enough light was provided to make writing comfortable.
-Each slide was exposed for three 1minutes, * which was the length of time
allowed for the total response. . During the first presentation the subjects
were kept informed of the time at one minute intervals. -After the first
slide, they were informed of the time when two minutes had elapsed.
The directions for the TAT pictures were as follows:

You will be shown eight slides on which there will be pictures
of people. .Please make up a story about each one. 1Please be as
imaginative and creative as possible. -It would be helpful if you
would tell what led up to the scene in the picture, what is going on
now, and how it will turn out. — But most important of all, please
tell how each person feels. You should write quickly, filling at
least half a page. But be sure to tell how each person feels.

The Blacky Test was administered immediately following the last
TAT slide. The Blacky slides were presented in themanner described
above with an allowed response time of three minutes per slide. In this
case, however, the slides were exposedfor only one of the three minutes.
-It was decided that this procedure would facilitate the projection of the
subject's own feelings into the response situation. The same procedure
was followed with regard to zappriEing, the subjects of the elapsed and
remaining time during the three minute response period. -Each subject
was allowed one minute in which to write a brief spontaneous story about

each card, and two minutes in which to respond to the objective questions.

,7

:9:
There is some question as to whether this was an adequate amount
of time. 1The TAT stories might have been richer with alonger time
interval.

20

This division of time was not enforced, but was simply used as a guide-
line for the subject's use of time. 1 J

The administration of the Defense Preference Inventoryz followed
the administration of the last Blacky slide. .Each Blacky slide was re-
exposedfor a 15 second interval. The subjects were given one minute
in which to rank five statements, each of which represented one of the
five defensive modalities measured by the inventory. - (Intellectualization,
regression, projection, reaction formation and avoidance.)

The above testing consumed the entire two hours which were made
available for each group of subjects. Thus it was necessary to give the
Block Adjective Check List to each subject with the request that he
return it during the next class period. Directions were given carefully
and the subjects were urged to return the completed check list.3 Despite
the cooperation of the instructors in collecting them, . unreturned or
incomplete check lists accounted for much of the attrition which reduced

the usable data from an N of 138 to an‘N of 124.

2.- Scoring

The Adjective Check List. Two sets of scores were obtainedfrom

 

each subject's responses to the Block Adjective Check'List. - These two

 

scorings shall be referred to as the'1'difference score'and the"direct-

opposite score." The first of these scores is that conventionally used in

 

research with the Check List. . It consisted of any differences in responses
to adjectives on the response sheets titled "Your Ideal Self" and1"Your

Father." When the Check Lists were examined, prior to any scoring, it

 

1Instructions for the Blacky Test may be found in Appendix I.
.zlnstructions for the DPI may be found in Appendix II.

3Instructions for the Block Adjective Check List may be foundin
Appendix~ III.

21

Table I . Summary of Classroom Testing Procedure

 

 

‘ Exposure Time

Time. Allowed
for Subject' 8

 

Instrument per Slide Response Total *
TAT

(Eight slides) 3 minutes 3 minutes 3 minutes
Blacky

(Eleven slides) 1 minute

DPI
(Eleven slides) 15 seconds

3 minutes

1 minute

3 minutes

1 minute

 

>'<

'These total times include the exposure time.

22

occurred to the writer that ascertain amount of looseness existed in the
structure of the Check List. 1 It contained a total of 79 adjectives on
each response sheet (the same adjectives for each sheet) but only 60
choices were made. A subject could have anlarge difference score

(the range was from 7 to 65) with few instances in which Father'and' Ideal
Self were marked differently in response to the same adjective. . This
allowed many instances in which the subject could avoid making a direct
comparison between Ideal Self and Father. Therefore, the check lists
were scored a second time for those instances in which the- same
adjective was marked for both Ideal Self and-Father, but marked X
(agreement) for one response sheet and 0(disagreement) for the other

response sheet. The range of differences in this case was from 0 to 34.

The'Blacky Test. The Blacky Test was scored according to Blum's

 

1951 revision of a scoring system which originally appeared in the

Appendix of Genetic Psychology Monographs, 1949,, 39, 3-99. A mimeo-

 

graphed copy of this scoring system was obtained from Blum. -Each
indication of psychosexual conflict on the Blacky was scored with a simple
plus (+). In cases where a response was thought to be especially indicative
of psychosexual conflict two pluses (++) were used. This differential
weighting of responses is built into the scoring system and has been
standardized. On each of the eleven cards, indices of psychosexual
conflict were derived from three sources; the spontaneous story, . a series
of objective questions following the story and any response to acard that
indicated psycho-sexual conflict in an area represented by another card.
-For example, if in response to card IV (Oedipal Intensity) a specific oral
reference was made, such as; "meal,- " "food, " "eating, " or "nourishment"
a plus was added to the scoring of cartoon I (Oral eroticism). .Such

references were labeled "related comments" in Blum's scoring system.

23

This particular scoring system yields a conflict score foreach of
the eleven Blacky cartoons (raw number of pluses) and a total conflict
score for the entire protocol (combined raw pluses for all cards).
~ Following directly from the hypotheses employed in this study, five dif-
ferent scores were used in the data analysis. The scores for cardsVI
‘ (Castration Anxiety), VII (Positive Identification), and IX (Guilt Feelings)
were recorded, as well as the total conflict score. A score was also
obtained for the total number of pluses found in response to the pre-

genital cards. This score was called the Pre-genital loading.

The Defense Preference Inventory. A single score was obtained

 

for each Defense Preference Inventory. The subject was given aform, on
which to record his responses, which was essentially a five by eleven
matrix. The five statements, representing the five defensive modalities,
were ranked from one to five for each of the Blacky cartoons. 1A co-
efficient of concordance (Kendall's W) was derived, thus providing a

single score for each response sheet.1

The Thematic Apperception Test. Each story was scored for

 

affective complexity using Greenwald's scoring system (see p. 14). The
score for each protocol consisted of the sum of scores for the eight

cards. -As mentioned earlier, Greenwald's system employed the follow-
ing scores: -1l,.0, +1, +2, and +3. This is an ordinal scale with plus

and minus weightings. There appeared to be some question as to whether

a new scoring system, with only token standardization as yet, was sensitive
enough to measure both complexity and direction of affect. It appeared
possible that the algebraic scoring used by Greenwald might actually

cancel out some of the affective complexity. Therefore, two scores were

derivedafor each protocol; an algebraic score which corresponded exactly

 

1A copy of matrix used for DPI responses may be found in
Appendix IV.

24

to Greenwald's scoring system, and a numerical score which employed
Greenwald's categories, but disregarded signs, treating all numbers as

:5:
positive numbers.

.Scoring Reliability. Three undergraduate students were employed

 

to score the protocols. The adjective check lists were scored first
because this was asimple counting process requiring little training and
subject to minimal error. The TAT responses were then scored under
close supervision of the experimenter. Finally, the Blacky responses
were scored, . again under the supervision of the experimenter. The
Defense Preference Inventories did not require scoring but were ready
for statistical treatment when completed by the subjects.

After the protocols were scored, 20 TAT protocols were selected
for scoring by the experimenter in order to establish scoring reliability. .
An interclass correlation (Guilford 1956) was used for the TAT protocols
because this statistic was sensitive to each of the eight subscores which
constituted the total score for each protocol. The 20 protocols were
scored without reference to previous scoring. A correlation coefficient
of . 78 was obtained.

Twenty Blacky protocols were scored in the same manner. - In this
case a correlation of . 97 was obtained.

The difference between the two correlation coefficients appeared to
be due to the greater objectivity of the Blacky scoring system. ~Although
there was some scorer judgment involved inscoring the Blacky protocols,

it was not nearly as great as that required for scoring the TAT protocols.

 

*
Algebraic henceforth referred to as TAT-A and numerical as TAT-N.

CHAPTER V

RESULTS

Analysis of the Data

 

The initial step in the data analysis was to divide the 124 subjects
into quartiles on the basis of their difference scores on the Adjective
Check List. The conventional Check List scoring was used; that is, all
differences were counted whether they were direct Father-Ideal Self
opposites or not. The rationale for using quartiles was that the greatest
differences on the experimental variables would logically appear
between the upper and lower quartiles.

Including the two methods of scoring the TAT results discussed
earlier, there were eight experimental variables in the design. They were:
' TAT-N, TAT-A, Blacky Total, ~ Castration Anxiety, Positive Identification,
Guilt, Pre-genital- Loadings and Defense Preference Inventory. They can

be diagrammatically represented as follows:

 

 

Low Block Scores High Block Scores
(Successful Identifiers) (Unsuccessful Identifiers)
TAT-N
TAT-A
Blacky T
Cast.‘ Anx.

- Post. . Ident.
Guilt

Pre- Genital
DPI

 

 

 

25

26

In order to provide a clearer view of the experimental design,
the data were analyzed in two different ways. First the subjects were
divided into quartiles on the basis of the scoring suggested by Block;
referred to in this study as the Difference score. This data was then
run through the Michigan State Integral Computer (MISTIC). A pro-
gram was written which resulted in triangular correlation matrices for
each of the four quartiles, for the upper and lower halves, and for the
total N. The matrices included Pearson correlation coefficients for
all variables compared with all other variables.

The results of this initial data analysis were disappointing. The
correlations appeared to be random and directionless in terms of the
hypotheses. The only exceptions were: consistently high positive
correlations between the two TAT scorings and among the Blacky sub-
tests. The crucial correlations in terms of the experimental design,
those between the Check List and the experimental variables, were
most unpromising.

The data were then arranged into quartiles on the basis of the
second (Direct-opposite) scoring of the BlockAdjective Check List.
The same statistical treatment was followed, producing correlation
matrices for the four quartiles, the upper and lower halves, and the
total N. These correlation matrices can be seen in Tables 11 and III
and in Tables 1-5 inAppendix V.l

Inspection of the data for this analysis immediately suggested that
orderly relationships existed between the screening instrument and the
experimental variables. The clearest relationships with the screening
instrument were demonstrated on the Blacky Total, Pre-genital Loadings

and the Blacky sub-tests. With the exception of Castration Anxiety, all

 

1Tables II and III contain the correlations between all variables
for quartiles one and two combined and quartiles three and four combined.
Tables 1 through 5 in Appendix V contain the correlations between all
variables for each of the four quartiles as well as for the total N.

27

Table 11.. . Correlation Matrix for All Variables for Quartiles 1 and 2.

   

Blacky Cast. -Pos. Pre-

 

TAT-N TAT-A T 1Anx. Ident. Guilt Gen. DPI
TAT-A +.61
Blacky T +.21 -.05
.Cast.1Anx. -.07 -.15 +.21
1Pos.1Ident. +.03 -.07 +.12 -.02
Guilt -.03 -.09 +.52 -.11 .+.1o
Pre-genital +.30 +.00 +.87 +.32 +.17 +.32
DPI +.oo -.12 -.19 -.28 +.1o -.23 -.15
CheckList +.13 +.zo -.15 +.03 -.26 -.14 -.12~ -.13

 

Using a two-tailed test, a correlation coefficient is significant at the .05
level if it is greater than . 25 '

 

 

 

Table III. Correlation Matrix for All Variables for Quartiles 3 and 4.
Blacky Cast. Pos. Pre-

TAT-N TAT-A T Anx. Ident. Guilt Gen. DPI

TAT-A +. 61

Blacky T +.15 -.01

Cast. Anx. 1+.04 -.06 +.25

'Pos..ldent. +.20 -+.28 +.25 +.05

Guilt +.04 +.13 +.38 +.01 -.07

Pre-genital +.22 +.06 -.01 +. 39 +.30 +. 14

DPIG +.08 -.21 -.06 -.01 -.08 -.04 - 13

Check List +.00 +.01 +.18 -.06 +.21 +.26 +.12 -.03

 

28

of the Blacky scores for the first two quartiles were correlated nega-
tively with the screening instrument (Bottom row Table Ill). All the
Blacky scores, with the same exception, were correlated positively with
the screening instrument for quartiles three and four (Bottom row

Table III). This suggested an orderly relationship in the direction of the
hypotheses since it was hypothesized that more successful identifiers
(quartiles one and two) would have lower psycho-sexual conflict scores
than more unsuccessful identifiers (quartiles three and four). The one
exception to this was the Castration Anxiety variable which approximated
a zero correlation.

The Defense Preference Inventory correlated negatively with the
screening instrument for quartiles one and two, as well as for quartiles
three and four. As the Tables will demonstrate, the DPI showed either
a negative, or near zero correlation with every other variable in the
study.

Both TAT scorings demonstrated moderate correlations in the pre-
dicted direction. The correlations between the adjective check list
scores and the TAT scores for the unsuccessful identifiers were approxi-
mately zero. The correlations between the adjective check list scores
and the TAT scores for the unsuccessful identifiers were moderately
positive. The two TAT scorings correlated positively with each other
(r = .61).

.Since the Blacky Total score is composed of the total of sub-test
scores it was expected that the sub-tests would correlate highly with
the Blacky Total. This proved to be the case (see column three, Tables
11 and III). The Pre-genital score includes several Blacky sub-tests
and was expected to correlate highly with the Blacky Total. The highest
correlations in the matrices were between these two sets of scores.
It was obvious from the examination of the matrices that the Blacky scores

were not independent of each other.

29

In observing the correlations between variables as represented
by the matrices under discussion, a discrepancy was observed. The
correlation coefficients for the relationships between the Block Adjective
Check List and the experimental variables were greater when computed
for the upper and lower halves of the data (Tables II and 111), than when
computed for the total N (Table 5, Appendix V).

It was suspected that this might be due to curvilinear relationships
between the check list scores and the scores for the experimental instru-
ments. The data were plotted and a curvilinear function appeared. The

correlation ratio ETA was computed for the check list and the three

 

experimental variables for which the highest Pearson r's were computed,
using the total N. These three variables were: Blacky Total, Pre-genital .

Loading and Positive Identification. All three correlation ratios ETA

 

were of greater magnitude for the total N than the Pearson r's (Table 5,
1 Appendix V). The correlation ratios for these three variables, as well
as their significance levels may be seen in Table IV.

Table IV. Correlation Ratio ETA for the Screening Instrument and the
. Most Highly Related Experimental Variables

 

 

Correlation ratio n Significance level
Blacky T . 379 .10
Pre-genital . 731 . 05
Positive Identification . 326 . 05

 

The curvilinearity of the data seemed to be responsible for the
appearance of smaller Pearson r's when these relationships were com-
puted for the total N than when they were computed for the upper and
lower halves of the sample. The function that occurred was as follows:

as the check list difference scores increased, the conflict scores on

30

the Blacky Total, Pre-genital, and Positive Identification measures
increased beyond the median and then fell off sharply. The Pearson r's,
based on linear relationships, in effect, cancelled themselves out.

Examination of the scattergrams for the other variables did not
seem to warrant the computation of the correlation ratio E__T_A for

other than the three tabled above.

Relationship of the Results to the Hypotheses

 

It appeared from inspection of the data that the means of most of the
variables moved fairly smoothly from smaller to greater over the four
quartiles (Table V). Thus, it was concluded that greater statistical
power could be achieved, without violation of the design, by including
the entire N in the statistical operations. Accordingly, the total N was
divided at the median check list score to form two groups. The first
and second quartiles combined were operationally known as successful
identifiers and the second and third quartiles combined were operationally
known as unsuccessful identifiers.

Further inSpection of the data suggested that normal parametric
statistics might be appropriate for tests of significant differences between
the two groups. To test this possibility an F test for the homogeneity of
two variances was used for all the variables for the two group. The only
variable for which the variance was significantly different for the two
groups was Castration Anxiety. Because none of the variances for the
other variables approached significance, it was assumed that an increased
N would decrease the difference in variances between the two groups with
regard to the Castration Anxiety variable. . Since there was no assurance
of normalcy for this variable, a chi square test was run in addition to the
t test of significance used for all variables. The results of these tests of

significance may be seen in Table VI.

31

Table V, Comparison of Means and Standard Deviations for the Quartiles

 

High Block Scores

Low Block Scores

 

 

 

 

. l. 2. . .
Quartile SE S X s 5? 3 s X 4 s
TAT-N. 7.0 2.52 8.0 2.58 8.1 2.71 8.3 2.18
TAT-A 10.6 3.84 11.7 4.02 12.3 4.23 11.8 3.60
Blacky T 24.4 7.38 22.6 8.67 26.6 9.27 26.7 9.38
Cast, Anx. 2.2 1.82 2.4 1.71 2.9 1.97 2.7 2.06
p08, Ident. 1.7 2.16 .8 1.43 2.4 2.85 2.8 3.19
Guilt 4.2 1.40 3.4 1.91 3.5 1.62 3.3 2.02
pre, Gen, 13.5 4.75 13.0 5.36 16.8 6.62 16.7 7.05
DH .18 .15 17 .12 .06 .01 16 12
Check List .05 2. 6 6.4 19. 2

 

31a

Table VI. Results of the t Tests for the Significance of Differences Between
Successful and Unsuccessful Identifiers for All Variables

 

 

 

_ _ _ Significance
X S sxl - sxz t ‘Level
1.1... 3:22:12... 2.? 31:23 -45 1-53 <-2°*
TAT-A ifsiiiifi... 1.3.23 323: ~71 1.13 <~3°*
131%va Eicsiiiifii... 22:3 32:3 1157 2105 <-°?~5
Cast. Anx. Elizafim :3 :3: .35 1.52 <.10
Pos; 2:22:81. 1:: 1:32 2195
Guilt 3:21:12... 323 12;: -32 1-47 “20*
Pre-genital affilifgful 12:: 2:2; 1.08 3.03 <.oos
DPI 3:21:33... :12 :ii’ :08 ------
Chi-Square for Castration Anxiety 1. 75 < . 20

 

*

All of the t tests were one-tailed tests, since the hypotheses were
all directional. The starred figures are not remarkable for their signifi-
cance, but because they were in the direction opposite that hypothesized.

32

By examining the Table, it can be seen that the scores for the
Blacky T, Positive Identification and Pre-genital variables were in the
direction predicted by the hypotheses and were highly significant.

-It can also be seen that despite correlations within groups in the pre-
dicted direction (Tables 11 and III) both TAT scorings, as well as the
Guilt score, were in the opposite direction than that predicted by the
hypotheses, when the means were compared. It should also be pointed
out that although the Castration Anxiety variables showed an almost zero
correlation with the screening instrument, the difference between the

means for the groups yielded a t that suggested a strong trend in the pre-

dicted direction (. 10 level).

CHAPTER VI

DISCUSSION

This study was designed to test seven hypotheses (p. 17). Three
of these hypotheses, one, two and three, were derived from major
aspects of the theoretical foundations of the study. These appear, on
the basis of the data analysis, to have been tested with independent
measures. The study was also designed to test four sub-hypotheses.
The relationships demonstrated in Tables 11 and III indicate that these
hypotheses were not tested with independent measures. In the following .
discussion, hypothesis one will be treated-first, followed by sub-
hypotheses 1a, lb, 1c, and 1d. Then the treatment of hypotheses two
and three will follow.

The first hypothesis stated that:

The successful identifiers will demonstrate lower over-all psycho-
sexual disturbance on the Blacky than the unsuccessful identifiers.

 

 

This hypothesis appears to have been clearly supported by the
data. The difference between groups was in the predicted direction and
the difference was significant at the . 025 level of confidence (TableVI).

. It appears to have been suggested on the basis of this data that male
college students who have wide differences in their concepts of "ideal
self" and' "father" experience more psycho-sexual conflict than those
whose concepts of ”ideal self" and "father" are more compatible. .It can
be inferred, within the framework of psychoanalytic theory, that some-
thing has happened in the developmental history of these persons tomake
them unwilling or unable to be like their fathers. The use of such a
criterion for successful. identification suggests that the only real solution

to the Oedipal problem is tosee one's father as being ideal.

33

34

At first blush such a view seems both overly psychoanalytic and exceed-
ingly narrow. But the data has stated simply that males whocannot
accept their fathers as ego-ideals have more psycho-sexual conflict than
those who can. It makes some sense to suggest that males whocannot
accept their fathers as ego ideals have considerably more difficulty find-
ing other-"models" to be like than those who can accept their fathers.
If not finding a proper model, hence not knowing whom to be like, means
that psycho-sexual identification has not been successful, then psycho-
analytic theory appears to receive some support from this data.

. Hypothesis la stated that:

The successful identifiers will demonstrate less disturbance in
response to the positive identification cartoon on the Blacky Test
than will unsuccessful identifiers.

 

 

 

This hypothesis-was strongly supported by the data. . The t was
significant at the .005 level. Since the hypothesis was derived directly
from psychoanalytic theory viz. unsuccessful identification would result
in continued conflict about the appropriate identification object, it appeared
that psychoanalytic theory received some experimental support from the
data.

This finding also appeared to have presented some experimental
validation for the use of the Block Adjective Check List as a measure of
identification. .It suggested that there were not only more differences
between1"ideal self" and "father" for the unsuccessful identifiers, but that
these differences were indicative of confusion in psycho-sexual identifi-
cation. .The qualification should be added that the usual scoring of the
Adjective Check List did not discriminate between subjects with higher
conflict scores on the Positive Identification Blacky cartoon and those with
lower conflict scores. The direct-opposite scoring did so and thus
appeared to enhance the usefulness of the Adjective Check List as a
measure of identification. 1 This scoring may prove more useful for future

use in studies of identification than the conventional scoring.

35

By referring to Tables 11 and III it may be seen that the Positive
Identification scores for the unsuccessful identifiers correlated more
highly with the Affective Complexity variable than the Positive Identification
scores for the successful identifiers, when faced with a situation remi-
niscent of relationship with parental figures. The inference could be
drawn from this relationship that males, more conflicted in identification,
experience more complex affect than those who are less conflicted in
identification when relating to parental figures.

- Hypothesis 1b stated that:

Successful identifiers will exhibit fewer guilt feelings, as
measured by the Blacky, than will unsuccessful identifiers.

 

 

This hypothesis was not supported by the data. In fact, the trend was
in the opposite direction. The trend was such that had the hypothesis
been reversed a one-tailed test in the opposite direction might well have
approached significance at the . 05 level. - Further research would need
to be done before such a trend could be trusted as a basis for theoretical
revisions. However, it gave rise to interesting theoretical considerations.
There appeared to be evidence that the subjects with less "ideal self"-
"father" discrepancy experienced less psycho-sexual conflict generally,
as well as less conflict in regard to the appropriate identification object.
They might be said to be more comfortable with regard to the entire
identification-oedipal developmental sequence. .Surprisingly, however,
the successful identifiers evidence more guilt than the unsuccessful
identifiers. A second caution must be added to any speculations as to
what this may mean; namely, that the Guilt score is in response to only
one Blacky cartoon. This cartoon is closely tied to the Sibling Rivalry
cartoon which precedes it. Having expressed the tentativeness that must
accompany any speculations, it seemed appropriate to proceed with the
possible theoretical implications of this finding. It has been stated in

psychoanalytic theory that successful completion of the identification

36

process leads to development of a mature conscience which displaces
the punitive superego. Yet here are subjects who, within our operational
framework, have successfully identified with their fathers, but who
experienced guilt more readily than unsuccessful identifiers when faced
with a stimulus which suggested resentment toward parents and jealousy
toward siblings. _. Could it be that successful identification, .as we knowit
in our society, is more nearly conformity to cultural expectations than
freedom from punitive superego achieved by emotional maturation?
If such were the case, it could be suggested that successful identification,
in our culture, consists more of finding ways to gain parental approval
for one's behavior, than of resolving an internal struggle such as the
Oedipus complex. .Such a question cannot be answered within the frame-
work of this study, but poses an intriguing problem for further research.)
Hypothesis 1c stated that:

Successful identifiers would Show less evidence of castration
anxiety, as measured by the Blacky, than unsuccessful identifiers.

The data was somewhat contradictory with regard to this hypothesis.
Although the correlation matrices (Tables 11. and III) indicated an approxi-
mately zero correlation between the screening instrument and this
variable, the mean conflict score for the unsuccessful identifiers was
higher than the mean conflict score for the successful identifiers. The t
was at the .10'level of confidence. This would ordinarily be seen as a
strong trend in the predicted direction, though it fell short of significance.
1 But it is likely that this did not represent a trend. Instead there were
many zero scores in each group with no relationship within groups between
the increased difference scores on the screening instrument and increased
scores on the Castration Anxiety variable. . However, the magnitude of
certain scores in the third and fourth quartiles appear to have been great
enough to account for the difference in means. . It makes sense to distrust

this difference until further research gives a clearer view of the

37

relationship between successful and unsuccessful identifiers and responses
to the Castration Anxiety cartoon on the Blacky, if any such relationship
exists.

. Hypothesis number ld stated that:

The successful identifiers will have lower pre-genital loadingg
than the unsuccessful identifiers, as measured by the Blacky.

 

 

. The score for‘Pre-genital Loading consisted of the sum of the scores
for the following cartoons; Oral Eroticism, Oral Sadism, Anal Expulsion,
~Anal Retention, Oedipal Intensity and Masturbation Guilt. -Since these car-
toons make up five of the eleven cartoons on the Blacky Test (Anal
Expulsion-Retention while yielding two scores, is one cartoon) it might be
expected that if the Blacky Total scores for the two groups of subjects
were Significantly different, the Pre-genital Loadings would be significantly
different. This proved to be the case. However, in terms of psycho-
analytic theory, it might be expected that greater differences between the
two groups would occur in response to the Pre-genital cartoons than to
the remaining cartoons, since the Unsuccessful identifier is thought to be
fixated at the pre-genital level. This also proved to be the case. The
raw conflict scores for the Pre-genital cartoons were greaterthan for
the rest of the cartoons for both groups, but noticeably more so for the
unsuccessful identifiers. The difference between the two groups for the
. Pre-genital Loadings was significant at the .005‘1evel of confidence as
compared with the . 025 level of confidence for the Blacky Total score.

In this instance, also, psychoanalytic theory appears to have received
strong support from the results of the study.
Hypothesis two stated that:

The successful identifiers would include more specific defenders
andfewer general defenders than the unsuccessful identifiers as
measured by the Defense Preference‘lnventorl.

 

 

 

There were no discernable differences between groups for this

variable. There was no evidence of directionality either in the correlation

38

coefficients or in the DPI means for the two groups. The DPI, even
thoughsit is frequently administered in connection with the Blacky, has
not been adequately validated by research. - Nevertheless, , it appeared
to be the best instrument available in attempting to measure defensive-
ness in subjects when faced with a situation reminiscent of relationship
with parental figures. Although there was some conflict between the
findings of Goldstein (1952) and Shire (1954), the instrument appeared
promising. 1The hypothesis stated above was based on Goldstein's find-
ings. In their studies, it appeared that Goldstein andShire compared
the DPI's of subjects with high Blacky conflict with subjects having low
conflict scores. They found differences in the DPI patterns. for these
groups. This study worked from a different direction. The groups were
defined on the basis of the identification of the subjects with their fathers.
The conflict scores on the Blacky came out as predicted, but the DPI
did not appear to respond to this kind of grouping. 1It must be concluded
that general defenders and specific defenders were randomly distributed
throughout the two groups.

The third hypothesis stated that:

The mean affective complexity scores for the successful identi-
fiers would be higher than for the unsuccessful identifiers.

 

 

Not only was this hypothesis not supported by the data, but the trend
was in the opposite direction (TableIII). - In order to increase the possible
sensitivity of the instrument two scorings were used throughout the study.
Both methods of scoring indicated the same trend. Henry and Shlien's
(1953) experimental use of the TAT as a measure of Affective Complexity
was with subjects who were in psychotherapy at the'University of Chicago
Counseling Center. The picture of these subjects, as revealed by the
Henry and Shlien study, was that of persons who, at the outset of therapy,
were affectively constricted. As therapy progressed they evidenced more

Complex and spontaneous affect, as measured by the Affective Complexity

39

scoring of the TAT. .It was implied in the Henry andShlien article that
since the Affective Complexity scores increased as a result of therapy,
increased psychological health and increasing complexity of expressed
affect were parallel results of therapy. A further implication appeared
to be that psychological health and affective complexity may in some
sense be equated.

In the present study this did not appear to be the case. Subjects
who demonstratedless evidence of psycho-sexual conflict also demon-
-‘ strated less affective complexity, using Henry and-Shlien's measurement.

1Persons who use neurotic defenses to maintain personality inte-
gration in the face of painful anxiety, are known to be constricted in their
affective modalities. Such might be the case with many. of Henry and
Shlien's subjects as they began therapy. The expression of affect, even
if it is negative, ambivalent or confused, is encouraged by most therapists.
As a subject experienced the permissiveness and safety of the therapeutic
relationship it might be expected that he would express increasingly
complex affect. ~ It has often been (observed, however, that after therapy
has been concluded old or new defensive modalities are established to
maintain psychological comfort in the absence of the therapist. At this
point it is quite likely that the overt expression of complex affect
decreases. The question might be raised as to whether‘Henry and Shlien,
testing their subjects at the conclusion of therapy might not have been
testing at an interim stage in this process rather than at the end. .It might
also be suggested that as time elapsed after therapy a return to less overt
evidence of complex affect might have occurred. In a normal population,
.such as that from which the subjects in this study are presumed to have
been drawn, it might be expected that less amplitude of affective com—
plexity would exist, especially under the testing circumstances.

- The subjects were screened on a test of identification. If psycho-

sexual conflict is as directly related to problems in identification as

40

psychoanalytic theory suggests, then the nature of the TAT cards chosen
for the study may account to some extent for the reversal of direction in
the findings. Four of the cards were specifically chosen to represent
parental figures. If congruence between "ideal self" and "father" repre-
sented minimal conflict with parental figures and lack of congruence
represented greater conflict, it might be expected that an affective
response of greater amplitude and complexity would be aroused in the un-
successful identifiers by the presentation of these cards than in the
successful identifiers. The reason for this being that the stimulus value
of the cards would be different for the two groups, arousing conflictual
emotions in one group but not in the other.

The above possibilities are offered as potential explanations for the
unexpected direction that the data took. They can only be affirmed or
disproven by further research.

The area of greatest concern about the adequacy of the experimental
design was that of the screening instrument. Tests of identification are
not plentiful. Various instruments, including Q-sorts, were considered.
Finally, the Block Adjective Check List was settled on as an instrument
with good face validity and with considerable potential. However, it was
not as adequately validated as a measurement of identification as it might
have been. The initial data analysis, using the conventional scoring,
proved to be disappointing. Fortunately, however, this difficulty had
been anticipated and a tighter scoring (direct-opposite) had already been
completed. When the data was arranged into new quartiles on the basis
of the directgopposite scoring the muddiness immediately cleared away.
.Clear-cut results were obtained, some of them supportive of the hypothe-
ses, others, interesting but challenging to the hypotheses.

» Although this study was in no sense intended as a validation of the
Block Adjective Check List, it has lent support to the use of the Check List
as a measure of identifiCation, providing that the meaning of the term
identification is operationally and fairly narrowly defined, and providing

that the revised scoring system is used.

40a

Another aspect of the study that deserved further consideration
was the marked curvilinearity which the Blacky Total scores and certain
of the Blacky sub-tests scores displayed when correlated with the
adjective check list. As the discrepancy between perceived Ideal self and
perceived Father increased (direct-opposite scores) psychosexual
conflict increased. This Was directly in line with psychoanalytic theory.
However, when the direct-opposite scores increased to a point somewhat
beyond the median, psychosexual conflict scores quickly decreased.

This phenomenon strongly suggests that when perceived Ideal self and
Father are highly different, less psychosexual conflict is experienced by
the person.

This study does not provide information as to what kinds of persons-
responded with combined high Father-Ideal self differences andlow
Blacky conflict scores, but two possibilities appear to make some sense.

a. These subjects have either been reared away from their fathers

or while living with their fathers have found other models for
identification. Thus though the Father-Ideal self difference is
great, identification with some other model has been fairly

successful and psychosexual conflict is minimal.

b. Subjects at the upper end of the Father-Ideal self difference
continuum have failed to identify and have arrived at a
personality structure that could be called a character dis-
order. Thus while identification may be very poor, experi-
enced psychosexual conflict might be low.

This problem presents an intriguing possibility for

further research.

CHAPTER VII

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

This study was based on the theoretical assumption derived from
psychoanalytic theory that groups of adult males could be divided into
those who had been successful in identifying with their fathers and those
who had been unsuccessful. ~Having operationally defined a group of
successful identifiers, it was predicted that the successful identifiers
would demonstrate less psycho-sexual conflict, less defensiveness, and
greater affective complexity when placed in a situation reminiscent of
relationship with parental figures.

Male undergraduate college students enrolled in an introductory
psychology course were used as subjects for the study. One hundred
twenty-four subjects were divided into two groups of 62 successful identi-
fiers and 62 unsuccessful identifiers on the basis of their scores on the
Block Adjective Check List. The Block Adjective Check List contained
79 adjectives, 30 of which were chosen as being descriptive of the con-
cept "Your Ideal Self" and 30 of which were chosen as not being descrip-
tive of this concept. The same procedure was repeated using the concept
"Your‘Father. " Subjects scoring below the median number of differences
between the adjectives chosen for the two concepts were labeled success-
ful identifiers. Those scoring above the median were labeled unsuccess-
ful identifiers.

In a classroom setting containing groups of approximately 20 sub-
jects, the experimental instruments were administered. There were:
eleven slides depicting the Blacky cartoons, eight slides depicting TAT
cards 3BM, 6BM, 7BM,,8BM, 12M, 15BM, 14 and 17 BM, and the

41

42

Defense Preference Inventory. The Blacky cartoons were used to
measure psycho-sexual conflict, the TAT cards to measure affective
complexity, and the DPI to measure defensiveness. The Blacky Test

is designed to create a situation reminiscent of relationship with
parental figures and the TAT cards were chosen as those most likely to
create such a situation. The DPI was used in conjunction with the Blacky
slides.

l. The prediction regarding greater psychosexual conflict for the
unsuccessful identifiers was supported by the data at the . 025
level of confidence.

-Four sub-hypotheses were tested predicting greater con-
flict indices on certain Blacky sub- scores for the unsuccessful
identifiers than for the successful identifiers. The four Blacky
sub-scores were: Castration, Anxiety, Positive Identification,
[Guilt and the Pre-genital Loading. The differences between
groups were significant at the . 005 level for the Positive Identi-
fication and Pre-genital scores. The Castration Anxiety score
approached significance'(. 10 level of significance). The Guilt
score was in the opposite direction than that predicted.

2. There was no measurable difference between the DPI scores
for the two groups.

3. The Affective Complexity scores were in the opposite direction
to that predicted for the two groups.

-Psychoana1ytic theory appeared to receive some support from the
Blacky responses for the two groups. It appeared that subjects who had
not been able to successfully identify with their fathers did manifest
greater psycho-sexual conflict than those who had been able to identify
successfully, and that this conflict was most evident at the psycho-
sexual stages of development where it might be expected on the basis of

psychoanalytic theory.

43

The negative results on the tests of differences between groups for
the defensiveness and affective complexity hypotheses suggest that there
may be 1a need for further refinement and standardization of the instru-
ments used and for further research.

This study employed a scoring system for the Block Adjective
Check List which made the instrument more appropriate for this study
and may enhance the value of the instrument as a measure of identification
in the future.

A curvilinear relationship between the Adjective .Check‘List and the
Blacky Total and sub-tests scores was discovered. Subjects demonstrat-
ing greatest differences between responses to the concepts Father and
Ideal Self had decreased psychosexual conflict scores. Two possible
explanations of this phenomenon were offered.

a. These subjects may have identified successfully with models

other than their fathers.

b. Because of the development of defective character structure
they have made no strong identification with any model.
Consequently, little anxiety and conflict are experienced.

These latter alternatives present challenging possibilities for

further research.

SELECTED REFERENCES

Abt, L. E. and Bellak,» L. -Projective Psycholggy. Alfred A. Knopf,
New York, 1950.

 

Block, J. »An unprofitable application of the semantic differential.
--J. Consult. Psychol., Vol. 22, 235, 1958.

 

Blum, G.~S. The Blacky Test. University of Michigan, 1949.

 

Blum, G.1 S. .Revi‘sed scoring system for research use of the Blagy
Pictures. University of Michigan, 1951. I

 

Blum, G. S. The Blacky Pictures. J..Consult. Psychol., Vol. 20, 1956,
pp. 487-488. 1

Blum, G.-S. Defense preference in four countries. J. -Proj. Tech. ,
1956, 20, 33-41.

Blum, G. S. Assessment Measures. Unpublished Ms. 1957.

 

Champ, J. and Block, J. A. Study of identification in male homosexuals.
-J. Consult..Psychol., Vol. 24, p. 307, 1960.

 

Fenichel, - Otto. The psychoanalytic theory of neurosis. -Norton,
-New York, 1945.

 

Freud, 1 S. A general introduction to psychoanalysis. .New York,
~Livewright Publishing Corp. , 1920.

 

Freud, - S. Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Egg. Boni and
Livewright, 1 New York , 1932.

 

Freud, S. «New introductory lectures in psychoanalysis. Norton,
»New York, 1933.

 

Freud, ~ S. The Ego and the id. London, Hogarth Press, 1935.

 

Freud, S. -An outline of psychoanalysis. 1Norton, 1New York, 1949.

 

44

45

Freud, A. The Ego and the mechanisms of defense. The HOgarth Press,
London, 1937.

 

Goldstein, S. 1A projective study of psychoanalytic mechanisms of defense.
Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, University of Michigan, . 1952.

 

Greenwald, A. Affective complexity and psychotherapy. Unpublished 'Ph.D.
dissertation, University of Chicago, 1958.

 

Guilford, - J. P. 1 Fundamental Statistics in Psychology and Education.
McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. ,1 New York, 1956.

 

Henry, W. E. and Shlien, J. M. Affective complexity in psychotherapy:
some comparisons of time limited and unlimited treatment.
J. of Projective Techniques. Vol. 22,.No. 2, 1958.

 

Knight, R.-P. .Introjection, projection and identification. .Psychoanal.
Quart., 9, pp. 334-341, 1940.

Lazowick, . L. M. On the nature of identification. J. Abnorm. and
Social Psychol. 51, 2, 1955.

 

 

Mowrer, - O. H. Learnifi theoy and personality dynamics. The Ronald
Press, New York, 1950.

 

Mowrer, O. H. -Psychotherapy: Theory and Research,~New York, The
Ronald‘Press, 1953.

 

Munroe, R. L. Schools of Psychoanalytic Thought. Dryden Press,
New York, 1955.

 

Sanford, . N. The dynamics of identification. The Psychol.- Review,
Vol. 62,1No. 2, 1955.

 

Segal, A. . B. .Prediction of expressed attitudes toward the mother.
Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation, University of Michigan, 1954.

 

Shire, -A. Personality correlates of defensepreferences. Unpublished
Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan, 1954.

 

Stoke, - S. M. An inquiry into the concept of identification. . J. Gen.— Psychol. ,
76, pp. 163-189, 1950.

 

Tolman, E. 1 C. . Identification and the post-war world. J. Abnorm. and
Soc. Psychol. , 38, pp. 141-148, 1943.

 

 

A PPEN DIC ES

46

APPENDIX I

Instructions for the Blacky Test

 

I'm going to Show you a series of cartoons. I'll show them to you
one at a time and the idea is for you to make upa little story about
each one--just tell what is happening in the picture, why it is happening
and so on. Since this is sort of a test of how good your imagination can

be, try to tell as much as possible about how the characters feel.

 

There are eleven cartoons in all. You will be allowed three minutes for
each cartoon so you will have to work quickly. You will have one minute;
to write a brief story and two minutes to answer the objective questions
on the answer sheet. 1 I will keep you advised of the time.

One minute is a very short time in which to write a story, so be as

spontaneous and write as quickly as you can.

47

APPENDIX II
Instructions forthe Defense Preference Inventory

You have before you a booklet containing eleven-pages, one for

. each Blacky Cartoon. On each page are five statements about the
Blacky Cartoon which belongs to that page. I am going to put cartoon
one back on the screen briefly. Then you will be allowed one minute

in which to rank the statements from one to five. Place the number one
beside the statement which fits best, a two beside the statement which
fits next best, and so on. Place a five beside the statement which fits
least well. Do you understand the instructions ? Ready for cartoon

one .

48

49

Defense Preferenc 6 Inventory

 

Rank all of the following statements according to how well they seem to fit
the situation.

 

 

l - fits best 4 - fits fourth best

2 - fits second best 5 - fits worst

3 - fits third best

I.

A. Blacky makes sure he eats heartily to facilitate the growth of
healthy bodily tissues which will fortify him for activities which
might lie ahead.

B. Blacky tends to act in the same helpless infantile way as when he
was first born, often stuffing himself more than is good for him.

C. Blacky is busy getting his dinner here, but he thinks it is really.
Mama who makes him eat so much all the time.

D. As Blacky eats, he thinks to himself that it's about time he went
after his own food rather than having to depend on Mama.

E. When Blacky is busy with other things, he often forgets to come
to eat, but here he's making up for lost time.

11.

A. When Blacky gets angry, he often throws a temper tantrum like
he did in his earlier days.

B. Blacky tries to pretend that he's ferocious, but when Mama is
around he is sure to be overly gentle, calm, and well-behaved.

C. Blacky is a firm believer in the idea of releasing ones' aggressions,
so he feels justified in ripping Mama's collar here.

D. Blacky is so intent on chewing the collar to pieces thathe doesn't
even realize it belongs to Mama.

E. In Blacky's own way of thinking, his family has been treating him

so unfairly that he feels entitled to chew up the collar.

III .

 

 

50

. It may look like Blacky is relieving himself between his parents'

houses, but possibly he's just digging a hole to bury a bone.

. Blacky knows Mama and Papa are not going to like the spot he

chose, but to his way of thinking a dog's physical well-being is '
extremely important. 1

. The consequences of Blacky's relieving himself there might

very well make his wish that he were a young pup again.

Blacky thinks his behavior here is perfectly all right because he
senses that Mama and Papa have been unreasonably irritated with
him, even though their actions didn't show it.

Blacky figures that Mama and Papa will be pleased to find him so
clean and neat about covering his mess.

 

 

Blacky is feeling irritable, but he'll cheer up when he realizes
that Mama and Papa love each other so much.

. Though Blacky is the one behind the bushes, he's still upset by

the thought that his parents are hiding their: love-making from
him in order to keep him out of the group.

.-At the moment Blacky is upset watching his parents together, but

he'll soon forget his anger as he starts playing again.

As Blacky watches, he works himself into a fit of anger and help-
less rage which will force Mama to take care of him again.

Blacky feels justified in getting angry here because he wants his
parents to enjoy the other activities they had planned.

A.

 

 

 

51

Blacky has come to believe that frequent explorations of this sort
are necessary to learn more about the role of his sexual anatomy
in the functioning of his body.

Though licking himself, Blacky isn't affected by sexual sensations
and will soon move on to other parts of his body.

. - Blacky will soon give up this childish practice and will devote his

time to more constructive activities.

. Blacky is enjoying his discovery, but he knows that others often

get very upset and guilty over such actions.

When Blacky gets puzzled by a strange new experience like this,
he naturally thinks back to the "good old days" before such
problems existed.

 

 

 

Blacky is intently watching this scene, waiting to see if Tippy's
appearance will be improved as a result.

Blacky's anticipation of this happening to him will lead him to
act like a puppy too young to have his tail removed.

. Blacky's own reaction here is merely one of interest, but he

thinks that seeing such an act wouldrmake other dogs panicky when-
ever they got around a knife.

.- Blacky is frightened here, but he knows that experiences like this

will toughen him for future trials and tribulations.

-At first Blacky is terrified by seeing the knife, but he soon decides

that it must be some new kind of game.

VII.

 

 

 

52

. Blacky is so perplexed and frustrated by the toy that he may lose

control of his temper the way he did when he was a pup.

. Blacky wants to mind his own business but he figures the toy dog

is trying to start a fight by blocking his path.

. (Blacky has eagerly called the family's attention to his new toy

dog, which he is very proud of.

. Blacky feels justified in this furious outburst against the toy dog

because, after all, discipline is vital to the development of a well-
rounded personality.

. Blacky is delighted to have this little companion to whom he can

give advice, love and affection.

 

 

 

 

. Standing off at a distance like this, Blacky is impressed primarily

by the fact that his family is such an intimate group.

. Blacky is pleased to see Mama and Papa being affectionate to

Tippy, since he feels that Tippy deserves a turn at getting
attention.

.Blacky believes that insight into his own jealousy of Tippy will

enable him to handle himself better in competitive situations
later on.

As Blacky watches the rest of the family, he'll act like a helpless
infant so they will have to treat him like a baby the way they once
did.

Blacky suspects that Tippy has been trying to win over Mama and
Papa because Tippy is envious of their feelings toward Blacky.

 

 

1x.

A
_____B
___C .

D
____E
x.

 

53

. Blacky feels he wouldn't be in the spot he's in now if others

hadn't led him astray.

. Blacky's unhappiness will force him to drift into other thoughts

which don't bother him as much.

After an-experience like this, Blacky will become a model of
virtue and scrupulously avoid any wrongdoing.

. Though he's suffering now, Blacky will come to realize that his

code of ethics is needlessly strict and confining.

. This experience proves so disturbing to Blacky that it will be a

long time before he is able to act his age again.

. Blacky isn't concerned about not getting a dog like this, because

he figures that even handsome females are sometimes inadequate
in their dealings with males.

. Blacky hasn't been very successful in his love life, but he likes

to believe that fantasy often serves as a preparation for action.

Blacky is solely concerned with adding to his long list of female
conquests, and here he is dreaming of another prospect.

Blacky's dream is becoming clearer to him, but he still can't
make out who that familiar figure could be.

Blacky is dreaming here of a mate who will cater to his strong
needs for comfort, support, and protection.

XI.

54

A. Blacky is enjoying his dream now, but he probably won't

 

remember it when he wakes up.

B. As Blacky dreams, he thinks of the gap between what his family

C.

 

really is like and what ideal dogs should be.

When Blacky wakes up to what he's really like, he'll want to run
to his parents for advice and comfort.

-After Blacky awakens, he'll begin to show off and act like the big

shot he dreamt about.

Blacky figures he doesn't amount to much now, but knowing where
one really stands is half the battle.

APPENDIX III

Instructions for the Block Adjective Check List

 

At the top of the page in capital letters, is the phrase, "Your Ideal
Self and/or Your Father. " Below this heading are a number of adjectives.
You are to describe your ideal self, the person you ideally would like to
be, in terms of these adjectives. Mark an X before the adjective if you
feel it to be true or characteristic of your ideal self. Mark ang before
the adjective if you believe it to be false or uncharacteristic of your ideal
self. Leave the space blank if the adjective is not relevant to your ideal
self. A

There is one restriction placed upon you. You are permitted to

make only 30 X's and 30 0'3, no more and no less. -Please check the list

 

when you have finished to be sure you have exactly 30 X's and 30 0'3.
When you have finished the description of your ideal self, please

turn the page and describe the person named at the top of the page in the

same fashion. This task may seem somewhat tedious to you, but please

do it as carefully as possible.

55

56

Block Adjective Check List

 

YOUR IDEAL SELF AND/OR YOUR FATHER

absent-minded
affected

ambitious

assertive, dominant
bossy

calm

cautious

changeable

conceited

confident

considerate
cooperative

cruel, mean
defensive, self-excusing
dependent
determined
disorderly
dissatisfied

dramatic

dull

easily embarrassed
easily hurt

energetic
fair-minded, objective
frank

free with praise
friendless

friendly

helpless

hostile

idealistic

imaginative
impulsive

inhibited

intelligent

interests wide, versatile
introspective, self-aware
lazy

masculine

Obnoxious
persevering
personally charming
precise
psychologically secure

r92 annahl e

 

llllllIllllllllllllllllllillllllil

rebellious

relaxed

resentful

reserved, dignified
restless

sarcastic

self-assured, poised, self-confident
self-controlled
self-indulgent

selfish

self-pitying

sense of humor
sensible, . level-headed
sentimental.

shrewd, clever

sincere

slow in speech and movement
snobbish

sophisticated

stubborn

suspicious

sympathetic

tense

timid, meek, submissive
touchy, irritable
tactless A
unconventional
undecided, confused
unhappy

uninterested, . indifferent
unworthy, inadequate
warm

withdrawn, introverted
worried, anxious

Scoring Matrix for the Defense Preference Inventory

APPENDIX IV

 

 

Cartoon
Number

Defense Category

 

Int

RG

' P

RF

 

 

II.

 

III.

 

IV.

 

 

VI.

 

VII.

 

VIII.

 

IX.

 

 

XI.

 

 

Rj/ll

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

57

 

APPENDIX V

Correlation Matrices for Quartiles 1 Through 4

58

59

 

 

.. .. No- S - oo+ no- 2. oo- No- 2+ +~+ . x85
so- u+o+ 5+ 2. 2+ oo+ oo+ 2+ 32.8.0.0.
.. .. mm- mm. Ho- on- 5. mm- 3- Essa . Coo.
3+ 3+ ~m+ 3+ 8+ -+ .50 .2.“
.. .. no- 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ :30
2+ 2+ 2- mo- .assasoa
a? S- o? .55. .83
. so- ~N+ P 385
$+ «7.32.
2.2.5.
as o2 oo so so so mo so no No
6365 Sam .osaa .50 :30 .863 .68... P arsed. 2-9.2.
.Pdo .oso -ssa .aom .88 385
a amassed

H OHQUB

 

60

 

 

.. .. sN- 2- 3.. 2+ 3- mo- 2- 2+ mm- 28222
25.- oo- so- o~+ 3+ 8. 22+ no- 52.9.0.0.
25- mm- 3+ 22- 2- mo+ 3+. 20.5 .23
o~+ oo+ 2m+ oo+ 8+ 21 .2200 .oum
.... 2+ 2&- ¢m+ on- S. 22226
.. .. 3. 2+ oo+ 22+ .2522 . 6on2
2+ 2- oo- .55- .230.
.... No- om+ .2- 52832
3+ $2.22.
2-2-<2.
22 o2. oo oo so oo mo wo no No
285 332 292m. .50 22226- .232 .524 .2. 27.2.5. 2-2.22.2-
.-2.d.0 .2022. .3m .3m .38 .9283
M 0222.35

 

 

 

N oEmH.

 

. . . . 5+! 2 2+ 8+ 2- 8+ 8+ 8+ 2 - 2.2- 508

 

8+ 8- 8+ 8+ 8- 2+ 8- 2- 332.2200.
.... 2+ 22+, 8- 2.2+- 8+ 8+ 8+ 5E. .50.
.. .. 2+ s~+ om+ 8+ 8. 2+ .50 .fim.
m .... 5- 2+ 2.21 2.2+ 8+ 522.90
2+ 2+ 8+ 8+. $5202-39
. . .. 2m+ 8+ 2- .53. .53
.. . . o- 2- .2. 52.5222
.. .. ss- 5.2.5.
.. . . 2.2.2:.
22 o2 oo, oo so oo mo «o no. No
2820 522 5.2m. .50 22:0 5522 .52.- .2. <-.2.<.2. 2.2-.32.

..2. .0 .0. 522 5.2m .59 250, 525.20

 

.2 52255.0

m 2an

 

62

.. . . 2- 22- 3+ 2.1 3+ 8. 8+ 2+. No- 028222

 

 

.... 2.- 2- 2+ NN- 8+ 8+ 8+ 8- 332.2. .0.0
.... 2...- 2- 2.2.. 2- 2A- 2.- oo+ 5.2m . 50
.... 2+ 8+ 2+ 8+ 8+ 8+ .50 5.2.2.
.. .. 8+ 2- 3+ 2+ 8- “2250‘
. . . . oo- 8+ 3+ 3+ .252. .mom
2+ 2.2- o~+ .54250.
... 8+ 2+ .2. 325:2
. . .. 2+ ...-2.2:.
.. .. z-.2.<.2.
22 2 oo oo so oo mo 8 8 No
.2820 332 55.2 .50 9.22:0 552 .52. .2. 2.7.2.5. 2.2.5.
..2. .0 .0 .50 5.2.2 .mon2 25.0 .9255
u i
2. m222.5220

2. m25.2.

 

63

.... 8- 8- 8+ 8+ sm+ 8+ 2+ 8+ 8+ 28222

 

2- 8- 2+ 8- 8+ 8+ 8+ 8- 5229.00.

2.2- 2- 2o- 2- 2- 2- 8+ 55 50

s2+ 2m+ sm+ 8+ 8+ sm+ .50 .50

.... 8- 8- 21 8+. 8- 222220

8+ 8+ 2+ 2+ 552 .82

8+ 8- 8+ .55. .550

3:. 2o- 2~+ .2. E5222

8+ 2.7-2.22.

72.2.22.
22 2 oo 8 so 8 8 8 8 8
52m 332 5.5 .50 222.20 2522 .55 .2. ...-22. 2.2.22.

..2. .0 .0 50 5.20 .502 ...50 525.20

Z 28.08 0+3 20% 02.3232 2.203.302.2200 .

m 0308