IDEATIONAL CONCEPTS OF PARENTAL FIGURES IN PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEVEL OF ADJUSTMENT AND AN AREA OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, AS MEASURED BY FOUR TECHNIQUES

270 Pages·012.467 MB·English

by  NEEDELMAN, STANLEY DAVID

COPYRIGHTED
by
Stanley David Needelman
1951
Sponsoring Committee: Professors Bernard Kalinkowitz, Chairman,
Brian E. Tomlinson, Philip Zlatchin
IDEATIONAL CONCEPTS OF PARENTAL FIGURES
IN PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA
An Investigation into the
Relationship between Level of Ad­
justment and an Area of Interpersonal
Relationships, as Measured by Four
Techniques
STANLEY D. NEEDELMAN
Submitted in p artial fulfillm ent of the
requirements fox0 the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy in the School of Education of
New York University
f Tfcesi* RCGepie*
1951
The student hereby guarantees that no part of the dissertation which
he has submitted for publication has been heretofore published and (or)
copyrighted in the United States of America, except in the case o f passages
quoted from other published sources,; that he is the sole author and prop­
rietor of said dissertation,; that the dissertation contains no matter,
which, if published, would be libelous or otherwise injurious, or infringe
in any way the copyright of any other party; and that he r ill defend, indemni­
fy? and hold harmless New York University against all suits and proceedings
which may be made against New York University by reason of the publication of
said dissertation.
Stanley D. Needelman
'FREE .A CH
The in v e stig a to r has o fte n f e lt the need fo r research in' the
fie ld of p aren t-ch ild re la tio n s h ip s , esp ecially as it pertains to
to the anpearance of behavior pathology. He is therefore appreci­
ative of the opportunity to study the phenomenologi ca 1 impressions
that schizopnrenics and norm als have of parent-child interaction.
He views the purposes of the study as be i n 1 ) to determine differ­
ences between schizophrenic and normal a ttitu d e s toward parent-child
rela tio n sh ip s, 2 ) to r e la te the a ttitu d e s of schizophrenics to the
dynamics of so ie of th e ir symptoms, and 3 ) to note the degree with
which schizophrenic re c o n stru c t ions of the behavior of parental and
of child fi. :urcs coincide w ith d escrip tio n s of relationships in the
fam ilies of schizophrenic p a tie n ts , as reported in the literature.
The in v e s tig a to r w ishes to express thanks to Dr. Brian B.
Tomlinson, his, sp e c ia l a d v is e r and a member of trie thesis committee,
and to Dr. Bernard h alin k o w itz , th e s is committee chair.van, who nave
given invaluable advice concernin both the theoretical implications
and the or nnizm tion of the th e s is , He wishes to thank Dr. ihilip
B latchin, who as a member of the th e s is committee, has had much to
do with brim pin the th e s is to i t s present form at. The author ao-
knowledges his indebtedness to Dr. Louis V erdel, Liana :;er, and to
Dr. Cr. I:'. C-ildoert, Chief P s y c h o lo g ist, fo r allow ing access to patients
and f ile s a t the V eterans A d m in istratio n H o spital, Hortiroort, Long
Isla n d , hew York. He remembers with gratitu d e the atmosphere con-
ducive to research, which Dr. Gilbert created. The au th o r owes
special thanks to Dr. Avruu 3en-avi for his c ritic is m s and a s s i s ­
tance in developing the outline for this study, and to Dr. R o b ert
Horror, who was instrum ental in asking available most of the norm al
subjects for th is study. Appreciation is also expressed fo r the
aid in organizing the sta tistic s used in the in v e s tig a tio n th a t
was given by Drs. Jacob Cohen and Partin Singer.
ooecial thanks of the author are expressed to h is w ife , who
displ yed adm irable patience and forbearance during a c r i t i c a l
period.
ponsoring Committee: P ro fesso r Brian E, Tomlinson,
A s s is ta n t P ro fe sso r Bernard Kalinkowitz, Chairman,
and A s s is ta n t P ro fesso r P h ilip Zlatchin
IDEA Tit. i'AL CONCEPTS OF PAAFWT.il FIGURES
IN PARANO ID SCHIZOPHRENIA.
An In v e s tig a tio n into the
R e la tio n sh ip between Level of Ad­
justm ent and an Area of* Interpersonal
R e la tio n s h ip s , as Measured by Four
Techniques
STANLEY D. NAEDELMAN
Subm itted in p a r tia l fu lfillm e n t of the
requ irem ents fo r the degree of Doctor of
P hilosophy in the School of Education of
Nev/ York U n iv ersity
1951
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER RAGE
i the phobia:.: i
Statement of the Problem 1
Specific Sub-Problems 1
Definitions of Terms 3
Delimitations o
Basic Assumptions 6
Basic Hypotheses 7
Heed for the Study 8
Heed for Research 8
Importance of the Study 11
Summary 12
II RELATED LITERATURE 14
Kraepelin, Bleuler, and Meyer 14
Kraepelin 14
Bleuler 15
Meyer 18
Analytic Approach to Schizophrenia 20
Structural and Genetic Approaches
to Schizophrenia 23
Current Psychosomatic and Psycho-
biological Approaches 34
Family Influences and Schizophrenia 40
Summary 52
III TIE PROCEDURE IK CuLLECTIH'G TILE DATA 55
Introduction 55
Selection of the Experim ental Group 5 5
Characteristics of the E x p eri­
mental Group 57
Length of Illn e ss 57
Clinical Symptoms 53
Selection of the Control Group 60
Characteristics of the C ontrol
Group 62
Conditions fo r which Normals
were hospitalized 62
History of D ental I lln e s s 63
History of Felonious Conduct 63
(con tin u ed )
TABLE OF 001.TENTS
CHAPTER PA GE
I I I THE PROCEDURE Iii COLL^CTIuG THE DATA
(continued)
Comparative Description of the Ex­
perim ental and Control Groups 64
Age 64
P a ren ta l Figures 65
Education 66
M arital S tatu s 67
G-eographical Area of Rearing 69
Socio-economic Status 70
C ategories Used in Organizing, and
Comparing the Data 72
S electio n of the Test Battery 76
Thematic Apperception Test 79
Incom plete Stories 83
In d ire c t vuestionnaire 90
D irec t /uestionnaire 101
Summary 103
IV PRESENTATION OF THE DATA 106
M easures of Significance 106
D irect uestionnaire 108
E xperim ental Group Patterns 109
C ontrol Group Patterns 114
Comparison of Mean Scores De­
v ia tin g from Equal Chance
Occurrence for the Experiment­
a l and Control Groups 116
D irect Comparison of Experiment­
a l and Control Group Data Ob­
tained w ith the Direct Guestion-
a ire 117
D ire c tio n Categories 117
Health y-UnheaIthy Categories 120
Combined Categories 121
In d ire c t Questionnaire 124
Experim ental Group Patterns 124
C ontrol Group Patterns 129
Comparison of Mean Scores De­
v ia tin g from Equal Chance
Occurrence for the Experimental
and C ontrol Groups 133
(continued)
TA3LE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
IV PRESENTATION OF THE DATA
(continued)
Direct Comparison of Experim ental
and Control Group Data Obtained
with the In d ire c t Q uestionnaire 134
Direction C ategories 134
Hea Ithy-Un he a I t hy C ategories 137
Combined C ategories 138
Parent-Choice Item s 140
Incomplete S to ries 143
Thematic A pperception Test 146
Comparison of Q u an titativ e Scores 147
Correlation of F indings 151
Summary 153
V INTERPR IT A TI ON OF THE DATA 155
Findings in Terms of Contentof
Responses 15 5
Direct 'Q uestionnaire 155
Evaluation of Responses 166
Indirect Q uestionnaire 169
Incomplete S to rie s 173
Thematic A pperception Test 177
Comparison of F indings w ith
Statements in the L ite ra tu re 179
Findings in Four Individual Cases 184
Schizophrenic Case - One 185
Schizophrenic Case - Two 189
Normal Case - One 191
Normal Case - Two 194
Summary 196
VI SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 197
Summary of Procedures and Findings 197
Comparison of C ontributions of th e
Four Techniques 198
Conclusions Uoncerning Schizo­
phrenic and Normal A ttitu d es
toward Parent-C hild R elations 200
Suggestions for F u rth e r R esearch 204
Implications for Psychology 205
BIBLIOGRAPHY 209
APPENDIX 214
I Type of ward on which 'Experimental
■Subjects were Hospitalized
I I Length of Illness of experimental
Subj e c ts
I I I Period of Hirst hospitalization for
h e n te l Illness
IV Irefiuency of Occurrence of Paranoid
Symptoms in the Experimental G-roup
V R e su lts of the Cornell Index with
S u b jects Considered for the normal
G-roup
VI H edicol and surgical Conditions for
which Subjects of the normal .roup
were Hospitalized
V II Comparison of A ;es of Experimental
and Control Subjects
V III Comparison of Parental Figures who
R aised Schizophrenic and Normal
Subj e c ts
IX Comparison of Educational Levels of
Experim ental and Control Groups,
U sing the Ghi-3quare Test
X T 'a rita l Status of Experimental and
C ontrol Subjects
XI Comparison of Areas of Rearing of
Schizophrenic and Normal Subjects
XII O ccupational Status of the sathers of
Schizoohrenios and Normal Subjects