Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

2-8-1977

Abstract

The effects of postural position and interpersonal orientation on primary process manifestations were studied. Forty male and 20 female undergraduate psychology students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions (on a couch facing the experimenter, on a couch but not facing the experimenter, in a chair facing the experimenter, in a chair but not facing the experimenter.) There were 15 subjects in each of the four conditions. Primary process manifestations were measured in terms of the subjects' responses to 15 cards from Form A of the Holtzman Inkblot Test. These responses were then scored for form appropriateness (Holtzman et al., 1961) and primary process content (Holt, 1968). The form appropriateness scores were seen as a measure of the subjects' reality testing, while the primary process content scores were seen as a measure of the subjects' sexual and aggressive ideational drive representations. It was hypothesized that subjects in the analytic postural position (i.e., lying on a couch and not facing the experimenter) would make significantly lower form appropriateness scores than would subjects in face-to-face seated postural positions. Additionally, it was hypothesized that subjects in the analytic postural position would also make significantly higher primary process content scores than would subjects in face-to-face seated postural positions. Neither of these two hypotheses was confirmed in the present experiment. However, the most important aspect of the present investigation was that it separated the variables of postural position (i.e., lying down on a couch or sitting in a chair) and interpersonal orientation (i.e., facing or not facing the experimenter), thereby partitioning out their possible effects. Given no prior data or theorizing to indicate whether postural position or interpersonal orientation were additive or interacting factors, no specific hypotheses were offered as to the effects of these two factors on primary process manifestations. As a result of these manipulations, it became apparent that interpersonal orientation had a statistically significant effect on form appropriateness scores. When subjects were not allowed to face the experimenter, there was a statistically significant decrease in their form appropriateness scores when compared to subjects who were allowed to face the experimenter. However, neither the effect of posture nor the posture-by-orientation interaction had a statistically significant effect on form appropriateness scores. Finally, the effects of the experimental conditions were not at all statistically significant with regard to the primary process content scores. The findings were then discussed in terms of a visual isolation hypothesis. It was postulated that when the subjects were not allowed to attend to the experimenter's visual presence, the amount of their personal thought content was amplified, thereby resulting in a reality loss. The findings were also discussed in terms of the concept of the primary process.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Samuel Roll

Second Committee Member

Sidney Rosenblum

Third Committee Member

Britton Kenneth Ruebush

Fourth Committee Member

Ralph David Norman

Fifth Committee Member

Richard Jerome Harris

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS