The purpose of this article is to describe a logical empirical method of investigating suicide notes which considerably augments the effectiveness of previous controls. The method calls for the notes to be treated as an archival source and to be subjected to the scrutiny of control hypotheses utilizing Camap's (1932Camap's ( /1959) logical and empirical procedures for such investigations. The research efforts that are outlined explicate the procedures. Investigations of the theories of Binswanger, Freud and Kelly are presented. A reliability study is presented, suggesting that the procedures are likely useful in research on suicide notes and possibly other clinical material that is essentially archival in nature. Implications of the procedures are discussed.

The present study investigated body-image distortion and body-image dissatisfaction for a sample of 75 male and 75 female university students, in relation to personality variables implicated in the literature, such as sex-role orientation, self-esteem, locus of control, and depression. Women perceived their weight deviation from the norm at over 15% above their actual deviation, whereas men distorted less than 1%. In a multiple regression analysis, none of the personality measures correlated significantly with body-image distortion; however, sex of subject accounted for 25% of its variance. Body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with low self-esteem, externality, depression, and distortion. The relationship between body-image distortion and dissatisfaction, although significant, was surprisingly small. Apparently, these two aspects of body-image disturbance represent quite distinct constructs.

This study of suicide notes involved the deduction of 25 protocol sentences that reflected important specific aspects of Freud's formulations regarding suicide. Independent judges noted the incidence of contents corresponding to the protocol sentences in 33 genuine and 33 simulated notes. Comparisons between genuine and simulated notes revealed that the protocol sentences discriminated significantly as a set in favor of the genuine notes. Individual statements found significantly more frequently in genuine notes indicated loss and/or rejection, preoccupation with a lost person, ambivalence toward a lost person, identification with a lost person, communicating feelings of anger toward oneself but appearing to be angry toward someone else, turning back upon oneself murderous wishes or impulses, and seeing the act as a fulfillment of self-punishment. A frequency count of the sentences in the notes indicated that these statements occurred quite frequently (i.e., at least one-third of the time) in the genuine notes. Implications of the results are discussed.

Involved the deduction of 30 protocol sentences; 10 each for the theories of Binswanger, Freud, and Kelly. Naive judges noted the incidence of contents that corresponded to the protocol sentences in 33 genuine and 33 simulated notes. A coefficient of concordance of 0.70 indicated adequate interjudge reliability. Only the protocol sentences derived from Freud discriminated as a set in favor of the genuine notes. Statements that indicated loss and an identification with a lost person were found more frequently in genuine notes. Statements of isolation immaturity and desires for freedom more frequently characterized the simulated notes. Implications of the results are discussed.

No abstract