An Exemplary Life? A Personal Construct Analysis of the Autobiography of Rudolf Hoess, Commandant of Auschwitz

Abstract

This article analyses the autobiography of Rudolf Hoess, commandant of Auschwitz. Textual grid, ABC and self-characterisation analyses of the autobiography are used to construe Hoess's writing. The textual grid analysis suggests that Hoess saw his adult self as being different from others but his young self as similar to Jews. Conflicts in self-construing are identified. The ABC analysis indicates that, from his perspective, it made sense for Hoess to choose not to leave the concentration camp service. The self-characterisation analysis focuses on whether Hoess experienced Kellyan guilt and it suggests that he did, but in unexpected contexts.

Cycles of Construing in Radicalization and Deradicalization: A Study of Salafist Muslims

“…(Post, Sprinzak, & Denny, 2003, p. 171). One such extremist person is Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in the cause of countering "cultural Marxism" and "multiculturalism," and whose beliefs and actions were considered from a personal construct theory perspective by Winter and Tschudi (2015) in one of a series of attempts to apply a credulous approach to people who have engaged in extreme violence (Reed et al, 2014;Winter, 2006Winter, , 2007Winter, , 2016aWinter et al, 2007Winter et al, , 2016. Analysis of an interview conducted by Breivik with himself, similar to a self-characterization (a method developed by Kelly (1955) in which the individual writes an autobiographical character sketch in the third person), indicated that he had experienced numerous invalidations of his construing in his early life, but that the development of his radical beliefs allowed him to reconstrue himself as a "Perfect Knight" (Berwick, 2011(Berwick, , p. 1435).…”

Revisión de la autocaracterización: una técnica narrativa constructivista

“…Green (2016), R. A. Neimeyer et al (2003), Reed et al (2014), y Winter y Tschudi (2015). En el estudio de S. J.…”

“…La terapia sirvió para que la cliente dejase de usar un patrón rígido en la anticipación de la experiencia. Los artículos de Reed et al (2014), Winter y Tschudi (2015) y Green (2016) analizan tres casos clínicos a través de sendas obras literarias. En su conjunto, exploraron de la evitación del sentimiento de culpa del comandante Hess (Reed et al, 2014); la ausencia de constructos que clasifican personas en la figura de Breivik (Winter y Tschudi, 2015); la evolución de las emociones de aislamiento e inferioridad hacia sentimientos de venganza y castigo hacia los demás en un asesino en serie (B.…”

“…Green y Kirby-Turner, 1990;B. Green, 2016;Hopkins, 2012;Jackson, 1988;Procaccia et al, 2014;Reed et al, 2014;Winter y Tschudi, 2015). Los trabajos de S. J.…”

“…Los trabajos de B. Green (2016), Reed et al, (2014) y Winter y Tschudi, (2015) han empleado textos escritos como si fuesen autocaracterizaciones mientras que, el resto han realizado modificaciones en las instrucciones atendiendo al objeto de la exploración (cualidades específicas, profesión, problemas, superación de problemas).…”