Negativism: Its Treatment and Its Implications

Abstract

In attempting to discuss negativism I am in part interested in seeing what can be worked out as to this prevalent and bothersome symptom and in part anxious to see how far I can illustrate the points made in a previous paper 1 by actually applying them to an ordinary clinical problem. It will serve my purpose best if I first comment on a case. Admittedly, this case is a "museum specimen," but choice of such an example is necessary to throw into relief the questions to be faced. REPORT OF A CASEEsther was 4\m=1/2\years old when she was first brought to me by her mother because of her stubborn disobedience. "See what I have to put up with," Mrs. Heller reiterated, as the child stood stock-still in the center of my office. It is hard to tell when this negativism began. By then it was so advanced that Esther usually stopped all activity, assuming a sort of catatonic rigidity, if her mother made any suggestion or comment. Even when she was playing with her dolls, if her mother asked what she was doing or remarked how pleased she was with the play, the child immediately stopped-to sit rigidly for many minutes. She showed this same reaction to the grandparents and to other members of the family, though not as markedly as to the parents. Play life with other children had been normal, but during the last six months there had been stiffening even there, so that her hugging had become a sort of elephantine, awkward action. Esther talked to her mother, but if she was asked something or was reproved she would not say a word for fifteen minutes or so. A social worker had seen her stand rigidly for twenty minutes when her mother had pleasantly told her to take off her overcoat, an act in which she was already engaged.Esther was the older of 2 girls. Rose was still rather young but seemed a placid, cuddly child who fitted in beautifully with the parental oversolicitousness in regard to every household detail. The mother kept every piece of furniture in its proper place, and one would not find a speck of dust in her house. The children were watched over as to each button and each curl. The mother had taken her task seriously and gave every minute of her waking day to it. Mr. Heller, a profes¬ sional man, had rather withdrawn from the picture. He admired his wife's meticulous care of each household item ; he was certainly deeply fond of his Lecture

Negative set and social learning.

“…There is also a substantial body of clinical descriptions of children who are only partially under the control of the adult social agents. Such children have been labelled as "negativistic"; they are said to display behaviors which evidence noncompliance with adult-dispensed instructions, requests, or commands (Ausubel, 19SO;Caille, 1933;Levy, 19SS;Plant, 1941;Reynolds, 1928).…”

Chapter VI: Problem Children, Delinquency, and Treatment

“…Many writers, far more than can be cited in this chapter, have investigated specific problems in children, some of which problems were reported to represent merely healthy reactions of the child's own growth in control over his environment. Plant (56) presented an interesting theory of normal negativism varying from the resistance of the infant to the baffling attitude of the adolescent.…”

Developmental trends in social awareness and interactive skills.

“…This negative approach to social overtures reaches a peak around three or four years of age, and gradually decreases in frequency thereafter, as the child develops other skills for protecting himself against the many demands of his parents and associates. See Caille (46), Levy and Tulchin (129), and Plant (171) for representative investigations of "resistance" during the preschool years. twenty-four children during two observational periods which were separated by a twelve-months' interval.…”