Personality Dynamics and Auditory Perceptual Recognition

Abstract

There have been many recent experiments which have studied the relationships between perceptual behavior and need states The study which we are reporting here is basically personality-centered This means that we have used perceptual behavior as a means of studying personahty dynamics An extensive bibhography deahng with the correlations between needs and values and perceptual recognition thresholds for needrelated stimuli has accumulated A few examples of experiments in this area may be noted (1,2,5,6,7,8,9) Along with these experiments has come a great deal of controversial discussion concerning the nature of the relationships Many of the articles in this area have been concerned with the nature of the perceptual process itself In this paper we are not concerned with the controversial issues concerning the deiimtion of perception Regardless of the types of mechanisms and processes which may be involved, we believe that the obtamed correlations afford an excellent opportunity to study personality dynamics Clinical psychologists and personality theorists have always had as a main objectne the analysis of the motive systems of the individual and the ways in which he deals with them That defense mechanisms manifest themselves through such psychological processes as learmng and retention has not been subject to argument We have begun again to believe that perceptual behavior may also reflect such dynamic processes Let us consider s<Mne of the ways in which perceptual behavior may be used to study personahty dynamics The extent to which perceptions are accurate should give clues as to the strength of the * The authors are grateful for the co-operation of the Veterans Admuustration, the staff of the V. A. Mental Hygiene Qimc, Baltimore, Maryland, and particukrly to Dr Edward L Slockbower, Chief Psychologist of dus chnic The conclusions and opiniCHis express^] in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Veterans AdmimstrataonMuch of the data was collected by Gordon T Heistad, whose efforts on behalf of this study are also appreciated

Emotions and Interpersonal Relationships: Toward a Person‐Centered Conceptualization of Emotions and Coping

“…One of my favorite studies in which I played a role was that of Lazarus, Eriksen, and Fonda (1951). We wanted to connect coping styles with neurotic diagnostic categories.…”

“…I still like the Lazarus, Eriksen, and Fonda (1951) comparative study of hysterics and obsessive‐compulsives, and other comparable experiments, for sentimental reasons. Like so many others of its genre, it was clever and effective for its day.…”

The repression-sensitization scale: rationale, reliability, and validity1

“…In several studies, a relationship was found between differential threshold scores and other behavior Compared with sensitizers, individuals who respond repressively in a perceptual task also tend to be identified as repressers cm the basis of case history and interview material (Lazarus, Eriksen, & Fonda, 1951), to be classified by psychiatncs personnel as mtemalizers (Shannon, 1955), to remember successes better than failures m a scrambled-sentence task (Enksen, 1952a), to forget an anxiety-arousing Blacky picture (Perloe, 1960), to prefer avoidance and forgetting defenses on the Bladcy Defense Preferenoe Inquiry (Nelson, 1955), to express less sexuality and hostility on a sentence-complebon test (Lazarus et al, 1951), to respond to a sentence-completicm test with blocking, avoidance, denial, and cliches (Carpenter, Wiener, & Carpenter, 1956), to give evidence of inhibition and constnction on the Rorschach and a figuredrawing task (Kissin, Giottesfeld, & Dickes, 1957), and to give fewer TAT stones with aggressive themes (Enksen, 1951) Native results were reported by Kurland (1954) who found no relationship between therapist ratings of defense mechanisms and differential threshold scores.…”

Subliminal advertising and the psychology of processing unconscious stimuli: A review of research

“…Psychological research has successfully shown the effect of symbolic, value, need, tension, tension release, emotions, and selectivity on the perceptual process (Bruner & Postman, 1947a, 194713, 1948, 1949Bruner & Goodman, 1947;Carter & Schooler, 1949;Cowan & Beier, 1952Lazarus, Ericksen, & Fonda, 1951). Research has also shown psychological need, conflict, and defense affect perception (McClelland & Atkinsn, 1948;McClelland & Liberman, 1949a, 1949bSanford, 1936).…”