Replication Studies on Significant Differences in Personality Profiles of Securely and Insecurely Attached Psychotherapists and Dentists

Abstract

This study contributes to the therapist variable in general and the personality profile of securely and insecurely attached psychotherapists and other healthcare professionals in particular. In a preceding study, it has been found that insecurely attached psychotherapists differ in nine personality styles from securely attached ones. The aim of the present study was to replicate these findings and to investigate whether they also apply to other health professions such as dentists. About 891 subjects from two German professional societies for hypnosis were surveyed online with a personality questionnaire [Personality Styles and Disorder Inventory (PSDI)] and an attachment questionnaire [Relationship Scale Questionnaire (RSQ)]. Since these subjects were interested in hypnosis and used it in their practice (HYP), 150 dentists without a hypnosis context (NONHYP) were studied as a control group with the same survey. The results of the preceding attachment study could be replicated: Insecurely attached healthcare professionals differed significantly from securely attached ones in the same nine (plus one, i.e., 10) personality styles if they use psychological methods including hypnosis. If they do not use psychological methods (like the NONHYP dentists), they differ in half of the personality styles. No within-sample and no between-sample differences have been found in the assertive/antisocial (AS) personality style. No within-sample differences have also been found in the conscientious/compulsive (ZW) and the intuitive/schizotypal (ST) personality styles. However, large between-sample differences were obvious in ZW and the ST. Both of the samples of the dentist were much more compulsive than the two psychotherapeutic samples. In addition, both of the HYP samples were much more schizotypal than the NONHYP samples. The latter is the general signature of those individuals who are interested in hypnosis and were metaphorically termed homo hypnoticus. It seems that AS, ZW, and ST are independent of attachment.

Psychotherapist Trainees’ Quality of Life: Patterns and Correlates

“…Equally, there may sometimes be a moralistic assumption that therapists should have it—for if one is not capable of living well oneself, how can one help others to do so? Yet the present study on therapist trainees indicates that even if they are a highly self-selected group of people by virtue of their preferred profession—and this self-selection may also be evidenced in some of their personality-related or relational qualities ( Peter et al, 2017 ; Peter and Wolf, 2021 )—therapist trainees appear subject to the same sources of life satisfaction and stress as people in general, just as good physicians can themselves be well or fall ill.…”

Personality Styles of Dentists Practicing Hypnosis Confirm the Existence of the Homo Hypnoticus

“…A short description of these five personality styles is found in Table 1 . A detailed presentation of the PSDI used in several studies is given in the literature ( Peter et al, 2018 ; Peter and Wolf, 2021 ).…”