The picture-frustration technique as a measure of hostility and guilt reactions in adolescent psychopaths.

Abstract

F THE welter of contradictory theory concerning the aggressively 0 antisocial psychopath, certain assumptions regarding his hostility and guilt are readily accepted by most, if not all, authorities on this subject. It is the purpose of this study to test several of these basic assumptions under controlled experimental conditions. HYPOTHESESThe following hypotheses, derived from assumptions currently accepted either in part or in toto in clinical practice, are to be tested: 1) Psychopaths are more extrapunitively hostile than clinically normal subjects. The psychopath's emotional lability and his inability to delay impulses are often reflected in antisocial behavior. 2) Psychopaths can sustain more hostility over a given period of time with less attendant guilt than can normals. 3) Psychopaths are characterized by aggressiveness not only in behavior, but in fantasy. Their fantasy life will reveal more hostility than is found in normal subject^.^ 4) Psychopaths will inhibit aggressive behavior when faced with the external reminders of societal authority. Under conditions where their behavior is subject to critical evaluation by others, they will diminish aggressivity to the point where their behavior is seemingly identical with that of normals. It has long been noted that psychopaths are well aware of society's demands, but have not incorporated societal values into their personality structure (4). SU BJ ECTSThe experimental group consisted of seventeen psychopaths who were carefully selected from a correctional institution for boys. The psychiatrist a t the school made the diagnosis of psychopathic personality in only 25 *

Effect of order of presentation of TAT cards.

“…This result is not an isolated one. Similar findings for such populations have been reported by Fry (1949), Holzberg andHahn (1952), andNorman andKleinfeld (1958). Kaswan, Wasman, and Freedman (1960) in a quite carefully designed and comprehensive investigation got somewhat more favorable results.…”

Validity of the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study with felons and delinquents: Comment.

“…This result is not an isolated one. Similar findings for such populations have been reported by Fry (1949), Holzberg and Hahn (1952), and Norman and Kleinfeld (1958). Kaswan, Wasman, and Freedman (1960) in a quite carefully designed and comprehensive investigation got somewhat more favorable results.…”

Aggression and the Picture-Frustration Study.

“…A measure of the intensity of aggressive reaction to frustration was designed in the belief that mild verbal aggression, such as "I don't agree," might characterize a different reactive process to frustration than that reflected by responses containing references to violent, uncontrolled aggression, such as "I'll break your neck." The failure of the present P-F scoring system to take into account such variations in intensity has been pointed out by Holzberg and Hahn (1952). This additional measure is expected to broaden the range of relationships between the P-F and other measures of aggression.…”

“…Most validating studies have attempted to correlate a specific criterion of aggression with the P-F scoring term "extrapunitiveness" (E)-defined as the percentage of responses in which the individual turns his aggression outward, against the environment. For example, Fry (1949), Holzberg and Hahn (1952), Vane (1954), and Weinberg (1952 have all found that juvenile delinquents or adult criminal offenders fail to manifest more E on the P-F than nonantisocial subjects (5s), and have therefore concluded that the P-F is not valid. That such studies may represent too narrow an approach to validation is indicated by the APA Committee on Test Standards (1954, pp.…”