The psychoanalytic theory of depression: Symptoms as a function of aggressive wishes and level of field articulation
Abstract
Relatively undifferentiated, field-dependent (FD) individuals, in contrast to relatively differentiated, field-independent individuals, are assumed to cope by using introjection. Consistent with the psychoanalytic theory that depression related to object loss results from introjected anger, it was expected that only FD individuals would display symptoms of depression in response to aggressive wishes. It was also expected that FD individuals would show greater physiological reactivity due to their characteristic tendency toward direct affective discharge. 60 undergraduates were divided according to field-articulation scores on the rod-and-frame test, and each S received tachistoscopic presentations of either an aggressive or a neutral stimulus. Measures of mood, self-esteem, and autonomic arousal were used to assess Ss' response to the stimulus. Results indicate that FD Ss displayed a greater degree of depressive feelings irrespective of the type of stimulus with which they were presented. No significant differences were found with regard to self-esteem, and differences for autonomic arousal were not consistent. (25 ref)