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OBJECT RELATIONS CHANGES RESULTING FROM SUCCESSFUL PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH ADOLESCENT DELINQUENTS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
OBJECT RELATIO NS CH ANGES RESULTING FROM SUCCESSFUL PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH ADOLESCENT DELINQUENTS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
M ilton F. Shorey Ph.Ii., Joseph L. Massimo) Ed .Ii., Julia Kisieleioski, B.A. y and Janet K. Moran, A.B. Psychoanalytic theory has conce p tua lized the growth and development of satisfyin g human relati on ships as the de velopment of mature object rel ations. Although man y stud ies have been reported on object r elations in such areas as differentiation of self from objec t, as wel l as object choice a nd object loss in earl y d evelopm ent, littl e systema tic ob serv ation or research has been clon e on cha nge s in objec t re la tions in later life that have r esulted [ro m psych oanal yticall y or ien ted psycho thera py. One r eason for th e dearth of stud ies may lie in th e difficu lty in d efining "ob ject relati on s" so that it can be tran slated in to op eration al terms. An other reason may be the difficul ties in devisin g in struments for carefully measurin g objec t relati on s. One investigator who has a tte m p ted to deal with both probl ems of d efinition an d quantification has been Phillipson (19!JS). H e has defined "object relations" as th at part of ego functi oning whi ch is "the inner world of a person's feel ings to others, which d et ermines in a fundam ental way the individual 's relations with peopl e in the extern al world" (p. 7). Thus, " obj ect relations" may be seen as the inDr . Shore is Psychologist, M ental H cal tl i Stu dy Center, N.l.lH .H., Adelphi, M d. Dr . Massim o is A d m ini st rat ive Manager, Nc iot on -Baker P roj ect, N euitonuille, Mass. [ulia K isicl curski and Jan et K . M oran are Social Science Analysts, M ental H ealth Stu dy Center, N .l.lIf.H ., A delphi, Ald.
93
94
I'll ilton F. Sh ore et al.
ternalized conception (consci ous or unconscious) of the relati onships between people derived from pre vious relationships but also encompa ssing th e person's internal needs and th eir elabor ation s. Out of hi s definition s, Phillipson evolved the Obj ect Relations Technique, a test similar to the Thematic Apperception Test, where stories given to selec ted pictures were analyzed in terms of the main tension systems and defensive maneuvers used in responding to the picture. The construction of thematic stories to pictures of pe ople has gen erally been accepted by clinicians as eliciting material relevant to in terpersonal r elationships. H owever , the quantification of material from thematic stories has posed m any problems. For example, th ere are two ways of de aling with object relations as reveal ed through thematic stories. One is to view the gen era l manner of dealing with the requirements of the task as stated by th e examiner (the for ma l aspects). T he other is to analyze th e content of th e stories (the contentual aspects) with regard to the relation ships bet ween the characters in the story . Some investigators ha ve chosen onl y one of th ese approaches. However, Phillipson believed th at objec t rel ations could best be m easured by analyzing both the form and the content of the thematic stories. Despite his constr uction of a test, he was still unable to d evelop ad equat e techniques for quantification. As a result, he merely estab lished simple descriptive n orm s th at were of mi n ima l value when compared to the subtle and intricate dynamic analyses of object r elations he derived from th e stories to the cards. The Le ar y Scale of Interperson al Ana lysis (Leary, 1957) has re cen tly been developed to describe interaction patterns, an ar ea close, if n ot identical to, what is me ant by object rel ations. This scale was derived fro m clinical situa tions and ha s be en used to an alyze interpersonal dimensi on s of beh avior in many clinical resear ch proj ects (Schleifer, 1963). The Scale has three di mensi ons: 1. Source: Is th e behavior initiated by self or others? 2. Affect: Is th e beh avior a manifestation of lov e or hate (positive or ne gative)? 3. Activity: Is the behavior characterized by a dominant or submissive approach? In analyzing thematic stories, Le ary limited himself to an alyzin g the content of the stories rather th an the form. This study, which uses the
O bject R elati ons Changes in Delin quents
95
Leary Scale as a mea su re of object r elations, an alyzes both for m and con ten t. In a rec en t study of a new com pre hensive voca tionally or ien ted psycho therapy program for adol escent delinquent b oys, the senior auth ors (Massimo and Shor e, 1963) rep orted a sign ifican t improvem ent in academic performan ce, person ality attitudes, and ove r t behavior (employment hi story and an tisocia l ac tivity) in a tr eat ed gr ou p whe n com pare d to an untreated grou p. The cha nges in person ality att itudes were measured by obtaining thematic stories to cards selected for their stim ulus value in three areas considered to be of signi ficance in delinqu en cy: self-image, con tro l of aggr ession , and attitude toward authority (for indications of how successful this technique was for selecting three distinct are as of psychological functioning, see Shore, Massim o, and Ricks, 1965). The purpose of this study was to an alyze the thematic stories for object r elations usin g the Lear y Scale in order to determine wha t the r elationship was between cha nges res u lting fr om psych otherap y an d cha nges, if an y, in objec t rel ation s. W e att em p ted to answer th e following questi ons: 1. Were there any cha nges in object r elations as a result of psychoth erapy? 2. What were the directi on s of change, if an y? 3. 'What was the relati on shi p between changes in ob jec t relat ions and changes in academic achieve men t? Seconda ry aims were to see if some light could be th ro wn on the dynam ics of delinquent beh avior in ado lescence and it s tr eatment. P ROCEDURE
Selecti on of Subjects The details of the selection of th e subjects appear in Massimo and Shore (1963). The two groups (experimen tal and contro l) were all fift een to seven teen years old , of th e lower socio econ omi c levels, and had ob taine d an I.Q. of 85 to 11 0 on th e W AIS or WISC. T hey had all been suspe n ded or had wi thd rawn fro m school because of academic failur e and an tisocial act ivity . T he Superv isor of Atte nda nce of the sch ool system notified the therapist when the b oy had left school, and the boys were con tacted withi n twenty-four hours. The only o ther
96
Milton F. Shore et al.
requirements were that neither the boy nor his family had had previous psychotherapy and that the boys showed no indications of neurological difficulty or psychosis. All the boys had long records of antisocial behavior and had been on probation at least once.
The Treatment Technique The details of the treatment technique have been described by Massimo and Shore (1963, 1964). The theoretical framework arose from recent work on the psychoanalytic treatment of the delinquent character disorder which has recognized the need for multidimensional services (Judge Baker Guidance Center, 1960). In general, the technique attempted to take account of the severe pregenital ego deficiencies present in the delinquent character structure, yet incorporate the aspects of normal ego development in adolescence. Thus, the vocational emphasis not only served to meet the adolescent's interests, but also served as a concrete focus for reality testing around which the boy could become aware of his deficiencies, seek help when he chose to, and test out his new skills. The self-initiating aspects of the service were stressed. No part of the program was compulsory. The boy was responsible for making the decisions. In this way both the dependency needs and the strong homosexual feelings which are characteristically feared by delinquents were not encouraged. There were few time restrictions on contact or activities. The therapist was available whenever the boy needed him. Immediacy has been found to be a characteristic feature of adolescence, but it is more so of the delinquent with a character disorder whose time sense is severely impaired and who has limited capacity for delay. Motility and action were an integral part of the treatment process. The therapist had no central office. The therapist entered all aspects of the boy's life-pleasure trips, job finding, shopping, etc. Remedial education was offered when needed and tailored to the boy's individual needs. The educational program was always related to work performance. It was only when the boy began to see the therapist as a help in concrete situations that the adolescent would then seek psychotherapeutic help. Frequently this occurred when there was a failure on the job, for fantasies of omnipotence frequently drive delinquent adoles-
Object Relations Changes in Delinquents
97
cents toward jobs that are too difficult and in which they repeatedly experience failure. The service was independent of school, court, or other agencies. No "return to school" overtures were made, and the therapist did not influence the decisions of the legal authorities. In this way the therapist was not seen as a part of any of the known social institutions which the delinquent so strongly opposes. One major characteristic of the program was that vocational placement, remedial education, and psychotherapy were all offered by a single practitioner. The rationale lay in the belief that with severe ego disturbances the splitting of services according to "departments" or between individuals might serve only to complicate the treatment unnecessarily.
The Measurement of Object Relations All psychological testing was done by a trained clinical psychologist who was not involved in the treatment of the boy. The 600 thematic stories were randomized and scored, using the Leary Scale, by a third person who had been trained in the use of the Scale. She did not know which stories were from the experimental or control groups and whether a story was given before or after treatment. She also had no knowledge of the aims of the study. Reliability was checked by having the judge rescore ten cards, as well as having a second person, familiar with the scoring system, score a group of randomly selected stories. Statistical results revealed extremely high reliability. Unlike Leary's original way of scoring thematic productions, both form and content were scored. No intensity rating was made. However, the judge could repeat a score if another interaction of the same kind occurred on the same story. Frequency of occurrence of a particular category, therefore, could be considered a measure of intensity of interaction. The three major dimensions of the Scale were analyzed separately and in combination. The combination or quadrants, as described by Leary, were: Positive-active: friendly interactions of an active kind such as leadership, responsibility, directing, initiating information, and / or other activity of a constructive kind. Positive-passive: friendly interactions of a passive kind such as
98
Milton F. Shore et al. docility, dependence, and cooperation occurring in a trusting rela tionshi p. Negative-active: hostile interactions of a direct kind such as open attack, sadism, competition, boasting, destruction. Negative-passive: hostile interactions of a passive kind such as passive resistance, complaining, distrust, guilt, and negativism.
Measurement of Academic Performance To measure changes in academic performance, the Metropolitan Achievement Tests were used for Reading, Vocabulary, Arithmetic Fundamentals, and Arithmetic Problems. Form R was used at the beginning; Form U at the end of the treatment period. Difference scores were obtained by subtracting the standard score on pretesting from the standard score on posttesting. RESULTS
Changes in Object Relations as a Result of Psychotherapy Table I shows the t test results for the changes between the treated and untreated groups on the Leary interaction dimensions and their combinations. The t test of the total change scores (all three variables combined) was not significant (t = +1.73), This means that the groups did not differ in output from pre- to posttesting. Any changes, therefore, resulted from changes in the nature and quality of the interactions rather than from a marked rise or fall in the productivity of either group. There is clear evidence from the results that highly significant changes in object relations occurred and that these were along specific dimensions. The most significant change resulting from psychotherapy was in the dimension of positive interaction (positive-negative dimension). In this area, the treated group showed a rise in positive interactions, while the untreated group declined over the ten-month period. Thus, psychotherapy generally brought about a much more constructive view of the world, a view based on trust and feelings that one can help or assist others and be helped in return. Of significance are the changes that occurred along the passiveactive dimensions. The treated group showed a rise in passivity, while the control group showed a drop. However, this change was not as
a
TABLE 1
c-
~.
T Tests of Differ ence Score s on the Three Variabl es f or th e Leary Interact ion Dimens ions* Control of Aggression
Sel f Image Sel f & Oth er
Self
Other
+2.l 0~~ + .3
Sel f & Other
..v
Sel f
'"' "'"
Atti tu de Toward Other
Sel f & Oth er
~
Au th ~ ri ty
Self
~
S' "'" o'
Oth-er
354<4r
+2.2 3't-J, +1.8
+ . 32 .1t-{,
+1. 39,J,} - •
+3. 58 t ~
+3. 06t~+3.86t
+2.191' ''''
+3.lQf'i'+
-1. 76.l-oL-
-1.04~
'"
- . 17..(,.£,-1. 9cJ,
- 2.l 2-li ~
-2.40~ ~ - 1. 3f>i -l.
Active
- . 18....
+4 . 52t ~
+ . 67~J,+1.6Jt
- 1.04 ir
Pa s s i ve
+1.501',j,
+2.051" ~
+2 .331' -It + .441'
Pos i t i ve Ac tive
+1. 731' ",
+2. 58t it
-lr
Nega t i ve Active
-1.56-l< ,j..
- .99+.
Pos i t i ve Pa s s i ve
+4 . 281' ~
+4 . 6~,j.. +1.9
+3. 801'
Nega t i ve Passive
- .94~-l<
- .87 + ~ - .47J.J,
- .91-l- J,
Total # of Interacti ons
+1. 25,j,J,**
Pos i t i ve
+4. 951'~
Negative
TO TAL
* *'1<-
L~ TE RA CT IONS
+2. 201'
+2.541' - 1.
3
- .65~ .v
.J,
.7 3~~
;:!
'" l:l
~ .",
;:l (Jq ~
. 85-1-.}
'" 5'
+1. 6o.L- ~
+2.2 7,t, ~ + .35-!.-,t,
tl ~
+2. 0z.t,. +2.4lt
+1. 40!f' ~
+1.l01'-V+ .4l-l.-
t
5'
- . 3,*~ - . 3
- 3 . 2 2~
-3.76.Jtt ~1. 72t .v
+3 . 4~-l< +4. 57'"
+2.5 51' ~
+3 . 23 1' ..lr
+ . 24-lr-l- -2.4~1'
- •82-t.- -J.,
- . 81"\',1, - • 37i- ~
-It
,L,
- • 77 ~ l'
-
+ . 96t
-1t
.....
o.l::l ~
~
;:l
"'" '"
(Self Image , Control of Aggr ession and At t i tude Toward Au t hority Combined ) t c +1. 7 3~
Signi fi can t t at . 05 l ev el when there i s homogenei t y of varian ce i s 2. 10 . heterogeneity of varianc e is 2.26. Si gnifica n t value s a r e underline d .
Signi fi can t t at . 05 l evel when ther e i s
Arro ws ind ica te t he dir ec tion of changes in the means f or th e two groups :
.J,J, Experim ent a l dr ops , Cont r ol drop s
.J.t Experimen t al drop s , Con t r ol r ises ".-" Experimen t al rises, Control dr ops ~ Exper i mental rises , Contro l rise s
<.0 <.0
100
Mi lton F. Shore et al.
grea t as th e one in the positi ve-negative dimension. W he n the passive an d th e positi ve dimensions were com bined (posi tive-passive), th ere was clear and cons isten t evide nce th at th e tr eat ed grou p was better abl e to see a nd accep t m or e passivity. There was some evide nce th at active-pos itive experiences (which wo uld sugg est possibl e id entification wi th the therapist) also incre ased . Of interest also was the signi fican t change in the negative-active dimen sion in attitude toward au thori ty. These results were consi sten t with expectations-a drop in th e tr eat ed gr oup, and a ri se in the untreated grou p. Thus, in rel ati on to au thor ity, the tr eated boys responded with less open aggression , this being translated in th e stor ies as m or e con str uctive or positive activity toward others. In the "self-other" dimension , the only significant changes in "other" occu rred on the variable of con tro l of aggression wh ere others were seen as more positive both actively (leading) and passively (cooperative) and significantly less passively re sistant (u ngiving and com plai ni ng). It is re ason able to su p pose that as th e individual was seen as a ble to interact mor e cons tr uc tively with others, othe rs wou ld also be seen as initiatin g positi ve interactions, especially wh ere the handling of aggression was in volved. In su m mary, the cha nges in obj ect r ela tions as a result of tr eatment were cons isten t with expectation s. Psych otherapy r esulted in sign ifican t impro vement in objec t re lat io ns wi th mo re satisfying r elationships and greater ability to acce p t the aid and assistan ce of others, as well as to act di re ctl y in a mor e cons truc tive fashi on to help othe rs. Resi stan ce to au tho r ity showed a marked drop.
Th e R elati onship B etween Changes in Object R elati onships and A cademic A chievem ent T able 2 shows the correlation s between the changes on the L eary interacti on dimensions and th ose on the Metropolitan Achievemen t Tests in R eading, Vocabulary, Arithmetic Fundamentals, and Arithmetic Problems. Of maj or importan ce was th e very hi gh rel ationship between cha nges in objec t rel ati ons and cha nges in learning. T hese cha ng es were unrelated to in iti al I.Q. , ind icati ng clea r ly th at th ere was a close association bet ween the view of rela tionships with o the rs and th e ability to achieve, irrespecti ve of in itial intellectual ab ility. Altho ug h
Pearson Product Moment Correlations Between Difference Scores on Leary Interaction Dimensions and Metropolitan Achievement Tests* Self Image
Total Interact. Positive
Negative
Active
Passive
Pos. Act.
Neg. Act.
Pos , Pass.
Control of Aggression
LQ.
Rd •
A.F.
A.P.
Voc.**
Self & Other Self Other
.01 .03 .03
.30 .35 .12
.21 .30 -.01
.18 .32 -.10
.18 .25 .00
.36 .26
:TI
Self & Other Self Other
.02 .07
.71
.64
.68
.11
.61
~
~
.17 .03
:TI
:TI
- .11
7i9 :E
.71
.57
.52
Self & Other Self Other
-.01 -.04 .05
-.32 -.39 -.05
-.36 -.41 -.10
-.42 -.39 -.21
-.46
.41 .36 .35
-.14 .01 -.27
.01
Self & Other Self Other
-.35 -.41 -.16
-.05 .04 -.15
-.07 .11 -.26
-.03 .21 -.31
-.13
• 08 -.09 .19
Self & Other Self Other
.29 .29 .18
.37 .30 .38
.28
.29 .19 .44
•48
.34
.22 .16 .29
Self & Other Self Other
-.32 -.19 -.29
.18 .43 -.25
.28 .43 -.07
.25 .49
Self & Other Self Other
-.25 -.37 .01
.25 .45 -~ -.26 -.31 -.07
-.23 -.21 -.15
-.25 -.07 -.34
Self & Other Self Other
.21 .21 .17
"Jj
:D
.50
.44
Self & Other Self Other
.17 .16 .08
-.20 -.22 .02
.74
-:rs -:v; -:rs
.21
.69
.67
:D -:39
:BO
-:50
--:16
.08 -.32
LQ.
.34
Rd • .49
-:39
A.F.
A.P.
Voc.
LQ.
Rd •
A.F.
A.P.
Voc.
.51
.48
.29 .28 .27
.18 -.03 .30
.21 .28 .14
.20 .30
-.01
.01 .19
.44
-:47 :43
.11
-.10
- .11
.54
.58
.55
.52
:TI
-:26
.32 .48
.44
-:39
.43 .48
:03
~
-.40
-.51
-~
:sr
:TI :TI
36'
.03 -.09 .20
.11 -.11
-.09 .07 -.25
-.38 -.24 -.43
.20 .10 .27
-.35 -.43 -.19
-.26 -.36 -.09
.08 .06 .35
.26 -.04 .36
.22 -.10 .39
.30 -.02 .16
.10 -.24 .30
- .05 -.07 -.01
-.19 -.02
.54
.62
.49
:sr
:TI
-:66
33
.48
:sr
.49
:4I
.40 .44
-:20
.05 .11 .00
:3'5
-:42
-.36 -.30 -.26
.07 -.21 .34
-.20 -.31 .03
-.18 -.39 .14
~ -.14 -.20 -.01
.74
.16 .19 .08
:TI -:TI
:76 33
:IT :II :21
.65
a
Attitude Toward Authority
.58
~
.57
:TI
:TI
.63
.60
:sr
- .11
.13
-:sa
--:59' -.19 --:3'2
-.38 - .38 - .25
~
'"
""-
~ ~
;:;;-""-
a'
;:l
'" CJ
~
."
;:l [Jq ~
c-,
-.28 -.21
tl
-.23
~
....
~,
.38 .36 .22
.22 .14 .23
.40 .36 .29
.37 .34 .34
.03 -.28 .30
-.35 -.29 -.23
.10 .03 .13
.63
.03 .05 .00
34
:n
.44
-:47 :E
.33 .42 .11
.27 .36 .08
.41 .33 .33
.30 .32 .18
.14 .32 -.08
.31 .45
-:07
-.47
-.44
-.61
-.65
--:44 -36' -:3'5 -:21 .53
36' -:36
.47
:sr ~
-~ -~
--:39
.43 .51
37
-
>I::l ~
;:l
""-
c-,
--:72 .49
:I8
~
-.26 -.27 -.10
-:ss
c-
;; .
.52 -.03 -.33 -.29 .17 -.01 -.24 .26 -.15 -.01 - .11 Neg. Pass. .24 .40 .21 -.06 -.35 -.34 .11 -.26 -.08 - .13 .07 -.01 ":T4 -.42 -.31 -.35 -.38 .36 .11 .12 .00 *With an N = 20, any value .44 and over is significant at the .05 level. Significant values are underlined. **Reading (Rdg.); Arithmetic Fundamentals (A.F.); Arithmetic Problems (A.P.); Vocabulary (Voc.). -.27 -.30 .03
--.
I§
1\1 ilton F. Shore et al.
102
the boys were selected with a narrow I.Q. range (85 to 110), their initial I.Q. level was clearly not an important factor in bringing about changes either in object relations or in achievement test performance. The area most significantly related to achievement was improvement in positive interaction with others in the stories. Within this area, when the passive and positive elements were combined, the greatest changes in achievement occurred. However, within this area the positive aspects appeared more significant for achievement than those aspects related to passivity. As would be expected, achievement increased when there was also a reduction in direct negative opposition to authority in the stories. These boys, unlike the passively resistant neurotic underachiever, were more oriented toward directly acting out their negative feelings on the environment. Thus, when this activity was reduced (in overt behavior as well as in the thematic stories), they seemed better able to achieve academically. In summary, the results indicated a strong relationship between object relations and learning. As object relations improved in psychotherapy, there was also improvement academically. The changes in object relations and achievement were unrelated to initial intellectual level. Although an increase in passivity seemed of significance in learning, the most important area was a more constructive, satisfying view of interaction with others and the expectation of positive activity in return.
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
The results have indicated clearly that the comprehensive vocationally oriented psychotherapeutic program produced marked changes in object relations and that these were highly related to improvement in academic performance (as well as overt behavior; see Massimo and Shore, 1963). The changes that occurred were all consistently in the direction one would have predicted from onr knowledge of delinquent behavior and of changes expected in the successful treatment of delinquents. But the results also throw some light on the specific nature of the changes that occur in treating delinquents as well as on the dynamics underlying the learning problems of delinquents. Although it is known that there is a relationship between object re-
Object Relations Changes in Delinquents
103
lations and learning, there is no one cause for learning difficulties (Liss, 1955). The finding that object relations changes occurred primarily in the direction from negative to positive indicates that in all probability delinquents see learning as related to socialization and to adherence to and acceptance of social norms. As soon as psychotherapy was able to deal with the problems which made it necessary for the boys to reject society's demands, they were then able to become socialized and achieve. This is particularly clear in the area of attitudes toward authority, where there was significant reduction in negative interaction. The results also are in keeping' with the observations that such socialization requires positive identification with a person who is transmitting the cultural norms and values. Of special interest is the relationship of passivity and activity to learning. That the passive dimension was only secondarily related to improved academic achievement confirms that learning is certainly not only a passive process. Curiosity must certainly be considered an active-positive process different from the other aspect of learning, the "taking in of information" (a positive-passive process). It is clear that in order to achieve it is the nature of the affect which appears more important than either activity level or initial I.Q. The changes noted in object relations are clearly not isolated changes but most certainly reflect a generally higher level of over-all ego functioning and integration. For example, the authors have reported a higher level of guilt in the stories of the treated group (Shore, Massimo, and Mack, 1964). The development of a concept of time, especially future time perspective, also has been noted in the treated group (Ricks, Umbarger, and Mack, 1964). All of these changes indicate that profound and major changes in ego functioning occurred. However, the results also have implications for those doing psychotherapy with delinquents. The vocationally oriented psychotherapy program, where treatment focused on concrete situations and where multiple services were offered through one practitioner, certainly produced profound changes within a short period of time in a group very difficult to treat. The results reported here suggest that if the delinquent, who is unusually upset by dependency, can be helped to restructure his aggressive object relations in line with more positive goals through actively developing skills and achieving success in concrete tasks, he will then be able to change his behavior.
Milton F. Shore et at.
104 CONCLUSION
Using the Leary Scale of Interaction for the analysis of thematic stories for object relations, it was found that major changes in object relations resulted from a new comprehensive vocationally oriented psychotherapy program for adolescent delinquent boys. This change was greatly associated with an improvement in academic achievement. The primary change in object relations occurred in reducing negative interactions and translating these into positive constructive interactions. Acceptance of passivity appeared secondary. Interactions showing open resistance to authority revealed a drop. It appears that treatment, through the process of positive identification, may have helped the delinquent boy work out problems so that he could become more socialized and not feel a need to reject society's demands, one of which is academic learning. A similar research project utilizing different diagnostic groups would be helpful in understanding how psychotherapy operates to produce different changes in object relations depending upon the symptom and its meaning. REFERENCES
JUDGE BAKER GUIDANCE CENTER (1960), A Pilot Training Program for the Training of Personnel in the Field of Delinquency. Unpublished report to the National Institute of Mental Health. LEARY, T. (1957), Interpersonal Diagnosis of Personality. New York: Ronald Press. LISS, E. (1955), Motivations in learning. The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 10:100116. New York: International Universities Press. MASSIMO, J. & SHORE, M. (1963), The effectiveness of a comprehensive vocationally oriented psychotherapeutic program for adolescent delinquent boys. Amer. j. Orthopsychiat., 33:634-642. - - - - (1964), Job-focused treatment for antisocial youth. Children, 1l:143-147. PHILUPSON, H. (1955), The Object Relations Technique. Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press. RICKS, D., UMBARGER, C., & MACK, R. (1964), A measure of increased temporal perspective in successfully treated adolescent delinquent boys. l . Abnorm. Soc. Psychol., 69:685-689. SCHLEIFER, M. J. (1963), The clinical process and research methodology. This journal, 2:72-89. SHORE, M., MASSIMO, ]., & MACK, R. (1964), The relationship between levels of guilt in thematic stories and nnsoclalized behavior. [, Proj. Tech. & PeTS. Assess., 28:346-349. - - - - & RICKS, D. (1965), A factor analytic study of psychotherapeutic change in adolescent delinquent boys. j. Clin. Psychol., 21:208-212.
M ilton F. Shorey Ph.Ii., Joseph L. Massimo) Ed .Ii., Julia Kisieleioski, B.A. y and Janet K. Moran, A.B. Psychoanalytic theory has conce p tua lized the growth and development of satisfyin g human relati on ships as the de velopment of mature object rel ations. Although man y stud ies have been reported on object r elations in such areas as differentiation of self from objec t, as wel l as object choice a nd object loss in earl y d evelopm ent, littl e systema tic ob serv ation or research has been clon e on cha nge s in objec t re la tions in later life that have r esulted [ro m psych oanal yticall y or ien ted psycho thera py. One r eason for th e dearth of stud ies may lie in th e difficu lty in d efining "ob ject relati on s" so that it can be tran slated in to op eration al terms. An other reason may be the difficul ties in devisin g in struments for carefully measurin g objec t relati on s. One investigator who has a tte m p ted to deal with both probl ems of d efinition an d quantification has been Phillipson (19!JS). H e has defined "object relations" as th at part of ego functi oning whi ch is "the inner world of a person's feel ings to others, which d et ermines in a fundam ental way the individual 's relations with peopl e in the extern al world" (p. 7). Thus, " obj ect relations" may be seen as the inDr . Shore is Psychologist, M ental H cal tl i Stu dy Center, N.l.lH .H., Adelphi, M d. Dr . Massim o is A d m ini st rat ive Manager, Nc iot on -Baker P roj ect, N euitonuille, Mass. [ulia K isicl curski and Jan et K . M oran are Social Science Analysts, M ental H ealth Stu dy Center, N .l.lIf.H ., A delphi, Ald.
93
94
I'll ilton F. Sh ore et al.
ternalized conception (consci ous or unconscious) of the relati onships between people derived from pre vious relationships but also encompa ssing th e person's internal needs and th eir elabor ation s. Out of hi s definition s, Phillipson evolved the Obj ect Relations Technique, a test similar to the Thematic Apperception Test, where stories given to selec ted pictures were analyzed in terms of the main tension systems and defensive maneuvers used in responding to the picture. The construction of thematic stories to pictures of pe ople has gen erally been accepted by clinicians as eliciting material relevant to in terpersonal r elationships. H owever , the quantification of material from thematic stories has posed m any problems. For example, th ere are two ways of de aling with object relations as reveal ed through thematic stories. One is to view the gen era l manner of dealing with the requirements of the task as stated by th e examiner (the for ma l aspects). T he other is to analyze th e content of th e stories (the contentual aspects) with regard to the relation ships bet ween the characters in the story . Some investigators ha ve chosen onl y one of th ese approaches. However, Phillipson believed th at objec t rel ations could best be m easured by analyzing both the form and the content of the thematic stories. Despite his constr uction of a test, he was still unable to d evelop ad equat e techniques for quantification. As a result, he merely estab lished simple descriptive n orm s th at were of mi n ima l value when compared to the subtle and intricate dynamic analyses of object r elations he derived from th e stories to the cards. The Le ar y Scale of Interperson al Ana lysis (Leary, 1957) has re cen tly been developed to describe interaction patterns, an ar ea close, if n ot identical to, what is me ant by object rel ations. This scale was derived fro m clinical situa tions and ha s be en used to an alyze interpersonal dimensi on s of beh avior in many clinical resear ch proj ects (Schleifer, 1963). The Scale has three di mensi ons: 1. Source: Is th e behavior initiated by self or others? 2. Affect: Is th e beh avior a manifestation of lov e or hate (positive or ne gative)? 3. Activity: Is the behavior characterized by a dominant or submissive approach? In analyzing thematic stories, Le ary limited himself to an alyzin g the content of the stories rather th an the form. This study, which uses the
O bject R elati ons Changes in Delin quents
95
Leary Scale as a mea su re of object r elations, an alyzes both for m and con ten t. In a rec en t study of a new com pre hensive voca tionally or ien ted psycho therapy program for adol escent delinquent b oys, the senior auth ors (Massimo and Shor e, 1963) rep orted a sign ifican t improvem ent in academic performan ce, person ality attitudes, and ove r t behavior (employment hi story and an tisocia l ac tivity) in a tr eat ed gr ou p whe n com pare d to an untreated grou p. The cha nges in person ality att itudes were measured by obtaining thematic stories to cards selected for their stim ulus value in three areas considered to be of signi ficance in delinqu en cy: self-image, con tro l of aggr ession , and attitude toward authority (for indications of how successful this technique was for selecting three distinct are as of psychological functioning, see Shore, Massim o, and Ricks, 1965). The purpose of this study was to an alyze the thematic stories for object r elations usin g the Lear y Scale in order to determine wha t the r elationship was between cha nges res u lting fr om psych otherap y an d cha nges, if an y, in objec t rel ation s. W e att em p ted to answer th e following questi ons: 1. Were there any cha nges in object r elations as a result of psychoth erapy? 2. What were the directi on s of change, if an y? 3. 'What was the relati on shi p between changes in ob jec t relat ions and changes in academic achieve men t? Seconda ry aims were to see if some light could be th ro wn on the dynam ics of delinquent beh avior in ado lescence and it s tr eatment. P ROCEDURE
Selecti on of Subjects The details of the selection of th e subjects appear in Massimo and Shore (1963). The two groups (experimen tal and contro l) were all fift een to seven teen years old , of th e lower socio econ omi c levels, and had ob taine d an I.Q. of 85 to 11 0 on th e W AIS or WISC. T hey had all been suspe n ded or had wi thd rawn fro m school because of academic failur e and an tisocial act ivity . T he Superv isor of Atte nda nce of the sch ool system notified the therapist when the b oy had left school, and the boys were con tacted withi n twenty-four hours. The only o ther
96
Milton F. Shore et al.
requirements were that neither the boy nor his family had had previous psychotherapy and that the boys showed no indications of neurological difficulty or psychosis. All the boys had long records of antisocial behavior and had been on probation at least once.
The Treatment Technique The details of the treatment technique have been described by Massimo and Shore (1963, 1964). The theoretical framework arose from recent work on the psychoanalytic treatment of the delinquent character disorder which has recognized the need for multidimensional services (Judge Baker Guidance Center, 1960). In general, the technique attempted to take account of the severe pregenital ego deficiencies present in the delinquent character structure, yet incorporate the aspects of normal ego development in adolescence. Thus, the vocational emphasis not only served to meet the adolescent's interests, but also served as a concrete focus for reality testing around which the boy could become aware of his deficiencies, seek help when he chose to, and test out his new skills. The self-initiating aspects of the service were stressed. No part of the program was compulsory. The boy was responsible for making the decisions. In this way both the dependency needs and the strong homosexual feelings which are characteristically feared by delinquents were not encouraged. There were few time restrictions on contact or activities. The therapist was available whenever the boy needed him. Immediacy has been found to be a characteristic feature of adolescence, but it is more so of the delinquent with a character disorder whose time sense is severely impaired and who has limited capacity for delay. Motility and action were an integral part of the treatment process. The therapist had no central office. The therapist entered all aspects of the boy's life-pleasure trips, job finding, shopping, etc. Remedial education was offered when needed and tailored to the boy's individual needs. The educational program was always related to work performance. It was only when the boy began to see the therapist as a help in concrete situations that the adolescent would then seek psychotherapeutic help. Frequently this occurred when there was a failure on the job, for fantasies of omnipotence frequently drive delinquent adoles-
Object Relations Changes in Delinquents
97
cents toward jobs that are too difficult and in which they repeatedly experience failure. The service was independent of school, court, or other agencies. No "return to school" overtures were made, and the therapist did not influence the decisions of the legal authorities. In this way the therapist was not seen as a part of any of the known social institutions which the delinquent so strongly opposes. One major characteristic of the program was that vocational placement, remedial education, and psychotherapy were all offered by a single practitioner. The rationale lay in the belief that with severe ego disturbances the splitting of services according to "departments" or between individuals might serve only to complicate the treatment unnecessarily.
The Measurement of Object Relations All psychological testing was done by a trained clinical psychologist who was not involved in the treatment of the boy. The 600 thematic stories were randomized and scored, using the Leary Scale, by a third person who had been trained in the use of the Scale. She did not know which stories were from the experimental or control groups and whether a story was given before or after treatment. She also had no knowledge of the aims of the study. Reliability was checked by having the judge rescore ten cards, as well as having a second person, familiar with the scoring system, score a group of randomly selected stories. Statistical results revealed extremely high reliability. Unlike Leary's original way of scoring thematic productions, both form and content were scored. No intensity rating was made. However, the judge could repeat a score if another interaction of the same kind occurred on the same story. Frequency of occurrence of a particular category, therefore, could be considered a measure of intensity of interaction. The three major dimensions of the Scale were analyzed separately and in combination. The combination or quadrants, as described by Leary, were: Positive-active: friendly interactions of an active kind such as leadership, responsibility, directing, initiating information, and / or other activity of a constructive kind. Positive-passive: friendly interactions of a passive kind such as
98
Milton F. Shore et al. docility, dependence, and cooperation occurring in a trusting rela tionshi p. Negative-active: hostile interactions of a direct kind such as open attack, sadism, competition, boasting, destruction. Negative-passive: hostile interactions of a passive kind such as passive resistance, complaining, distrust, guilt, and negativism.
Measurement of Academic Performance To measure changes in academic performance, the Metropolitan Achievement Tests were used for Reading, Vocabulary, Arithmetic Fundamentals, and Arithmetic Problems. Form R was used at the beginning; Form U at the end of the treatment period. Difference scores were obtained by subtracting the standard score on pretesting from the standard score on posttesting. RESULTS
Changes in Object Relations as a Result of Psychotherapy Table I shows the t test results for the changes between the treated and untreated groups on the Leary interaction dimensions and their combinations. The t test of the total change scores (all three variables combined) was not significant (t = +1.73), This means that the groups did not differ in output from pre- to posttesting. Any changes, therefore, resulted from changes in the nature and quality of the interactions rather than from a marked rise or fall in the productivity of either group. There is clear evidence from the results that highly significant changes in object relations occurred and that these were along specific dimensions. The most significant change resulting from psychotherapy was in the dimension of positive interaction (positive-negative dimension). In this area, the treated group showed a rise in positive interactions, while the untreated group declined over the ten-month period. Thus, psychotherapy generally brought about a much more constructive view of the world, a view based on trust and feelings that one can help or assist others and be helped in return. Of significance are the changes that occurred along the passiveactive dimensions. The treated group showed a rise in passivity, while the control group showed a drop. However, this change was not as
a
TABLE 1
c-
~.
T Tests of Differ ence Score s on the Three Variabl es f or th e Leary Interact ion Dimens ions* Control of Aggression
Sel f Image Sel f & Oth er
Self
Other
+2.l 0~~ + .3
Sel f & Other
..v
Sel f
'"' "'"
Atti tu de Toward Other
Sel f & Oth er
~
Au th ~ ri ty
Self
~
S' "'" o'
Oth-er
354<4r
+2.2 3't-J, +1.8
+ . 32 .1t-{,
+1. 39,J,} - •
+3. 58 t ~
+3. 06t~+3.86t
+2.191' ''''
+3.lQf'i'+
-1. 76.l-oL-
-1.04~
'"
- . 17..(,.£,-1. 9cJ,
- 2.l 2-li ~
-2.40~ ~ - 1. 3f>i -l.
Active
- . 18....
+4 . 52t ~
+ . 67~J,+1.6Jt
- 1.04 ir
Pa s s i ve
+1.501',j,
+2.051" ~
+2 .331' -It + .441'
Pos i t i ve Ac tive
+1. 731' ",
+2. 58t it
-lr
Nega t i ve Active
-1.56-l< ,j..
- .99+.
Pos i t i ve Pa s s i ve
+4 . 281' ~
+4 . 6~,j.. +1.9
+3. 801'
Nega t i ve Passive
- .94~-l<
- .87 + ~ - .47J.J,
- .91-l- J,
Total # of Interacti ons
+1. 25,j,J,**
Pos i t i ve
+4. 951'~
Negative
TO TAL
* *'1<-
L~ TE RA CT IONS
+2. 201'
+2.541' - 1.
3
- .65~ .v
.J,
.7 3~~
;:!
'" l:l
~ .",
;:l (Jq ~
. 85-1-.}
'" 5'
+1. 6o.L- ~
+2.2 7,t, ~ + .35-!.-,t,
tl ~
+2. 0z.t,. +2.4lt
+1. 40!f' ~
+1.l01'-V+ .4l-l.-
t
5'
- . 3,*~ - . 3
- 3 . 2 2~
-3.76.Jtt ~1. 72t .v
+3 . 4~-l< +4. 57'"
+2.5 51' ~
+3 . 23 1' ..lr
+ . 24-lr-l- -2.4~1'
- •82-t.- -J.,
- . 81"\',1, - • 37i- ~
-It
,L,
- • 77 ~ l'
-
+ . 96t
-1t
.....
o.l::l ~
~
;:l
"'" '"
(Self Image , Control of Aggr ession and At t i tude Toward Au t hority Combined ) t c +1. 7 3~
Signi fi can t t at . 05 l ev el when there i s homogenei t y of varian ce i s 2. 10 . heterogeneity of varianc e is 2.26. Si gnifica n t value s a r e underline d .
Signi fi can t t at . 05 l evel when ther e i s
Arro ws ind ica te t he dir ec tion of changes in the means f or th e two groups :
.J,J, Experim ent a l dr ops , Cont r ol drop s
.J.t Experimen t al drop s , Con t r ol r ises ".-" Experimen t al rises, Control dr ops ~ Exper i mental rises , Contro l rise s
<.0 <.0
100
Mi lton F. Shore et al.
grea t as th e one in the positi ve-negative dimension. W he n the passive an d th e positi ve dimensions were com bined (posi tive-passive), th ere was clear and cons isten t evide nce th at th e tr eat ed grou p was better abl e to see a nd accep t m or e passivity. There was some evide nce th at active-pos itive experiences (which wo uld sugg est possibl e id entification wi th the therapist) also incre ased . Of interest also was the signi fican t change in the negative-active dimen sion in attitude toward au thori ty. These results were consi sten t with expectations-a drop in th e tr eat ed gr oup, and a ri se in the untreated grou p. Thus, in rel ati on to au thor ity, the tr eated boys responded with less open aggression , this being translated in th e stor ies as m or e con str uctive or positive activity toward others. In the "self-other" dimension , the only significant changes in "other" occu rred on the variable of con tro l of aggression wh ere others were seen as more positive both actively (leading) and passively (cooperative) and significantly less passively re sistant (u ngiving and com plai ni ng). It is re ason able to su p pose that as th e individual was seen as a ble to interact mor e cons tr uc tively with others, othe rs wou ld also be seen as initiatin g positi ve interactions, especially wh ere the handling of aggression was in volved. In su m mary, the cha nges in obj ect r ela tions as a result of tr eatment were cons isten t with expectation s. Psych otherapy r esulted in sign ifican t impro vement in objec t re lat io ns wi th mo re satisfying r elationships and greater ability to acce p t the aid and assistan ce of others, as well as to act di re ctl y in a mor e cons truc tive fashi on to help othe rs. Resi stan ce to au tho r ity showed a marked drop.
Th e R elati onship B etween Changes in Object R elati onships and A cademic A chievem ent T able 2 shows the correlation s between the changes on the L eary interacti on dimensions and th ose on the Metropolitan Achievemen t Tests in R eading, Vocabulary, Arithmetic Fundamentals, and Arithmetic Problems. Of maj or importan ce was th e very hi gh rel ationship between cha nges in objec t rel ati ons and cha nges in learning. T hese cha ng es were unrelated to in iti al I.Q. , ind icati ng clea r ly th at th ere was a close association bet ween the view of rela tionships with o the rs and th e ability to achieve, irrespecti ve of in itial intellectual ab ility. Altho ug h
Pearson Product Moment Correlations Between Difference Scores on Leary Interaction Dimensions and Metropolitan Achievement Tests* Self Image
Total Interact. Positive
Negative
Active
Passive
Pos. Act.
Neg. Act.
Pos , Pass.
Control of Aggression
LQ.
Rd •
A.F.
A.P.
Voc.**
Self & Other Self Other
.01 .03 .03
.30 .35 .12
.21 .30 -.01
.18 .32 -.10
.18 .25 .00
.36 .26
:TI
Self & Other Self Other
.02 .07
.71
.64
.68
.11
.61
~
~
.17 .03
:TI
:TI
- .11
7i9 :E
.71
.57
.52
Self & Other Self Other
-.01 -.04 .05
-.32 -.39 -.05
-.36 -.41 -.10
-.42 -.39 -.21
-.46
.41 .36 .35
-.14 .01 -.27
.01
Self & Other Self Other
-.35 -.41 -.16
-.05 .04 -.15
-.07 .11 -.26
-.03 .21 -.31
-.13
• 08 -.09 .19
Self & Other Self Other
.29 .29 .18
.37 .30 .38
.28
.29 .19 .44
•48
.34
.22 .16 .29
Self & Other Self Other
-.32 -.19 -.29
.18 .43 -.25
.28 .43 -.07
.25 .49
Self & Other Self Other
-.25 -.37 .01
.25 .45 -~ -.26 -.31 -.07
-.23 -.21 -.15
-.25 -.07 -.34
Self & Other Self Other
.21 .21 .17
"Jj
:D
.50
.44
Self & Other Self Other
.17 .16 .08
-.20 -.22 .02
.74
-:rs -:v; -:rs
.21
.69
.67
:D -:39
:BO
-:50
--:16
.08 -.32
LQ.
.34
Rd • .49
-:39
A.F.
A.P.
Voc.
LQ.
Rd •
A.F.
A.P.
Voc.
.51
.48
.29 .28 .27
.18 -.03 .30
.21 .28 .14
.20 .30
-.01
.01 .19
.44
-:47 :43
.11
-.10
- .11
.54
.58
.55
.52
:TI
-:26
.32 .48
.44
-:39
.43 .48
:03
~
-.40
-.51
-~
:sr
:TI :TI
36'
.03 -.09 .20
.11 -.11
-.09 .07 -.25
-.38 -.24 -.43
.20 .10 .27
-.35 -.43 -.19
-.26 -.36 -.09
.08 .06 .35
.26 -.04 .36
.22 -.10 .39
.30 -.02 .16
.10 -.24 .30
- .05 -.07 -.01
-.19 -.02
.54
.62
.49
:sr
:TI
-:66
33
.48
:sr
.49
:4I
.40 .44
-:20
.05 .11 .00
:3'5
-:42
-.36 -.30 -.26
.07 -.21 .34
-.20 -.31 .03
-.18 -.39 .14
~ -.14 -.20 -.01
.74
.16 .19 .08
:TI -:TI
:76 33
:IT :II :21
.65
a
Attitude Toward Authority
.58
~
.57
:TI
:TI
.63
.60
:sr
- .11
.13
-:sa
--:59' -.19 --:3'2
-.38 - .38 - .25
~
'"
""-
~ ~
;:;;-""-
a'
;:l
'" CJ
~
."
;:l [Jq ~
c-,
-.28 -.21
tl
-.23
~
....
~,
.38 .36 .22
.22 .14 .23
.40 .36 .29
.37 .34 .34
.03 -.28 .30
-.35 -.29 -.23
.10 .03 .13
.63
.03 .05 .00
34
:n
.44
-:47 :E
.33 .42 .11
.27 .36 .08
.41 .33 .33
.30 .32 .18
.14 .32 -.08
.31 .45
-:07
-.47
-.44
-.61
-.65
--:44 -36' -:3'5 -:21 .53
36' -:36
.47
:sr ~
-~ -~
--:39
.43 .51
37
-
>I::l ~
;:l
""-
c-,
--:72 .49
:I8
~
-.26 -.27 -.10
-:ss
c-
;; .
.52 -.03 -.33 -.29 .17 -.01 -.24 .26 -.15 -.01 - .11 Neg. Pass. .24 .40 .21 -.06 -.35 -.34 .11 -.26 -.08 - .13 .07 -.01 ":T4 -.42 -.31 -.35 -.38 .36 .11 .12 .00 *With an N = 20, any value .44 and over is significant at the .05 level. Significant values are underlined. **Reading (Rdg.); Arithmetic Fundamentals (A.F.); Arithmetic Problems (A.P.); Vocabulary (Voc.). -.27 -.30 .03
--.
I§
1\1 ilton F. Shore et al.
102
the boys were selected with a narrow I.Q. range (85 to 110), their initial I.Q. level was clearly not an important factor in bringing about changes either in object relations or in achievement test performance. The area most significantly related to achievement was improvement in positive interaction with others in the stories. Within this area, when the passive and positive elements were combined, the greatest changes in achievement occurred. However, within this area the positive aspects appeared more significant for achievement than those aspects related to passivity. As would be expected, achievement increased when there was also a reduction in direct negative opposition to authority in the stories. These boys, unlike the passively resistant neurotic underachiever, were more oriented toward directly acting out their negative feelings on the environment. Thus, when this activity was reduced (in overt behavior as well as in the thematic stories), they seemed better able to achieve academically. In summary, the results indicated a strong relationship between object relations and learning. As object relations improved in psychotherapy, there was also improvement academically. The changes in object relations and achievement were unrelated to initial intellectual level. Although an increase in passivity seemed of significance in learning, the most important area was a more constructive, satisfying view of interaction with others and the expectation of positive activity in return.
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
The results have indicated clearly that the comprehensive vocationally oriented psychotherapeutic program produced marked changes in object relations and that these were highly related to improvement in academic performance (as well as overt behavior; see Massimo and Shore, 1963). The changes that occurred were all consistently in the direction one would have predicted from onr knowledge of delinquent behavior and of changes expected in the successful treatment of delinquents. But the results also throw some light on the specific nature of the changes that occur in treating delinquents as well as on the dynamics underlying the learning problems of delinquents. Although it is known that there is a relationship between object re-
Object Relations Changes in Delinquents
103
lations and learning, there is no one cause for learning difficulties (Liss, 1955). The finding that object relations changes occurred primarily in the direction from negative to positive indicates that in all probability delinquents see learning as related to socialization and to adherence to and acceptance of social norms. As soon as psychotherapy was able to deal with the problems which made it necessary for the boys to reject society's demands, they were then able to become socialized and achieve. This is particularly clear in the area of attitudes toward authority, where there was significant reduction in negative interaction. The results also are in keeping' with the observations that such socialization requires positive identification with a person who is transmitting the cultural norms and values. Of special interest is the relationship of passivity and activity to learning. That the passive dimension was only secondarily related to improved academic achievement confirms that learning is certainly not only a passive process. Curiosity must certainly be considered an active-positive process different from the other aspect of learning, the "taking in of information" (a positive-passive process). It is clear that in order to achieve it is the nature of the affect which appears more important than either activity level or initial I.Q. The changes noted in object relations are clearly not isolated changes but most certainly reflect a generally higher level of over-all ego functioning and integration. For example, the authors have reported a higher level of guilt in the stories of the treated group (Shore, Massimo, and Mack, 1964). The development of a concept of time, especially future time perspective, also has been noted in the treated group (Ricks, Umbarger, and Mack, 1964). All of these changes indicate that profound and major changes in ego functioning occurred. However, the results also have implications for those doing psychotherapy with delinquents. The vocationally oriented psychotherapy program, where treatment focused on concrete situations and where multiple services were offered through one practitioner, certainly produced profound changes within a short period of time in a group very difficult to treat. The results reported here suggest that if the delinquent, who is unusually upset by dependency, can be helped to restructure his aggressive object relations in line with more positive goals through actively developing skills and achieving success in concrete tasks, he will then be able to change his behavior.
Milton F. Shore et at.
104 CONCLUSION
Using the Leary Scale of Interaction for the analysis of thematic stories for object relations, it was found that major changes in object relations resulted from a new comprehensive vocationally oriented psychotherapy program for adolescent delinquent boys. This change was greatly associated with an improvement in academic achievement. The primary change in object relations occurred in reducing negative interactions and translating these into positive constructive interactions. Acceptance of passivity appeared secondary. Interactions showing open resistance to authority revealed a drop. It appears that treatment, through the process of positive identification, may have helped the delinquent boy work out problems so that he could become more socialized and not feel a need to reject society's demands, one of which is academic learning. A similar research project utilizing different diagnostic groups would be helpful in understanding how psychotherapy operates to produce different changes in object relations depending upon the symptom and its meaning. REFERENCES
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