AGGRESSIVE REACTIONS AND SOURCES OF FRUSTRATION IN ANXIETY NEUROTICS AND PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENICS'

EMANUEL STARER

Veterans Administration Hospital Coatesville, Penna.

PROBLEM The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether reliable differences

exist in the type and direction of aggression and the sources of frustration as shown by the results of the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study, Rorschach findings, and case history material for a group of anxiety neurotic patients and a group of paranoid schizophyenic patients. Aspects of the main problem which were investigated in- cluded the following: (1) A comparison of the responses on the Rosenzweig Picture- Frustration Study of the anxiety neurotic group and the paranoid schizophrenic group with those of normal persons. (2) A comparison of the time necessary to com- plete the Picture-Frustration Study for the anxiety neurotic group and the paranoid schizophrenic group. (3) A determination of the relationship between outward aggressive responses on the Picture-Frustration Study, and ascendance, as meas- ured by the Allport Ascendance-Submission Study, for the anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups. (4) A comparison between the findings of Wechsler on the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale for the neurotic and schizophrenic clinical groups and the results obtained in this investigation. ( 5 ) A determination of whether reliable differences exist in the Rorschach scoring categories for the anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups. (6) A qualitative comparison of the frustrations experienced by the anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups as determined by psychiatric case histories.

PROCEDURE Seventy two patients, thirty six anxiety neurotic and thirty six paranoid schizo-

phrenic subjects, diagnosed by psychiatrists, constituted the research population. No patient was included who had any detectable organic involvement which could in any way influence the results. Further, only patients on whom a Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study record, an Allport Ascendance-Submission Reaction Study record, a Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence report, a Rorschach protocol, and a psychiatric case history could be obtained, were selected. Finally, only male vet- erans of World War 11, between the ages of 20-40 years, and capable of reading and writing English were considered. The anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups were then equated for age, educational achievement, I& as obtained by the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale, and type of occupation.

The instruments used in the collection of data for this research consisted of the Rosenzweig Picture-Frustration Study, the Allport Ascendance-Submission Re- action Study, the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale, the Rorschach test, and psychiatric case history findings.

The medians and quartiles of percentages in sthe various scoring categories of the Picture-Frustration Study were calculated for the anxiety neurotic and the paranoid schizophrenic groups. Critical ratios for the anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups on the various scoring categories of the Picture-Frustration Study were also computed. A comparison of the time in minutes taken by the

'Adapted from a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at New York University, 1950. The author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. Brian Tomlinson, chairman, Dr. John Rockwell, and Dr. Samuel McLaughlin, committeemen, Miss Janet Fritz, and Dr. Avrum Ben-Avi for their assistance.

The statements and conclusions published by the author are a result of his own study and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of the Veterans Administration.

308 EMANUEL STARER

anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups to complete the Picture-Frustra- tion Study was made and the critical ratio computed. Finally, a comparison of the rcsults obtained in this investigation with those obtained by Rosenzweig for his standardization group was made.

The correlations between the scores on the Ascendance-Submission Study and thc percentage of extrapunitive responses on the Picture-Frustration Study for the anxiety neurotic group and for the paranoid schizophrenic group were determined by means of the Pearson r.

The Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale was used to determine how the test characteristics reported by Wechsler for a group of neurotics and a group of schizo- phrenics compared with the test characteristics obtained in the present investigation for the anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups.

Rorschach factors and their ratios, percentages, and other data which are essential to an understanding of Rorschach records from a quantitative point of view were calculated and tabulated. Means, standard deviations, and t values char- acterizing differences between the anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups on the various Rorschach factors, were computed.

The case histories were used to provide information concerning the subjects’ marital status and sexual experiences, and the conditions reported by the subjects as conducive to the causation of frustration. The symptoms and complaints, and background histories of the subjects were studied to determine the similarities and differences between the anxiety neurotic and the paranoid schizophrenic groups.

RESULTS An examination of the Picture-Frustration Study results showed that the

direction of responses in the extrapunitive direction tended to be statistically sig- nificant a t the one percent level for a group of 36 paranoid schizophrenics when com- pared to a group of 36 anxiety neurotic patients. This tended to substantiate Rosen- zu-eig’s theoretical formulation concerning the nature of the responses to be expected in the paranoid category. Secondly, the anxiety neurotic group produced a greater percentage of responses in the need-persistence response category, statistically sig- nificant a t the 1.3 percent level, when compared to the responses of the paranoid schizophrenic group. Finally, the Group Conformity Rating was the most discrim- inating measure in differentiating between the two groups, being significant at the one perrent level.

An analysis of the test characteristics on the Wechsler-Bellevue Test showed a lack of any definite psychometric pattern which can be labeled as anxiety neurotic or paranoid schizophrenic, as determined in this investigation.

No reliable differences in the responses on the Allport Ascendance-Submission Reaction Study mere found for the groups. The correlations between the scores on the Ascendanc.e-Submission Study and the percentage of extrapunitive responses on the Picture-Frustration Study for the anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups were -.008 and -. 133, respectively. The use of the Ascendance-Submission Study as a possiblc clinical instrument in differentiating the clinical groups studied in this investigation was not satisfactory.

An examination of the Itorschach findings showed that only one factor, the F plus percent shou-ed some differentiation between the anxiety neurotic and para- noid schizophrenic groups. This mas significant a t approximately the 3 percent leiTel of confidence. Other signs, reported by investigators, did not appear sufficiently to be regarded as important differentiating factors.

From the case history findings it was determined that the conditions conducive to frustration in the anxiety neurotic and paranoid schizophrenic groups did not differ from each other markedly in quality. Probably the intensity of the frustration was niucli greater in the schizophrenic group, thus leading to an eventual break with rcality.

AGGRESSIVE REACTIONS AND SOURCES OF FRUSTRBTION 309

SUMMARY The results of the present investigation suggest the use of the Rosenzweig

Picture-Frustration Study as an experimental technique in the further testing of Rosenzweig's frustration theory with respect to other clinical categories such as the hysterical group, the obsessive-compulsive group, and the hebephrenic type of schizophrenia and noting whether other formulations can be verified. An investiga- tion into the nature of aggressive responses on the Rorschach and Rosenzweig Pic- ture-Frustration Study and their relation to actual life behavior, appears warranted.

A STUDY OF THE SHORTENED GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL FORMS OF T H E MMPI"

GORDON L. MACDONALD

Toledo State Hospital

Numerous studies(?. 4 , 5 , 7 8 8 3 D, lo ) have made various comparisons of the group and individual forms of the MMPI. While the shortened forms are not recom- mended(l9 5 , 7 ) , data do not appear to be available on the comparison of both forms shortened to the 356 scorable items. The purpose of this investigation was to com- pare both forms of the MMPI shortened to these scorable items.

PROCEDURE The population was a group of high school graduates consisting of 50 males and

33 female students a t the University of Toledo enrolled in psychology courses, and 34 student nurses affiliating a t Toledo State Hospital for training in psychiatric nursing.

The group form of the MMPI as used in this study had the second entry of the sixteen duplicated items masked out; a red line drawn after item 365, and the K scale items past this point checked with red pencil. The subjects were instructed to answer all items to 365 and those checked beyond that point. The cards of the in- dividual form were paired with the items on the group form so that both forms con- tained the identical 356 items.

There was a one week interval between test and retest. The student nurses took the group form first and the college students the individual form. Scoring was by means of hand stencils. Statistical computations were done by machine method.

Interscale coefficients were computed for both forms and for raw scores and T-scores. Test-retest coefficients were computed as were also the critical ratios of the differences between the means of both forms. The difference of test performance for the sexes was also compared by means of the critical ratios.

RESULTS Interscale coejicients. The interscale coefficients for both forms showed quite a scatter. The T-score correlations were reduced from the raw score coefficients. An r of .180, for this size population (N = 117), is significant a t the 5% level.

The individual form raw scores yielded coefficients ranging from -.790 to 332. There are 48 coefficients of a total of 78 that are above the level of significance; of the remaining, 22 are below .lo. The group form raw scores range from -.772 to .816. Forty-five of these are above the level of significance and 23 below .lo. The individual form T-scores range from -.168 to .747 with 35 being above .180 and 29

*Mrs. Janet Becker gathered the data used in this study. Professor Paul Stansbury, Chairman of the Psychology Department of the University of Toledo also cooperated in making available the students and facilities of the University.