Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1962. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-160).

Gaping holes are present in the professional literature in the responsible use of intuition: a vocabulary is not present for discussion, ethics are barely addressed, guidelines are not available for effective use of techniques either for practicing therapists or those in training. This study explores how a small number (7) of therapists discovered and developed their intuitive capacities, the types of intuition they utilize within the counseling milieu, and the ethical and other concerns which accompany its use. The study was designed to be a preliminary exploratory investigation, based on semi-structured in-depth interviews. Therapists were selected based on their purported use of intuition during therapy, and were contacted based on word of mouth referral. All are either in the process of licensing or fully licensed in the state in which they practice. Data is reported in profiles of each individual with a thematic analyzation of the material, in part, based on guidelines suggested by the interview. The most significant of the findings indicates the following: none of the therapists developed their intuitive abilities through traditional university settings; all felt that it is impossible to be a good therapist without the use of intuition; all use their intuition in responsible, ethical and professional manners which are individually established and monitored; the ability to use intuition for five of the seven, created some discomfort and image issues; major shifts in belief systems were created with the awareness of universal laws; there is a lack of consistency in vocabulary in professional literature; various types of intuitive techniques exist for each of the respondents; and the word psychic is pejorative. The conclusions suggested are tentative, yet do suggest areas in which future studies can be addressed.

This study investigated the reliability of the cognitive-developmental classifications derived from Ivey's Developmental Theory and the predictive validity of the intervention strategies designed in accordance with this therapeutic model. Further, the cognitive-developmental styles of long- and short-term depressives were also examined. Reliability and predictive validity were addressed by researching the following questions: (1) Can the cognitive-developmental level of patients be assessed reliably? (2) If a clinician asks a specific set of questions aimed at eliciting patient verbalizations at varying cognitive-developmental levels, do patients respond at the predicted levels? The data gathered were also analyzed to examine whether the two subgroups of depressed patients differed in their cognitive styles. Specifically, the questions researched were: (1) Do long- and short-term depressives differ in predominant cognitive-developmental style during the assessment phase of an interview? (2) Do short-term depressives respond more predominantly to intervention strategies designed to elicit movement through the eight cognitive-developmental levels espoused by Ivey? Theory and research from the major models of depression etiology and treatment were reviewed and integrated with the Developmental Therapy model. This review indicated that the concepts of the cognitive-developmental model are most compatible with cognitive models of depression and offer the potential of being useful tools in the treatment of these disorders. The sample population consisted of twenty, consecutively admitted, consenting inpatients with diagnoses of mood disorders or adjustment disorders with associated depressed features. Each patient was administered the Beck Depression Inventory, completed demographic data, and participated in a structured interview, the Standard Cognitive-Developmental Interview (SCDI), which is based on Ivey's model. Interview results, as categorized by the companion Cognitive Developmental Classification System (SCDCS), were analyzed using the Pearson product-moment coefficient for reliability, percentages for predictive validity, and t-tests of significance for differences between subgroups. The resulting data indicated that Ivey's model, as operationalized through the SCDI and the SCDCS, does possess strong reliability and predictive validity. The differences in cognitive styles between long- and short-term depressives were, however, not found to be significant. Implications and suggestions for future research and therapeutic utilization were discussed.

The stability and change of adult personality is one of the most enduring questions in psychology. This study utilized longitudinal data on three cohorts of men and women spanning 34 years to examine Erikson's (1963) eight-stage theory of personality using the Inventory of Psychosocial Development (IPD), an 80-item Likert-type self-report measure. Cohort 1 (N = 106) was first tested in 1966 at age 20 and has been re-tested in 1977, 1988, and 2000 at the ages of 31, 42, and 54, respectively. Cohort 2 (N = 73) was first tested in 1977 at age 20 and has been re-tested in 1988 and 2000 at the ages of 31 and 42, respectively. Cohort 3 ( N = 55) was first tested in 1988 at age 20 and has been re-tested in 2000 at age 31. Joining a substantial body of trait personality research, mean-level and rank-order stability estimates suggest personality goes through significant age-related changes in the decade of the 20s, fewer changes in the decade of 30s, and virtually no change in the decade of the 40s, providing convincing evidence that personality stabilizes in middle adulthood. It is concluded that researchers should transcend the historically polarized stability versus change debate to examine the stability and change of adult personality.

In recent years, theorists in the fields of psychoanalysis and gay and lesbian studies have turned their attention to the study of the complex role of homosexuality in human development from a non-pathological perspective. Specifically, some psychoanalytic theorists have resumed studying the complex relationships among self-concept development, relationship quality and homosexuality. This study provided an in-depth examination of the formative experiences of a small sample of non-patient lesbian women. The study was guided by four general questions: (1) How do lesbian women conceptualize the nature and development of their sexual and gender identities? (2) What intrapsychic, familial, and societal variables shape these identities? (3) Throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood what are the processes through which lesbian women develop and negotiate their self-concepts and relationships with others? (4) What is the interplay between typical developmental processes and experiences unique to women coming of age with a same-sex identity? The sample consisted of eight lesbian women. Subjects participated in a specially designed semistructured interview, and the data were analyzed using a systematic qualitative approach. Women's stories revealed that gender and sexual identity are varied and dynamic constructs, paralleling identity development across the lifespan. For the most part, women enjoyed their childhoods and considered their relationships with parents to be positive. The women in this sample described multiple patterns of maternal and paternal influence on identity and relational style. During adolescence, young women moved away from parents as primary sources of identity and into the social world. Some women reported an awareness of homoerotic feelings during this period which threatened their vulnerable self-concepts; in most cases, these feelings were repressed in the service of maintaining a cohesive sense of self and connection to others. For the women in this sample, the tasks of young adulthood included coming out to self and parents, and negotiating intimacy with significant others. Overall, women with a same sex orientation face developmental milestones typical of all individuals, as well as milestones unique to the gay and lesbian population; the negotiation of these milestones is mediated by the individual's personality and family dynamics. The in-depth nature of this study revealed a complexity and richness of experience not considered in reductionistic psychoanalytic theories of lesbian development.

Thesis (M.A.)--Briercrest Biblical Seminary, 2000. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-50).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Psychology, 2005. / Title from second page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [2], vi, 276 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references (p. 52-55).

It is not uncommon for offspring of depressed parents to feel at increased risk for developing their parent's disorder. In this study, I examined the ways in which a fear of developing a parent's disorder speaks to aspects of a person's quality of object relations. Sixty-two college students were asked to provide information about themselves and their parents. Participants took part in a group administration of the Thematic Apperception Test, which was scored for the quality of object relations using Westen's (1985) Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale (SCORS). Offspring of depressed parents perceived themselves to be at increased risk for developing depression. This perceived vulnerability relates to negative affect tone and poor quality of emotional investment as measured by the SCORS. Findings from this study point to the importance of listening to the ways in which a fear of illness speaks to a person's internal representations. These findings are discussed along with recommendations for future studies.