Journal of Personality Assessment
ISSN: 0022-3891 (Print) 1532-7752 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hjpa20
Rorschach Object Relations of Adolescents Who Committed Homicide Carol M. Greco & Dewey G. Cornell To cite this article: Carol M. Greco & Dewey G. Cornell (1992) Rorschach Object Relations of Adolescents Who Committed Homicide, Journal of Personality Assessment, 59:3, 574-583, DOI: 10.1207/s15327752jpa5903_11 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5903_11
Published online: 10 Jun 2010.
Submit your article to this journal
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Citing articles: 5 View citing articles
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Date: 09 November 2015, At: 22:04
JOLWAT, OF PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT, 1992, 59(3). 574-583 Copyright s 1992, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 22:04 09 November 2015
schach Object olescents Who
We investigated the object relations of adoiescents who commi:ted homicide. A ciinicai sampie of 55 adolescents who cornmi:reci homiclie did :lot Jiffer h r r ; a conparison group of nonvioient deiinquents on Rorscharr? aeasures of object differentiation, mutuality of autonomy, and aggressive content. However, the subgroug of adoiescents who committed homicides in the context of ano:her crime ie.g., robbery or burglary) did manifest significsntly iouw object relations (poorer object differentiation and more victirr,responses) than the subgroup of adolescents whose homicides were cornmined ir, the context of an in:erpersonai conf?lict or dispute w ~ t hthe victim. These findings support the need far differentiated ciass~ficationof viclen: individuals as urged by Megargee ilF7Cj over 22 years ago.
Many studies have attempted to identih p~y&~olog~cai deficits common t-e adolescents who have commixed homicide, bat they usually cenchcie by noting the diniczl diversity abserved even in smail ssmpies (see review bp CorneU, 1989a, and Ewing, j99g). Manp authors have called for a more differentiated approach t o the classificat.:lor?and ir,vestigation sf violent youth, based on the contention that different psychologicai deficits are specific. to $istiact subgraups of violent youth iCorneR, 1990; Megargee, 1970). Research (Cornell, 1985%, 1990;Cornell, Benedeic, & Benedek, !987! has supported the disrinction between adolescents who committed homicide in the cor,rext of an i~terpersonalcsnfiict or dispute: with the victia (conflict-related homicides) and adolescents who cormxitted homicide in the context of another crime such as robbery or burglary (crime-related homicides'). Confjict group a d o h c e n t s dispizy i w e r levels of psychopathology o n :he Minnesota Mukiphasic Persor,&ty 1nvent.org. (h?.M?'i;Corneli, MIIEer, & Benedek, 14185)
and have less severe histories of substance abuse and prior delincpent activity (CorneH, 19901 campared to crime group adolescents. Ai- the tlme 3; the homicide: conilic~group yoxt.t? aiso are more like!? to act alone and less likelv to s e mxoxicared on drugs. than crime group pou:h (Ccrneii, 19P9b\.. Several authors saggested that adolescent murderers suffer f r ~ object x reiations deiicia, as reflected generally ic an imrrxarure arid narcisistlc conceptmn of others and specifically in a failure to experience their victims as indepenaent, feeling. and chinking human beings. Based on ciinical st.sdy oi i@ youth, Xiiler and Looney (1994)postulated tha: the irr~puisercs murder is facilttated bv the adoiescenr's tendency to dehumanize the viaim as mere!? a irus:racing 05jecr rather than a person with w h a x he or she ca3 identify and e~.patkize. interestingly, they suggested chat high-risk murderers n a y have pervasii-e, rrimicive conceptions oio:hers, whereas other murderers may oniv dehumanize the vict:m in the context of inrense internal emotionsi conflict. McCarthy (1978)reported clinicah support for MiIier and Looney's approach Is?. studying 12 adolescents who had commitred murder.. Other adthors hsve proposed distinctions among juveciie marderers tb.st imply diserences in object reia:iorts (Corder, h i ; , Hairlip, Zio'ilin, & Beaumont, 1976; Gormier, Angiiker, Gagne, 6r Ljfarkxs, 1975). % e n d a n i Zients (1979) described six adoiescents who mxrdered acquaintances during intemersonai disp:es as suffering from sexual idenrity conCic:s; they contrasted ?hem with seven ado'resceixswhc murdered straqgers in the course of a rosberv cr fer no ciiscernibie reasor,. They referred to the p u p o:I seveS as "no;'.-
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 22:04 09 November 2015
I
.
empachic murderers" because of their apparent Lack of feeling fcr thelr \-ictirns
and a seeming disregard far. human life. Solway, Richardson, Hairst and Eiion (i9S1? divided iS adolescent murderers into an emorionally disrwbed group who murdered reiatives or acquaintances and a criminal or psychopachic-ilke grasp who murdered srrangers or distant acquaintances ir: che context i?f another criminai act. 3.ey reported :hat the former groap produced mere popuiar respocses and totai humar, content o n the korschacb., '52: :hey noted that there were :oo few cases :o detecz reliable group differences,
USE OF THE RORSCHACH TO ASSESS OBJECT REI_Y4TFEBNS ?'he Rorschach has been widely used co assess object relatiens (Stricler &. Fieaiey, 19913). Three Rorschach indices of objecr reiations were used in this
.. srudy. First, Blac, Brenneis, Schimek, and G'iick ii976: assessed ievel of object relations by classifying h u n a n responses on several dicerent dimensions. Y'e employed the dimensicri for objea differentiation (Diiieren:iacor: scale; BIax ec ai., 19761, which categorizes h u n a z responses on a "poin: scale a n c h ~ r e das &:nil x foilows: ulhok humm (1 J q u a i - h u m c ( 2 ) : burns detaii (3,and q w . ~ i - ~ u m
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 22:04 09 November 2015
(4). (Five subjecx across: ail groups gave no human responses.) Several studies fwcnd the Differentiation scale to be a usefui iridex of developmental naturitv and severlq of psyihopathoiogy (see review hy Stricker & Heaiey, i990:. Although most studies f o ~ n dthat more distarbed subjects obtained lower deveiopmentai scores, :here is evidence rhar sei:ereiy disturbed subjects may obrair: higher aevelopmentai scores than norm$ scbiects on poor Sorm qnaii:i. responses (Biart et aE., 1916; R i d e r , Zambiznic, i-iarder, & Kaskey, 198C). 1berefore, we examined Dfferentiatiori scale scores :c both good and poor form quality responses. Second, ',Iris: :!$97) developed the h.futualiti. of Autonomy Scale (MAS) ro assess rhe degree KO which :he snbjec: perceives rtorschach relat~onsh~ps as imoiving two mutual". autonomous, functionally independen: ind?vrduals. Respcnses that expiicitlp descri'ie or imply some reiarionship are scored on a 7-point scale ranging from heirlrh? reEafiov.ship.~(I; chxacterlzed by cpaiities such as cooperation or reciprocity) tc more disr~rbedreiarior,ships members of :he far&. Ic!. M. Eekciaas 5r S.N. Ka:; (Ed?.!, Fmiiy ~'ioierice.A*; ir,;ema:iona: ana interdisdplinc? study ipp. 466-478). Toronto: 3utterwor:h. Corneii, C. (TYPYzj. Caiises oi juvenile homicide: A review of literature. In E.Senedek & 2. CornelI (Ed:,.!, hwenilc homicide ( p p 3-35). Washington. DC: American Fwchiatric Press. Corrreli, 3. ( 3 98%;. .iuueniie honidde: Fersonc!iry :lnd de~~eiopmm;a! faaon (Final gran; report :o ?he . aarrv Frank Gaggerhim Foundatiord, Nev 'iofk: 'Jarry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. Corneil, 3. 119931. Prtor adjustment of violen: jcvenile offenders. Law an4 Human Behaiavi~r,24. 56.5-577. Cornell: D., Benedek, E,.fx Benedek, D. (1937). Juvenile hoziicidr: Prio; a5pstmen: end z proposed tvpology. American jouna: oj Girthopr?choE~gy,57: 383-F3. Cornell, 3.. Miller, C., 5. aenedek. E.(1 98Si. MMDI profiles of adoiescerxs charged with homicide. Betrcluiorsi Sczencer 8 the LUG, 5, 401-407. Corneil. D., &. Wilson, L. i1992j. The PIC > VIQ discrepancy in vioien: and nonviolent delinquents. .Iournai ,?;' C!inical ?svchology, 48,2 56-16 i. Ewing. C. F.(19917:. When ciiildyrn iiili: The dyqamics oj juuenile homiiize. Lexington. MA: Henth. Exner, 1. E., Jr. (19851. A Rorsctrach wwkbook f37 :he Comprehensiax S~sren:(2nd ed.:. Asherilk, NC: Rorschach % or' kshops. Greco, G.M. (1988:. R o d a c h ego dewdopment ir, homici&liy cgg7essiu~?ou:h. Cnp.:b!ished doctorai disse:tatian, Uniiwsirv of Virginia, Schooi of Educa:ion. Koit, R. R. (IP751. Xkasiiring libidinal and aggressive motivee an2 ?heir csntrols by means of t i e Rorschach :esr. in P. M. Lerner (Ed.), lianribouk of Rn~schaci:scales. New York: 'Interna~iiiilal c' 7: I LversitiesPress.
.
.
McCarchy, J. (i97Ei. Narcissisn: and the selt in homicidal adolescenrs. The Amerrcurb.!ournal oj' Psychoanatysis,3d, 1s-3. Megargec, E. (1979). The prediction oi violence with psvchologlcai tests. 1- C. Spielberger (Ed.:. C~rrenttopics ir. clinical an3 community psyci~olopipp. 95-156). New York: Academic. Miller, C., Sr Looney, j. (1974). The prediction of adolescent homicide: Episodic dyscon:rol and dehurnanizarion. The American Journai oi F'sychoaruilysis, 34, 187-198. Ritzier, 5." Zamhiancc: C., Xarrler, C., & Kaskey, M, ji98Oj. Psvchnti~panerns of:hr concept. of the object on the Rorschach tes:. ioltmai o! Ahnomal E : v ~ l . i ~ i SO: o ~ ~45--55. .
- .
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 22:04 09 November 2015
TCyar;. .4ierv. R., & Crokxck. W.(1955: .4 k r s ~ i l a c hassessmenr of ckiiidrer,'r rn~:ua:i?< of autonomy. journal o,fFewmai:r?S.ssessmmi. 43: 6-12. Solway. K. S.. Richardson. L.. Ears. J.. 6r Ellor,, \'. H. (i35li. .4doies;ent murderers: Lite;a:xe review and preiiminari. research findings. izJ. Haw: T.R3Ser:s. 5r K. Solwav :E& :. ':'mlmc~a?.: rhe indiridui i p p 193-33:. New Vork: SP M e d i ~ a land Sciexiiic &mk.
Tsber, S.i I%?;. C'fiildrea's Rars::?a& scares as predi::orr afiater adps:menr. . ; ~ 4 m 3 o. 2; 533-553
-
Dewey G. Corneii Programs iE CiiEicai and Schod Psychoiog~ Curry School of E:luca:ion ~'niversityof \,'irginia 405 E n m e t Street Chariottesvitie, \:A 2291?3-7495 T
ISSN: 0022-3891 (Print) 1532-7752 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hjpa20
Rorschach Object Relations of Adolescents Who Committed Homicide Carol M. Greco & Dewey G. Cornell To cite this article: Carol M. Greco & Dewey G. Cornell (1992) Rorschach Object Relations of Adolescents Who Committed Homicide, Journal of Personality Assessment, 59:3, 574-583, DOI: 10.1207/s15327752jpa5903_11 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5903_11
Published online: 10 Jun 2010.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 16
View related articles
Citing articles: 5 View citing articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=hjpa20 Download by: [Nanyang Technological University]
Date: 09 November 2015, At: 22:04
JOLWAT, OF PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT, 1992, 59(3). 574-583 Copyright s 1992, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 22:04 09 November 2015
schach Object olescents Who
We investigated the object relations of adoiescents who commi:ted homicide. A ciinicai sampie of 55 adolescents who cornmi:reci homiclie did :lot Jiffer h r r ; a conparison group of nonvioient deiinquents on Rorscharr? aeasures of object differentiation, mutuality of autonomy, and aggressive content. However, the subgroug of adoiescents who committed homicides in the context of ano:her crime ie.g., robbery or burglary) did manifest significsntly iouw object relations (poorer object differentiation and more victirr,responses) than the subgroup of adolescents whose homicides were cornmined ir, the context of an in:erpersonai conf?lict or dispute w ~ t hthe victim. These findings support the need far differentiated ciass~ficationof viclen: individuals as urged by Megargee ilF7Cj over 22 years ago.
Many studies have attempted to identih p~y&~olog~cai deficits common t-e adolescents who have commixed homicide, bat they usually cenchcie by noting the diniczl diversity abserved even in smail ssmpies (see review bp CorneU, 1989a, and Ewing, j99g). Manp authors have called for a more differentiated approach t o the classificat.:lor?and ir,vestigation sf violent youth, based on the contention that different psychologicai deficits are specific. to $istiact subgraups of violent youth iCorneR, 1990; Megargee, 1970). Research (Cornell, 1985%, 1990;Cornell, Benedeic, & Benedek, !987! has supported the disrinction between adolescents who committed homicide in the cor,rext of an i~terpersonalcsnfiict or dispute: with the victia (conflict-related homicides) and adolescents who cormxitted homicide in the context of another crime such as robbery or burglary (crime-related homicides'). Confjict group a d o h c e n t s dispizy i w e r levels of psychopathology o n :he Minnesota Mukiphasic Persor,&ty 1nvent.org. (h?.M?'i;Corneli, MIIEer, & Benedek, 14185)
and have less severe histories of substance abuse and prior delincpent activity (CorneH, 19901 campared to crime group adolescents. Ai- the tlme 3; the homicide: conilic~group yoxt.t? aiso are more like!? to act alone and less likelv to s e mxoxicared on drugs. than crime group pou:h (Ccrneii, 19P9b\.. Several authors saggested that adolescent murderers suffer f r ~ object x reiations deiicia, as reflected generally ic an imrrxarure arid narcisistlc conceptmn of others and specifically in a failure to experience their victims as indepenaent, feeling. and chinking human beings. Based on ciinical st.sdy oi i@ youth, Xiiler and Looney (1994)postulated tha: the irr~puisercs murder is facilttated bv the adoiescenr's tendency to dehumanize the viaim as mere!? a irus:racing 05jecr rather than a person with w h a x he or she ca3 identify and e~.patkize. interestingly, they suggested chat high-risk murderers n a y have pervasii-e, rrimicive conceptions oio:hers, whereas other murderers may oniv dehumanize the vict:m in the context of inrense internal emotionsi conflict. McCarthy (1978)reported clinicah support for MiIier and Looney's approach Is?. studying 12 adolescents who had commitred murder.. Other adthors hsve proposed distinctions among juveciie marderers tb.st imply diserences in object reia:iorts (Corder, h i ; , Hairlip, Zio'ilin, & Beaumont, 1976; Gormier, Angiiker, Gagne, 6r Ljfarkxs, 1975). % e n d a n i Zients (1979) described six adoiescents who mxrdered acquaintances during intemersonai disp:es as suffering from sexual idenrity conCic:s; they contrasted ?hem with seven ado'resceixswhc murdered straqgers in the course of a rosberv cr fer no ciiscernibie reasor,. They referred to the p u p o:I seveS as "no;'.-
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 22:04 09 November 2015
I
.
empachic murderers" because of their apparent Lack of feeling fcr thelr \-ictirns
and a seeming disregard far. human life. Solway, Richardson, Hairst and Eiion (i9S1? divided iS adolescent murderers into an emorionally disrwbed group who murdered reiatives or acquaintances and a criminal or psychopachic-ilke grasp who murdered srrangers or distant acquaintances ir: che context i?f another criminai act. 3.ey reported :hat the former groap produced mere popuiar respocses and totai humar, content o n the korschacb., '52: :hey noted that there were :oo few cases :o detecz reliable group differences,
USE OF THE RORSCHACH TO ASSESS OBJECT REI_Y4TFEBNS ?'he Rorschach has been widely used co assess object relatiens (Stricler &. Fieaiey, 19913). Three Rorschach indices of objecr reiations were used in this
.. srudy. First, Blac, Brenneis, Schimek, and G'iick ii976: assessed ievel of object relations by classifying h u n a n responses on several dicerent dimensions. Y'e employed the dimensicri for objea differentiation (Diiieren:iacor: scale; BIax ec ai., 19761, which categorizes h u n a z responses on a "poin: scale a n c h ~ r e das &:nil x foilows: ulhok humm (1 J q u a i - h u m c ( 2 ) : burns detaii (3,and q w . ~ i - ~ u m
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 22:04 09 November 2015
(4). (Five subjecx across: ail groups gave no human responses.) Several studies fwcnd the Differentiation scale to be a usefui iridex of developmental naturitv and severlq of psyihopathoiogy (see review hy Stricker & Heaiey, i990:. Although most studies f o ~ n dthat more distarbed subjects obtained lower deveiopmentai scores, :here is evidence rhar sei:ereiy disturbed subjects may obrair: higher aevelopmentai scores than norm$ scbiects on poor Sorm qnaii:i. responses (Biart et aE., 1916; R i d e r , Zambiznic, i-iarder, & Kaskey, 198C). 1berefore, we examined Dfferentiatiori scale scores :c both good and poor form quality responses. Second, ',Iris: :!$97) developed the h.futualiti. of Autonomy Scale (MAS) ro assess rhe degree KO which :he snbjec: perceives rtorschach relat~onsh~ps as imoiving two mutual". autonomous, functionally independen: ind?vrduals. Respcnses that expiicitlp descri'ie or imply some reiarionship are scored on a 7-point scale ranging from heirlrh? reEafiov.ship.~(I; chxacterlzed by cpaiities such as cooperation or reciprocity) tc more disr~rbedreiarior,ships members of :he far&. Ic!. M. Eekciaas 5r S.N. Ka:; (Ed?.!, Fmiiy ~'ioierice.A*; ir,;ema:iona: ana interdisdplinc? study ipp. 466-478). Toronto: 3utterwor:h. Corneii, C. (TYPYzj. Caiises oi juvenile homicide: A review of literature. In E.Senedek & 2. CornelI (Ed:,.!, hwenilc homicide ( p p 3-35). Washington. DC: American Fwchiatric Press. Corrreli, 3. ( 3 98%;. .iuueniie honidde: Fersonc!iry :lnd de~~eiopmm;a! faaon (Final gran; report :o ?he . aarrv Frank Gaggerhim Foundatiord, Nev 'iofk: 'Jarry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. Corneil, 3. 119931. Prtor adjustment of violen: jcvenile offenders. Law an4 Human Behaiavi~r,24. 56.5-577. Cornell: D., Benedek, E,.fx Benedek, D. (1937). Juvenile hoziicidr: Prio; a5pstmen: end z proposed tvpology. American jouna: oj Girthopr?choE~gy,57: 383-F3. Cornell, 3.. Miller, C., 5. aenedek. E.(1 98Si. MMDI profiles of adoiescerxs charged with homicide. Betrcluiorsi Sczencer 8 the LUG, 5, 401-407. Corneil. D., &. Wilson, L. i1992j. The PIC > VIQ discrepancy in vioien: and nonviolent delinquents. .Iournai ,?;' C!inical ?svchology, 48,2 56-16 i. Ewing. C. F.(19917:. When ciiildyrn iiili: The dyqamics oj juuenile homiiize. Lexington. MA: Henth. Exner, 1. E., Jr. (19851. A Rorsctrach wwkbook f37 :he Comprehensiax S~sren:(2nd ed.:. Asherilk, NC: Rorschach % or' kshops. Greco, G.M. (1988:. R o d a c h ego dewdopment ir, homici&liy cgg7essiu~?ou:h. Cnp.:b!ished doctorai disse:tatian, Uniiwsirv of Virginia, Schooi of Educa:ion. Koit, R. R. (IP751. Xkasiiring libidinal and aggressive motivee an2 ?heir csntrols by means of t i e Rorschach :esr. in P. M. Lerner (Ed.), lianribouk of Rn~schaci:scales. New York: 'Interna~iiiilal c' 7: I LversitiesPress.
.
.
McCarchy, J. (i97Ei. Narcissisn: and the selt in homicidal adolescenrs. The Amerrcurb.!ournal oj' Psychoanatysis,3d, 1s-3. Megargec, E. (1979). The prediction oi violence with psvchologlcai tests. 1- C. Spielberger (Ed.:. C~rrenttopics ir. clinical an3 community psyci~olopipp. 95-156). New York: Academic. Miller, C., Sr Looney, j. (1974). The prediction of adolescent homicide: Episodic dyscon:rol and dehurnanizarion. The American Journai oi F'sychoaruilysis, 34, 187-198. Ritzier, 5." Zamhiancc: C., Xarrler, C., & Kaskey, M, ji98Oj. Psvchnti~panerns of:hr concept. of the object on the Rorschach tes:. ioltmai o! Ahnomal E : v ~ l . i ~ i SO: o ~ ~45--55. .
- .
Downloaded by [Nanyang Technological University] at 22:04 09 November 2015
TCyar;. .4ierv. R., & Crokxck. W.(1955: .4 k r s ~ i l a c hassessmenr of ckiiidrer,'r rn~:ua:i?< of autonomy. journal o,fFewmai:r?S.ssessmmi. 43: 6-12. Solway. K. S.. Richardson. L.. Ears. J.. 6r Ellor,, \'. H. (i35li. .4doies;ent murderers: Lite;a:xe review and preiiminari. research findings. izJ. Haw: T.R3Ser:s. 5r K. Solwav :E& :. ':'mlmc~a?.: rhe indiridui i p p 193-33:. New Vork: SP M e d i ~ a land Sciexiiic &mk.
Tsber, S.i I%?;. C'fiildrea's Rars::?a& scares as predi::orr afiater adps:menr. . ; ~ 4 m 3 o. 2; 533-553
-
Dewey G. Corneii Programs iE CiiEicai and Schod Psychoiog~ Curry School of E:luca:ion ~'niversityof \,'irginia 405 E n m e t Street Chariottesvitie, \:A 2291?3-7495 T
