Psychological Reporh, 1991, 68, 411-417.
@ Psychological Reports 1991
SUSTAINING FANTASIES A N D T H E 16 PF ' DEBORAH F. GREENWALD Northeastern Uniuersio Summary.-This study examined the relationships between the Sustaining Fantasy Questiomaire (SFQ) and the 16 PF for 63 college students. The questionnaire is a self-report measure of characteristic fantasies used to reduce negative affect and maintain self-esteem. High scores on the fantasy scales having to do with power and revenge, death and illness, withdrawal and protection, and restitution, and on the scales measuring negative affect and the inability to produce comforting images were all associated with 16 PF indications of psychological distress.
This study investigated the meaning of the Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire (Zelin, Bernstein, Heijn, Jampel, Myerson, Adler, Buie, & Rizzuto, 1783) by testing some hypotheses about, and exploring other relationshps between, the questionnaire and the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire (16 PF; Cattell, Eber, & Tatsuoka, 1770) and two measures of selfregard, the Kaplan Self-derogation Scale (Kaplan, 1775) and the Eagly Self-esteem Scale (Eagly, 1967). The Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire is a paper-and-pencil self-report instrument designed to measure characteristic fantasies used to ameliorate intense negative affect and maintain self-esteem (Zelin, et al., 1783). The questionnaire includes a set of items that provide a measure of over-all negative affective experience, another set of items that assess the ability to produce supportive, or alternatively negative, images under stress and 10 scales representing types of fantasies evoked by respondents to feel better when stressed. One assumption underlying this research focus is that the capacity to evoke comforting or sustaining images, especially of other people, will, in itself, provide some protection and defense against stress and is likely, then, to be associated with less psychological discomfort. A second assumption is that certain types of fantasy content will also show a relationship with psychological distress because the content reflects poor psychological functioning and/or because it makes the individual more vulnerable and less able to cope adaptively. Two previous studies using the questionnaire indicated that several of the fantasy factors correlated significantly with general psychological difficulties. In the original study Zelin, et al. (1783) tested both an inpatient sample and a normal sample and noted that six scales distinguished the two groups, with the patient group scoring higher on each. These scales were Use of God (Scale 2), Death and Illness (3, Withdrawal and Protection (6), Love and 'Requests for reprints should be sent to Deborah F. Greenwald, Counseling Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02155.
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D.F. GREENWALD
Closeness (7), Suffering (8), and Restitution (10). The second study (Harder, Zelin, Jampel, Heijn, Myerson, & Bernstein, 1984), using a normal college sample, showed that five of the scales-power and revenge (3), and Scales 5, 6, 7, and 8-were significantly associated with self-derogation and unstable self-image. There was then considerable overlap between the two studies in terms of the questionnaire scales that appear to be associated with psychological distress. The current study investigated the hypotheses that scores on the scales Death and Illness (3, Withdrawal and Protection (6), Love and Closeness (7), Suffering (8), and possibly also Use of God (2), Power and Revenge (31, and Restitution (lo), together with the SFQI, the general measure of negative affect, and SFQIII, the measure of inability to produce sustaining images under stress, would correlate with scores on 16 PF scales C (low ego strength), I (emotional sensitivity), 0 (guilt proneness), and Q, (inability to bind anxiety), Q, (free-floating anxiety), and Factor 11, a generalized measure of anxiety. Also, it was predicted that these questionnaire scales would correlate with low self-esteem and high self-derogation. In addition, other relationships between scores on paper-and-pencil scales were explored. Predictions were based on the findings of the cited research. The content of the fantasy scales, however, suggested that Scales 3, 5, 6, and 8 would be most likely to be associated with a pathological adjustment. Many of the items in these scales indicate fantasies that involve damage to the self or to others (e.g., "thinking of really torturing someone I hate" from Scale 3; "the thought of being crippled and having people help me" from Scale 5). While these fantasies may provide solace, they appear to reflect both maladaptive coping and also intense inner pain. METHOD The subjects for this study were 63 students at a large urban university, who were paid volunteers, ranging in age from 18 to 25 years, largely middle- to upper-middle-class. There were 40 women and 22 men, 53 Caucasians (two of whom were Hispanic and one Indian), 2 AfricanAmericans, 3 Asians, and 1 Melanesian. They were administered the fantasy questionnaire, the 16 PF, and Kaplan Self-derogation Scale, and the Eagly Self-esteem Scale, as part of a larger research project. RESULTS The means and standard deviations obtained for the fantasy questionnaire, 16 PF scales, and self-regard instruments are given in Table 1. The means for the 16 PF are within one standard deviation of the normal standardization sample, a group of individuals working in an urban hospital. For seven of the fantasy scales the means for the current sample fell between those of the normal and patient standardization samples (Zelin, et aI., 1983).
413
SUSTAINING FANTASIES AND T H E 16 PF
For four of the scales, Power and Revenge (3), Withdrawal and Protection (4), Love and Closeness (7), and Competition (9), the means for this sample were significantly higher than those for the normal standardization sample. For the other six variables, the means for the current sample were between those for the normal and patient standardization samples. The norms for the fantasy scales of negative affect (SFQI) and ability to evoke comforting images (SFQIII) are not available in the literature. TABLE 1 MEANSA N D STANDARD DEVIATIONS FORSELF-ESTEFN,SELF-DEROGATION, A N D SUSTAINING FANTASY QUESTIONNAIRE SCALES (N = 63) Scale Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire I. Negative Affect 111. Comforting Images 1. Aesthetics 2. Use of God 3. Power and Revenge 4. Admiration of Self 5. Death and Illness 6. Withdrawal/Protection 7. Love and Closeness 8. Suffering 9. Competition 10. Restitution Eagly Self-esteem Scale Kaplan Self-derogation Scale
M
SD
2.39 1.88 3.18 2.44 2.26 2.89 1.33 1.91 3.70 1.72 2.62 2.86 62.33 13.88
.81 .54 1.01 .92 .85
.74 .58 .83 .81 .58 .99 .89 9.24 3.25
In general, the hypotheses were confirmed; see Table 2 . As predicted, SFQI (the measure of negative affect) correlated significantly with several 16 PF measures of negative affect: Scales I (emotional sensitivity and insecurity, r = .28, p
@ Psychological Reports 1991
SUSTAINING FANTASIES A N D T H E 16 PF ' DEBORAH F. GREENWALD Northeastern Uniuersio Summary.-This study examined the relationships between the Sustaining Fantasy Questiomaire (SFQ) and the 16 PF for 63 college students. The questionnaire is a self-report measure of characteristic fantasies used to reduce negative affect and maintain self-esteem. High scores on the fantasy scales having to do with power and revenge, death and illness, withdrawal and protection, and restitution, and on the scales measuring negative affect and the inability to produce comforting images were all associated with 16 PF indications of psychological distress.
This study investigated the meaning of the Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire (Zelin, Bernstein, Heijn, Jampel, Myerson, Adler, Buie, & Rizzuto, 1783) by testing some hypotheses about, and exploring other relationshps between, the questionnaire and the Sixteen Personality Factors Questionnaire (16 PF; Cattell, Eber, & Tatsuoka, 1770) and two measures of selfregard, the Kaplan Self-derogation Scale (Kaplan, 1775) and the Eagly Self-esteem Scale (Eagly, 1967). The Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire is a paper-and-pencil self-report instrument designed to measure characteristic fantasies used to ameliorate intense negative affect and maintain self-esteem (Zelin, et al., 1783). The questionnaire includes a set of items that provide a measure of over-all negative affective experience, another set of items that assess the ability to produce supportive, or alternatively negative, images under stress and 10 scales representing types of fantasies evoked by respondents to feel better when stressed. One assumption underlying this research focus is that the capacity to evoke comforting or sustaining images, especially of other people, will, in itself, provide some protection and defense against stress and is likely, then, to be associated with less psychological discomfort. A second assumption is that certain types of fantasy content will also show a relationship with psychological distress because the content reflects poor psychological functioning and/or because it makes the individual more vulnerable and less able to cope adaptively. Two previous studies using the questionnaire indicated that several of the fantasy factors correlated significantly with general psychological difficulties. In the original study Zelin, et al. (1783) tested both an inpatient sample and a normal sample and noted that six scales distinguished the two groups, with the patient group scoring higher on each. These scales were Use of God (Scale 2), Death and Illness (3, Withdrawal and Protection (6), Love and 'Requests for reprints should be sent to Deborah F. Greenwald, Counseling Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02155.
412
D.F. GREENWALD
Closeness (7), Suffering (8), and Restitution (10). The second study (Harder, Zelin, Jampel, Heijn, Myerson, & Bernstein, 1984), using a normal college sample, showed that five of the scales-power and revenge (3), and Scales 5, 6, 7, and 8-were significantly associated with self-derogation and unstable self-image. There was then considerable overlap between the two studies in terms of the questionnaire scales that appear to be associated with psychological distress. The current study investigated the hypotheses that scores on the scales Death and Illness (3, Withdrawal and Protection (6), Love and Closeness (7), Suffering (8), and possibly also Use of God (2), Power and Revenge (31, and Restitution (lo), together with the SFQI, the general measure of negative affect, and SFQIII, the measure of inability to produce sustaining images under stress, would correlate with scores on 16 PF scales C (low ego strength), I (emotional sensitivity), 0 (guilt proneness), and Q, (inability to bind anxiety), Q, (free-floating anxiety), and Factor 11, a generalized measure of anxiety. Also, it was predicted that these questionnaire scales would correlate with low self-esteem and high self-derogation. In addition, other relationships between scores on paper-and-pencil scales were explored. Predictions were based on the findings of the cited research. The content of the fantasy scales, however, suggested that Scales 3, 5, 6, and 8 would be most likely to be associated with a pathological adjustment. Many of the items in these scales indicate fantasies that involve damage to the self or to others (e.g., "thinking of really torturing someone I hate" from Scale 3; "the thought of being crippled and having people help me" from Scale 5). While these fantasies may provide solace, they appear to reflect both maladaptive coping and also intense inner pain. METHOD The subjects for this study were 63 students at a large urban university, who were paid volunteers, ranging in age from 18 to 25 years, largely middle- to upper-middle-class. There were 40 women and 22 men, 53 Caucasians (two of whom were Hispanic and one Indian), 2 AfricanAmericans, 3 Asians, and 1 Melanesian. They were administered the fantasy questionnaire, the 16 PF, and Kaplan Self-derogation Scale, and the Eagly Self-esteem Scale, as part of a larger research project. RESULTS The means and standard deviations obtained for the fantasy questionnaire, 16 PF scales, and self-regard instruments are given in Table 1. The means for the 16 PF are within one standard deviation of the normal standardization sample, a group of individuals working in an urban hospital. For seven of the fantasy scales the means for the current sample fell between those of the normal and patient standardization samples (Zelin, et aI., 1983).
413
SUSTAINING FANTASIES AND T H E 16 PF
For four of the scales, Power and Revenge (3), Withdrawal and Protection (4), Love and Closeness (7), and Competition (9), the means for this sample were significantly higher than those for the normal standardization sample. For the other six variables, the means for the current sample were between those for the normal and patient standardization samples. The norms for the fantasy scales of negative affect (SFQI) and ability to evoke comforting images (SFQIII) are not available in the literature. TABLE 1 MEANSA N D STANDARD DEVIATIONS FORSELF-ESTEFN,SELF-DEROGATION, A N D SUSTAINING FANTASY QUESTIONNAIRE SCALES (N = 63) Scale Sustaining Fantasy Questionnaire I. Negative Affect 111. Comforting Images 1. Aesthetics 2. Use of God 3. Power and Revenge 4. Admiration of Self 5. Death and Illness 6. Withdrawal/Protection 7. Love and Closeness 8. Suffering 9. Competition 10. Restitution Eagly Self-esteem Scale Kaplan Self-derogation Scale
M
SD
2.39 1.88 3.18 2.44 2.26 2.89 1.33 1.91 3.70 1.72 2.62 2.86 62.33 13.88
.81 .54 1.01 .92 .85
.74 .58 .83 .81 .58 .99 .89 9.24 3.25
In general, the hypotheses were confirmed; see Table 2 . As predicted, SFQI (the measure of negative affect) correlated significantly with several 16 PF measures of negative affect: Scales I (emotional sensitivity and insecurity, r = .28, p
