THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEER-RATINGS OF INTERPERSONAL MATURITY AND LEVELS OF OBJECT REPRESENTATION IN A NORMAL ADOLESCENT POPULATION
Abstract
The present study compared the levels of object representation achieved by adolescents whose interpersonal relationships were rated as based on object constancy, with those of adolescents whose interpersonal relationships were rated as based on need-gratification. Subjective levels of object representation were measured by Krohn's Object Representation Scale for Dreams and Blatt's Developmental Analysis of the Concept of the Object on the Rorschach. Behavioral levels of object relations were measured by the Interpersonal Maturity Nominating Technique (IMNT), which is a new peer-ratings instrument, based on object relations theory and constructed especially for this investigation. The use of peer-ratings was an operational innovation of this study as it represented, apparently, the first time feedback from the "objects" (i.e., one's peers) was incorporated into the design of object relations research. The subjects were 120 seventh-graders at a private school in Brooklyn, N.Y. Each of these students was rated as to "maturity" and "immaturity" using the IMNT. Rorschach's manifest dream reports, and WISC-Vocabulary measures were collected from each subject. Analysis of covariance procedures were used to test the research hypotheses. Both Krohn's scale and Blatt's scale were applied to both Rorschach protocols and dream reports in order to examine their usefulness across different data bases. Intercorrelations among all variables were examined. Results indicated a positive relationship between the quality of interpersonal relations and the quality of object representations. Significant representational differences between "mature" and "immature" subjects were obtained on dreams, when measured by either Krohn's or Blatt's scale, but not on Rorschachs, when measured by either scale. This finding supports the psychoanalytic assumption of a subjective, representational process which mediates one's everyday interpersonal relationships. No significant differences were obtained between the levels of object representation achieved by "mature" subjects who were nominated by members of both sexes and "mature" subjects who were nominated by members of the same sex. No significant differences were obtained between the levels of object representation of "mature" males and "mature" females. Results indicated that the IMNT is both reliable and valid. Suggestions for future research were presented.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy
Recommended Citation
LOSARDO, ANTHONY L, "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEER-RATINGS OF INTERPERSONAL MATURITY AND LEVELS OF OBJECT REPRESENTATION IN A NORMAL ADOLESCENT POPULATION" (1983). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8323539.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8323539
