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Psychiatric Orientation: A Study of Attitudes among Psychiatrists^*

^* Based in part upon a thesis submitted under the London M.D. Regulations.

ABSTRACT

1. The construction is described of two attitude scales designed to measure interest in and sympathy with the psychological ("A") and organic ("O")approaches to many current psychiatric problems. These attitude scales appear to have satisfactory consistency, test-re-rest reliability, and validity.
   
2. The scales were administered to 78 psychiatrists who also supplied certain biographical data and completed modified forms of the Guilford-Martin S, T, D, C, R Inventory and the M.M.P.I. "A" and "Rrd scales. Ratings of introversion-extraversion in Jung's original sense were also made on 45 subjects. It was predicted that positive associations would be found between "A" scores and (i) Jungian introversion and (ii) "T" scale scores, while, conversely, that "O" scores would be correlated negatively with (iii) Jungian introversion and with (iv) the "T" scale.
   
3. The two attitude scales were found to correlate r=—·64. Endorsement of the psychological orientation was significantly and positively associated with the Guilford-Martin T, D, and D+C scales and with the M.M.P.I. "A" scale, as well as with Jungian ratings of introversion. On the other hand, sympathy with the organic orientation showed a negative association with the "T" scale, but no other personality correlates. Thus hypotheses (i), (ii) and (iv) were borne out.
   
4. Increasing psychiatric experience was associated with an increase in "A" scores and a fall in "O" scores, while duration of general medical training had a converse association. The third year of psychiatric training was found to be a crucial one for changes in psychiatric outlook.
   
5. These findings are discussed and some interpretations offered. Attention is drawn to the need to investigate whether and to what degree the clinician's personality and beliefs may affect therapeutic results.