The Relation Between Self-Referent and Social Attitudes of Neurotic and Inadequate Personalities

¹ Consultant Psychiatrist and Physician Superintendent, Long Grove Hospital, Epsom, Surrey

This paper deals with the relations between the Self-Referent and the Social Attitudes of a sample population of Neurotic and Inadequate personalities. The rating scale was derived from those used in two previous studies, and comprised 5 variables relating to Self-Referent Attitudes and 6 relating to Social Attitudes. The correlation co-efficients between the 5 Self-Referent and the 6 Social Attitude variables were computed. Seven positive and 5 negative correlations were found.

Self-Referent attitudes denoting low self-evaluation correlated positively with social attitudes of kindness, good manners, friendliness and co-operation; and negatively with attitudes of assertive arrogance and cold-hearted obstructiveness.

Self-Referent attitudes of rejection of low self-evaluation correlated positively with assertive arrogance and cold-hearted obstructiveness; and negatively with friendliness and co-operation.

Self-Referent attitudes of self-control, self-reliance and optimism correlated positively with social attitudes of shrewdness and independence and also with kindliness.

Anxious depression and rebellious hostility were shown to be mutually exclusive but otherwise to have no positive correlations. There is not enough evidence in this paper to show whether these opposing behaviour patterns occur in all types of neurotic and inadequate personalities, or whether these manifestations temporarily overshadow the other self-referent or social attitudes during the acute phase of the illness.