This article was downloaded by: [Central Michigan University] On: 28 December 2014, At: 02:40 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Journal of Personality Assessment Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hjpa20
Rorschach Characteristics of Mothers of Incest Victims Brian K. Wald , Robert P. Archer & Barbara A. Winstead Published online: 22 Jun 2011.
To cite this article: Brian K. Wald , Robert P. Archer & Barbara A. Winstead (1990) Rorschach Characteristics of Mothers of Incest Victims, Journal of Personality Assessment, 55:3-4, 417-425, DOI: 10.1080/00223891.1990.9674080 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00223891.1990.9674080
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT, 1990, 55(3&4), 417-425 Copyright o 1990, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Rorschach Characteristics of Mothers of Incest Victims Brian K. Wald Downloaded by [Central Michigan University] at 02:40 28 December 2014
Metropolitan Clinic of Counseling
Robert P. Archer Eastern Virginia Medical School
Barbara A. Winstead Old Dominion University
Investigated the Rorschach characteristics of 28 mothers of incest victims, using the Rorschach Comprehensive System. Their characteristics were compared to those from a control group of 28 women, matched with the target group for socioeconomic status (SES), age, education, marital status, and the presence of children. Chi-square, analysis of variance, and a stepwise linear discriminant function analysis were used to evaluate Rorschach differences between the control and target groups. Major findings indicate that mothers of incest victims demorr strated significantly greater weaknesses in reality testing, more frequent signs of depression, and greater interpersonal guardedness than control group motherr;, Discriminant function analysis, based on scores from the schizophrenia index (SCZI), conventional form (X %), and texture responses (t), yielded an overall accurate classification rate of 87.5% for placement of women into the target antd control group categories.
+
T h e topic of incest has recently received a substantial degree of public attention, in part attributable t o t h e increased media coverage of this subject and the introduction of legal requirements requiring mandatory reporting of childrelated incest. Sgroi, Blick, and Porter (1979) found that the number of incest cases reported i n Connecticut between 1973 and 1974 increased by over 200% due to the passage of a n expanded child abuse reporting act. Furthermore, national survey findings have shown a 150% increase in reported incidents of child abuse over a 12-month period following t h e enactment of national child abuse legislation (LaBarbera & Dozier, 1981). Using the most conservative
Downloaded by [Central Michigan University] at 02:40 28 December 2014
418
WALD, ARCHER, WINSTEAD
estimate, Finkelhor and Hotaling (1984) noted that there were at least 150,000 to 200,000 new cases of child sexual abuse (incestuous and nonincestuous) occurring in the U.S. each year. A body of assessment literature has developed on the psychological characteristics of male perpetrators (e.g., Erickson, Luxenberg, Walbek, & Seely, 1987; Kirkland & Bauer, 1982). These studies have demonstrated marked psychopathology among sex-offenders,although substantial heterogeneity of these personality characteristics raises doubts concerning the presence of a specific "sex-offender type." In addition, the literature on the effects of incest on child victims (e.g., Burgess & Holstrom, 1975; Emslie & Rosenfeld, 1983; LaBarbera & Dozier, 1981) has documented the frequent occurrence of serious and long-lasting emotional and psychological consequences for these victims. In contrast, the literature on the psychological features of the mothers of incest victims has been sparse and is predominantly derived from theoretical writings and case studies. Based on this literature, the mothers of incest victims have been described as: experiencing trauma and losses in their own lives that result in impairment in interpersonal relationships (Brooks, 1983; Kaufrnan, Peck, & Tagiuri, 1953; Lusting, Dresser, Spellman, &Murray, 1966),heavily invested in the use of denial as a primary defense mechanism (Weiner, 1962), and subject to depression and weaknesses in reality testing (Browning & Boatman, 1977). In addition, (hey have been described as emotionally dependent but interpersonally distant and guarded (e.g., Finkelhor, 1983). Brooks (1983) noted that, in the absence of empirical literature, the characteristics of mothers of incest victims have often been a subject of substantial stereotyping and potential distortion. Although little is known about this group of womeri, they are nevertheless crucially involved in professionals' attempts to understand and treat the incest family. The purpose of this study was to identify the psychological characteristics of mothers of incest victims based on an empirical examination of their Rorschach characteristics in comparison to a matched control group. Numerous Rorschach scoring categories and composite indices are available in the Comprehensive System (Exner, 1974, 1985, 1986). Of these, 20 variables were selected for study based on the existing literature on characteristics of mothers of incest victims. These variables were used to examine the hypotheses that the mothers of incest victims would exhibit, in contrast to the control group, the following characteristics: (a) deficits in reality testing as evidenced by X + %, distorted form level (X - %), and the SCZI; (b) deficits in interpersonal relationships as reflected in fewer human responses, a higher isolation index (isolate:R), and higher egocentricity index (3r 2 / R ) values; (c) greater preoccupation with physical health and sexual content responses; (d) a higher proportion of the pure form (Lambda), responses and lower organizational activity (2) scores as a reflection of mechanisms leading to the often delayed awareness of the incestuous relationship; (e) affective ~roblemsmanifested in elevations of the
+
MOTHERS OF INCEST VICTIMS
419
Depression Index (DEPI) and significantly lower affective ratio (Afr) scores; (f) higher frequencies of textureless records reflecting interpersonal guardedness and distance; and (g) higher frequency of ambitensive Erlebristypus (EB)-ratios indicative of greater inefficiency in problem solving.
METHOD
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Subjects The target group consisted of 28 women who were mothers of incest victims hut who had not directly participated or cooperated in the incestuous behaviors. The voluntary participation of these women was solicited from a social support group for the families of incest victims sponsored by a community social service agency in Virginia. Subjects ranged in age from 31 to 54 years, with a mean age of 38.2 years. All subjects were married (1 was separated), all but 1 subject vvas White, and their mean educational level was 13.0 years. The modal income range for these women was $18,000 to $24,000 per year, and their Hollingshead and Redlich (1958) socioeconomic scale levels were 3 thru 5 for all subjects (i.e., lower to upper middle class). The target group ~roduceda mean of 2.4.4 Rorschach responses, with a range of 13 to 45 responses (SD = 9.2). The meban number of whole (W), detail (D), and unusual detail (Dd)responses per protocol was 8.9, 12.1, and 3.3, respectively. A control group of 28 women was selected from the Rorschach records in the data pool of nonpatient adults, which constitutes a subset of the adult normative data published by Exner (1986). Control group women were matched to the target group in terms of age, educational status, SES, and marital status. Furthermore, all control group subjects had at least one child. The control group subjects were all drawn from samples of nonpatient Rorschach records from the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the U.S. The age of women in the control group ranged from 31 to 5 1 years, with a mean age of 36.75 years. Their mean educational level was 12.83 years, and the range of SES was 3 through 5 using the Hollingshead and Redlich categories. The mean number of Rorschach responses for the control group was 22.7, with a range of 15 to 33 responses (SD = 3.9). The mean number of W, D, and Dd, responses per protocol was 8.4, 13.4, and 0.8, respectively.
Examiners The examiners for the study were graduate students in a clinical psychology doctoral program or master's level psychometricians with substantial experience with the Comprehensive System method of Rorschach administration and scoring. They were not aware of the specific purposes of this study, although
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they were aware of the nature of the target population. Prior to subject testing, Exner's (1985)instructions for Rorschach administration were reviewed with the examiners and role-playing sessions were conducted to ensure consistent and accurate administration procedures. The target group Rorschachs were scored by a psychometrician who had 5 years of experience with the Comprehensive System. An estimate of the reliability of scoring for the target group Rorschachs was obtained by deriving seven sample protocols from practice scoring examples contained in Exner's (1985) workbook and asking the psychometrician to score these responses. Reliability was calculated by taking the rate of absolute agreement between workbook scoring and psychometrician scoring for each of the scoring categories of experimental interest divided by the total number of judgments rendered within that category. Specifically, the following reliability coefficients were found: human content, r = .83; Lambda, r = 1.0; vista, r = .88; achromatic color, r = 1.0; diffuse shading, r = .75; form quality, r = .84; texture, T = .93; human movement, r = .83; special scores, r = .81; D score r = .86.
Data Analysis Analysis of variance (ANOVA) techniques were employed to analyze data related to the DEPI, the SCZI, the X %, the X - %, and D scores because these data were more normally distributed in the samples. Chi-square analyses were performed to test hypotheses related to the remaining Rorschach variables that did not meet the assumptions for parametric tests. In addition, a linear discriminant function analysis was used to determine the optimal weighted combination of five predictor variables that would allow for maximum discrimination between target and control group membership. Four of these variables (X %, X - %, SCZI, and DEPI) were selected a priori based on their appropriateness for parametric evaluation. Texture was selected a priori based on the hypothesized clinical significance of this variable in identifying target group women.
+
+
RESULTS Preliminary Analyses Preliminary analyses were performed to examine the degree to which control and target groups were equivalent on the primary matching variables. One-way A N O V A revealed no significant differences between the control and target group on the variables of educational level, F(1,55) = .04, p 2 .05, or on age, F(1, 55) = 1.2, p 2 .05. Preliminary analyses also indicated no significant
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group differences in the total number of Rorschach responses, F(1,55) = .46, P > .05. In addition, for the target group, 14 (50%) of the women reported that they had been sexually abused as children, and 11 (39%) women reported a history of psychiatric treatment at the time of data collection. Preliminary analyses were also performed on these subgroups within the target group to determine if there were any significant effectson primary dependent variables related to maternal self-reports of their own sexual abuse as a child or to history of prior or current psychiatric treatment. Chi-square and ANOVA results revealed no significam differences on the dependent measures among these target subject subgroups related to either history of maternal sexual abuse or psychiatric treatment.
Major Findings As shown in Table 1, the results of one-way ANOVAs indicated significant main effects for target versus control group membership on mean values 63r X + %, X- %, DEPI, SCZI, and D scores. Table 2 shows the results of chi-square analyses. As shown in this table, the frequency of textureless records, sex responses, anatomy responses, organizational efficiency (ZD) scores of less than 3.0, ambitent records, vista responses, lower Afr values, color shading blends, and diffuse shading responses, all differed significantly as a function of group membership. Finally, the results of the stepwise discriminant function analysis, based on the predictor variables of SCZI, X %, X - %, DEPI, and texture responses, indicated that three of these variables met the criterion for entry in the equation using an F-to-enter value of 1.0. SCZI, X + %, and texture each significantly contributed to discrimination of group membership utilizing the following linear .46 X % .I9 texture. equation: - .65 SCZI This equation achieved a highly significant degree of group membership
+
+
+ +
TABLE 1
Means, Standard Deviations, and F-Ratios for Selected Rorschach Variables by Group -
-
-
Group Rorschach Varzable
X+%
X- % DEPI SCZI D score
*p
'e
Experimental
Control
M
SD
M
SD
F-Rario
0.55 0.23 1.32 2.96 - .86
.16 .12 1.O 1.4 1.2
0.76 0.07 0.67 0.60 0.21
.05 .04 .98 .83
43.3** 38.7'* 5.4" 55.54!* 14.91'*
.05. **p < .OOl.
.73
-
422
WALD, ARCHER, WINSTEAD
TABLE 2
Frequencies of Individuals Meeting Specific Variable Criteria and Chi-square
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Rorschach Variable Texture = 0 Sex Content > 0 Anatomy Content > 1 Zd < -3.0 M - Sum C (- 1.5 thru 1.5) Human Content < 3 1solate:R > .25 Afr. < .47 3r 2/R < .30 passwe > active FV+V+VF>O Color-Shading Blends > 0 Morbzds > 3 FC+C1+C'F>2 Diffuse Shading > 1 Lambda > .87
+
Group Target
Control
Value
12 9 12 9 15 13 2 10 13 4 12 17 3 4 15 2
2 1 2 0 7 10 1 1 8 2 4 7 0 4 3
7.7** 5.9* 12.0** 8.5** 8.7* 0.3 0.9 7.2** 1.2 1.0 4.3* 5.9* 1.4 0.0 9.9** 0.2
4
*p < .05. **p < .Ol.
discrimination, X2(1,N = 56) = 44.59, fi < .001. The hit rate of correct predictions in the target group was 78.6% and 96.4% for the control group, yielding an overall hit rate of 87.5%.
DISCUSSION Current findings indicate that the mothers of incest victims in this study were a distinct group when compared with control group women matched for age, SES, education, marital status, and presence of children. In general, results are consistent with hypotheses, although obtained findings typically demonstrate a greater magnitude of psychopathology than was anticipated. For example, the most striking difference between the control and target groups was in the area of reality testing. Reality testing variables, specifically SCZI and X %, accounted for more than half of the variance in classification of women into the control and target groups based on discriminant function analyses. Ninety percent of the target subjects showed X+ X < .70, the cutoff utilized by Exner for purposes of the SCZI criteria. Furthermore, 71% of the subjects demonstrated X-% of more than .15, and 43% of target subjects had scores of 4 or more on the SCZI, indicating likelihood of seriously disordered thinking (Exner, 1981, 1983). Eighteen percent of all mothers of incest victims had an SCZI value of 5. Contrary to our hypotheses, there were no significant group differences in the
+
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MOTHERS OF INCEST VICTIMS
42.3
area of human responses, the isolation index, or the egocentricity index. As predicted, however, the target group mothers gave significantly more anatomiy and sexual content responses and had a greater frequency of low affective ratios. These findings indicate a preoccupation with sexual and body issues and a tendency to avoid or withdraw from affectivel~laden stimuli (Exner, 1986). Similarly, although hypothesized findings were not obtained in relationship to Lambda, results were consistent with hypotheses in the higher frequency of underincorporators in the target group. Exner (1974, 1986) defined underincorporators as individuals who process information in an inefficient and negligent manner and who often fail to give adequate attention to important features in their environments. Findings from the DEH and the individual components related to vista, color shading, and diffuse shading responses also indicate that mothers of incest victims are more likely to engage in ruminative self-inspection, to experience confusion and ambivalence concerning emotional expression, and to be more emotionally distressed and anxious than control group women. Findings related to texture and the EB ratio are also consistent with hypotheses and indicate that the mothers of incest victims are more interpersonally guarded and distant and are prone to inefficiency in their problem-solving efforts (Exner, 1986). Finally, D score findings demonstrate that nearly one half of the target group had D- scores, indicative of what Exner (1986) described as the experience of internal and external pressures and demands to an extent that exceeds the individuals' capacity for adequate coping based on their available resources. These individuals have also been described as chaotic, disorganized, and vulnerable to being overwhelmed by stin~ulusdemands. In summary, current findings show some consistency with descriptions of the mothers of incest victims found in the case history literature. For examplte, Weiner (1962) described these women as psychologically immature, prone t.0 psychotic episodes, and generally interpersonally unavailable and distant. Furthermore, the high frequency of protocols without texture responses (T-le,ss records) is congruent with previous observations that mothers of incest victims have very likely experienced a significant and traumatic interpersonal disruption early in their lives (Browning & Boatman, 1977; Justice & Justice, 1979) resulting in interpersonal guardedness and distance as adults. Indeed, current data indicate that one half of our target sample had experienced sexual abuse in their own early developments, although these women did not differ on the Rorschach variables from those not reporting previous sexual abuse. Clearly these findings of serious disturbance among mothers of incest victims do not imply that this group is responsible for the occurrence of incestuous acts. Th~e majority of treatment approaches for incestuous families, however, do emphasize the occurrence of incest within a context of disturbed family functioning in which the maternal role is one component. There are several methodological limitations in this study that should tempe:r
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424
WALD, ARCHER, WLNSTEAD
the strength of our conclusions. First, these subjects were members of families in which incest had been discovered by or reported to social service agencies, thus constituting a group that may represent a minority of families that have experienced incestuous acts. The differences found between the target and normal control subjects in this study, therefore, may be related to factors associated with the target group's inability to avoid contact with the social service agency. In evaluating this issue, future researchers could compare mothers of incest victims to groups of other women involved with social service agencies for reasons not related to incest (e.g., mothers of delinquent children referred to treatment as a result of legal actions). Furthermore, the sample size of the current study was small, and sampling was restricted to one specific site within one geographic region. Nevertheless, our findings are important in providing an empirical foundation for further research in this area. Although it is difficult to differentiate characteristics that may have resulted from the trauma of discovery of incest within the family from trait characteristics that represent long-term functioning features of these mothers, it is possible to speculate that such indices as texture and XI- %, which have high test-retest correlations (i.e., r 1 .80 over 3-year periods), might represent relatively enduring features of these women, whereas other variables such as diffuse shading (r = .23 for 3-year test-retest) may be reflective of the intense recent life stress associated with discovery of incest (Exner, 1986). An equally important issue concerns the degree to which these mothers, who could be clearly separated from control women, would also be distinguished from general inpatient or outpatient psychiatric samples. Such an issue extends beyond the limitations of this study and would require specific comparisons with various psychiatric groups in order to ascertain to what degree the psychiatric symptomatology of these women represents a homogeneous or heterogeneous collection of psychological characteristics. If findings for male perpetrators can serve as a guide on this issue (e.g., Erickson et al., 1987),we might expect that the mothers of incest victims will demonstrate substantial heterogeneity in terms of psychiatric characteristics. Clearly this latter issue serves 8s a meaningful focus for future research efforts.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of John E. Exner, Jr. and his staff for generously providing the control group data used in this study.
REFERENCES Browning, D. H., &Boatman, B. (1977). Incest: Children at risk. American Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 69-72.
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Brooks, B. (1983). Preoedi~alissues in a postincest daughter. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 37, 129-136. Burgess, A. W., &Holstrom, L. L. (1975).Sexual trauma of children and adolescents. Nursing Clinics of North America, 10, 551-563. Emslie, G . J., & Rosenfeld, A. (1983). Incest reported by children and adolescents hospitalized fbr severe psychiatric problems. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 708-7 11. Erickson, W. D., Luxenberg, M. G., Walbek, N. H., & Seely, R. K. (1987). Frequency of MMlPI two-point codetypes among sex offenders. Journal of Crmnrlting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 566-570. Exner, J. E. (1974). The Rorschach: A comprehensive system (Vol. 1). New York: Wiley. Exner, J. E. (1981). The response process and diagnostic efficacy. Paper presented to the lClth International Rorschach Congress, Washington, DC. Exner, 1. E. (1983). Rorschach assessment. In I. B. Weiner (Ed.), Clinical methods in psychology (2nd ed., pp. 58-99). New York: Wiley. Exner, J. E. (1985). A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (2nd ed.). Bayville, NY: Rorschach Workshops. Exner, J. E. (1986). The Rorschach: A comprehensive system: Basic foundations (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley. Finkelhor, D. (1983). Child sexual abwe. New York: Free Press. Finkelhor, D., & Hotaling, G. T. (1984). Sexual abuse in the national incidence study of child abuse and neglect: An appraisal. Child Abwe and Neglect, 8, 23-33. Hollingshead, A. B., & Redlich, F. C. (1958). Social class and mental illness. New York: Wiley. Justice, B., &Justice, R. (1979). The broken taboo. New York: Human Sciences. Kaufrnan, I., Peck, A. L., & Tagiuri, C. K. (1953). The family constellation and overt incestuous relations between father and daughter. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 24, 266-279. Kirkland, K. D., & Bauer, C . A. (1982). MMPI traits of incestuous fathers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, 645-649. LaBarbera, J. D., & Dozier, J. E. (1981). Psychologic responses of incestuous daughters: Emerging patterns. Southern Medical Journal, 74, 1478-1480. Lusting, N., Dresser, J. W., Spellman, S. W., &Murray, T. B. (1966). Incest: A family group survival pattern. Archives of General Psychintry, 14, 31-40. Sgroi, S. M., Blick, L. C., &Porter, F. S. (1979). A conceptual framework of child sexual abuse. In S. M. Sgroi (Ed.), Handbook of clinical intewention in child sexual abwe (pp. 9-37). Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. Weiner, I. B. (1962). Father-daughter incest: A clinical report. Psychiatric Quarterly, 36, 607-632.
Robert P. Archer Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School 824 Fairfax Avenue Norfolk, VA 23507 Received October 20, 1989 Revised January 16, 1990
Journal of Personality Assessment Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hjpa20
Rorschach Characteristics of Mothers of Incest Victims Brian K. Wald , Robert P. Archer & Barbara A. Winstead Published online: 22 Jun 2011.
To cite this article: Brian K. Wald , Robert P. Archer & Barbara A. Winstead (1990) Rorschach Characteristics of Mothers of Incest Victims, Journal of Personality Assessment, 55:3-4, 417-425, DOI: 10.1080/00223891.1990.9674080 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00223891.1990.9674080
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT, 1990, 55(3&4), 417-425 Copyright o 1990, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Rorschach Characteristics of Mothers of Incest Victims Brian K. Wald Downloaded by [Central Michigan University] at 02:40 28 December 2014
Metropolitan Clinic of Counseling
Robert P. Archer Eastern Virginia Medical School
Barbara A. Winstead Old Dominion University
Investigated the Rorschach characteristics of 28 mothers of incest victims, using the Rorschach Comprehensive System. Their characteristics were compared to those from a control group of 28 women, matched with the target group for socioeconomic status (SES), age, education, marital status, and the presence of children. Chi-square, analysis of variance, and a stepwise linear discriminant function analysis were used to evaluate Rorschach differences between the control and target groups. Major findings indicate that mothers of incest victims demorr strated significantly greater weaknesses in reality testing, more frequent signs of depression, and greater interpersonal guardedness than control group motherr;, Discriminant function analysis, based on scores from the schizophrenia index (SCZI), conventional form (X %), and texture responses (t), yielded an overall accurate classification rate of 87.5% for placement of women into the target antd control group categories.
+
T h e topic of incest has recently received a substantial degree of public attention, in part attributable t o t h e increased media coverage of this subject and the introduction of legal requirements requiring mandatory reporting of childrelated incest. Sgroi, Blick, and Porter (1979) found that the number of incest cases reported i n Connecticut between 1973 and 1974 increased by over 200% due to the passage of a n expanded child abuse reporting act. Furthermore, national survey findings have shown a 150% increase in reported incidents of child abuse over a 12-month period following t h e enactment of national child abuse legislation (LaBarbera & Dozier, 1981). Using the most conservative
Downloaded by [Central Michigan University] at 02:40 28 December 2014
418
WALD, ARCHER, WINSTEAD
estimate, Finkelhor and Hotaling (1984) noted that there were at least 150,000 to 200,000 new cases of child sexual abuse (incestuous and nonincestuous) occurring in the U.S. each year. A body of assessment literature has developed on the psychological characteristics of male perpetrators (e.g., Erickson, Luxenberg, Walbek, & Seely, 1987; Kirkland & Bauer, 1982). These studies have demonstrated marked psychopathology among sex-offenders,although substantial heterogeneity of these personality characteristics raises doubts concerning the presence of a specific "sex-offender type." In addition, the literature on the effects of incest on child victims (e.g., Burgess & Holstrom, 1975; Emslie & Rosenfeld, 1983; LaBarbera & Dozier, 1981) has documented the frequent occurrence of serious and long-lasting emotional and psychological consequences for these victims. In contrast, the literature on the psychological features of the mothers of incest victims has been sparse and is predominantly derived from theoretical writings and case studies. Based on this literature, the mothers of incest victims have been described as: experiencing trauma and losses in their own lives that result in impairment in interpersonal relationships (Brooks, 1983; Kaufrnan, Peck, & Tagiuri, 1953; Lusting, Dresser, Spellman, &Murray, 1966),heavily invested in the use of denial as a primary defense mechanism (Weiner, 1962), and subject to depression and weaknesses in reality testing (Browning & Boatman, 1977). In addition, (hey have been described as emotionally dependent but interpersonally distant and guarded (e.g., Finkelhor, 1983). Brooks (1983) noted that, in the absence of empirical literature, the characteristics of mothers of incest victims have often been a subject of substantial stereotyping and potential distortion. Although little is known about this group of womeri, they are nevertheless crucially involved in professionals' attempts to understand and treat the incest family. The purpose of this study was to identify the psychological characteristics of mothers of incest victims based on an empirical examination of their Rorschach characteristics in comparison to a matched control group. Numerous Rorschach scoring categories and composite indices are available in the Comprehensive System (Exner, 1974, 1985, 1986). Of these, 20 variables were selected for study based on the existing literature on characteristics of mothers of incest victims. These variables were used to examine the hypotheses that the mothers of incest victims would exhibit, in contrast to the control group, the following characteristics: (a) deficits in reality testing as evidenced by X + %, distorted form level (X - %), and the SCZI; (b) deficits in interpersonal relationships as reflected in fewer human responses, a higher isolation index (isolate:R), and higher egocentricity index (3r 2 / R ) values; (c) greater preoccupation with physical health and sexual content responses; (d) a higher proportion of the pure form (Lambda), responses and lower organizational activity (2) scores as a reflection of mechanisms leading to the often delayed awareness of the incestuous relationship; (e) affective ~roblemsmanifested in elevations of the
+
MOTHERS OF INCEST VICTIMS
419
Depression Index (DEPI) and significantly lower affective ratio (Afr) scores; (f) higher frequencies of textureless records reflecting interpersonal guardedness and distance; and (g) higher frequency of ambitensive Erlebristypus (EB)-ratios indicative of greater inefficiency in problem solving.
METHOD
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Subjects The target group consisted of 28 women who were mothers of incest victims hut who had not directly participated or cooperated in the incestuous behaviors. The voluntary participation of these women was solicited from a social support group for the families of incest victims sponsored by a community social service agency in Virginia. Subjects ranged in age from 31 to 54 years, with a mean age of 38.2 years. All subjects were married (1 was separated), all but 1 subject vvas White, and their mean educational level was 13.0 years. The modal income range for these women was $18,000 to $24,000 per year, and their Hollingshead and Redlich (1958) socioeconomic scale levels were 3 thru 5 for all subjects (i.e., lower to upper middle class). The target group ~roduceda mean of 2.4.4 Rorschach responses, with a range of 13 to 45 responses (SD = 9.2). The meban number of whole (W), detail (D), and unusual detail (Dd)responses per protocol was 8.9, 12.1, and 3.3, respectively. A control group of 28 women was selected from the Rorschach records in the data pool of nonpatient adults, which constitutes a subset of the adult normative data published by Exner (1986). Control group women were matched to the target group in terms of age, educational status, SES, and marital status. Furthermore, all control group subjects had at least one child. The control group subjects were all drawn from samples of nonpatient Rorschach records from the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the U.S. The age of women in the control group ranged from 31 to 5 1 years, with a mean age of 36.75 years. Their mean educational level was 12.83 years, and the range of SES was 3 through 5 using the Hollingshead and Redlich categories. The mean number of Rorschach responses for the control group was 22.7, with a range of 15 to 33 responses (SD = 3.9). The mean number of W, D, and Dd, responses per protocol was 8.4, 13.4, and 0.8, respectively.
Examiners The examiners for the study were graduate students in a clinical psychology doctoral program or master's level psychometricians with substantial experience with the Comprehensive System method of Rorschach administration and scoring. They were not aware of the specific purposes of this study, although
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they were aware of the nature of the target population. Prior to subject testing, Exner's (1985)instructions for Rorschach administration were reviewed with the examiners and role-playing sessions were conducted to ensure consistent and accurate administration procedures. The target group Rorschachs were scored by a psychometrician who had 5 years of experience with the Comprehensive System. An estimate of the reliability of scoring for the target group Rorschachs was obtained by deriving seven sample protocols from practice scoring examples contained in Exner's (1985) workbook and asking the psychometrician to score these responses. Reliability was calculated by taking the rate of absolute agreement between workbook scoring and psychometrician scoring for each of the scoring categories of experimental interest divided by the total number of judgments rendered within that category. Specifically, the following reliability coefficients were found: human content, r = .83; Lambda, r = 1.0; vista, r = .88; achromatic color, r = 1.0; diffuse shading, r = .75; form quality, r = .84; texture, T = .93; human movement, r = .83; special scores, r = .81; D score r = .86.
Data Analysis Analysis of variance (ANOVA) techniques were employed to analyze data related to the DEPI, the SCZI, the X %, the X - %, and D scores because these data were more normally distributed in the samples. Chi-square analyses were performed to test hypotheses related to the remaining Rorschach variables that did not meet the assumptions for parametric tests. In addition, a linear discriminant function analysis was used to determine the optimal weighted combination of five predictor variables that would allow for maximum discrimination between target and control group membership. Four of these variables (X %, X - %, SCZI, and DEPI) were selected a priori based on their appropriateness for parametric evaluation. Texture was selected a priori based on the hypothesized clinical significance of this variable in identifying target group women.
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RESULTS Preliminary Analyses Preliminary analyses were performed to examine the degree to which control and target groups were equivalent on the primary matching variables. One-way A N O V A revealed no significant differences between the control and target group on the variables of educational level, F(1,55) = .04, p 2 .05, or on age, F(1, 55) = 1.2, p 2 .05. Preliminary analyses also indicated no significant
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group differences in the total number of Rorschach responses, F(1,55) = .46, P > .05. In addition, for the target group, 14 (50%) of the women reported that they had been sexually abused as children, and 11 (39%) women reported a history of psychiatric treatment at the time of data collection. Preliminary analyses were also performed on these subgroups within the target group to determine if there were any significant effectson primary dependent variables related to maternal self-reports of their own sexual abuse as a child or to history of prior or current psychiatric treatment. Chi-square and ANOVA results revealed no significam differences on the dependent measures among these target subject subgroups related to either history of maternal sexual abuse or psychiatric treatment.
Major Findings As shown in Table 1, the results of one-way ANOVAs indicated significant main effects for target versus control group membership on mean values 63r X + %, X- %, DEPI, SCZI, and D scores. Table 2 shows the results of chi-square analyses. As shown in this table, the frequency of textureless records, sex responses, anatomy responses, organizational efficiency (ZD) scores of less than 3.0, ambitent records, vista responses, lower Afr values, color shading blends, and diffuse shading responses, all differed significantly as a function of group membership. Finally, the results of the stepwise discriminant function analysis, based on the predictor variables of SCZI, X %, X - %, DEPI, and texture responses, indicated that three of these variables met the criterion for entry in the equation using an F-to-enter value of 1.0. SCZI, X + %, and texture each significantly contributed to discrimination of group membership utilizing the following linear .46 X % .I9 texture. equation: - .65 SCZI This equation achieved a highly significant degree of group membership
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TABLE 1
Means, Standard Deviations, and F-Ratios for Selected Rorschach Variables by Group -
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Group Rorschach Varzable
X+%
X- % DEPI SCZI D score
*p
'e
Experimental
Control
M
SD
M
SD
F-Rario
0.55 0.23 1.32 2.96 - .86
.16 .12 1.O 1.4 1.2
0.76 0.07 0.67 0.60 0.21
.05 .04 .98 .83
43.3** 38.7'* 5.4" 55.54!* 14.91'*
.05. **p < .OOl.
.73
-
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WALD, ARCHER, WINSTEAD
TABLE 2
Frequencies of Individuals Meeting Specific Variable Criteria and Chi-square
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Rorschach Variable Texture = 0 Sex Content > 0 Anatomy Content > 1 Zd < -3.0 M - Sum C (- 1.5 thru 1.5) Human Content < 3 1solate:R > .25 Afr. < .47 3r 2/R < .30 passwe > active FV+V+VF>O Color-Shading Blends > 0 Morbzds > 3 FC+C1+C'F>2 Diffuse Shading > 1 Lambda > .87
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Group Target
Control
Value
12 9 12 9 15 13 2 10 13 4 12 17 3 4 15 2
2 1 2 0 7 10 1 1 8 2 4 7 0 4 3
7.7** 5.9* 12.0** 8.5** 8.7* 0.3 0.9 7.2** 1.2 1.0 4.3* 5.9* 1.4 0.0 9.9** 0.2
4
*p < .05. **p < .Ol.
discrimination, X2(1,N = 56) = 44.59, fi < .001. The hit rate of correct predictions in the target group was 78.6% and 96.4% for the control group, yielding an overall hit rate of 87.5%.
DISCUSSION Current findings indicate that the mothers of incest victims in this study were a distinct group when compared with control group women matched for age, SES, education, marital status, and presence of children. In general, results are consistent with hypotheses, although obtained findings typically demonstrate a greater magnitude of psychopathology than was anticipated. For example, the most striking difference between the control and target groups was in the area of reality testing. Reality testing variables, specifically SCZI and X %, accounted for more than half of the variance in classification of women into the control and target groups based on discriminant function analyses. Ninety percent of the target subjects showed X+ X < .70, the cutoff utilized by Exner for purposes of the SCZI criteria. Furthermore, 71% of the subjects demonstrated X-% of more than .15, and 43% of target subjects had scores of 4 or more on the SCZI, indicating likelihood of seriously disordered thinking (Exner, 1981, 1983). Eighteen percent of all mothers of incest victims had an SCZI value of 5. Contrary to our hypotheses, there were no significant group differences in the
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MOTHERS OF INCEST VICTIMS
42.3
area of human responses, the isolation index, or the egocentricity index. As predicted, however, the target group mothers gave significantly more anatomiy and sexual content responses and had a greater frequency of low affective ratios. These findings indicate a preoccupation with sexual and body issues and a tendency to avoid or withdraw from affectivel~laden stimuli (Exner, 1986). Similarly, although hypothesized findings were not obtained in relationship to Lambda, results were consistent with hypotheses in the higher frequency of underincorporators in the target group. Exner (1974, 1986) defined underincorporators as individuals who process information in an inefficient and negligent manner and who often fail to give adequate attention to important features in their environments. Findings from the DEH and the individual components related to vista, color shading, and diffuse shading responses also indicate that mothers of incest victims are more likely to engage in ruminative self-inspection, to experience confusion and ambivalence concerning emotional expression, and to be more emotionally distressed and anxious than control group women. Findings related to texture and the EB ratio are also consistent with hypotheses and indicate that the mothers of incest victims are more interpersonally guarded and distant and are prone to inefficiency in their problem-solving efforts (Exner, 1986). Finally, D score findings demonstrate that nearly one half of the target group had D- scores, indicative of what Exner (1986) described as the experience of internal and external pressures and demands to an extent that exceeds the individuals' capacity for adequate coping based on their available resources. These individuals have also been described as chaotic, disorganized, and vulnerable to being overwhelmed by stin~ulusdemands. In summary, current findings show some consistency with descriptions of the mothers of incest victims found in the case history literature. For examplte, Weiner (1962) described these women as psychologically immature, prone t.0 psychotic episodes, and generally interpersonally unavailable and distant. Furthermore, the high frequency of protocols without texture responses (T-le,ss records) is congruent with previous observations that mothers of incest victims have very likely experienced a significant and traumatic interpersonal disruption early in their lives (Browning & Boatman, 1977; Justice & Justice, 1979) resulting in interpersonal guardedness and distance as adults. Indeed, current data indicate that one half of our target sample had experienced sexual abuse in their own early developments, although these women did not differ on the Rorschach variables from those not reporting previous sexual abuse. Clearly these findings of serious disturbance among mothers of incest victims do not imply that this group is responsible for the occurrence of incestuous acts. Th~e majority of treatment approaches for incestuous families, however, do emphasize the occurrence of incest within a context of disturbed family functioning in which the maternal role is one component. There are several methodological limitations in this study that should tempe:r
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WALD, ARCHER, WLNSTEAD
the strength of our conclusions. First, these subjects were members of families in which incest had been discovered by or reported to social service agencies, thus constituting a group that may represent a minority of families that have experienced incestuous acts. The differences found between the target and normal control subjects in this study, therefore, may be related to factors associated with the target group's inability to avoid contact with the social service agency. In evaluating this issue, future researchers could compare mothers of incest victims to groups of other women involved with social service agencies for reasons not related to incest (e.g., mothers of delinquent children referred to treatment as a result of legal actions). Furthermore, the sample size of the current study was small, and sampling was restricted to one specific site within one geographic region. Nevertheless, our findings are important in providing an empirical foundation for further research in this area. Although it is difficult to differentiate characteristics that may have resulted from the trauma of discovery of incest within the family from trait characteristics that represent long-term functioning features of these mothers, it is possible to speculate that such indices as texture and XI- %, which have high test-retest correlations (i.e., r 1 .80 over 3-year periods), might represent relatively enduring features of these women, whereas other variables such as diffuse shading (r = .23 for 3-year test-retest) may be reflective of the intense recent life stress associated with discovery of incest (Exner, 1986). An equally important issue concerns the degree to which these mothers, who could be clearly separated from control women, would also be distinguished from general inpatient or outpatient psychiatric samples. Such an issue extends beyond the limitations of this study and would require specific comparisons with various psychiatric groups in order to ascertain to what degree the psychiatric symptomatology of these women represents a homogeneous or heterogeneous collection of psychological characteristics. If findings for male perpetrators can serve as a guide on this issue (e.g., Erickson et al., 1987),we might expect that the mothers of incest victims will demonstrate substantial heterogeneity in terms of psychiatric characteristics. Clearly this latter issue serves 8s a meaningful focus for future research efforts.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of John E. Exner, Jr. and his staff for generously providing the control group data used in this study.
REFERENCES Browning, D. H., &Boatman, B. (1977). Incest: Children at risk. American Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 69-72.
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Brooks, B. (1983). Preoedi~alissues in a postincest daughter. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 37, 129-136. Burgess, A. W., &Holstrom, L. L. (1975).Sexual trauma of children and adolescents. Nursing Clinics of North America, 10, 551-563. Emslie, G . J., & Rosenfeld, A. (1983). Incest reported by children and adolescents hospitalized fbr severe psychiatric problems. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 708-7 11. Erickson, W. D., Luxenberg, M. G., Walbek, N. H., & Seely, R. K. (1987). Frequency of MMlPI two-point codetypes among sex offenders. Journal of Crmnrlting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 566-570. Exner, J. E. (1974). The Rorschach: A comprehensive system (Vol. 1). New York: Wiley. Exner, J. E. (1981). The response process and diagnostic efficacy. Paper presented to the lClth International Rorschach Congress, Washington, DC. Exner, 1. E. (1983). Rorschach assessment. In I. B. Weiner (Ed.), Clinical methods in psychology (2nd ed., pp. 58-99). New York: Wiley. Exner, J. E. (1985). A Rorschach workbook for the comprehensive system (2nd ed.). Bayville, NY: Rorschach Workshops. Exner, J. E. (1986). The Rorschach: A comprehensive system: Basic foundations (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley. Finkelhor, D. (1983). Child sexual abwe. New York: Free Press. Finkelhor, D., & Hotaling, G. T. (1984). Sexual abuse in the national incidence study of child abuse and neglect: An appraisal. Child Abwe and Neglect, 8, 23-33. Hollingshead, A. B., & Redlich, F. C. (1958). Social class and mental illness. New York: Wiley. Justice, B., &Justice, R. (1979). The broken taboo. New York: Human Sciences. Kaufrnan, I., Peck, A. L., & Tagiuri, C. K. (1953). The family constellation and overt incestuous relations between father and daughter. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 24, 266-279. Kirkland, K. D., & Bauer, C . A. (1982). MMPI traits of incestuous fathers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, 645-649. LaBarbera, J. D., & Dozier, J. E. (1981). Psychologic responses of incestuous daughters: Emerging patterns. Southern Medical Journal, 74, 1478-1480. Lusting, N., Dresser, J. W., Spellman, S. W., &Murray, T. B. (1966). Incest: A family group survival pattern. Archives of General Psychintry, 14, 31-40. Sgroi, S. M., Blick, L. C., &Porter, F. S. (1979). A conceptual framework of child sexual abuse. In S. M. Sgroi (Ed.), Handbook of clinical intewention in child sexual abwe (pp. 9-37). Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. Weiner, I. B. (1962). Father-daughter incest: A clinical report. Psychiatric Quarterly, 36, 607-632.
Robert P. Archer Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School 824 Fairfax Avenue Norfolk, VA 23507 Received October 20, 1989 Revised January 16, 1990
