Individual Differences 2+psy 2: Thigpen & Cleckley

Question 0

Participant?

Answer 0

25 year old married woman ‘Eve White’

Question 1

Aim?

Answer 1

To cure ‘Eve White’ of her blinding headaches and unexplained blackouts.

Question 2

Procedure?

Answer 2

•early interviews= psychiatrists discussed emotional difficulties
-EW appeared to improve, could recall blackouts after hypnosis
•letter arrived with 1 half in neat handwriting and the other messy
-2nd half was teasing, EW couldn’t remember finishing it or sending

Question 3

Traits of EB?

Answer 3

• had been around since childhood
• EW did not know she existed
• aware of all EW did but not vice versa
• scornful of EW’s emotional problems+ attachment to daughter
• claimed to play pranks as child (EW inexplicably punished)
• claimed to be married to someone else but never had sex with him
• express herself through headaches+voices

Question 4

Results of physiological/psychological?

Answer 4

IQ=
EW: 110
EB: 104

MEMORY=
EW: greater than expected of IQ
EB: equal with IQ

VERBAL=
EW: constraint, anxiety+repression
EB: healthier, hysterical+regression

EEG=
EW: mentally tense but normal
EB: more tense+borderline normal

Question 5

Results of therapy?

Answer 5

EW left husband+Sara lived with grandparents however after 8 months got worse
•1 session= silence, head dropped: ‘Jane’, mature and bold
•J aware of everything EB+EW do
•knew when EB was lying
•did not have any memories
•gradually took over more of EW but could not displace EB

Question 6

Childhood?

Answer 6

•EW gave up school to provide for parents
•instead of buying herself a wristwatch, sent money home for coats for twin sisters; later found was for watches
-rejection and hostility
•when EW 6, EB took over+wandered I to woods to play with farmers children but scolded and didn’t know why
•EB would get drunk, EW suffer hangover
•EW’s husband abused her for buying dresses she doesn’t remember

Question 7

Criticisms?

Answer 7

• T&C too involved in study= lost objective+biased towards one
• not 2 personalities?= Black Eve’s maiden name so just regressed version of herself
• social desirability/demand characteristics= ‘Jane’ more attention?

Question 8

Ethics?

Answer 8

✖️Did EB/J give informed consent?

✖️study published= embarrassing for ‘Eve’

Question 9

Possible improvements?

Answer 9

• increase sample size, reliability higher
• inter-rater to ensure validity
• ask each personality for consent
• observe EW, EB+J in real lift situations= Eco v higher

Question 10

Psychological tests?

Answer 10

•Rorschach (ink block test) 10 standardised abstract designs of butterflies, gives emotional/intellectual findings

• EW rigid and not capable of handling her hostility, anxious + OCD traits, repressive
• EB healthier but hysterical tendency, regressive

•Dress choosing exercise

• EW covering, bleak dress, uncomfortable walking around
• EB revealing, brightly coloured dress, walked with confidence