likeness task palermo 2009

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Walter Colesso University of Padova Model of Likeness Differentiatio n Continuum in Intimate Relationships 1

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Page 1: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

Walter Colesso

University of Padova

Model of Likeness Differentiation Continuum in Intimate Relationships

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Page 2: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

The Continuum of Likeness-Differentiation in Intimate Relationships

(a)Theoretical and research studies on the

similarity construct in intimate relationships don’t have a long history. They have flourished within the myriad of analogous terms, like similarity, identification, attraction, imitation, and so on.

(b) It has been usually studied according to a dichotomous model, especially in developmental psychology.

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Page 3: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

(c) Nevertheless, several authors have proposed analogous concepts or terms with three or four degrees, as L’Abate summarized in 1997 (see Figure 1).

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Berne (1964) Parent Adult Child

Harvey (1961) System 1 (conforming) Systems 3 & 4 (independent) System 2 (rebelling)

Johnson (1972) Conservatives Independents Liberals

Kelly (1955) Similar Dissimilar Contrasting

Kohlberg (1963) Approval-oriented Authority-rules Social & Moral Principles Instrumental Egoism

Lövinger (1966) Symbiosis Coscientious-integrative Autonomous

Impulsive-ridden Self-protective

Lynn (1969) Parental Distance “close” Higher Cognitive Functioning Parental Distance “distant”

Mahler (1965) Symbiotic Differentiated Autistic

Peak (1960) Assimilation Similarity Oppositeness/Isolation

Rotter (1966) Locus of Control: External Internal External

Willis (1965) Yes-man Independent Thinker No-man

Witkin (1962) Cognitive Sty le: Global Articulated Global

Figure 1. The Continuum of Likeness and Compatible Theoretical Formulations

Adapted from: L’Abate, 1997.

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The Continuum of Likeness-Differentiation in Intimate Relationships

Page 4: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

(d) L’Abate (1999) proposes a continuum of likeness-differentiation with six degrees that works in a dichotomous fashion but at three different levels: The formal model proposes that individuals make choices (consciously and/or unconsciously) moving from one pole to the other but at different levels according to:– their stage of life,– their functional level of relational competence,– their individual history, their gender, socio-cultural status, etc.

(e) This formal model may be outlined as a bell-distribution, where functionality may be placed toward the center and disfunctionality toward the extremes. A functional profile will be bell-distributed with few values at the two extreme degrees and many more items in the central degrees.

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The Continuum of Likeness-Differentiation in Intimate Relationships

Page 5: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

From a model to an empirical checkLikeness Continuum Task – LT

(Cusinato & Colesso, 2008) supports the existence and influence of an underlying continuum of likeness in intimate relationships. It’s a laboratory experiment of clinical psychology where the subject is asked to make “forced choices” and give reasons for such choices.

The task develops in four steps:

(a) “intimate identification”

(b) “test training”

(c) “coins placement”

(d) “inquiry”

— nine items of the taxonomy “people of your life”; — introducing the six ranges;— the subject is provided with ten 5-cent coins and invited to place them on six cells corresponding to the ranges of the continuum; — the subject is asked to explain his/her coin distribution and produce some real examples to check the right use of the continuum.

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Page 6: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

From a formal model to an empirical checkThe results of two studies are presented:

First study: it concerns a large application of LT to non-clinical subjects to verify if the continuum of a large group, comparable to a non-clinical population sample, has a bell-shaped.

Second study: it concerns some applications to two clinical groups compared with non-clinical control group to investigate which relationships with significant others in their life contexts induce subjects to activate different modalities along the likeness continuum.

Data analyses were performed with log-linear models. Significant Zs were identified for p = .05*, .01**, .001***, in marginal and/or cell analyses.

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Page 7: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

STUDY 1: The likeness continuum in LT with non-clinical individuals7

- LT was applied to a large group of non-clinical individuals. -The overall analysis specifically verified the continuum distribution by comparing the data of 172 subjects with the formal model (Figure 5).

Two aspects emerged:1. The bell distribution appeared rather precise: “differentiation” degrees shift toward the center, while “identity” degrees are a little bit lower: why?2. The Analyses of “degrees x intimate items” offer an orientation for personal relationships, but this picture is rather inaccurate for different interpretation of the same items.

Page 8: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

STUDY 1 (continuation)

analyses: males vs. females The analyses compared Male vs. female sub-groups

Results: - Males are distributed on “opposition” and “alienation”, while females on “similarity” and “differentiation” .

- Table “degrees x intimates” does not produce significant Zs.

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Page 9: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

STUDY 2: The likeness continuum in LT with clinical people

First analyses: anorexics and non clinical females-Two different types of clinical subjects were considered: anorexic females vs non clinical females and psychotic males and females vs a non-clinical control group.

Non-clinical subjects show:

- a bell-shape distribution,

- a higher identity score then anorexics.

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Page 10: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

STUDY 2 (continuation)

Second analyses: psychotics and non clinical subject

Histograms show the bell distribution of non-clinicals and a flat one of psychotics; central degrees for the firsts, extreme ones for the seconds.

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Page 11: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

Conclusions

Our research on Likeness Continuum seems to offer positive perspectives:1. All analyses of non-clinical individuals corroborate the bell-shaped

distribution according to the formal model. 2. The distributions of clinical groups differ from non-clinical individuals.

Likeness Continuum (LT) supports Likeness-Continuum model in relationships.

Cusinato, M., & Colesso, W. (2008). Validation of the Continuum of Likeness in Intimate Relationships. In L. L’Abate (Eds.), Toward a Science of Clinical Psychology. Laboratory Evaluations and interventions (pp. 337-352). New York: Nova Publisher

We, Cusinato and I, have created paper-and pencil self-report Likeness Scales for each degree. Its validation is in progress.

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Page 12: Likeness Task Palermo 2009

Thank You

[email protected]

glad to be collaborating to Relational Competence studies

in Family Psychology

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