NCJ Number
49760
Journal
JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE IN THE FAMILY Volume: 36 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1974) Pages: 13-30
Date Published
1974
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THE FACTUAL BASIS FOR THERAPY AND FAMILY ADVICE URGING 'LEVELING' IN THE SENSE OF GIVING FREE EXPRESSION TO AGGRESSIVE FEELINGS IS REVIEWED AND THE RESULTS OF A STUDY OF 385 COUPLES ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE IDEA OF CATHARSIS IS A MAJOR ELEMENT OF THE THEORIES OF AGGRESSION ON WHICH THE 'LEVELING' APPROACH IS BASED. CATHARSIS THEORIES ASSUME THAT HUMAN BEINGS HAVE A GREATER OR LESSER BIOLOGICALLY BASED TENDENCY TOWARD AGGRESSION WHICH CANNOT BE REPRESSED. ATTEMPTS TO DO SO RESULT IN A MORE DESTRUCTIVE EXPLOSION OF THE INNATE AGGRESSIVE DRIVE. HOWEVER, THE INSTINCT THEORY UNDERLYING THE IDEA OF CATHARSIS HAS LONG BEEN DISCARDED IN SOCIAL SCIENCE. MODERN SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES -- INCLUDING SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY, SYMBOLIC INTERACTION THEORY, AND LABELING THEORY -- WOULD ALL PREDICT THE OPPOSITE OF CATHARSIS THINKING. BUT DESPITE THE NEGATIVE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE AND COGENT THEORETICAL ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE IDEA OF CATHARSIS, IT CONTINUES TO GAIN IN POPULARITY AMONG THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND AMONG A VOCAL AND INFLUENTIAL MINORITY OF THERAPISTS. COLLEGE AGE CHILDREN OF THE STUDIED COUPLES COMPLETED A QUESTIONNAIRE WHICH INCLUDED A SECTION ASKING FOR THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT CONFLICTS OR DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE MOTHER AND FATHER OF THE RESPONDENT DURING HIS OR HER LAST YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. THE COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE QUERIED REGARDING THEIR PARENTS' CONFLICT RESOLUTION TECHNIQUES, THE USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE, AND INCREASING DEGREES OF EXPRESSION OF EMOTION, ANGER, AND VERBAL AND SYMOBLIC VIOLENCE. THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY DO NOT SUPPORT THE CATHARSIS THEORY. IT WAS FOUND THAT INCREASED VERBAL AGGRESSION WAS ACCOMPANIED BY INCREASED PHYSICAL AGGRESSION. A SIMILAR ANALYSIS OF INTELLECTUALIZING MARITAL CONFLICTS FOUND THAT SUCH AN APPROACH IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW AMOUNTS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE. THESE RESULTS APPLY MOST STRONGLY FOR WORKING-CLASS COUPLES. HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL TRENDS WHICH COULD ACCOUNT FOR THE POPULARITY OF LEVELING APPROACHES TO MARRIAGE, DESPITE CONSIDERABLE EVIDENCE SUGGESTING THE OPPOSITE, ARE DISCUSSED. ON THE BASIS OF THE REVIEW OF PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT MUCH OF THE NEW THERAPY AND ADVICE LITERATURE, AND ESPECIALLY MUCH ONGOING ENCOUNTER GROUP ACTIVITY, IS ALMOST EXACTLY COUNTER TO WHAT THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE SUGGESTS IS AN APPROPRIATE ARRPOACH TO THE REDUCTION OF PHYSICAL AGGRESSION. A SAMPLE QUESTION FROM THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT IS INCLUDED. REFERENCES AND TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED. (KBL)