The Measurement of Psychological States Through the Content Analysis of Verbal Behavior

Louis A. Gottschalk, Goldine C. Gleser

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9780520376748
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780520376762
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Linguistics
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

The Measurement of Psychological States Through the Content Analysis of Verbal Behavior by Louis A. Gottschalk, M.D., and Goldine C. Gleser, Ph.D., presents a groundbreaking fusion of psychodynamic theory, psychometric methodology, and statistical analysis to advance the scientific study of human behavior. Drawing upon psychoanalytic insights—such as the perception of hidden meanings, the recognition of significant sequences, and the analysis of intrapsychic and interpersonal forces—the authors develop categories of thematic content for the systematic study of verbal expression. These categories are then quantified through probabilistic scales, translating qualitative insights into rigorous, measurable data. By combining modern experimental design with statistical inference, the book demonstrates how probability theory and psychodynamic formulation can work in dialogue, each refining and checking the assumptions of the other. The result is a sophisticated and creative model for understanding psychological states with precision and empirical rigor. Gottschalk and Gleser emphasize the broad potential of content analysis for investigating both interindividual and intraindividual processes, offering tools that can capture the sequential interplay of emotions even within the span of a single psychotherapy session. Their methods extend beyond psychological assessment, showing promise in exploring connections between immediate emotional states and physiological or biochemical functioning, thus bridging psychiatry, psychology, and medicine. At its core, the book argues convincingly that even a brief verbal sample—five minutes of speech—can yield rich and reliable evidence of underlying psychological states. By demonstrating how targeted, empirically validated techniques can illuminate some of psychiatry's most pressing questions, this volume establishes itself as a major contribution to both clinical practice and the broader scientific understanding of human behavior. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1969.

Many titles in the Voices Revived program are also newly available as ebooks, offered at a discounted price to support wider access to scholarly work.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• CONTENTS 1
• CHAPTER I Problems and Goals in Content Analysis
• PURPOSE
• USES
• CHAPTER II The Theoretical Bases for Qualifying and Quantifying Psychological States through the Content Analysis of Speech A SUMMARY OF THE VARIOUS CURRENT
• Classical Content Analysis
• Pragmatic Content Analysis
• Nonquantitative Analysis: Linguistic Analysis
• THE PROBLEM OF ASSESSING INTENSITY
• GENERAL FEATURES OF OUR THEORETICAL APPROACH
• Theories Pertaining to the Method of Eliciting Verbal Behavior
• Theories Relating to Our Approach to Content Analysis
• Theoretical Approaches to Scale Development and Validation
• SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF OUR THEORETICAL APPROACH The Quantification of AffectsII
• The Measurement of Anxiety from Verbal Samples HYPERLINK \l "noteFT_3_Pag44" 3
• The Measurement of Hostility from Verbal Samples6 7
• The Measurement of Relative Degree of Social Alienation and Personal Disorganization (the Schizophrenic Scale) from Verbal Samples‡‡‡ §§§
• The Measurement of Other Psychological States from Verbal Samples—Theoretical Assumptions and Hypotheses
• CHAPTER III Reliability and Generalizability Studies SOURCES OF ERROR VARIANCE IN PROCESSING AND SCORING SPEECH SAMPLES
• ESTIMATES OF ERROR VARIANCE IN SCORING SPEECH SAMPLES Anxiety Scale—Reliability Studies
• Hostility Scales—Reliability Studies
• Social Alienation—Personal Disorganization (Schizophrenic) Scale—Reliability Studies
• GENERALIZABILITY OF SCORES FOR INDIVIDUALS OVER INTERVALS OF TIME AND IN RESPONSE TO DIFFERENT STIMULI
• Anxiety Scale—Generalizability
• Hostility Scales—Generalizability
• Social Alienatioiv-P er sonai Disorganization (Schizophrenic) Scale—Generalizability
• Reliability and Number of Words per Verbal Sample
• CHAPTER IV Normative Studies and Intercorrelations of Scores
• ANXIETY SCALE—NORMATIVE STUDIES AND INTERCORRELATIONS OF SCORES
• Anxiety and Intelligence
• Anxiety and Sex Differences
• Anxiety and Age
• Anxiety and Race
• Intercorrelations among the Anxiety Subscales
• HOSTILITY SCALES—NORMATIVE STUDIES AND INTERCORRELATIONS OF SCORES
• Hostility and Sex Differences
• Hostility and Age, Education, and Intelligence
• Hostility and Race
• intercorrelations among Hostility Measures
• SOCIAL ALIENATION AND PERSONAL DISORGANIZATION (SCHIZOPHRENIC) SCALE—NORMATIVE AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES
• Method
• Procedure
• Results
• OTHER RELATIONSHIPS AMONG VERBAL THEMATIC CONTENT SCORES Relationships between Measures of Anxiety and Hostility
• Relationships among Affect and Social Alienation —Personal Disorganization Scores in a Schizophrenic Sample
• CHAPTER V Anxiety Scale—Validation Studies
• PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES Correlations between Clinical Ratings of Verbal Samples Using the Overall-Gorham Anxiety Scale and Anxiety| Scores from the Gottschalk-Gleser Scale
• Group Comparisons of the Magnitude of Anxiety
• Correlations of Verbal Content Analysis Scores with Ratings of Anxiety Obtained from Clinical Psychiatric Interviews
• CoTrelations with Anxiety Scores Derived from Self-Report Procedures
• Correlation between Anxiety Scores Obtained by Content Analysis and by Clinical Ratings of TAT Stories
• Anxiety as a Function of Situational Variables
• Cognitive and Perceptual Correlates of Shame, Guilt, and Diffuse Anxiety
• Analysis of Contribution of Differentially Weighted Parts of Anxiety Scale
• PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES
• Anxiety and Hostility in Patients with Myocardial Infarction
• Correlations between Anxiety and Blood Pressure (with and without Hydrochlorothiazide)
• Correlations between Anxiety Scores and Skin Temperature Changes
• Anxiety Scores from Dreams and Inhibition of Penile Erection with Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep
• Anxiety Scores and Electrodermal Variables
• PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES
• Suppressing Effect of Amobarbital on Anxiety Scores
• Acute Suppressing Effect of Chlordiazepoxide on Anxiety Levels
• Suppressing Effect of Perphenazine on High Anxiety Levels
• Stimulating Effect of Imipramine on Anxiety Scores
• PSYCHOBIOCHEMICAL STUDIES Relationship of Anxiety (and Hostility) to Phases of the Menstrual Cycle
• Relationship of Anxiety Scores and Plasma 17-Hydroxycorticosteroid Levels
• Relationship of Anxiety (and Hostility) to Plasma Lipids
• CHAPTER VI Hostility Scales—Validation Studies
• PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES
• Pilot Study on Chronic Schizophrenic Patients
• Experimental Manipulation of Hostility Outward in Male High School Students
• Psychiatric Inpatient Validation Study
• Psychiatric Inpatient Validation Study of Depressed and Nondepressed Patients
• The Municipal Court Psychiatrist Clinic Validation Study
• Psychiatric Clinic Outpatient Validation Study
• Hostility Scores and Mental Status Schedule Scores on Chronic Schizophrenic Patients: Inter correlations. Including Predictive Capacity of the
• Clinical Ratings from Psychoanalytic Interviews and Hostility Outward Scores
• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), Hostility Scores, and Verbal Hostility Outward Scores
• Rosenzweig PictuTe-Frustration Test and Verbal Hostility Scores
• Cognitive and Perceptual Styles and Verbal Hostility Scores Derived from Psychotherapeutic Interviews
• Cognitive and Perceptual Styles and Hostility Scores Derived from Five-Minute Verbal Samples
• Effect of Brief Psychotherapy on Levels of Hostility Inward and Anxiety
• PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES Coronary Artery Disease and Hostility Scores
• Essential Hypertension and Hostility Scores
• Pulse Rate and Hostility (and Anxiety) Scores35 36
• PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES Effect of Chlordiazepoxide on Hostility Scores HYPERLINK \l "noteFT_6_Pag252" 6
• Effect of Perphenazine (a Phenothiazine Derivative— Major Tranquilizer) on Hostility Scores39
• Effect of Imipramine (an Antidepressant) on Hostility Scores HYPERLINK \l "noteFT_0_Pag261" 0
• PSYCHOBIOCHEMICAL STUDIES Plasma 17-Hydroxycorticosteroid Levels and Hostility Scores
• Menstrual Cycle Phases and Hostility (and Anxiety) Scores
• Plasma Lipids and Hostility Scores
• CHAPTER VII Social Alienation—Personal Disorganization Scale—Validation Studies
• LONGITUDINAL STUDIES: MEASURING INTRAINDIVIDUAL VARIATIONS OVER TIME IN DEGREE OF SOCIAL ALIENATION-PERSONAL DISORGANIZATION
• Procedure
• Results: Part 1
• Results: Part 2—Cross-Validation
• Discussion and Conclusion
• CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES: MEASURING INTERINDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN DEGREE OF SOCIAL ALIENATIONPERSONAL DISORGANIZATION
• Procedure
• Results
• Reticent Patients
• Discussion
• COMPARISONS OF SCORES FROM THE SOCIAL ALIENATIONPERSONAL DISORGANIZATION SCALE OBTAINED FROM ACUTE AND CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENICS, PATIENTS WITH BRAIN SYNDROMES, PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENTS,GENERAL MEDICAL PATIENTS, AND “NORMAL” INDIVIDUALS46
• COMPARISONS OF SCORES FROM THE SOCIAL ALIENATIONPERSONAL DISORGANIZATION SCALE WITH MEASURES DERIVED FROM THE MENTAL STATUS SCHEDULE OF SPITZER ET AL. AND THE CATTELL 16PF SCALE
• EFFECTS OF LSD-25 AND A PLACEBO ON THE SOCIAL ALIENATION -PERSONAL DISORGANIZATION SCORES OF A GROUP OF COLLEGE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS49
• PREDICTION OF OUTCOME IN A BRIEF PSYCHOTHERAPY CLINIC USING THE SOCIAL ALIENATION-PERSONAL DISORGANIZATON SCALE51
• CHAPTER VIII Additional Psychological Measures Derived from the Content of Speech
• THE HUMAN RELATIONS SCALE Purpose
• CHAPTER IX Investigations Dealing with Specific Problems or Facets of Our Verbal Behavior Content Analysis Procedure COMPARISONS BETWEEN ANXIETY SCORE OBTAINED USING TYPESCRIPTS AND THAT USING TYPESCRIPTS PLUS SOUND RECORDINGS OF SPEECH SAMPLES56
• Discussion
• Methods
• Results
• APPLICATION OF THE CONTENT ANALYSIS SCALES TO VERBAL MATERIAL OTHER THAN THE LANGUAGE BEHAVIOR OBTAINED BY OUR STANDARD INSTRUCTIONS
• CHAPTER X Applications of Verbal Behavior Analysis Procedure APPLICATIONS TO PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY AND PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE
• APPLICATIONS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS METHOD TO PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
• APPLICATIONS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS METHOD TO PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH
• APPLICATIONS OF CONTENT ANALYSIS PROCEDURE TO PERSONALITY THEORY AND RESEARCH
• CHAPTER XI The Future of Content Analysis Procedures IMMEDIATE PROSPECTS
• COMPUTER APPLICATIONS TO CONTENT ANALYSIS
• DISTANT GOALS AND PROSPECTS
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• INDEX OF AUTHORS
• Index of Subjects