Bernard I. Murstein

• PhD
• Connecticut College

The relationship between power and self-disclosure was studied for 20 dating and 20 married couples. Power and self-disclosure scales (of feelings and of accomplishments) were constructed and administered individually. We hypothesized that: (1) Women disclose more about feelings than men. (2) Men disclose more about accomplishments than women. (3)...

Couples in which 1 or both members were psychotherapists were compared with nontherapist couples for marriage adjustment (MA). The authors predicted higher MA scores for the therapists and a positive correlation between the MA of therapists and years of therapy training, years of practice, rating of therapeutic ability, length of marital therapy tr...

The meaning of "regression to the mean" is discussed, as well as the consequences of failing to recognize its effect on research. The lack of performance persistence among stocks and mutual funds is explained as evidence of a lack of valid variance in the performance of stocks, resulting in steep regression-to-the-mean effects. The ubiquity of regr...

Couples (22 young, married, 18 young unmarried) completed the Exchange Orientation Scale, which measures how much individuals believe equality of exchange should characterize their social relationships, as well as the Norman Personality Trait Scale, which gives measures for the self and ideal-self. Couples also rated their sexual satisfaction, thei...

In this chapter, I examine the relationship of exchange and commitment. Before doing so, however, it is necessary to note that exchange, like other overused terms such as projection and love, challenges our communicative skills to the maximum. Of projection Murray (1951) observed, “If projection means everything it means nothing” (p. 13). In a simi...

In 1989 Sprague and Quadagno reported a significant interaction between sex and age for "motive for sexual intercourse" (affection-closeness vs physical release). Young men exceeded women in physical release as primary motive for sex, but women exceeded men in this choice at an older age. We conducted a modified replication, and we also studied Rub...

Wood's article (1995) was evaluated for its comments on exchange theory and male-female differences in relationships. The author, in disagreement with Wood, believes that despite its androcentric origins, exchange theory, of itself, is not androcentric. Moreover, it is neither necessarily oriented toward personal gain nor lacking in process, as Woo...

A replication of the "levels effect" and reported correlation of "projection" and "pathology" was undertaken using a selected set of Thematic Apperception Test (Murray, 1943) cards varied for ambiguity and scored for pathology and projection. The levels effect was not found for pathology in either a normal or psychiatric group, but was found for pr...

Sexual behavior was surveyed in 1991 for the fourth time in 17 years at a northeastern college with 98 male and 148 female participants. Variables included virginity, religiosity, relationship to parents, relationship to last sex partner, sex philosophy, attractiveness, drug use, contraceptives used, fear of AIDS and effect of this fear on behavior...

A random sample of New London County, CT, residents received a questionnaire about nine mental health professions or professionals (MHPs): clergyperson, marriage and family counselor, nonpsychiatric physician, psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, psychologist, psychotherapist, social worker, and telephone crisis counselor. Respondents defined each MHP...

A questionnaire survey was distributed to 273 female, undergraduate students at a private, liberal arts college (94.1% response rate) to determine the prevalence of bulimia nervosa, as defined by DSM-III-R criteria. In addition, several psychological traits of participants meeting the criteria were compared with a control group and a group of binge...

Some conceptual and statistical issues in need of being addressed are described for the 1988 work of Rechtien and Fiedler published in this journal. Suggestions for research are mentioned.

Three samples of college students at a small New England liberal arts college received questionnaires regarding their sexual philosophies, behavior, relationship with most recent partner, self-perceived attractiveness, relationship with parents, use of drugs and alcohol, attitudes toward marriage and abortion, and other subjects. The college was sa...

The literature regarding exchange-orientation in relationship to marital adjustment and cohabitation and friendship compatibility is briefly reviewed and a revised exchange-orientation scale is constructed. The items selected were judged relevant to exchange and passed internal consistency tests as well as differentiating between high and low score...

The Exchange-Orientation Scale (E) was given to 98 randomly assigned roommate pairs at three New England colleges at the beginning of the semester. It was predicted that interpersonal compatibility, as measured by a roommate compatibility rating and a friendship intensity score given three months later, would be higher for nonexchange couples as co...

A humor test composed of cartoons, comic strips, and jokes was administered to 30 college couples (26 single, 4 married) who rated them for humor. Subjects also stated how much they loved and liked their partner, their probability of marrying the partner, and filled out Rubin's Liking and Love Scales. The hypotheses were that similarity of rating o...

Eighty-two middle-class married couples were administered the Bem Sex-role Inventory, a newly derived Behavioral Inventory measuring sex-role by task performance and the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale. It was hypothesized that individuals are assortatively matched by sex-role in marriage, that all-androgynous couples have greater marriage adjustme...

Thirty ex-swinger couples were questioned concerning relationships with parents, autonomy, attitudes toward the establishment, attitudes toward friends versus relatives, and personal adequacy. Their responses were compared with those from a current swinger's group (N = 100) and from a control group (N = 100) of couples drawn from earler work by Gil...

Believing that “exchange” and “commitment” are basic dimensions associated with marriage adjustment (MA), scales measuring these three dimensions were administered to 40 married couples. Exchange was predicted to be negatively correlated with MA, commitment positively associated with it, and an individuaľs exchange and commitment qualities were pre...

82 married couples (mean age 48.3 yrs for the husbands and 43.7 yrs for the wives) were administered a battery of tests that included the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), Behavioral Inventory (BI), and Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Findings indicate that sex-role behavior of husbands was of primary importance both for their own marital adjustments (MAs) a...

The research reviewed concerned itself with the following major trends: (1) assortativeness and sociocultural determinants in the United States and abroad; (2) the decline in dating research; (3) the greater concern with courtship process; (4) the emergence of research on "love"; (5) new theories of marital choice; (6) preoccupation with "theory."...

347 male and female students at a small liberal arts college were canvassed as to whether they had engaged in premarital sex. They also filled out anonymous questionnaires measuring their philosophy of sex, relationship with parents, physical attractiveness, religious feeling, extent of taking various drugs, commitment to last sexual partner, and a...

A theory of the importance and effect of an exchange-orientation for marriage and friendship was developed. It was hypothesized from this theory that an exchange-orientation in both members of the pair would be inimical to marriage adjustment and facilitative of situationally determined friendships. An exchange-orientation scale was constructed and...

Concluding from our survey of the literature that fingertip auras (Kirlian effect) might be associated with interpersonal attraction, four hypotheses were advanced to test this assertion. It was hypothesized that individuals would respond with bigger auras to (1) opposite-sex photographers as compared to same-sex photographers, (2) to seductive opp...

Love which focuses on an emotional relationship involving some sense of commitment and either an ongoing sexual relationship or the potential for such a relationship is viewed and defined in a variety of ways. Despite the fact that the major portion of a treatise on love devotes itself to a consideration of tendance in love (i.e. aquisitive, benevo...

22 middle-aged, middle-class couples, married for an average of 15.4 yrs, were employed to obtain 3 measures of physical attractiveness, including photos, self-evaluations, and evaluations by spouse. In addition, each S took the Locke-Wallace Marriage Adjustment Scale. It was hypothesized that (a) members of couples would be matched for physical at...

Through factor analyses, the nine most potent dimensions of marital expectation for an American and a French college sample were obtained. A comparison of the factorial structure of American and French men showed moderate to high similarity. The American and French women also showed dimensional similarity though there was greater divergence in the...

The author discusses a common error in marriage research, i.e. use of a control group. Single scores which are correlated require no randomized control group. Two arrays of scores which are correlated generally require a randomized control group. (Author/HMV)

From the stimulus-value-role theory of marital choice, several hypotheses were derived relating to the relationship of person perception, sex drive, and marital choice. Subjects were two populations of premarital college couples who filled out questionnaires relating to sex drive and took two personality tests from different perceptual sets. It was...

To test 2 theories concerning the marital choices of neurotics, 13 neurotic and 37 nonneurotic "engaged" couples in a college setting were selected from scores on the MMPI. The traditional psychoanalytic position favors unconscious perception in the choice of marital partner, which leads to the conclusion that neurotics choose each other in marriag...

Extended B. Murstein's stimulus-value-role theory to account for the relationship of person perception scores to marital adjustment. The hypotheses predicted that (a) similarity, self-acceptance, accuracy of predicting other's responses, and role compatibility would be correlated with marital adjustment; (b) when the perceptual target was the man,...

Predicated on the belief that person perception was related to courtship progress and that men are more important to courtship progress than women, a college sample of 98 premarital couples received a shortened form of the Marital Expectation Test taken under eight different "sets": self, ideal-self, ideal-spouse, partner; how partner perceives you...

Nineteen upper-middle class, pre-marital, college couples volunteered to participate in a study on interpersonal relationships. Couples received a modified Rorschach, thematic test, Marriage Value Inventory, a sex questionnaire, and an intensive depth interview. A Q sort of 100 personality items was used to assess the Ss. It was hypothesized that c...

Nineteen upper-middle class college couples who were engaged or going “steady” received a specially constructed thematic test as well as the Baughman modification of the Rorschach. Sixteen thematic and 47 Rorschach variables were scored. It was predicted that actual couples would show significantly smaller discrepancies from each other than randoml...

Created a 2-dimensional sentence completion test which was then translated into French and administered to 120 Belgian adolescents (mean age = 15 yr.). The 1st dimension consisted of positive, negative, or neutral stems, and the 2nd dimension involved phrasing the stems in an impersonal manner or in the 1st person mode. Responses on the 6 possible...

Tested the stimulus-value-role theory of marital choice which states that individuals tend to choose marital partners of comparable physical attractiveness to themselves. A total of 197 college couples who were "going together" or engaged served as Ss. Physical attractiveness was measured by self-perception, perception of the partner, and appearanc...

Knowledge of the stimulus seems mandatory before one can determine the extent of projection in a TAT response. Written responses to projected TAT slides were obtained from college students. Stories were scored for Who (age), Who (sex), Who (relationship), What, Why, and End. A reliable categorization system was developed.Overall, stories were mostl...

Theorized that marital choice occurs as a result of marital bargaining of which self-acceptance is a key negotiable asset. 4 hypotheses were formulated for 99 undergraduate couples who were "going steady" or were engaged: (a) persons became engaged to partners of similar degree of self-ideal-self acceptance, (b) the perception of the partner as sim...

A three-stage theory of marital choice is presented called Stimulus—Value—Role. The first (stimulus) stage consists of value satisfaction obtained by visual, auditory, and non-interactional means. The second (value) stage consists of values appreciated through verbal interaction, and the third (role) stage involves the ability of the couple to func...

Tested the "levels" hypothesis that there is an inverse relationship between the degree of stimulus structure in a test and the level of personality impulse-control system being tapped by the test, for 20 normal and 20 psychiatric Ss. As predicted, an inverse relationship between pathology and stimulus structure over 5 tests (from low-high structur...

Explains how investors' actions and emotions affect the market. The author uses the principles of psychology and the power of behavioral finance to explain the seeming contradictions of Wall Street. The author aims to help the reader recognize the hidden motivators that move markets, filter useful information from media hype and noise, break the co...

A group of 43 couples receiving marital counseling and 37 control couples received the MMPI scored for the usual variables plus Deviancy from the norm mean, Hostility, Dominance, Anxiety, Regression, and Ego Strength. In addition, the "marker" variable "Marital Maladjusted subject" or "Control subject" was included. Separate factor analyses were pe...

A FIELD-APPROACH INVESTIGATION ON THE DETERMINATION OF TAT HOSTILITY IN STUDENTS INVOLVED THE USE OF SUCH INDEPENDENT VARIABLES AS THE STIMULUS (3 LEVELS OF SCALED PICTORIAL HOSTILITY), BACKGROUND ("IMPERSONAL" OR "LOOK YOUR BEST" INSTRUCTIONS), AND PERSONALITY (PEER AND SELF-CONCEPT EVALUATION AS HOSTILE OR FRIENDLY). 9 SCORING SYSTEMS OF HOSTILIT...

Ninety-nine couples, either engaged or "going steady," received a revised form of the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule taken under the "sets" Self, Ideal Self, Fiancé(e), and Ideal Spouse. It was hypothesized that couples chose each other on the basis of role compatibility as seen by the respective members of the couples (inter-perceptions) and...

Ninety-nine couples either engaged or "going steady" received the MMPI and six months later received a follow-up questionnaire inquiring whether the couples had progressed in their courtship. Variables investigated included anxiety, ego strength, neurotic triad, repression, and a global assessment of the MMPI by a clinician. Results showed as predi...

Replicating an earlier study with men, four groups of college women (hostile-insightful, hostile-noninsightful, friendly-insightful, friendly-noninsightful) were evaluated for accuracy of judgments of hostility regarding their dormitory sisters. The normalized mean ranking was the criterion, and the mean discrepancy between S's judgments of her pee...

Twenty-six couples initiating marriage counseling and 24 couples from clubs completed the Interpersonal Check List (ICL) under six different "sets" which revealed perceptions of Self, Ideal Self, Spouse, Ideal Spouse, Mother, and Father. The experimental-control dichotomy provided a "marker" variable of Marital Adjustment (MA). The data were factor...

Atkinson's theory of motivation to achieve in a risk-taking situation was studied for a sample of college men. The independent variables were achievement motive, anxiety, TAT stimulus-pull for achievement and probability of success in an arithmetic task. The criteria were performance on an arithmetic task and manifestation of n-Ach on the TAT. Resu...

A psychiatric and normal population of 158 men took tests yielding 25 measures of hostility. These measures could be classified as a) Thematic Story scores, b) Judgment scores, and c) Questionnaire methods. Eight different classifications were made from the population including Psychiatric Classification, Interpersonal Expression of Hostility, Educ...

The assumption that the extent of projection in projective techniques is a monotonic function of the degree of ambiguity in the TAT is seriously questioned. A review of several studies dealing with ambiguity yielded the conclusion that highly ambiguous TAT pictures were least useful for personality assessment. On the other hand, pictures which are...

Studies of n Ach are rarely comparable since the stimulus value of the cards is usually unknown. This study involved scaling 30 TAT cards and 6 others listed by Atkinson (1958, pp. 832-834). College men (N = 92) rated them on a 4-point scale for n Ach. Upper and lower quartiles on the basis of total score were compared for each card via the Likert...

The effects of stimulus, background, and personality factors on the TAT were examined. Stimulus was measured by scaling the TAT for hostility and background by use of 2 instructional sets, "look your best" and "impersonal," and personality, by selecting via pooled rankings, 96 college men and women from an initial sample of 802 who were extremely h...

The 31 TAT cards were administered to varying groups of college students and the stories categorized according to the sex of characters, their age, relationship, what is happening, why, and how the story would end. A measure of uncertainty Ĥ was obtained for each variable for each card. It was hypothesized that the more uncertainty existing as to w...

Thematic measures of n Achievement were obtained from 3 groups of 30 Ss. The 1st learned that the 50% writing the most creative stories would receive $2.00; the 2nd that the top 10% would collect. The 3rd was instructed to write the stories with no mention of reward. It was hyypothesized from Atkinson's theory that the .50 group would project more...

Atkinson's theory of motivation was tested with regard to a thematic test scaled for achievement value and a simple arithmetic task. 3 randomly selected groups, of approximately 20 college men each, vied for a $1.25 cash prize, their objective probability of success being .1, .5, and .9. After the achievement arousing instructions they received a t...

A comprehensive survey of the theoretical, research, and clinical approaches to projective techniques mainly through an appraisal of thematic methods. The work of such major contributors to TAT literature as Murray, Henry, and Eron along with many others is discussed. Different scoring systems, stimulus modifications, and situational influences are...

100 undergraduate psychology students judged projected TAT cards for hostility. Judgments were scaled by several methods and 8 cards were selected. All of the methods could be used.

Famous Sayings Test scores related to Butler-Haig S10 Q sort in psychology students. Only Social Acquiescence is related to Self-Ideal-Self-Adjustment discrepancy

Middle-aged couples were characterized as reflecting similar needs, one to the other, whereas the findings with regard to newlyweds was inconclusive as to their similarity or complementary nature. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4IQ94M.

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the relationship of wid motor and learning ability to the score achieved on the Digit Symbol test. Four variables were used: a motor test, a learning test, the Wechsler-Bellevue Form II Digit Symbol subtest, and IQ equivalent scores. The subjects were 192 students, equally divided by sex, half (96) being...

Some theories of personality hold that an individual's perception of others is influenced by his own personality characteristics; more specifically, that a trait of low social value will be projected more into others, and that insight into the possession of these characteristics reduces this distortion. These 2 hypotheses were tested by having a gr...

In this paper, the author replies to the comments of Chase (see ^W35:^n 6476). From Psyc Abstracts 36:01:1HL87M.

Factor analysis is evaluated as to importance in Rorschach research. Problems inherent in the use of factor analysis are discussed. Rorschach hypotheses are also tested by means of the factor analysis method. The Rorschach is considered inadequate as a quantitative test. (39 ref.)

Experimental studies concerned with the several interpretations of the meaning of projection are presented in detail. The concept of projection needs a precise definition; the writers suggest: "The manifestation of behavior by an individual which indicates some emotional value or need of the individual." 104-item bibliog. (PsycINFO Database Record...

A number of studies are reviewed to point out the importance of stimulus control and background factors in eliciting responses to TAT-type techniques. The background characteristics of examiner-examinee relationship are significant in determining responses elicited. Many clinicians underestimate the strength of control manifested by Ss in giving re...