Psychoanalytic models of the mind, creative functioning, and percept-genetic reconstruction

• Creative functioning,as shown in the Creative Functioning Technique (CFT) of Smith and Carlsson, fits well with what one of us (Andersson)in his model of the mind refers to as dialectical construction, a mode of functioning associated with (pre)adolescence, with Freud's topographic model, and with the creativity principle. It is possible by use of two percept-genetic techniques, the Defense Mechanism Technique modified (DMTm) and the Spiral Aftereffect Technique (SAT), both of them interpreted within the framework of the Andersson model, to extend the theoretical perspective, allowing creative functioning to be understood in relation to two other psychoanalytic models, Melanie Klein's affect positions model and Heinz Kohut's model of self and selfobject. A demonstration of this was presented by one of us (Ryhammar) in a study of 132 university teachers, published recently in Swedish. Certain results of that study are presented here, together with the theoretical background. One finding was that introaggression as assessed in the DMTm is strongly related to creativity in terms of CFT. The implications of the results for the model are discussed.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)