Enhancing the Clinical Utility of Trait Theory Using a Psychoanalytically-Informed framework 1.5 CEs

Abstract

Historically, biological trait theorists and psychoanalytic thinkers have rarely found themselves on common ground. An unfortunate consequence is that the rich insights generated by psychoanalytic practitioners have not been leveraged by trait theorists to enhance the clinical utility of their models. In this talk, I note some surprising intersections between five-factor theory (FFT) and psychoanalytic theory to argue that psychoanalytic thinkers are well-suited to integrate traits into models for treatment, assessment, and research. While past efforts to integrate the two approaches have typically sought to rebrand psychoanalytic ideas as traits, I present an alternative framework that includes traits at one level, while placing primary emphasis on defenses, compromise formation, narrative, and object-relations when striving to understand unique individuals. Implications for this framework are shared regarding personality assessment, research into personality/personality assessment, and clinical practice. The ultimate thesis is not only that the two models have something to offer each other, but that housing traits within a broader psychoanalytic framework creates avenues through which large-scale, empirical research on personality can be blended with nuanced, person-focused clinical approaches.

Speaker

Caleb Siefert | University of Michigan-Dearborn