The Centrality of Self in Personality Conceptualization - Using the Wartegg (1 CE)

In our role as assessment psychologists, developing a comprehensive conceptualization of an individual’s personality structure, organization, defenses, and adaptive capacities is oftentimes our goal—one that informs diagnosis, treatment planning, and a sensitive idiographic understanding of the whole person. In considering personality, whether through a conceptual/theoretical lens or a more practical-applied diagnostic framework, self and identity play a critical and central role; however, apart from face valid self-concept and self-esteem self-report measures, identity proves an elusive concept to assess. Performance-based measures have proven useful in this pursuit, with the Wartegg Drawing Completion Test (according to the Crisi Wartegg System) providing invaluable insight into identity consolidation, self-concept and self-esteem, shame and defenses against shame, and overall independent and adaptive capacity.  

In this presentation, the core concepts of identity will be briefly reviewed, from both a theoretical and practical perspective—including consideration of self-functioning (including identity and self-directedness) as defined by the AMPD Alternative Model of Personality Disorders. Foundational principles of Crisi Wartegg System interpretation will be presented, highlighting indices and test-derived data related to evaluation of self-concept, self-directedness, dependence vs. independence, self-empathy vs. shame, identity consolidation vs. diffusion, and identity-based defenses (including narcissism and deflation). Discussion of how normative Wartegg data related to these distinct aspects of self/identity inform clinical diagnosis, as well as assist clinicians in understanding their client’s habitual adaptive strategies, will be highlighted as a foundational addition to personality assessment.

Presenter: Dr. Jacob Palm

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