Transcript Thigpen and Cleckley - OCR Communities: Home

Thigpen and Cleckley
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Aim: to record the symptoms and treatment of
a multiple personality disorder
Eve White
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Her personality was
neat, demure, honest
and very anxious
Headaches after losing
baby – started therapy
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25 years old, had been
married for 6 years and
had one daughter
Marriage was shaky
During treatment she left
home and lived in the
city about 100 miles
away
Eve Black
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Opposite of Eve White
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Mischievous and childish
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Had little concern for
husband or child – they
weren’t hers!
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Uncooperative
Jane
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Mature, sincere, capable
and interesting
Aware of both other
personalities
Gradually took over from
Eve White but couldn’t
get rid of Eve Black
The Study
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Eve White attends for
interviews about
headaches
Argued with husband
about trip to cousin she
couldn’t remember –
memory returned by
hypnosis
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Letter arrives from Eve
White, unfinished and
ends in childish writing
She denies sending
letter
Denies she has spent
money on expensive
clothes found in
wardrobe
Therapy continues
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Says she is hearing voices
Changes personality … pair of blue eyes
popped open … quick, reckless smile … says
“Hi, there, Doc!”
…she appeared more voluptuous …new voice
Eve Black explains blackouts
Initially Eve Black comes when Eve White
hypnotised
Therapy continued
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14 months interviewing
both Eve’s
Eve Black stronger,
comes when she wants
Eve Black knows about
Eve White
Eve Black naughty as
child – Eve white got the
blame and punishment
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Eve White is told by
therapists about Eve
Black
Eve White improves –
then blackouts begin
again
Jane appears
Jane knows both Eve’s
Takes over from Eve
White
Psychological tests
TESTS
IQ
Memory test
EW
110
superior
EB
104
inferior
Jane
Not done
Not done
EEG
11 per
second
(normal)
11 per
second
Personality
Drawings
Repressive
Rigid but
healthy
12.5 per
second
(psychopathic?)
Regressive
Hysterical
tendencies
No test
Not done
Discussion
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Might have been deceived
External data from family and husband
supported idea that there were two
personalities
Subjective and objective measures
Key concepts
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EEG –
electroencephalogram
electrodes placed on
head measure brain
patterns from the
different lobes
MPD – a neurosis, not a
psychosis like
schizophrenia
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Repressed – suppresses
feelings and emotions
Regressive – reverts to a
childlike stage
Psychopath – no
empathy for others,
egocentric, amoral