Feist−Feist: Theories of
Personality, Seventh
EditionII. Psychodynamic
Theories- Sullivan: Interpersonal
Theory
© The McGraw−Hill^239
Companies, 2009Psychological Disorders
Sullivan believed that all psychological disorders have an interpersonal origin and
can be understood only with reference to the patient’s social environment. He also
held that the deficiencies found in psychiatric patients are found in every person, but
to a lesser degree. There is nothing unique about psychological difficulties; they are
derived from the same kind of interpersonal troubles faced by all people. Sullivan
(1953a) insisted that “everyone is much more simply human than unique, and that
no matter what ails the patient, he is mostlya person like the psychiatrist” (p. 96).
Most of Sullivan’s early therapeutic work was with schizophrenic patients, and
many of his subsequent lectures and writings dealt with schizophrenia. Sullivan
(1962) distinguished two broad classes of schizophrenia. The first included all those
symptoms that originate from organic causes and are therefore beyond the study of
interpersonal psychiatry. The second class included all schizophrenic disorders
Chapter 8 Sullivan: Interpersonal Theory 233TABLE 8.2Summary of Sullivan’s Stages of DevelopmentInfancyChildhoodJuvenile eraPreadolescenceEarly
adolescenceLate
adolescence0 to 22 to 66 to 8^1 / 281 / 2 to 1313 to 1515 —Mothering oneParentsPlaymates of
equal statusSingle chumSeveral chumsLoverTendernessProtect security
through
imaginary
playmates
Orientation
toward living
in the world
of peers
IntimacyIntimacy and
lust toward
different
personsFusion of
intimacy and
lustGood mother/
bad mother;
good me/bad
me
Syntaxic
languageCompetition,
compromise,
cooperationAffection and
respect from
peers
Balance of
lust,
intimacy and
security
operations
Discovery of
self and the
world
outside of
selfSignificant Interpersonal Important
Stage Age Others Process Learnings