Adjustment to Misfortune—A Problem of Social-Psychological Rehabilitation
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Adjustment to Misfortune—A Problem of Social-Psychological Rehabilitation Dedicated to the memory of Kurt Lewin TAMARA DEMBO, Ph.D.,2 GLORIA LADIEU LEVITON, Ph.D.,3 AND BEATRICE A. WRIGHT, Ph.D.4 AT PARTICULAR times in the history of To investigate the personal and social science, particular problems become ripe for problems of the physically handicapped, two investigation. A precipitating event brings groups of subjects were needed—people who them to the attention of a single person and were considered handicapped and people sometimes to that of several at the same time. around them. Therefore, as subjects of the It is therefore understandable that during research both visibly injured and noninjured World War II the need was felt to investigate people were used. Interviews were employed as the problems of social-psychological rehabilita the primary method of investigation, the tion of the physically handicapped and that great majority of the 177 injured persons someone should look for a place and the means interviewed being servicemen or veterans of to set up a research project that would try to World War II. More than half the subjects solve some of these problems. In pursuit of had suffered amputations and almost one such a goal a research group was established fourth facial disfigurements. The injured man at Stanford University on February 1, 1945. was asked questions designed to elicit his expectations, experiences, and feelings in his Conducted partially under a contract between dealings with people around him. Sixty-five Stanford University and the wartime Office noninjured people also were interviewed in of Scientific Research and Development (rec regard to their feelings toward the injured man. ommended by the Committee on Medical Research), partially under a contract between A first task in the research project was to the University and the Army Medical Re determine the meaning of the relationship search and Development Board of the Office of between the injured and the noninjured. Was it primarily that of the helper and the helped, of the Surgeon General, War Department, the the curious onlooker and the one who is looked work continued until April 1, 1948. upon, of the independent and dependent person, the one who rejects and the one who is 1 A study in the social-emotional relationships be rejected, the person who pities and the one tween injured and noninjured people Based on the who is pitied? All these relationships exist final report of Project W-49-007-MD-325, Supplement between the injured and the noninjured. Some 5, to the Army Medical Research and Development of them were described during the first period Board, Office of the Surgeon General, War Depart of the research program (1,5,8). As the re ment, April 1, 1948. search proceeded, it was seen that one par 2 Associate Professor in Psychology, Clark Uni versity, Worcester, Massachusetts. ticular relationship between the injured and 3 Psychologist, LaGrange, Illinois. the noninjured was more "basic" than others— 4 Research Fellow in Psychology, University of basic in the sense that it underlies and deter Kansas. Lawrence. mines the character of other relationships. This 4 5 underlying relationship is the one which exists proach and viewpoints regarding problems, when a person who regards himself as fortunate data, theory, and measurement. We tried to regards another as unfortunate. We learned examine the appropriateness of scientific beliefs that to understand this relationship one has to and attitudes for the new area investigated. see "being unfortunate" as a value loss and, Part II deals with the investigation of the furthermore, that the adjustment of this visibly injured, a group which, in our culture, relationship involves the problem of accept is frequently considered unfortunate. Chapter ance of loss—a case of value change. IV presents the procedures used and their In current psychology, the problem of ac rationale. Chapter V discusses devaluation, ceptance of loss is hardly investigated. Loss is by the noninjured, of the injured as people usually seen as an end-point of unsuccessful, who have experienced a misfortune—a value goal-directed behavior (failure) or else it is loss. Chapter VI is concerned with the reac investigated in terms of the effect of failure on tions of the noninjured to the suffering aspect further goal-directed behavior (such as on of misfortune rather than to its value-loss setting the next "level of aspiration"). But it is aspect. The structure or nature of the genuine, important to know what loss means to the positive feelings of sympathy is outlined. person himself, how it affects the opinions and Chapter VII deals with the problem of over behavior of others toward him, and what ac coming suffering through acceptance of loss. ceptance of loss implies. Too often life is seen In Chapter VIII we attempt to point out the as a series of goal-directed acts, whereas the direction which future research may take. The consumption of gains and the acceptance (or appendices include sample interviews with nonacceptance) of losses which result from injured and noninjured subjects and a brief those acts are disregarded. summary of methods other than interviews 5 Almost all people are at some time faced that were tried out in our study. with the necessity of adjusting to loss. In in Three years in a new and relatively unex vestigating the problems of injured people, plored field has to be considered a pilot period. therefore, we are dealing not only with special After exploration the field is seen to be fruitful, problems of a special group but with problems both for the growth of ideas on the specific important to all. If we state that the injured topics and also for the development of more need psychological rehabilitation or adjust general theoretical problems in psychology. ment, this in no way implies that they are not But only a beginning has been made, and the "normal." The impact of loss which they material here presented is therefore properly experience produces suffering and difficulties. viewed only in the light of its pioneer character. The overcoming of psychological suffering, Many of our findings may from the theoreti whether or not it threatens mental illness, is a cal standpoint be seen as more precise state problem of adjustment. ments of problems awaiting further investiga This monograph is written as a scientific tion. From the practical standpoint, the study paper and no attempts at popularization are may be useful to those who critically examine made. Popularization of our findings is a special the findings, not with the orientation of trans task—a task which, if skillfully done, would lating them into rules of behavior but so that indeed be useful for the information and educa their understanding of the problems involved tion of the general public. Those who are not in loss may be broadened. The injured, we specially concerned with methodological and hope, will find this type of investigation theoretical considerations may still find the promising in its attempts to lead people to less technical chapters (Chapters V through feel that it is not the AMPUTATED LIMB VII) of interest. The first four chapters and the and John Doe but John Doe, the person, who last one will be of greater interest to the really exists. theoretical psychologist. 5 For other methods used in the area of adjustment Part I introduces the general field of social- to physical handicaps, see the critical review of the emotional relationships. It deals with our ap literature by Barker, Wright, Myerson, and Gonick (2). 6 Part I Methodological and Theoretical Considerations Concerning Social-Emotional Relationships CHAPTER I To admire—to be admired. To admit to someone—to get an admission. SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL To adopt—to be adopted. RELATIONSHIPS To adore—to be adored. To advise—to be advised. We shall present a list of pairs of words desig To feel affable—to feel that another person is affable. nating social-emotional relationships. We ask To give affection—to get affection. you, the reader, to think about the feelings To affront—to be affronted. To be against someone—to feel that another person connoted. Specific points to consider may be is against you. seen in the first example, the idea of "abandon To aggravate someone—to be aggravated by some ment." How does the abandoner feel? How one. does the abandoned feel? How do they feel To be aggressive toward someone—to feel that an other person is aggressive toward you. toward each other? How do you, as a person To agree with someone—to feel that another person not involved in the interaction, evaluate agrees with you. abandonment? As you proceed down the list, To aid someone—to be aided. you should ask yourself these and any other To alarm someone—to be alarmed by someone. questions you think of which bring out the To give an alibi—to get an alibi. To consider someone an alien—to be considered an emotional meanings of the interaction con alien. cerned. We ask you to work hard because in so To allow someone to do something—to be allowed. doing we think that you will see the problems of the psychology of emotions in a very differ Only a few of the diverse emotions or feelings ent way from the orientation given them are mentioned above. They were selected from traditionally. You will see this field not only as the first 20 pages of The Pocket Oxford Diction unexplored but also as full of psychological ary (New York, 1927), which has 1010 pages. resources available to those who are ready to The list might have impressed you with the dig.