Mar ÁLVAREZ SEGURA INCREASE OF EGOCENTRICITY AS AN INDEX OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN PERSONALITY DISORDERS Tesis doctoral Internacional dirigida por Martín F. ECHAVARRIA (director) Paul C. VITZ (codirector) Universidad Abad Oliba CEU FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS SOCIALES Programa de doctorado en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales Departamento de Psicología 2015 2 Acknowledgements To my family, human and spiritual. El orgullo es el peor despilfarro de la vida, todos lo saben; pocos lo destruyen. Tu alma es luz dichosa donde Dios se refracta. F. Rielo 3 4 Resumen Este trabajo ofrece un estudio del concepto psicológico de "egocentricidad" para una mejor comprensión de las distorsiones de personalidad. Un adecuado conocimiento del mismo ayuda a clarificar cómo las decisiones éticas pueden afectar a ciertas facultades psicológicas y contribuir en mayor o menor medida a la cristalización de los trastornos de personalidad. Se trata por lo tanto de un trabajo que establece un puente entre la ética y la psicología práctica. Para este cometido se ha usado un modelo antropológico católico de la personalidad. Resum Aquest treball ofereix un estudi del concepte psicològic “d´egocentricitat” per una millor comprensió de les distorsions de la personalitat. Un coneixement escaient del terme ajuda a clarificar com les decisions ètiques poden afectar a certes facultats psicològiques i contribuir en major o menor mesura a la cristal·lització dels trastorns de personalitat. Es tracta per tant, d’un treball que estableix un pont entre l'ètica i la psicologia clínica. Per aquesta comesa s’ha utilitzat un model antropològic catòlic de la personalitat. Abstract This work presents a study of the psychological concept of "egocentricity" for a better understanding of distortions of personality. An adequate comprehension of this helps clarify how ethical decisions may affect certain psychological structures and contribute to a greater or lesser degree to the crystallisation of personality disorders. It deals therefore with establishing a bridge between ethics and clinical psychology. For this purpose, a Catholic anthropological model of personality has been used. Palabras claves / Keywords Egocentricidad- Neurosis- Trastornos de personalidad- Vicios- Virtudes- Voluntad Egocentricity- Neurosis – Personality disorders - Vices - Virtues- Free will 5 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 11 OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................. 13 CHAPTER ONE. THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF EGOCENTRICITY ....... 15 1.1. A brief history of egocentricity: cultural origins and disciplinary lines ................ 17 1.1.1. The cognitive-developmental view of egocentrism................................ 17 1.1.2. Narcissism as a psychoanalytic term ..................................................... 19 1.2. Narcissism and egocentricity: similarities and differences ................................ 19 1.3 Definition of egocentricity .................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER TWO. EGOCENTRICITY: INSIGHTS FROM NEUROSIS THEORIES.... 25 2.1. Definition of classical neurosis and egocentricity .............................................. 27 2.2. Neurosis development under egocentric rule according to Alfred Adler ........... 27 2.3. Neurosis and egocentricity according to Rudolf Allers ...................................... 29 2.4. Neurosis development according to Karen Horney ........................................... 30 2.4.1. Main consequences of neurotic development in human psychology .. 33 2.5. Contributions of Anna Terruwe .......................................................................... 35 2.5.1. Repression and neurosis ......................................................................... 35 2.6. Neurosis according to Igor Caruso: ethical and metaphysical meaning ........... 37 2.6.1. Metaphysical meaning: pride at the origin and the absolutization of the relative ........................................................................................................... 38 2.7. Lack of virtues and distortion of personality according to Martín F. Echavarría ....................................................................................................... 40 2.7.1. The desultory love of oneself .................................................................. 41 2.7.2. Pride as the severest disorder ................................................................ 42 2.8. Selfism as idolatry in Paul C. Vitz’s theory ........................................................ 44 CHAPTER THREE. MODEL OF ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT PERSONALITY DISORDERS ............................................................................................................... 47 3.1 Personality disorders: definition and controversy ............................................... 49 3.2. Model of analysis of personality disorders ......................................................... 51 3.2.1. Material and Formal Cause ..................................................................... 53 3.2.2. Efficient Cause ......................................................................................... 55 3.2.3. Final Cause............................................................................................... 58 3.2.4. The Bodiliness Domain ............................................................................ 61 7 3.2.5. Rationality Domain or Intellect ................................................................. 62 3.2.6. Volitionality Domain or Will ...................................................................... 62 3.2.7. Interpersonal Domain or Relationality..................................................... 63 3.2.8. Substantially One ..................................................................................... 64 3.3. Attachment theory and personality disorders .................................................... 70 CHAPTER FOUR. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATION BETWEEN EGOCENTRICITY AND PERSONALITY DISORDERS ............................................................................ 77 4.1. Analysis of personality disorders ....................................................................... 79 4.2 Avoidant Personality Disorder ............................................................................ 81 4.2.1. Material and Formal Cause ..................................................................... 81 4.2.2. Final Cause ............................................................................................... 82 4.2.3. Efficient Cause.......................................................................................... 82 4.2.4. Bodiliness Domain .................................................................................... 83 4.2.5. Rational Domain ....................................................................................... 84 4.2.6. Volitional Domain...................................................................................... 84 4.2.7. Relational Domain .................................................................................... 85 4.2.8. Vicious Establishment .............................................................................. 85 4.3. Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder..................................................... 90 4.3.1. Material and Formal Cause ..................................................................... 90 4.3.2. Final Cause ............................................................................................... 91 4.3.3. Efficient Cause.......................................................................................... 92 4.3.4. Bodiliness Domain .................................................................................... 93 4.3.5. Relational Domain .................................................................................... 94 4.3.6. Rational Domain ....................................................................................... 94 4.3.7. Volitional Domain...................................................................................... 95 4.3.8. Vicious Establishment .............................................................................. 96 4.4. Borderline Personality Disorder ......................................................................... 99 4.4.1. Material and Formal Cause ..................................................................... 99 4.4.2. Final Cause ............................................................................................. 100 4.4.3. Bodiliness Domain .................................................................................. 101 4.4.4. Relational Domain .................................................................................. 101 4.4.5. Rational Domain ..................................................................................... 102 4.4.6. Volitional Domain.................................................................................... 102 8 4.4.7. Efficient Cause ....................................................................................... 103 4.4.8. Vicious Establishment ............................................................................ 105 4.5. Narcissistic Personality Disorder ..................................................................... 109 4.5.1. Material and Formal Cause ..................................................................