Mar ÁLVAREZ SEGURA INCREASE OF EGOCENTRICITY AS AN INDEX OF ...

164 Pages·2015·4.42 MB·Spanish

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 ................................................................... 109
4.5.2. Final Cause............................................................................................. 111
4.5.3. Efficient Cause ....................................................................................... 111
4.5.4. Bodiliness Domain ................................................................................. 113
4.5.5. Rational Domain ..................................................................................... 114
4.5.6. Relational Domain .................................................................................. 114
4.5.7. Volitional Domain ................................................................................... 115
4.5.8. Vicious Establishment ............................................................................ 116
4.6. Psychopathic Personality Disorder .................................................................. 120
4.6.1. Material and Formal Cause ................................................................... 120
4.6.2. Final Cause............................................................................................. 124
4.6.3. Efficient Cause ....................................................................................... 124
4.6.4. Bodiliness Domain ................................................................................. 126
4.6.5. Rational Domain ..................................................................................... 126
4.6.6. Volitional Domain ................................................................................... 127
4.6.7. Relational Domain .................................................................................. 127
4.6.8. Vicious Establishment ............................................................................ 127

CHAPTER FIVE. COMPLEXITY OF EGOCENTRICITY VERSUS SIMPLICITY OF
SELF-GIVING ........................................................................................................... 133
5.1. Relation of egocentricity and vicious pattern ................................................... 135
5.2. Progressive increase in egocentricity at different domains in personality
disorders ........................................................................................................ 136
5.2.1. Bodiliness Domain ................................................................................. 136
5.2.2. Rational Domain ..................................................................................... 140
5.2.3. Relational Domain .................................................................................. 141
5.2.4. Volitional Domain ................................................................................... 142
5.4. Ethical Consequences of egocentricity ............................................................ 145
5.5. Therapeutic consequences of self-giving ........................................................ 147

CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................... 151
BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 155
9
10