Interaction analysis of change in social performance and personality functioning in a therapeutic community...

This is an introductory presentation of research carried out at the Henderson Hospital, London, England. The hospital is a therapeutic community for young people diagnosed as personality disorders [24,32]. The sample includes all patients admitted to the hospital during one year commencing 1/3/1971. Rather than studying either personality or performance separately this study is an attempt to learn more how social performance is relevant to personality change. This is done through interaction analysis. Within the scope of this paper I shall also attempt a brief description of the focal problems, examined, their operationalization in research methods, expected results, and a preliminary discussion of three demonstrative cases.