Search research articles

Related Concept Videos

Extrasensory Perception

Extrasensory Perception

Extrasensory perception, or ESP, suggests the ability to perceive events beyond the conventional senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Parapsychologists, who research ESP and related psychic phenomena, categorize ESP into three main types: precognition, telepathy, and clairvoyance.
Precognition involves foreseeing future events, such as predicting an accident before it happens. An example of precognition could be someone dreaming about a specific event, like a car crash, which then occurs...

Structuralism

Structuralism

Structuralism, an early psychological theory developed by Wilhelm Wundt and his student Edward Bradford Titchener, sought to dissect the human mind into its most fundamental components. Wundt's groundbreaking work in his laboratory set the stage for Titchener to define structuralism's goal as cataloging the "atoms" of the mind—sensations, images, and feelings—akin to how chemists identify elements of matter.
Titchener's approach to structuralism was unique. He employed introspection, a method...

Structure of Self

Structure of Self

Sigmund Freud's model of the human psyche is often illustrated using an iceberg analogy. The iceberg's visible tip represents the conscious mind, which includes thoughts and perceptions that individuals are immediately aware of. However, the larger, submerged portion of the iceberg represents the unconscious mind, a reservoir of repressed desires, instincts, and memories. According to Freud, human behavior is primarily shaped by this hidden realm.
Components of the Mind: Id, Ego, and Superego

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality

The psychodynamic perspective in psychology asserts that most personality functions operate unconsciously, outside of awareness. This means that the motives and emotions driving behavior often remain hidden, automatically buried in the unconscious mind as a defense mechanism to shield us from psychological distress. According to this theory, the unconscious mind contains thoughts, memories, and emotions that are too disturbing to face directly.
Psychodynamic theorists argue that unconscious...

Jung's Analytical Theory

Jung's Analytical Theory

Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and former follower of Freud, eventually broke away from Freud's ideas to create his framework, analytical psychology. This approach emphasizes achieving a balance between the conscious and unconscious aspects of the mind and reconciling various experiences within an individual's personality. Jung believed that this process, which typically unfolds in the latter part of life, involves an ongoing journey of recognizing and incorporating unconscious elements into...

Defining Psychology

Defining Psychology

Psychology is the scientific discipline dedicated to understanding both observable behavior and the internal mental processes underlying such behavior. It aims to comprehend human nature and apply this understanding to solve practical problems, enhance well-being, and improve societal outcomes. An example of psychology's application is the study of prosocial behavior, such as why and under what conditions individuals might help strangers in need. This process involves describing observed...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Capturing both sides of the therapeutic dyad: A validation study of the revised rupture resolution rating system (3RSv2022).

Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research·2026

Same author

The long-term effectiveness of psychodynamic and analytical psychotherapy in routine care: Results from a naturalistic study over 6 years.

Journal of consulting and clinical psychology·2025

Same author

Dramatic storytelling and naming subjective experiences in psychodynamic treatments of depressed women: An exploratory study of assimilative functions of narrating.

Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research·2023

Same author

Efficacy of high-intensity versus low-intensity psychoanalytically oriented long-term treatments and determinants of outcome: individual participant data Meta-analysis of Long-term Analytic treatment Studies (MeLAS).

BMJ open·2023

Same author

Banter in psychotherapy: Relationship to treatment type, therapeutic alliance, and therapy outcome.

Journal of clinical psychology·2023

Same author

Can we differentiate between psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy? - An empirical investigation of therapists' self-reports.

Zeitschrift fur Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie·2022

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

Psychic structure: exploring an empirically still unknown territory.

Günther Klug¹, Dorothea Huber

¹Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Clinic of Harlaching, Municipal Hospitals, Ltd. psychosomatik_klug@khmh.de

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association

|March 10, 2009

Summary

The Scales of Psychological Capacities (SPC) effectively measure psychic structure. This study confirmed the SPC

More Related Videos

A Naturalistic Setup for Presenting Real People and Live Actions in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Studies

A Naturalistic Setup for Presenting Real People and Live Actions in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Studies

Published on: August 4, 2023

Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues

Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues

Published on: June 3, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Perspectives on Neuroscience

Published on: July 31, 2007

A Naturalistic Setup for Presenting Real People and Live Actions in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Studies

A Naturalistic Setup for Presenting Real People and Live Actions in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Studies

Published on: August 4, 2023

Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues

Perceptual and Category Processing of the Uncanny Valley Hypothesis' Dimension of Human Likeness: Some Methodological Issues

Published on: June 3, 2013

Area of Science:

Psychology
Psychiatry
Psychotherapy Research

Background:

The Scales of Psychological Capacities (SPC) were created to assess structural changes in psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapies.
Examining the psychometric properties of the SPC is crucial for validating its use in assessing psychic structure.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the construct validity of the SPC as a measure of psychic structure.
To verify differences in psychic structure among borderline patients, depressive patients, and healthy controls using the SPC.
To assess the SPC's ability to differentiate self- and object representations across these groups.

Main Methods:

A known-groups approach was employed to examine the predictive validity of the SPC.
The SPC was administered to a sample comprising 33 borderline patients, 36 depressed women, and 36 healthy controls.

Main Results:

The study confirmed significant differences in psychic structure between borderline patients, depressive patients, and healthy controls, as measured by the SPC.
The SPC accurately reflected the predicted pattern of inconsistent and divergent self- and object representations, being most frequent in borderline patients, followed by depressive patients, and least in healthy controls.

Conclusions:

The Scales of Psychological Capacities (SPC) demonstrate empirical evidence of being a valid instrument for assessing psychic structure.
The findings support the SPC's utility in differentiating psychological structures across clinical and non-clinical populations.