Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Pseudostupidity and analyzability.

L S Cohn1

  • 1Washington-Baltimore Institute for Psychoanalysis.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
|January 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study explores pseudostupidity, a condition where intellectual capacity is masked by inhibited thinking. Psychoanalytic treatment revealed this often stems from unconscious desires to avoid surpassing one's father.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Urinary excretion of thromboxane B2 in patients with venous thromboembolic disease.

Chest·1984
Same author

Scrutiny of parental relationships in affecting the behavior of effeminate boys.

The American journal of psychiatry·1970
Same journal

Why I Write: My Journey.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·2026
Same journal

Book Essay: Perspectives on Aging: Countering Ageism in Psychoanalytic ThoughtMidlife: Humanity's Secret Weapon. By <i>Andrew Jamieson</i>. Burneside, UK: Notting Hill Editions, 2022, 144 pp., $19.95 hardcover.Psychoanalysis of Aging and Maturity: The Concept of Maturescence. By <i>Guillermo Julio Montero</i>. Abington, UK: Routledge, 2020, 144 pp., $34.49 paperback.Blooming in December: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy With Older Adults. By <i>Amy Schaffer</i>. Abington, UK: Routledge, 2021, 119 pp., $27.24 paperback.Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and Well You Live. By <i>Becca Levy</i>. New York: HarperCollins, 2022, 294 pp., $15.99 paperback.Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife. By <i>Barbara Bradley Hagerty</i>. New York: Riverhead, 2016, 451 pp., $24.00 paperback.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·2026
Same journal

From the Editors.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·2026
Same journal

Essay: Marianne Goldberger: A Mold-Breaking Psychoanalyst in Her Time, and Importantly, for Ours.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·2026
Same journal

Why I Podcast.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·2026
Same journal

The Humanistic Basis of Psychoanalytic Practice.

Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Psychoanalysis
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Pseudostupidity is characterized by a discrepancy between a patient's intellectual capacity and their apparent intellect.
  • This condition arises from an inhibition in the integration and synthesis of thoughts.
  • Understanding pseudostupidity is crucial for effective psychoanalytic treatment.

Observation:

  • A detailed case study of a pseudostupid patient undergoing psychoanalytic treatment is presented.
  • The patient's pseudostupidity was linked to an unconscious need to avoid outperforming his father (oedipal rival).
  • The patient identified with his father's passive, masochistic stance, leading to defensive behaviors.

Findings:

  • The patient's inhibition of knowledge acquisition and learning was instinctualized.

Related Experiment Videos

  • The patient sought to frustrate the analyst, mirroring his own feelings of frustration and helplessness.
  • Countertransference dynamics were clinically significant, aiding in the analytical process.

    • Implications:

    • Psychoanalytic interpretation of the patient's issues led to increased anxiety and guilt, but reduced pseudostupidity.
    • Therapeutic progress included a strengthened patient-analyst alliance and eventual working through of conflicts.
    • Negative therapeutic reactions were observed following the resolution of pseudostupidity, indicating complex emotional shifts.