Need associations and psychopathology

The 1960 Picture Identification Test (PIT) provides association scores for 210 need dyads derived from 21 Murray needs. Association scores for 16 clinical-control group pairs were analyzed for differences by t test. The clinical groups represented schizophrenic, neurotic, sex disturbance, and behavior disorder categories. Assertive needs produced the largest number od dyads which discriminated (p less than .05) clinical and control groups. Schizophrenic groups had the largest number of differences from normal controls. Schizophrenics tended to under-associate pairs of Assertive needs, as compared to normals, whereas other groups tended to over-associate these needs. Clinical groups in general over-associated 379 need dyads and under-associated 99 dyads (p less than .05). These results suggest that the frustations of maladjusted people, with regard to need association, are most generally related to insuficient conceptual differentiation of needs.