Cognitive rigidity in suicide attempters

A number of investigators have reported evidence of cognitive rigidity in suicide attempters (e.g., Levenson & Neuringer, 1971; Neuringer, 1964; Patsiokas, Clum, & Luscomb, 1979). It is important to note, however, that in all of the studies that found suicide attempters to be rigid, the test batteries had been administered to persons during their period of hospitalization immediately following a suicide attempt-thus, presumably, while they were still in the crisis period. The present study was designed as a step toward determining whether cognitive rigidity is a personality trait of suicide attempters or simply a transient characteristic limited to the crisis period. We administered tests for rigidity to persons who had attempted suicide but were well past the crisis period. These persons were less rigid than attempters from previous studies on the Rokeach Map Test (p less than .05) and the Alternate Uses Test (p less than .001). The implication is that if indeed there is a suicidal personality, rigidity is not a defining trait.