Personality and Arousal

Experimental Psychology, Volume 4: Personality and Arousal: A Psychophysiological Study of Psychiatric Disorder describes a series of overlapping studies carried out over a number of years and using a very wide variety of experimental techniques in both neurotic and psychotic patients. This book is composed of nine chapters. The first five chapters are concerned with neurosis, especially with the detailed examination of Eysenck's theory of dysthymia-hysteria. The succeeding two chapters explore some exploratory studies of psychosis looked at from a similar psychophysiological viewpoint. The remaining chapters propose a theory of psychiatric disorder and some of the implications of this theory for the study of problems in the field of personality that are not directly tackled n previous chapters. This book will prove useful to psychologists, psychiatrists, and research workers who are interested in the field of personality.

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1. The Theoretical Background

Eysenck's Theory of Personality

The Arousal Interpretation of Eysenck's Theory: a Working Hypothesis

Chapter 2. Arousability and the Sedation Threshold

Introduction

Sedation Threshold in Neurotic and Normal Subjects

Discussion and Conclusions

Summary

Chapter 3. Autonomic and EEG Correlates of Arousal

Some Theoretical Considerations

Description of the Data

Physiological Correlates of Sedation Threshold

Intercorrelation of Autonomic Measures

Correlation of Autonomic and EEG Measures

Conclusions

Summary

Chapter 4. Dysthymia-Hysteria and Psychological Performance

Arousal, Drive, and Excitation-Inhibition

Plan of Investigation

Experimental Findings

Discussion and Conclusions

Summary

Chapter 5. Causal and Descriptive Analysis of Dysthymia-Hysteria

Introduction

Introversion-Extraversion and Dysthymia-Hysteria

The Causal Interaction of Extra version and Neuroticism

Discussion and Conclusions

Summary

Chapter 6. Studies in Psychosis. I. Inter-Group Comparisons

Introduction

Description of Subjects

Experimental Findings

Conclusions

Summary

Chapter 7. Studies in Psychosis. II. Intra-Group Analysis

Introduction

Sedation Threshold and Spiral after-Effect in Psychosis

Autonomic Correlates

Clinical Correlates

Performance Correlates

Discussion

Summary

Chapter 8. Theoretical Integration. I. A Theory of Neurosis and Psychosis

Introduction

Neurophysiological Evidence

A Causal and Descriptive Model of Psychiatric Disorder

Summary

Chapter 9. Theoretical Integration. II. Implications of the Theory for Further Research

Introduction

The Normal Personality

Psychiatric Disorder

Physical Methods of Treatment

Concluding Remarks

Appendix. The Sedation Threshold: Pharmacological Considerations

Some General Factors Influencing Barbiturate Anaesthesia

Selection of an Index of Central Sensitivity

Peripheral Mechanisms

Measurement of the Sedation Threshold

Interpretation

Bibliography

Author Index

Subject Index