Date of Award

1991

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Professional Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Patrick Openlander

Second Advisor

Jesse Harris

Third Advisor

Michael Runcie

Abstract

There was a two-fold purpose for this study: first, to investigate the view held by many graphoanalysts that guilt can be assessed by the identification of the stroke of "self-castigation". The second purpose was to investigate the relationship between the emotions of guilt and shame, and to further suggest to graphoanalysts the various traits to look for when evaluating the presence or absence of guilt and/or shame operating in the personality.

Thirty subjects were administered a guilt measurement test and a standard text model which was duplicated in their handwriting for comparisons and correlation with the stroke of "self-castigation". The results supported the author's hypothesis that there is no significant correlation between the "self-castigation" stroke and guilt or anxiety.

The study's conclusion shows the importance for graphoanalysts to understand the global impact of guilt and shame in the personality and to be better able to evaluate these emotions when doing analysis.

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