The psychology of functional neuroses / Harry L. Hollingworth.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hollingworth, Harry L., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Psychology, Pathological.

Neuroses.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiii, 259 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

New York : D Appleton & Company, 1920.

Summary:

This chapter is excerpted from The Psychology of Functional Neuroses (1920, published by D. Appleton and Company, New York). Hamilton long ago used the term "redintegration" to indicate the tendency of a complex idea to be reinstated upon the occurrence of one of its constituent parts. This atomic conception of the nature of an "idea" we may willingly relinquish, even though the substitution of "cortical pattern" for "idea" makes the term entirely compatible with current neurological theory. But the redintegrative mechanism, whereby a part reinstates a previous whole, is one of the most enlightening concepts ever offered to psychology, and, as the writer is convinced, to neuropsychiatry also. If we make certain changes in the materials involved in the redintegrative process, it can be shown with little difficulty that this mechanism is most faithfully applicable to the psychoneurotic picture. The nature of the changes will be suggested by a statement of the nature of the redintegrative mechanism, as this mechanism is here conceived. Redintegration is to be conceived as that type of process in which a part of a complex stimulus provokes the complete reaction that was previously made to the complex stimulus as a whole. That a "part of an idea" may occur may be doubted, hence Hamilton's use of the concept fell into disrepute. But that a part of a stimulus may occur no one will probably dispute, and that such a partial stimulus may provoke a reaction previously made to the complete stimulus, may be easily demonstrated. The roles of the redintegrative process in functional neuroses is explored in this chapter. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Notes:

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