Carol Popp

The Core Conflictual Relationship Theme

This article presents a brief but comprehensive guide to the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT) method, including its scoring, its reliability, and its validity in relation to CCRT congruent evidence that is within Freuds observations about transference. The usual CCRT method is concretely illustrated through its application to a sample interview; an extension of the CCRT is also illustrated in order to help distinguish parts of the CCRT of which the person is less aware.

An examination of three methods of psychodynamic formulation based on the same videotaped interview

While psychodynamic theory and therapy are approaching their centennial, the science of psychodynamics is still in an earlier developmental stage. Any scientific field generates the most controversy and excitement when it is still developing. For psychodynamic psychology this means that its basic units of observation as well as its rules for justifying clinical inference in formulating and testing dynamic hypotheses require more development. In short, we are still evaluating different methods for both discovering and validating psychodynamic propositions. This is especially true for central features of dynamic psychology, including intrapsychic conflict, relationships, and transference patterns. This report compares three different methods for making a dynamic case formulation: 1) the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT) of Luborsky (Crits-Christoph and Luborsky 1985a,b; Luborsky 1976, 1977, 1984, and companion paper in this issue; Levine and Luborsky 1981), 2) the Plan Diagnosis (PD) method of Silberschatz, Curtis and colleagues of the Mount Zion group (Caston 1986; Curtis and Silberschatz 1986; Rosenberg et al. 1986; Curtis et al. 1988) and, 3) the Idiographic Conflict Formulation (ICF) of Perry and Cooper (1985, 1986, and companion paper in this issue). Each has a slightly different focus. The CCRT focuses on relationship patterns as the central feature of individual dynamics and transference in or out of the treatment situation. The Plan Diagnosis focuses on dynamic features related to transference, resistance and insight in therapy. The Idiographic Conflict Formulation focuses on stress and internal conflict, and the individuals adaptation to them in or out of treatment.

Repetitive relationship themes in waking narratives and dreams

The aims of the study were to see whether the core conflictual relationship theme (CCRT) measure can be reliably applied to dreams and to evaluate the degree to which the main components of the CCRT are present in both dreams and waking narratives in psychotherapy. For 13 psychoanalytic cases, the reliability of the CCRT was found to be good. Dreams and narratives were found to contain significant degrees of similarity in their CCRT components and similar and high level of negativity in both dreams and waking narratives. The results support the concept of a central relationship pattern that can be expressed in common in both waking narratives and dreams.

Common and Special Factors in Different Transference-Related Measures

This paper discusses the essence of what is in common among these seven transference-related measures. They all turn out to be moderately similar. The most similar of all are the CRPF, the SASB-CMP, the CCRT, and the FRAME methods. Their primary clinical applications are: to help in deriving reliable formulations, in focusing on transference-related congruent treatment interventions and in locating the conflicts associated with recurrent symptoms.

A method of choosing CCRT scorers

This study compared interjudge agreement in 2 sample cases in which both experienced as well as inexperienced scorers were used. Scorers were given only a single page of core conflictual relationship theme (CCRT) instructions to help them learn the method. The results in both cases suggest that there was significantly greater interjudge agreement among experienced CCRT scorers compared with inexperienced scorers.

Relationships between God and People in the Bible, Part II: The New Testament, with Comparisons with the Torah

Abstract In an earlier study on the first five books of the Bible, the Torah or Pentateuch, relationships between God and people were assessed with the use of a clinical-quantitative method, the core conflictual relationship theme (CCRT) method. Here, the study is extended to God or Jesuss relationships with people in the New Testament, to obtain the first description of those relationships based on an established measure of relationships. In the New Testament, many different kinds of relationship themes were observed, with benevolent and positive themes as the most frequent. Other results included that: (a) relationships in the New Testament often appeared more positive than in the Torah; (b) New Testament relationships between Jesus and people were less positive than between God and people; and (c) Gods relationship with Jesus was more positive than Gods relationship with Moses. Relationships with Paul, Peter, and women were also assessed. Relationship patterns were considered within the context of attachment theory, and biblical CCRT patterns were consistent with depiction of both secure and anxious attachments. Biblical relationships portray a variety of models for interpersonal relationships, ranging from the very positive to the very negative.

Relationships Between God and People in the Bible: A Core Conflictual Relationship Theme Study of the Pentateuch/Torah

Abstract The most widely known images of God are from the Bible. An important characteristic of these images is their portrayal of Gods interactions with people. Although there have been many religious and literary discussions of Gods relationships with people in the Bible, no systematic psychological assessment has been reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was an innovation: to identify patterns of relationship between God and people portrayed in the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch or Torah, by using the core conflictual relationship theme (CCRT) method, a widely used scoring system for the assessment of interpersonal relationships. Reliability for the application of the CCRT method to relationship episode narratives in the Pentateuch/Torah was assessed and found to be very good. Results show that the most frequent theme in relationship episode narratives about God and people is that God is helpful. Two less frequent but also highly repetitive themes are that God controls or hurts the other person. Many differences were found between relationship themes defined by the type of person with whom God interacted: patriarch, Moses, woman, non-Israelite, or not a non-Israelite. Thus, the CCRT results identify several different patterns of relationship between God and people.