Richard C. Erickson

The Dying Patient and the Double-Bind Hypothesis:

The double-bind hypothesis is applied to the communication patterns surrounding the dying patient. Significant others emit incongruent verbal and nonverbal messages as they attempt to conceal the patients impending death. Most attempts to conceal are misguided and futile not only because most dying patients suspect and/or want to know the truth, but also because the management of a host of verbal and nonverbal cues is virtually impossible. The potential for psychologically destructive social interactions is documented by drawing parallels with the schizophrenogenic double bind situation. Staff efforts should go into revealing rather than concealing the truth.

A review and critique of the process approach in neuropsychological assessment

This paper surveys the process approach literature with an emphasis on higher level cognitive functions like attention and concentration, learning and memory, and problem solving and executive functioning. In particular, it discusses organizational strategies and kinds of errors found on a variety of tests as well as behavioral, situational, and interpersonal issues as they relate to test procedures. It critiques the process approach and suggests future directions.

Abbreviating the Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological test battery.

Describes a brief and relatively data-rich abbreviated form of the Reitan. By employing the Trail Making Test, the Aphasia Screening Test, and Block Design and Digit Symbol from the WAIS, one can predict the presence and severity of organic impairment and comment on lateralization and localization. Findings are cross-validated.

Using the MMPI 168 with Medical Inpatients.

The potential utility of the MMPI 168 with two inpatient medical populations was explored in the present study. Correlations and clinically relevant comparisons suggested that the MMPI 168 predicted the standard MMPI with a high degree of accuracy.

Problems in the clinical assessment of memory

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of clinical memory testing in the light of recent theoretical and experimental advances in the study of human memory. It recounts some of the purposes of memory testing and inadequacies in the tests currently available. A brief review of information processing theory and experimental findings with Korsakoff patients and aged normals provides a number of considerations that must be attended to in developing more adequate memory tests in the future.

Using the MMPI 168 with alcoholics

The potential utility of the MMPI 168 with male alcoholics was explored. Correlations and some clinically relevant comparisons suggested that the MMPI 168 predicted the standard MMPI with a high degree of accuracy. However, high point codes and conclusions drawn from Goldbergs equations were not so promising, which suggests the need to establish the relative validity of the MMPI 168 by the use of external criteria.

Brain damage and five MMPI items with alcoholic patients.

The validity of Hoveys brain damage MMPI index for male alcoholic inpatients was investigated. With educational level controlled, the scale did not show significant relationships with established tests of cognitive and organic impairment. Significant correlations were found with measures of psychopathology. This suggests that only in populations in which neurological deficit is the main factor in variations in emotional and physical well-being will this type of index be useful to screen patients for brain damage. The results stress the importance of local cross-validation prior to the clinical use of measures such as Hoveys scale.