Obsessive-compulsive distress and its dynamic associations with schizotypy, borderline personality, and dreaming

Abstract

This study explores the relationships among obsessive-compulsive disturbance, dream experiences, affect valence, magical ideation, splitting defense, and superego functions. The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory–Revised, Dream Intensity Scale, Dream Motif Scale, NEO Five-Factor Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Beck Anxiety Inventory, State-Trait Anger Expression Iventory-2, Magical Ideation Scale, Splitting Scale, and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale were administered to 594 participants. The results indicate that the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms vary most robustly with the intensities of trait anxiety, trait anger, anger suppression, splitting defense, dream themes involving superego-ego ideal functioning, and the diffusion of dream-reality memories. Although dream experiences can serve as significant indicators of detecting people with high obsessive-compulsive tendencies, their predictive power is weaker than that of emotional factors. Obsessional neurosis shares similar psychodynamics with schizotypal and borderline personality disorders; yet, as reflected by their differential patterns of associations with dream variables, they are three distinctive conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)