Measuring Selfobject Needs of Patients in Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

Abstract

Self psychology is a psychoanalytic theory that was developed by Heinz Kohut in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Although self psychology has a significant theoretical foundation, there is limited empirical support for its constructs. This work proposes an empirical study in order to address the scarcity of empirical evidence for self psychology. Prior to establishing the mechanics of the study itself, this dissertation will begin by defining the relevant aspects of the theory of self psychology. For self psychology,the Selfobject Needs Inventory (SONI) is one of the few measures designed to empirically evaluate an individual’s selfobject needs. The proposed study will attempt to replicate findings from previous clinical and non-clinical research. Specifically, this work will lay out the details for a study designed to examine the reliability of the SONI within a substance use population and clarify the relationships between selfobject needs, attachment style, and symptom report. The proposed study would address three hypotheses: first, evaluating the structural validity of the SONI itself; second, evaluating whether selfobject experiences as measured by the SONI account for differences in reported attachment styles; and third, evaluating whether selfobject experiences as measured by the SONI account for differences in reported level of distress and symptomology. The limitations of this proposed study along with areas for further research are also identified.