Empirical Studies of Projection: A Critical Review

Empirical work to date on the Freudian concept of projection is assessed. Previous reviews are considered and recent work integrated as well as material from several disciplines. This is an area with a substantial but convoluted research literature from which elements are distilled which seem essent...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human relations (New York) 1994-11, Vol.47 (11), p.1295-1319
Main Authors: Lewis, J. Rees, Bates, B. C., Lawrence, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
French literature
Projective identification
Psychoanalysis
Psychology
Social psychology
Social research
Studies
Subconscious
System theory
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Summary:Empirical work to date on the Freudian concept of projection is assessed. Previous reviews are considered and recent work integrated as well as material from several disciplines. This is an area with a substantial but convoluted research literature from which elements are distilled which seem essential for progress in the clarification of Projection, particularly with reference to its defensive qualities and its targeting. Of the many forms of projection that have been included in previous literature, two, Classical and Attributive (Holmes, 1868), are isolated as relevant to this paper. A “checklist” of pertinent factors for future designs is drawn up which integrates the strongest strands from work done under the rubric Social Psychology. It is concluded that despite the tenacity of the projection concept, work so far has provided a series of methodological caveats and much suggestive, but little conclusive data.
ISSN:0018-7267
1741-282X
DOI:10.1177/001872679404701101