This volume fills a significant gap in the literature by presenting a comprehensive and detailed review of what is known about the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of dependency. The volume opens with a review of theoretical frameworks that have influenced previous research on dependency. An overview and critique of commonly used assessment techniques contrasts the strengths and weaknesses of objective, projective, behavioral and interview-based dependency scales. Chapters covering etiology deal with the development of dependency at various stages of the life cycle and allow for comparison of the predictive validities of two important theoretical frameworks: the psychoanalytic and social learning models. Social and interpersonal consequences are considered, with attention to both the person's behavior and its effect on others. The chapter on psychopathological dependency thoroughly covers the enormous amount of research on this subject. Dependent personality disorder is next addressed, as well as the relationship of dependency to risk for physical disorders, followed by a discussion of dependent individuals as psychiatric and medical patients. In the concluding chapter, Bornstein presents a new theoretical model, expanding on the traditional view of dependency as a deficit to encompass the positive, adaptive qualities of dependent individuals as well.
1. Dependency in Context: Conceptual and Theoretical Frameworks Theoretical Models of Dependency The Psychoanalytic and Social Learning Models of Dependency: A Comparison Domains of Dependency Research Defining Dependency 2. Assessing Dependency Objective and Projective Dependency Measures Interview and Rating Measures Psychometric Issues 3. The Development of Dependency The Epigenesis of Dependency Evaluating the Psychoanalytic and Social Learning Models with Respect to the Etiology of Dependency Dependency, Gender, and Sex Role 4. Interpersonal Correlates of Dependency Dependency, Suggestibility, Yielding, and Compliance Dependency, Help Seeking, Interpersonal Sensitivity, and Affiliation Dependency, Evaluation, and Performance Anxiety 5. Dependency as a Social Cue Dependency and Sociometric Status Dependency and Helping Dependency and Abusive Behavior 6. Dependency and Psychopathology Dependency and Depression Dependency and Phobias Dependency and Alcoholism Dependency and Smoking Dependency and Substance Use Disorders Dependency, Obesity, and Eating Disorders Disentangling the Dependency Psychopathology Relationship 7. Dependent Personality Disorder The Construct Validity of the DPD Symptom Criteria The Prevalence of DPD Sex Differences in DPD 8. Dependency and Physical Disorders The Dependency Disease Link: Historical Roots The Dependency Disease Link: Empirical Evidence Some Possible Mechanisms Underlying the Dependency Disease Relationship 9. Dependency and Parenthood Dependency and Help Seeking in Clinical Settings Dependency and Treatment Compliance Dependency, Perceptions of the Psychotherapist, and Psychotherapy Preference 10. The Dependent Personality: Toward an Integrated Theoretical Model Toward an Integrated Theoretical Model of Dependency The Future of Dependency Research A Final Comment References Author Index Subject Index
