Citation

Plutchik R, Van Praag HM. J. Offender Rehabil. 1994; 21(3-4): 173-186.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1300/J076v21n03_11

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper deals with correlates of suicide and violence risk and attempts to integrate the findings in terms of a theory called a two-stage model of countervailing forces. This model assumes that the strength of the aggressive inipulse is controlled by different classes of variables called amplifiers and attenuators. They also influence the direction of the aggressive impulse when a threshold level has been assed. Examples of amplifiers of the aggressive impulse that have been empirically idelhed are: depression, inipulsivity, feelings of anger, recent psychiatric symptoms, rejection by one's father, and use of displacement as a defense mechanism. Examples of attenuators are: social supports, high ego strength, sociability in father and mother and use of denial as a defense mechanism. The vectorial interaction of amplifiers and attenuators creates an unstable equilibrium making prediction of suicide and violence extremely difficult. © 1994 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Language: en