Difference between revisions of "Splitting (psychology)"
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=== Splitting and delusional/toxic amnesia === | === Splitting and delusional/toxic amnesia === | ||
| − | Narcissists may use an [[unconscious]] defense mechanism called splitting to eliminate bad behavior from their memory. Splitting is similar to [[denialism|denial]] and distortion, but more closely related to [[dissociation]]. When a narcissist uses splitting, they are unaware they are doing this, but when this happens, they will lose certain memories of bad behavior. This type of splitting is casually referred to as delusional or toxic amnesia.<ref>Giacomin, M., Brinton, C., & Rule, N. O. (2022). Narcissistic individuals exhibit poor recognition memory. Journal of Personality, 90(5), 675-689. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12690</ | + | Narcissists may use an [[unconscious]] defense mechanism called splitting to eliminate bad behavior from their memory. Splitting is similar to [[denialism|denial]] and distortion, but more closely related to [[dissociation]]. When a narcissist uses splitting, they are unaware they are doing this, but when this happens, they will lose certain memories of bad behavior. This type of splitting is casually referred to as delusional or toxic amnesia.<ref>Giacomin, M., Brinton, C., & Rule, N. O. (2022). Narcissistic individuals exhibit poor recognition memory. Journal of Personality, 90(5), 675-689. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12690</ref><ref>[https://spsp.org/news/character-and-context-blog/giacomin-narcissists-have-poor-memory Narcissists Have Poor Memory for the World Around Them] by MIRANDA GIACOMIN who is an assistant professor at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She is also personality psychologist</ref><ref>[https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/peaceful-parenting/202307/a-narcissists-freakiest-weapon-delusional-amnesia Why Narcissists Can Forget Their Own Bad Behavior] by Erin Leonard Ph.D.</ref> |
== Splitting and its effects on relationships == | == Splitting and its effects on relationships == | ||
Revision as of 18:58, April 25, 2024
The psychological defense mechanism of splitting often occurs in people with narcissistic personality disorder.[1]
Splitting is a psychological defense mechanism that causes individuals to engage in the extreme binary thinking of black-and-white thinking, all-or-nothing thinking and thinking in extremes.[2] Splitting is a distorted way of thinking in which the positive or negative attributes of a person, thing or event are neither weighed nor are they cohesive.[3]
It occurs commonly in people with borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.[4][5][6][7]
Contents
Symptoms of splitting
Symptoms of splitting include:[8]
- Impulsivity (Acting without consideration to consequences)
- Denialism (Consciously and persistently ignoring a fact or reality)
- Emotional hypochondriasis (Attempting to get others to understand how severe your emotional pain is)
- Omnipotence (An exaggerated belief that one possesses superiority in intelligence or power)
- Passive aggression (Indirect expressions of hostility)
- Projection (assigning an undesirable emotion to someone else)
- Projective identification (Denying your own feelings and projecting them onto someone. Subsequently, behaving toward that person in a way that forces them to respond to you with the feelings you projected onto them)
Splitting and delusional/toxic amnesia
Narcissists may use an unconscious defense mechanism called splitting to eliminate bad behavior from their memory. Splitting is similar to denial and distortion, but more closely related to dissociation. When a narcissist uses splitting, they are unaware they are doing this, but when this happens, they will lose certain memories of bad behavior. This type of splitting is casually referred to as delusional or toxic amnesia.[9][10][11]
Splitting and its effects on relationships
See also: Narcissism and divorce
According to Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD:[13]
Splitting can interfere with relationships and lead to intense and self-destructive behaviors. An individual who engages in splitting will typically frame people or events in terms that are absolute, with no middle ground for discussion.
Examples of splitting behavior may include:
- Opportunities can either have "no risk" or be a "complete con"
- People can either be completely "evil" and "crooked" or completely "angels" and "perfect". Due to splitting, various noble or ignoble acts of individuals are discarded in the minds of people with this cognitive distortion depending on whether the individual is "completely evil" or "completely perfect".
- Science, history, or news is either a "complete fact" or a "complete lie". Probabilistic evaluations are discarded.
- Things are either "always" or "never"
Splitting and borderline personality disorder
- What is splitting in borderline personality disorder (BPD)?, Medical News Today
- What Is BPD Splitting? Signs, Effects & How to Cope by Eric Patterson, LPC
Splitting, narcissistic personality disorder and self-concept
Donna Gardner Essert notes in her academic work Narcissism: Causes, Types and Treatment For the Novice Therapist:
| “ | Another form of splitting is that of dividing oneself in two parts, instead of being the "whole-object" in which the bad part of the self integrated along with the good part of the self. In other words, one rejects one half of oneself. One becomes a half-object in which only the "image" of the good, or ideal-self is accepted, and the bad-self, being too uncomfortable causes one's own faults to be falsified, repressed, and denied so that the Narcissist doesn't have to face them. The part-self that is accepted is the mythical "perfect self" or ideal-self.[14] | ” |
Journal articles
- No shades of gray: Splitting and self-esteem instability, Personality and Individual Differences. Volume 45, Issue 2, July 2008, Pages 139-145
- Narcissistic Personality Inventory factors, splitting, and self-consciousness, Journal of Personality Assessment. 1993 Aug;61(1):41-57. doi: 10.1207/s15327752jpa6101_4.
See also
External links
- "SPLITTING" AT WORK: How High-Conflict People Divide Organizations by Bill Eddy, Co-Founder & CINO, High Conflict Institute
Videos:
- Splitting; A Primary Defense Mechanism of Narcissists and Borderlines by Shannon Petrovich LCSW
- Splitting In Borderline And Narcissistic Personality Disorder: What It Does TO Us In Childhood by Dr. Kim Sage, Licensed Psychologist
References
- ↑ Mary C. Zanarini; Jolie L. Weingeroff & Frances R. Frankenburg (April 2009). "Defense Mechanisms Associated with Borderline Personality Disorder". J Pers Disord. 23 (2): 113–121. doi:10.1521/pedi.2009.23.2.113. PMC 3203733. PMID 19379090.
- ↑ Splitting and Borderline Personality Disorder by Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, VeryWellMind.com
- ↑ Splitting and Borderline Personality Disorder by Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, VeryWellMind.com
- ↑ Splitting and Borderline Personality Disorder by Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, VeryWellMind.com
- ↑ Mary C. Zanarini; Jolie L. Weingeroff & Frances R. Frankenburg (April 2009). "Defense Mechanisms Associated with Borderline Personality Disorder". J Pers Disord. 23 (2): 113–121. doi:10.1521/pedi.2009.23.2.113. PMC 3203733. PMID 19379090.
- ↑ Key Concept: Splitting, Dr. Craig Childress: Attachment Based "Parental Alienation" (AB-PA). A Scientifically Based Model of "Parental Alienation"
- ↑ Alexander Abdennur. The Narcissistic Principle of Equivalence. pp. 88a–89.
- ↑ Splitting and Borderline Personality Disorder by Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, VeryWellMind.com
- ↑ Giacomin, M., Brinton, C., & Rule, N. O. (2022). Narcissistic individuals exhibit poor recognition memory. Journal of Personality, 90(5), 675-689. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12690
- ↑ Narcissists Have Poor Memory for the World Around Them by MIRANDA GIACOMIN who is an assistant professor at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She is also personality psychologist
- ↑ Why Narcissists Can Forget Their Own Bad Behavior by Erin Leonard Ph.D.
- ↑ What Is Narcissistic Rage, and What’s the Best Way to Deal with It?, Healthline.com
- ↑ Splitting and Borderline Personality Disorder by Kristalyn Salters-Pedneault, PhD, VeryWellMind.com
- ↑ Narcissism: Causes, Types and Treatment For the Novice Therapist by Donna Gardner Essert. CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE, A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Educational Psychology
