~f[ll~n III: SCIENTIFIC
PASSIVITY
PAPERS
AARON WOLFE SCHIFF, B.A.JACQUI LEE SCHIFF, M.S.S.W.
This f.lper represents the culminationof several years research
on passivity car-ried on at the Schiff Rehabilitation Proj-ect. In
the past we have failed withcertain patients when, even with
veryconcerted effort, we were unable to inter-rupt a pattern of
passive behavior; forsome time we have been aware that wemust in
some way be supporting or rein-forcing the passivity.
In the summer of 1969 we witnesseda dramatic resolution to
psychosis in ahebephrenic patient; what Eric Berne de-scribed as "a
flip-in." Much of our inves-tigation since that time has focused
onthe several hebephrenic patients who havebeen available to us.
The findings havebeen confirmed as consistent with path-ology as
demonstrated in paranoia, undif-ferentiated schizophrenia,
manic-depres-sive psychosis, depressions, hysteria, andother
psycho-neurotic disorders wherepassive-aggressive or
passive-dependentbehaviors are significantly present. Wehave not
yet established these findings assignificant wit h catatonic,
character-disordered, or obsessive-compulsive pa-tients due to the
lack of patients with thesediagnoses in our program.
The identification of the complex ofbehaviors which we are
treating as part ofa passivity syndrome seems to have far-reaching
implications for the treatment ofpsychosis. We are presently
undertakingTransactional Anal. J. 1:1, January 1971
a renovation of our entire treatment ap-proach with both
residential and out-patients as a result of these findings.
SYMBIOSISSymbiosis is a normal condition of the
oral stage in the development of a child.It is experienced by
both the mother andthe child as a merging or sharing of theirneeds.
An example of normal symbiosisis a mother who normally sleeps
soundlybut wakes easily when her infant cries;if nursing, she is
likely to begin lactating.
As the child grows he identifies himselfas feeling, thinking,
and solving problemsindependently, therefore as a
separateindividual. It would appear that the func-tion of the
symbiosis is to insure theinfants' survival "during a period when
heis completely dependent.
Pathology is likely to result from dis-turbances in the
symbiotic relationship(examples, separation, unresponsiveness),or
in the differentiation of the child fromthe mother (examples,
neglect or over-protection). It is also likely to occur ininstances
where parenting is inadequateto prepare the child to function ~
anindependent person who can solve prob-lems in the world. "
All games develop out of unresolvedsymbiotic relationships with
discountingas the mechanism and grandiosity as the
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justification. They represent a re-enact-ment of the symbiotic
relationship in anattempt to get taken care of, or reactingto the
symbiotic relationship with anger.The exact moves in the game are
learnedin the parent-child relationship and re-inforce the
symbiosis.
The structure of a symbiosis is as fol-lows, with the combined
ego states which
are typical of transactions between twoindividuals resulting in
the structure ofone total personality. The purpose of thepassivity
is to maintain the non-function-ing of those ego states which would
chal-lenge the dependency contract.
When the passivity begins to breakdown there may be a
competition for thedependent Child position in the symbi-osis.
Since both individuals are relativelyunaware of alternatives to
symbiosis, thecompetition is perceived as a struggle forsurvival,
the issue being existence versusnon-existence.
The functions of the Child may alsobe divided up between two
individuals,the contract being that when Ci is cath-ected, C~ will
cathect P or A. Example:Joe gets a headache and Jane, who nevergets
headaches, cathects her Parent totake care of him or to criticize
his weak-ness. However, Jane, who is inclined todrink too much, can
always depend onJoe to take care of her and drive homefrom parties.
The symbiosis can also beextended to children within the
family.72
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