Social Constriction in Psychiatric Patients: A Normative Study

The authors analyzed scores on the Bates-Zimmerman Social Constriction Scale and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) administered to 132 psychiatric inpatients. Neurotic patients evidenced a higher level of social constriction than did patients with psychophysiologic disorders; no significant differences were found among the other diagnostic groups. Social constriction was found to be positively related to scores on the MMPI hypochondriasis, depression, psychasthenia, schizophrenia, social introversion, anxiety, repression, and F scales; constriction was negatively related to scores on the L, K, mania, and ego strength scales. The authors suggest that social constriction is specifically related to behavioral traits, irrespective of diagnostic labels, and that the Bates-Zimmerman Scale should be given wider use in diagnostic consultation.