Article Version of Record

Conversion Disorder: A Review Through the Prism of the Rational-Choice Theory of Neurosis

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Rofé, Yacov
Rofé, Yochay

Abstract / Description

Conversion disorder remains a mystery that has only become more complicated with the decline of the scientific status of psychoanalysis (e.g., Piper, Lillevik, & Kritzer, 2008; Rofé, 2008) and recent neurological findings suggest that this behavior is controlled by biological mechanisms (van Beilen, Vogt, & Leenders, 2010). Moreover, existing theories have difficulty explaining the efficacy of various interventions, such as psychoanalysis, behavior therapy, drug therapy and religious therapy. This article reviews research and clinical evidence pertaining to both the development and treatment of conversion disorder and shows that this seemingly incompatible evidence can be integrated within a new theory, the Rational-Choice Theory of Neurosis (RCTN; Rofé, 2010). Despite the striking differences, RCTN continues Freud's framework of thinking as it employs a new concept of repression and replaces the unconscious with self-deception. Moreover, it incorporates Freud's idea, implicitly expressed in his theory, that neurotic disorders are, in fact, rational behaviors.

Keyword(s)

choice of symptom conversion disorder repression therapy unconscious unawareness self-deception

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2013-11-29

Journal title

Europe's Journal of Psychology

Volume

9

Issue

4

Page numbers

832–868

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Rofé, Y., & Rofé, Y. (2013). Conversion Disorder: A Review Through the Prism of the Rational-Choice Theory of Neurosis. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 9(4), 832–868. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v9i4.621
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Rofé, Yacov
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Rofé, Yochay
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-21T10:01:19Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-21T10:01:19Z
  • Date of first publication
    2013-11-29
  • Abstract / Description
    Conversion disorder remains a mystery that has only become more complicated with the decline of the scientific status of psychoanalysis (e.g., Piper, Lillevik, & Kritzer, 2008; Rofé, 2008) and recent neurological findings suggest that this behavior is controlled by biological mechanisms (van Beilen, Vogt, & Leenders, 2010). Moreover, existing theories have difficulty explaining the efficacy of various interventions, such as psychoanalysis, behavior therapy, drug therapy and religious therapy. This article reviews research and clinical evidence pertaining to both the development and treatment of conversion disorder and shows that this seemingly incompatible evidence can be integrated within a new theory, the Rational-Choice Theory of Neurosis (RCTN; Rofé, 2010). Despite the striking differences, RCTN continues Freud's framework of thinking as it employs a new concept of repression and replaces the unconscious with self-deception. Moreover, it incorporates Freud's idea, implicitly expressed in his theory, that neurotic disorders are, in fact, rational behaviors.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Rofé, Y., & Rofé, Y. (2013). Conversion Disorder: A Review Through the Prism of the Rational-Choice Theory of Neurosis. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 9(4), 832–868. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v9i4.621
  • ISSN
    1841-0413
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1216
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1408
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v9i4.621
  • Keyword(s)
    choice of symptom
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    conversion disorder
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    repression
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    therapy
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    unconscious
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    unawareness
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    self-deception
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Conversion Disorder: A Review Through the Prism of the Rational-Choice Theory of Neurosis
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    4
  • Journal title
    Europe's Journal of Psychology
  • Page numbers
    832–868
  • Volume
    9
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record