Silvan Tomkins
Encyclopedia
Silvan Solomon Tomkins is best known as a psychologist
and personality theorist
and as the developer of Affect theory
and Script theory
. Following the publication of the third volume of his book Affect Imagery Consciousness in 1991, his body of work received renewed interest leading to attempts by others to summarize and popularize his theories.
There are also several websites dedicated to Tomkins's work, among them the Tomkins Institute (external link below).
Silvan Tomkins was born in Philadelphia to Russian Jewish immigrants, and raised in Camden, New Jersey
. He studied playwriting as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania
, but immediately on graduating, enrolled as a graduate student in Psychology
. He withdrew, however, upon completing only the Master’s degree, finding the Penn Psychology Department’s emphasis on psychophysics
unfriendly to his interests. Remaining at Penn, however, he received his PhD in Philosophy in 1934, working on value theory
with Edgar A. Singer.
After a year handicapping horse races, he relocated to Harvard for postdoctoral study in Philosophy with W.V. Quine
. In time he became aware of the Harvard Psychological Clinic and in 1937 joined its staff, entering a particularly productive and happy period of his life. During this period, he published his first book, Contemporary Psychopathology, containing a survey of contemporary thought as well as his own contribution to it. He wrote a book about the projective Thematic Apperception Test
, then developed the Picture Arrangement Test
that combined elements of projection and forced choice.
In 1947 he married Elizabeth "BeeGee" Taylor; the marriage would last nearly three decades. The same year, he moved to Princeton University's
Department of Psychology
to take a position that would entail a large amount of frustration. First, he would work at the Educational Testing Service
, which required him to submit documentation of the precise hours he worked in the building. At the same time he worked for Princeton University, which never fully supported the graduate program in Clinical Psychology he tried to establish.
However, during his Princeton career he was able to spend a year at the Ford Center in Palo Alto, California, where he wrote what became the first two volumes of Affect, Imagery, Consciousness. At this point in his career he began to have a mentoring relationship with two younger scholars—Paul Ekman
and Carroll Izard
—who would later become better known than Tomkins and whose early concepts of emotion owes much to Tomkins'.
After receiving an NIMH
career research award, he left Princeton for CUNY Graduate Center
in 1965, then in 1968 moved to Rutgers University
, from which he retired in 1975 to work on his Script theory
.
that there were nine and only nine affect
s, biologically based. The basic six are: interest-excitement, enjoyment-joy, surprise-startle, distress-anguish, anger-rage, and fear-terror. Tomkins always described the first six, and one that “evolved later” (shame
-humiliation) in pairs. In these pairs, the first pair part names the mild manifestation and the second the more intense. The final two affects described by Tomkins are “dissmell” and disgust
. Tomkins argued that these nine affects are quite discrete (whereas emotions are complex and muddled), that they manifest a shared biological heritage with what is called emotion in animals
, and that they differ from Freudian drives
in lacking an object.
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
and personality theorist
Personality psychology
Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that studies personality and individual differences. Its areas of focus include:* Constructing a coherent picture of the individual and his or her major psychological processes...
and as the developer of Affect theory
Affect theory
In psychology, affect is an emotion or subjectively experienced feeling. Affect theory is a branch of psychoanalysis that attempts to organize affects into discrete categories and connect each one with its typical response. So, for example, the affect of joy is observed through the reaction of...
and Script theory
Script theory
Script theory is a psychological theory which posits that human behaviour largely falls into patterns called "scripts" because they function analogously to the way a written script does, by providing a program for action...
. Following the publication of the third volume of his book Affect Imagery Consciousness in 1991, his body of work received renewed interest leading to attempts by others to summarize and popularize his theories.
There are also several websites dedicated to Tomkins's work, among them the Tomkins Institute (external link below).
Biography
The following is a summary based on a biographical essay by Irving Alexander.Silvan Tomkins was born in Philadelphia to Russian Jewish immigrants, and raised in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
. He studied playwriting as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, but immediately on graduating, enrolled as a graduate student in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. He withdrew, however, upon completing only the Master’s degree, finding the Penn Psychology Department’s emphasis on psychophysics
Psychophysics
Psychophysics quantitatively investigates the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they effect. Psychophysics has been described as "the scientific study of the relation between stimulus and sensation" or, more completely, as "the analysis of perceptual...
unfriendly to his interests. Remaining at Penn, however, he received his PhD in Philosophy in 1934, working on value theory
Value theory
Value theory encompasses a range of approaches to understanding how, why and to what degree people should value things; whether the thing is a person, idea, object, or anything else. This investigation began in ancient philosophy, where it is called axiology or ethics. Early philosophical...
with Edgar A. Singer.
After a year handicapping horse races, he relocated to Harvard for postdoctoral study in Philosophy with W.V. Quine
Willard Van Orman Quine
Willard Van Orman Quine was an American philosopher and logician in the analytic tradition...
. In time he became aware of the Harvard Psychological Clinic and in 1937 joined its staff, entering a particularly productive and happy period of his life. During this period, he published his first book, Contemporary Psychopathology, containing a survey of contemporary thought as well as his own contribution to it. He wrote a book about the projective Thematic Apperception Test
Thematic Apperception Test
The Thematic Apperception Test, or TAT, is a projective psychological test. Historically, it has been among the most widely researched, taught, and used of such tests...
, then developed the Picture Arrangement Test
Picture Arrangement Test
The Picture Arrangement Test is a psychological test performed by giving the subject pictures of a person with various facial expressions. The administrator of the test then has the subject tell a story based on the images...
that combined elements of projection and forced choice.
In 1947 he married Elizabeth "BeeGee" Taylor; the marriage would last nearly three decades. The same year, he moved to Princeton University's
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
Department of Psychology
Princeton University Department of Psychology
The Princeton University Department of Psychology, located in Green Hall, is an academic department of Princeton University on the corner of Washington St. and William St. in Princeton, New Jersey. For over a century, the department has been one of the most notable psychology departments in the...
to take a position that would entail a large amount of frustration. First, he would work at the Educational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service
Educational Testing Service , founded in 1947, is the world's largest private nonprofit educational testing and assessment organization...
, which required him to submit documentation of the precise hours he worked in the building. At the same time he worked for Princeton University, which never fully supported the graduate program in Clinical Psychology he tried to establish.
However, during his Princeton career he was able to spend a year at the Ford Center in Palo Alto, California, where he wrote what became the first two volumes of Affect, Imagery, Consciousness. At this point in his career he began to have a mentoring relationship with two younger scholars—Paul Ekman
Paul Ekman
Paul Ekman is a psychologist who has been a pioneer in the study of emotions and their relation to facial expressions. He has been considered one of the 100 most eminent psychologists of the twentieth century...
and Carroll Izard
Carroll Izard
Carroll Ellis Izard is an American psychologist known for his contributions to Differential Emotions Theory , and the Maximally Discriminative Affect Coding System...
—who would later become better known than Tomkins and whose early concepts of emotion owes much to Tomkins'.
After receiving an NIMH
National Institute of Mental Health
The National Institute of Mental Health is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health...
career research award, he left Princeton for CUNY Graduate Center
CUNY Graduate Center
The Graduate Center of the City University of New York brings together graduate education, advanced research, and public programming to midtown Manhattan hosting 4,600 students, 33 doctoral programs, 7 master's programs, and 30 research centers and institutes...
in 1965, then in 1968 moved to Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, from which he retired in 1975 to work on his Script theory
Script theory
Script theory is a psychological theory which posits that human behaviour largely falls into patterns called "scripts" because they function analogously to the way a written script does, by providing a program for action...
.
Tomkin's Affect theory
Disagreements among theorists persist today over Tomkins’ firm insistence in his Affect theoryAffect theory
In psychology, affect is an emotion or subjectively experienced feeling. Affect theory is a branch of psychoanalysis that attempts to organize affects into discrete categories and connect each one with its typical response. So, for example, the affect of joy is observed through the reaction of...
that there were nine and only nine affect
Affect (psychology)
Affect refers to the experience of feeling or emotion. Affect is a key part of the process of an organism's interaction with stimuli. The word also refers sometimes to affect display, which is "a facial, vocal, or gestural behavior that serves as an indicator of affect" .The affective domain...
s, biologically based. The basic six are: interest-excitement, enjoyment-joy, surprise-startle, distress-anguish, anger-rage, and fear-terror. Tomkins always described the first six, and one that “evolved later” (shame
Shame
Shame is, variously, an affect, emotion, cognition, state, or condition. The roots of the word shame are thought to derive from an older word meaning to cover; as such, covering oneself, literally or figuratively, is a natural expression of shame....
-humiliation) in pairs. In these pairs, the first pair part names the mild manifestation and the second the more intense. The final two affects described by Tomkins are “dissmell” and disgust
Disgust
Disgust is a type of aversion that involves withdrawing from a person or object with strong expressions of revulsion whether real or pretended. It is one of the basic emotions and is typically associated with things that are regarded as unclean, inedible, infectious, gory or otherwise offensive...
. Tomkins argued that these nine affects are quite discrete (whereas emotions are complex and muddled), that they manifest a shared biological heritage with what is called emotion in animals
Emotion in animals
There is no scientific consensus on emotion in animals, that is, what emotions certain species of animals, including humans, feel. The debate concerns primarily mammals and birds, although emotions have also been postulated for other vertebrates and even for some invertebrates.Animal lovers,...
, and that they differ from Freudian drives
Drive theory
The terms drive theory and drive reduction theory refer to a diverse set of motivational theories in psychology. Drive theory is based on the principle that organisms are born with certain physiological needs and that a negative state of tension is created when these needs are not satisfied...
in lacking an object.
External links
- Silvan Tomkins Institute
- Anecdotes about Tomkins from BlinkBlink (book)Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking is a 2005 book by Malcolm Gladwell. It presents in popular science format research from psychology and behavioral economics on the adaptive unconscious; mental processes that work rapidly and automatically from relatively little information...
, by Malcolm GladwellMalcolm GladwellMalcolm Gladwell, CM is a Canadian journalist, bestselling author, and speaker. He is currently based in New York City and has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1996... - http://www.affectivetherapy.co.uk/Tomkins_Affect.htm
- http://www.brianlynchmd.com/AT/resources.htm