Although the number of scientific papers is scarce, the effects of research on psychoanalytic thinking are meaningful and promote new orientations for psychoanalytic thinking. These effects can be seen in the conceptual, clinical and interdisciplinary fields. Research questions force us to clarify theoretical terms. This, in turn, forwards the discussion of epistemological questions about evidence and truth in psychoanalysis. Sometimes psychoanalytic theories are considered as a priori unquestionable truths. Instead, a research attitude promotes their consideration as alternative hypotheses and underline the need to observe their consequences in the clinical and extra-clinical field. For example, what kind of approach benefits what kind of patients, and how? This kind of questions favour a clinically-guided metapsychological reflection that complements the speculation starting from only theoretical and historical psychoanalytic principles. We can only expect that a small number of analysts devote a great part of their time to research, which is favoured by their belonging to a university. However, the benefits of the “research attitude” mentioned above are spread to a greater number of analysts’ thinking. It tends to favour psychoanalysis not to enclose in a discourse of demonstrative kind, while assuming certain unchangeable truths, by confronting them at different levels, favouring a reflective, critical thought. Current controversies about research in the different regions shed light on many of these problems in different fields. They allow a better confrontation and debate of theoretical ideas (Bernardi, R., in press). It also stimulates the development of clinical research. The present interest in Clinical Working Parties and Working groups is a proof of the interest in clinical research. The Clinical Observation Committee, chaired by Marina Altmann, has elaborated a clinical observation model (Three Level Model for Observing Patient Transformations), and many clinical observation groups have applied it to the observation of clinical materials. The 3-LM opens bridges with other kind of research about what benefits do patients obtain from psychoanalysis, and facilitates to study the predictive and clinical validity of clinical judgements comparing them with other assessment methodologies. Finally, I’d like to remark that research has a key role in the opening of psychoanalysis to the dialogue with other disciplines and with other cultures from our time, thus enabling knowledge triangulation and search of consilience. Current studies in neuropsychology are an example of this crossed fertilisation among different fields. ;&,&(&#/&2! =<(92**_!@>_!S232%$*)_!=>_!&0!F2%3$0%$!=>!@>_!&0!A0W*_!F>_!L%$)*$_!@>_!A29W*272_!i>_!@)%2(W_!5>_!/)*70! &0!A0W*_!'>_!"0<<0%X2_!'>_!F0%*2%&$_!5>!Q(2($6($72![+,,+^>!=<(2!4!32j2! :%07B0*7$2!0*!*B06(%2!1%y7($72!2*2
4'20&&;443&&32D.2E&&F&&19.3;&&2;.1.40&&GHIJ&&F& NQ
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator