Expression of hostility in children of Holocaust survivors / by Mark Lovinger.

The present study investigated the psychological characteristics of children of Holocaust survivors. Based on the literature in the area, it was expected that, compared to individuals whose parents did not suffer directly from the Holocaust experience, the children of Holocaust survivors would be characterized by a tendency to project more aggressive themes on a projective test, internalize anger, and report feeling more depressed after the experience of a frustrating situation. A total of 65 subjects were tested. Group 1 consisted of 25 children whose parents suffered through concentration camps. Group 2 consisted of 19 subjects whose parents were born in Eastern Europe, but emigrated several years prior to World War II. Group 3 consisted of 21 subjects of American born parents. All subjects were Jewish. The measures used in this study consisted of the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), the Rosenzweig Picture Frustration Study, the Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI), the Family Environment Scale (FES), Insolvable puzzles and the Multiple Affective Adjective Check List (MAACL). The major findings supported these hypotheses, in that children of Holocaust survivors projected more hostility, were more likely to internalize aggression, and tended to report feeling more depressed than did comparison groups. Exploratory analyses were performed and found that children of Holocaust survivors were less expressive in communicating feelings, and less assertive and self-sufficient in making their own decisions. In addition, children of Holocaust survivor families place more importance on clear organization and structure in planning family activities and in following rules and procedures in comparison to other groups. Implications of this study were discussed.