Selfhood: A Hidden Ingredient in Family Therapy

This article introduces a process of objective evaluation of a construct or model in the laboratory and its application in family therapy. Selfhood is a process whereby we attribute importance to self and to others, intimates and nonintimates. Four personality propensities emanate from this attribution of importance: selfulness when importance is attributed positively to self and others, selfishness when importance is attributed positively to self and negatively to others, selflessness when importance is attributed negatively to self and positively to others, and no-self when importance is attributed negatively to self and others. Evaluation and discussion of how selfhood is expressed reciprocally among family members should lead to positive changes in family functioning.