Abstract
Background and Rationale: Recently researchers have been looking at a possible link between an ambivalent self-concept and OCD. Although there are some encouraging results and interesting theories emerging form this work, it is in its early stages. Self-concept is related to concept of others but there is very little research on the way people with OCD conceptualise significant others. Therefore this study set out to explore the conceptualisation of self and significant others in people with OCD. Method: This study used a multiple sorting procedure. Participants: were asked to sorts cards with the names of their friends, their family, and descriptions of different selfconstructs into groups based on aspects of character or personality. Their descriptions of their sorts were content analysed and the relative positioning of different cards was analysed using multiple scalogram analysis. Results: There was little difference between people with OCD and people without OCD on the categories they decided to sort on. Contrary to expectation there was also no difference in the way people with OCD and people without OCD saw their feared self in relation to their actual self. However there did appear to be a conflict between the ideal self and the ought self in people with OCD that was not evident in people without OCD. One or both parents in OCD tended to be associated with the ought self when there was a conflict between ideal and ought self. There appeared to be little difference in the way people with and people without OCD conceptualise others. Discussion: These results are discussed in relation to previous work with further explanatory theories put forward. Implications for treatment and future work are also discussed.