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A Partial List of names and photographs of Ted Bundy's victims (n.d.). ... personality development, is the essential role played by early childhood ...
Typology: Schemes and Mind Maps
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Kelly Berene McGivern Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Magister Artium in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University April 2016 Supervisor: Professor J.G. Howcroft
ii Declaration Name: Kelly Berene McGivern Student number: 213381656 Degree: Magister Artium in Clinical Psychology I hereby declare that the treatise for the degree of Magister Artium in Clinical Psychology to be awarded is my own work and that it has not previously been submitted for assessment or completion of any postgraduate qualification to another University or for another qualification (see Appendix A for a summary of Turnitin Originality Report). KB McGivern Official use: In accordance with Rule G5.6.3. 5.6.3. A treatise/dissertation/thesis must be accompanied by a written declaration on the part of the candidate to the effect that it is his/her own work and that it has not previously been submitted for assessment to another University or for another qualification. However, material from publications by the candidate may be embodied in a treatise/dissertation/thesis.
iv Acknowledgements “Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” ― Brené Brown (2010, p. 6) I would like to thank the following people for assisting me throughout my journey in completing my Masters is Clinical Psychology and in particular, this research study. Although there are many individuals who have had an impact on my growth and personal development these past two to three years, the following people deserve special mention and whom I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and deepest gratitude: God and my Lord Jesus Christ and saviour who has given me strength and hope when I felt depleted. My parents, Daphne and Sean who have been pillars of strength for me and provided me with the guidance, support, unconditional love, and care in order to pursue my goal of becoming a clinical psychologist. The kindness and empathy that you both have shown me, particularly during this past year, has been invaluable and something which I will forever remember and be eternally grateful for. My brother Aidan and my soon-to-be sister in law, Sheroda, for their kindness, encouragement, and sense of humour when I needed it. My ‘cheerleaders’: Katya, Simonne, Angela, and Inge for their constant encouragement, support, and motivation. They have been my sounding boards and sources of comfort which has had a significantly positive impact on me. Ang - I’m sorry you didn’t get to see me finish. A special thank you to Katya – Dr. Masconi - for all her knowledge and support, especially in regards to her research experience and expertise.
v To my fur-babies Schemer, Kaiber, Chess, Cass, and Sophie for their unconditional love and intuitive sense of ‘just knowing’ when I needed them. To Brett, Louis, the Mathews’, Pitter, and Jones’ families for their continued support and encouragement. Father Greg, my colleague and dear friend, for his patience, encouragement, support, and wonderful sense of humour. His guidance, knowledge, and time sacrificed from proofreading and assisting me in writing this research study is truly touching. Last but not least, my supervisor Prof Howcroft. Thank you for your flexibility, willingness to accommodate me in my last minute frantic panics, your understanding, and support. I am truly grateful for your knowledge, experience, and wisdom which you willingly and happily pass on. I thoroughly enjoyed having you as my research supervisor and I will particularly miss your sense of humour.
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
xiv References References ....................................................................................................................... 190 Appendix A Summary of Turnitin Originality Report ...................................................................... 209
xvi List of Tables Table 1: South African Master’s and Doctoral Level Academic Psychobiographies: 1939 - 2014.................................................................................................................. Table 2: Freud’s Psychosexual Stages of Development........................................................... Table 3: A Brief Outline of Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development Theory…………. Table 4: A Summary of Erikson’s Zones, Modes and Modalities………………………..……… Table 5: Description and Summary of Ritualisations and Ritualisms at each Stage of Development…………………………………………………………………………………... Table 6: Summary of Erikson’s 1963 theory of Psychosocial Development………………..…. Table 7: Basic and Secondary Virtues..................................................................................... Table 8: Manifestations of Maladaptations and Malignancies............................................... Table 9: Chronological List of Bundy’s Known and Identified Victims.................................. Table 10: Eight "Big-Tent" Criteria for Excellent Qualitative Research.............................. Table 11: Alexander’s (1988) Nine Principles of Salience.................................................... Table 12: Summary of the Salient Life Events of Theodore Robert Bundy categorised According to Erikson’s (1963) Psychosocial Stages of Development.......................
xvii List of Appendices Appendix A: Summary of Turnitin Originality Report..........................................................
Chapter One Introduction “The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon” (Sanderson, 2010, p. 234). Chapter Preview This chapter introduces the research study and provides the reader with an orientation to the chapters that follow. The context of the research is briefly presented and described in addition to the aim of the study, and the research problem. The researcher then presents a brief passage of personal reflection of the study. Finally, an overview of the chapters in the study is provided. General Orientation to the Research Study The life and personality development of Theodore Robert Bundy is explored and described in this study. In order to holistically investigate the personality development of this perplexing individual, the study utilised a psychobiographical case study design and research methodology. A psychobiography is “a type of case study in which a researcher applies psychological theory to explain the life of an individual, usually an important historical figure” (Cozby, 2004, p.107). The researcher attempted to conceptualise and interpret the personality development of Theodore Robert Bundy by using the concepts and psychosocial stages from Erikson’s (1963) theory of psychosocial development. Erikson’s (1963) theory of psychosocial development will be used interchangeably with similar terminology such as Erikson’s (1963) psychosocial development theory throughout the study. In order to create a psychological narrative of Theodore Robert Bundy’s life, the psychological theory was applied to the biographical data. As a result, a document study was undertaken to reconstruct Bundy’s life. The researcher predominantly refers to Theodore Robert Bundy as Bundy throughout the current study, and the two names are used
interchangeably. The materials that allowed for the biographical content of the life history of Theodore Robert Bundy to be reconstructed and analysed, predominantly consisted of published materials written on him such as his biography, The Only Living Witness, written by Stephen Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth (2012). The context of the research and the problem statement will now be presented. Research Context and Problem Statement There has been an increasing interest in understanding psychologically motivated crimes, particularly those carried out by serial killers due to the complexity and extreme nature of their crimes (Keppel & Birnes, 2005). Research suggests that serial murder has been steadily increasing since the 1970s and a vast amount of research has been gathered since then (McClellan, 2006). In order to determine the personal significance of statistical research results yielded from the general population, psychobiographies apply the findings and knowledge gained at an individual level (Elms, 1994). We are all capable of being aggressive, of containing unimaginable aggressive fantasies of torture, sadism and murder, but we are not all serial killers. In various ways, we manage to control our aggression, to not act out our violent fantasies. Serial killers, however, have lost the boundaries between the fantasy and reality. (Knight, 2007, p. 22) The development of severe pathology in seemingly ‘normal’ people has created a sense of terror amongst the public, as identifying individuals who commit heinous and violent crimes are difficult to detect. In the case of Bundy, Wright (2013) writes: “The figure of Bundy is both horrifying and compelling precisely because his appearance and his day-to-day performance of normality are so completely at odds with the accounts of his monstrous behaviour” (p. 148). Therefore, by studying a particular individual’s life, the researcher is able to provide idiographic interpretations of the individual’s experiences (McAdams, 1994;
