A Predictive Approach to the Study of Manifest Content in Suicide Notes

Developed 30 protocol sentences – 10 each for the theories of L. Binswanger, Freud, & G. Kelly. Judges noted the incidence of content that corresponded to the protocol sentences in 33 genuine & 33 simulated suicide notes. Only the Freud protocol sentences discriminated as a set in favor of the genuine notes. Statements indicating loss & an identification with a lost person were found more frequently in genuine notes. Those of isolation, immaturity & freedom desire were common to the fakes.