Psychic Pain in Chronic School Failure/Learning Disabilities: Evidence from a Projective Technique

Abstract

The present study attempts to investigate the existence of psychic pain in young learners experiencing chronic school failure/learning disabilities. Using a projective technique, the participants were asked to express the thoughts, feelings, dreams and wishes of an ‘imaginary’ child of their own age. LD individuals: a mentioned terrifying nightmares, and b. did not ‘admit’ their LD, even though in subsequent questions the majority admitted a projection of their own thoughts and feelings onto the ‘imaginary’ child. A high proportion of ‘average/good’ academic performance individuals answered more positively. The response pattern of LD individuals in our projective task not only reveals the magnitude of the psychic pain experienced by LD individuals but also offers a unique depiction of the way in which each of these individuals experience the psychic pain. The feeling of ‘helplessness’ stemming from chronic LD, combined with other related negative experiences during the sensitive years of personality development, add up to severe psychological pressure like that described in the psychological trauma literature.