Assessment in Fromm’s Theory

Fromm wrote little about his assessment techniques. He occasionally referred to psychoanalytic observations but did not offer specific analytical findings or case studies.
Colleagues of Fromm suggest that he focused primarily on those comments from his patients that supported his theories. He may have been “inattentive, impatient, or actually dismissive of those facets of their experience that did not coincide with his ‘intuitive’ sense of their problems and situations” (Burston, 1991). Thus, the possibility exists that the data Fromm collected from his patients was highly selective.

Fromm used a form of free association and considered dream analysis an important therapeutic tool. However, his theory is largely based on generalizations and speculations derived from his interpretation of historical, social, and cultural events. He also drew on religious, economic, political, and anthropological sources.

Although Fromm did not use self-report techniques, he developed an interpretive questionnaire to assess the necrophilous character type (Fromm, 1973). The questionnaire included items such as “What is your opinion of women who use cosmetics?” Responses such as “Cosmetics are poisonous” or “Makeup makes women look like whores” were considered to indicate the necrophilous type.