Yacov Rofe
Bar-Ilan University and educational college, Israel
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Neurol Neurophysiol
Both psychoanalysis and medical models, the two theoretical empires of psychological empires of mental disorders, suffer from serious theoretical and empirical difficulties (see Rof�©, 2000, 2010; Rof�© & Rof�©, 2013, 2015). In an attempt to resolve the theoretical confusion in this field, a new theory was proposed termed, Psycho-Bizarreness: An intuitive Rational-Choice Theory of Madness. Basically, this theory claims that when individuals are confronted with intolerable levels of current stress, they are likely to choose a mad behavior when other options, such as suicide, drug abuse, and antisocial behaviors, are unavailable or too costly. The major benefit of madness is repression, which the new theory defines in line with Freudâ��s (1915, p. 147) original suggestion, as distraction. The distractive effect of the mad behaviors is so strong that it blocks the accessibility of stress-related thoughts. Hence, while Freud claimed that repression causes madness, according to Psycho-Bizarreness Theory (PBT), madness results in repression. Accordingly, the choice of a specific mad behavior is determined by the same principles used in consumer decisionmaking when purchasing a specific economic product. Lack of awareness of the Knowledge of Self-Involvement (KSI) is induced through sophisticated information processing that causes the forgetting of KSI and enables the development of a self-deceptive belief. As already demonstrated, PBT can integrate all studies pertaining to the development and treatment of neuroses and psychos into one theoretical framework (see Rof�©, 2000, 2010; Rof�© & Rof�©, 2013, 2015).
Yacov Rofe is a professor of psychology from Bar-Ilan University, and the President of educational college, Israel. I have published various articles in leading journal of psychology, including a new theory, entitled “Stress and affiliation: A utility theory”, published by Psychological Review, 1984. An additional influential article, published in Review of General Psychology, 2008, is a review which refutes the existence of repression and the Freudian Unconscious. In the recent years, my scientific work is focused on the development of new theory of psychopathology, which challenges the validity of traditional theories of psychological disorders have published a book, entitled, the Rationality of Psychological Disorders, by Kluwer, 2000. I have demonstrated in three articles that my theory can integrate all therapeutic methods pertaining to neurosis into one theoretical framework (Rofé, 2010), explain all data relevant to the development and treatment of conversion disorder (Rofé & Rofé, 2013), and resolve the theoretical confusion regarding the explanation of panic disorder, agoraphobia and other forms of bizarre phobia (e.g., chocolate phobia) (Rofé, 2015). I completed a new book, entitled Psycho-Bizarreness: An intuitive Rational-Choice Theory of Madness, which I hope to publish it by one of the leading University Publishing Company. A warm letter of recommendation was written by Israel Aumann, the Nobel Prize Winner of economy, which indicts that my theory is consistent with his game theory.
Email: Jacov.Rofe@biu.ac.il
