Conflict State and Abnormal EEG

Nordland, E. (1969). Conflict State and Abnormal EEG. A study of boys with behavior disturbances and abnormal EEG, Scand. J. Educ. Res. 13, 199‐221. The investigation raises the question whether abnormal EEG may also express somatic reactions to psychological situations, for example too intense experiencing of conflict, stress, or trauma. Sixty‐four pupils of two Norwegian special schools for maladjusted boys are examined as to history of development, diseases and injuries, parents’ situation, practices of upbringing, etc. The boys’ attitudes and behavior are tested with tests of experience of anxiety, conflict and contentment, intellectual and school performance. Further, their attitudes are assessed by their teachers in special school and by their schoolmates by means of various sociometric tests. Boys with normal, abnormal ‘borderline’, and abnormal EEG are compared with each other. The analysis of the EEGs was made without knowledge of the results of the psychological assessments and tests, and vice versa. The results show that boys with abnormal EEGs have backgrounds of more conflict and insecurity. Boys of this sample who are abnormal EEG cases have no history of more physical impairments such as concussions than the normal EEG cases. Boys who experience less pressure in the special school tend to change into normal EEG cases, while boys who experience more pressure tend to change into abnormal EEG cases.