Writings
Vol. 36 No. 2 (2025)
Digital narratives. Investigating the affective dynamic of digital objects using projective techniques
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Received: 4 August 2024
Accepted: 10 December 2024
Accepted: 10 December 2024
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Digital devices, initially considered simply as amazing technical tools, are assuming the role of true ‘digital companions’ that accompany the dynamics of everyday life. The present study aims to analyse how devices influence affective representations of intersubjectivity. The 22 subjects who participated in the research were asked to narratively interpret four projective cards inspired by Murray’s Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), into which representations of technological devices were introduced. Leaning on psychoanalytic and interpersonal theory, the content analysis of the 88 narratives made it possible to investigate how four foundational experiences of subjectivity are influenced by technology: Childhood, Couple, Self-image, and Traumatic event. The exploration of the dynamics related to the digital object took into account affects, the relevance given to the digital object in the narrative, and its function in relation to interpersonal life. The results show that technology is an aid insofar as good communication exists on the real interpersonal level but is in no way sufficient as a substitute for the love object. In the life of a couple, the digital object becomes a source of conflict, on which the female protagonist, in particular, develops an intrusive dependence, or it is used as ammunition to break up the relationship, generating potentially traumatic experiences. However, there is no shortage of narratives in which devices have been used to immortalise positive aspects of the self, maintaining a genuine relational openness that is not dependent on narcissistic dynamics of external recognition.
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Digital narratives. Investigating the affective dynamic of digital objects using projective techniques. (2025). Ricerca Psicoanalitica, 36(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/rp.2025.945
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