Orenthal James (O.J) Simpson

Katie Haight and MifAnne Bollman Orenthal James (O.J) Simpson

Outline • O.J. Simpson: The early years • O.J. Simpson: Football years and awards • O.J. Simpson: Family and friends • O.J. Simpson: Retirement • O.J. Simpson: The court hearings and verdicts • O.J. Simpson: Still in the spotlight

Simpson: The Early years • Third of four children, born in a low income suburb of San Francisco in July of 1947.10 • Father left the family while Orenthal James was a toddler.10 • Developed rickets shortly after birth, was teased through childhood as he was pigeon toed and bow legged.10 • Mother was always supportive and a driving force of his athletic commitment.10

Simpson: Football years • Started playing football in high school.5 • Played College ball at the City College of San Francisco.5 • Named to the Junior College All American team as running back.5 • Earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California in 19675 • 1969 was drafted to the Buffalo Bills5

Simpson: Football awards • Earned the Walter Camp Award twice in the first two years at the University of Southern California.5 • Earned the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and was two-time census all-American.5 • Player of the year in 1972, 1973, played 6 Probowls and was 14th on the NFL’s all-time rushing list.5 • Was inducted into the football Hall of Fame in 1985.5

Simpson: Family and Friends • Married in 1967 to his high school sweetheart.1 • Together they had 3 children, the youngest of which drowned in the family before the age of 2.10 • Divorced in 1979 (same year his daughter drowned)10 • Remarried in 1985, to long-time lover Nicole Brown, had 2 children, divorced in 199210

Family and Friends continued • Lots of friends due to fame • Well respected my the local authorities, attended yearly galas5 • Frequently entertained a wide number of friends, including police officers.5 • Well respected by friends, and was thought of as a friendly outgoing family man and role model.5

Simpson: Retirement • Simpson retired from pro-ball in 197910 • Opened his own production company, dealing with mostly made for TV movies 10 • Simpson had many endorsement deals and was the face of products such as Pioneer Chicken, Napa Natural’s soft drinks and Hertz rent-a-car.10 • Simpson was also in TV mini-series and a handful of movies including Naked Gun trilogy10

Simpson: The court hearings • Low speed pursuit on the interstate5 • 2 pleas of not guilty toward counts of murder in the first degree.10 • After a lengthy trial rendering verdict on October 3rd, 1995, Orenthal James was found not-guilty of the charges against him.10

Simpson: The verdicts • Although found not-guilty in criminal court, there was also a civil trial.10 • In February 1997 a civil trial found O.J Simpson liable for the wrongful death of Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman and battery against each of them.10 • He was ordered to pay a settlement of 33.5 million dollars to their families.10

Simpson: Still in the spotlight • O.J. Simpson has recently written a book titled “If I did it”.5 • He was arrested in September 2007 for an alleged armed robbery in Las Vegas.11 • According to FBI reports OJ had been planning for weeks to stage this recovery of his own stolen goods in hopes of media attention.11

O.J. Simpson in Erik Erikson’s eyes…

Outline • Erikson’s Theory on the Ego • Erikson’s Eight Stages of development • O.J. Simpson’s stages of development • Summary of O.J. Simpson’s final stage of development

Erikson’s theory on the Ego • More emphasis on the ego, on social and historical influences than Freud’s theory7 • Erikson’s theory elaborates that the ego is the mediator between the id and the superego7 • In childhood the ego is weak, develops quickly through adolescence & ever growing or altering7

Ego particulars • 1) Body ego: refers to experiences within the body7 • 2) the ego ideal: the way we are now in comparison to pre-established ideal. 7Is O.J. content with his ego ideal? Is who he has become his “pre-established ideal”? • 3) the ego identity: the images we have of ourselves in several different social roles. 7 O.J. enjoys social attention, and most likely content with the way he’s settled into his social surroundings.

Eight Stages of Development • Each stage is a conflict/interaction of opposites between harmonious elements and disruptive elements. (syntonic vs. dystonic) 7 • Each conflict produces “basic strength”, an ego strength or ego quality. 7 • During each stage there is an opportunity for identity crisis or turning point, these make a person especially susceptible to personality modification7 • Each stage develops in its proper time, one stage emerges following the development of the previous stage. 7

Stages of Development9 • Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust • Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame • Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt • Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority • Stage 5: Identity vs. Role • Stage 6: Intimacy and Solidarity vs. Isolation • Stage 7: Generativity vs. Self absorption or stagnation • Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair7

Simpson’s ego development • Erikson might say that O.J.’s ego has difficulty controlling/playing mediator to his id and superego and that perhaps social forces have managed to control his ego rather than his ego being in control • O.J. is very content in being in the public eye, and through his fame in the NFL he has gained a social circle that is perhaps a strong drive behind his ego.

Simpson’s 8 stages of development • Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust (dependable care giver) • Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame (learned to walk even after rickets) • Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt • To forceful and developed too much initiative, possibly attributed to the loss of his father and his noticeable physical deformity, leading to guilt feelings.

Simpson’s 8 stages of development continued • Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority (O.J. seems to fear inferiority) • Stage 5: Identity vs. Role (Devoted to his career) • Stage 6: Intimacy and Solidarity vs. Isolation (developed intimate relationships)

Simpson’s 8 stages of development continued • Stage 7: Generativity vs. Self absorption or stagnation ( Is a family man, involved with his children, but was conflicted with the divorce of 2 ex-wives, possible murdered his ex-wife most of his contributions benefited him greater than others) • Stage 8: Integrity vs. Despair (The novel written might be O.J.’s way of hoping to accept his life and reflections have helped him generate such writings)

Conclusion • Made it through developmental stages, great success in some areas and perhaps much less in others • People are a product of the stages of development that they endure7

Future directions • Erikson’s theory doesn’t elaborate on personality and motivation, perhaps an analysis with a social cognitive theory such as Bandura’s theory or a trait theory such as Allport’s might generate a few more explanations about his personality along with his development.

O.J. Simpson, according to Carl Rogers

Humanistic Psychology/Personality Main Points • Belief in the basic goodness and respect of humankind.4 • Roots are based in existential psychology or the understanding and acceptance of one’s own existence and responsibility.4 • Focus on the here and now4 • To be psychologically healthy people must take responsibility for themselves, whether the person’s actions are positive or negative.4 • Everyone possesses an inherent worth4 • The goal of life should always be to achieve personal growth and understanding4 • Only through self-improvement and self-knowledge can one truly be happy4

Carl Rogers and OJ Simpson “It is in our nature as living things to do the very best we can!”4 • OJ was forced to wear homemade leg braces as a child because of a severe case of rickets caused by a calcium deficiency.5 • Overcame his disability, and began playing football in high school5 • Was the running back for the USC Trojans, during which time he set NCAA records, and won the Heisman trophy5 • Played most of his career for the Buffalo Bills, ended his career in 1979 at age 325

Carl Rogers and OJ Simpson • To be psychologically healthy people must take responsibility for themselves, whether the person’s actions are positive or negative.4 • OJ adamantly denies committing the 1994 double murder of his ex wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and her Friend Ronald Goldman, and is eventually found not guilty by a jury of his peers5 • However, in 2006 ReganBooks announced it would publish a book by Simpson entitled “If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer”, which “hypothetically describes how the murders would have been committed.” 6

Carl Rogers and OJ Simpson Simpson and Goldman were murdered, and is considered by many to be a first hand confession from Simpson.6 • Rogers might say that this is Simpson’s way of taking responsibility for his actions on that night. (assuming that he is in fact guilty), and therefore he is striving for psychological health.4 • Simpson claims the book is fictional, and “purely hypothetical.”6 • “If I Did It” walks the reader through the events of June 12, 1994, the night Brown

Self-Actualizing Tendency • The human “organism” has an underlying actualizing tendency, which aims to develop all capacities in ways that maintain or enhance the organism and move it toward autonomy. This tendency is directional, constructive and present in all living things.3 • It encompasses all motivations; tension, need, or drive reductions; and creative as well as pleasure-seeking tendencies.3 • Each person has a fundamental mandate to fulfill their potential.3 • Can be seen as a push to experience oneself in a way that is consistent with one’s conscious view of what one is.3

Core of Personality • Rogers theory of personality has only two broad types: one where the self-actualizing tendency is vigorously functioning (the ideal fully functioning person), and one where it is not (the maladjusted person).2

Fully Functioning Person • Has received unconditional positive regard, has few conditions of worth, and has the following characteristics:2 • Openess to Experience2 • Existential Living2 • Organismic Trusting2 • Experiential Freedom2 • Creativity2

Maladjusted Person • Has received conditional positive regard and developed conditions of worth. Characteristics are:2 • Defensive Living2 • Live according to preconceived plan2 • Disregards organism2 • Feels manipulated2 • Common and conforming2

OJ Simpson – A Fully Functioning Person • Received unconditional Positive Regard • Mother was a stable and significant force in his life, despite gang and delinquent behaviour.5 • Met with football legend Willie Mays after spending time in jail at 15 after a gang fight, Simpson would later credit Mays with being the driving force for turning his life around.5

OJ Simpson – A Fully Functioning Person cont. • Openness to Experience • Simpson changed roles many times in life: • Troubled youth • Football superstar • Actor • Father • Role Model • Return to criminal activity • Guilty of murder? • Recent attempted theft of sports memorabilia

OJ Simpson – A Fully Functioning Person cont. • Existential Living – Living fully in each and every moment, is flexible, adaptable, and spontaneous • Simpson has adapted his lifestyle, including moving to another state, in order to avoid making payments on a $33.5 million judgment resulting from the civil suit brought against him by the families of Brown Simpson and Goldman.5

OJ Simpson – A Fully Functioning Person • Organismic Trusting • Experience is the highest authority; “If it feels right, it probably is” • Simpson lives his life according to what he feels is right, and what works for him.5

OJ Simpson – A Fully Functioning Person • Experimental Freedom – the freedom to choose among alternatives • “It is irrelevant whether or not people really have free will, just that they feel that they do”1 • Simpson feels he has choice in his day to day life, which allows him to experience the sensation free will. • He chooses to live an altered lifestyle to avoid paying the judgment

OJ Simpson – A Fully Functioning Person cont. • Creativity – the ability to produce new and effective ideas and things • Took the double murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman and used them to create “If I Did It: Confessions of A Killer”6

Real Self vs Ideal Self • Real Self - The “you” that, if all goes well, you will become.1 • Requires actualization, organismic valuing, positive regard, and positive self-regard.1 • Ideal Self – The standard we can’t meet; always out of our reach.1 • We are forced to live with conditions of worth that are out of step with organismic valuing, and receive only conditional positive regard.1

Incongruity = neurosis • The gap between the real self and the ideal self, the “I am” and the “I should”. • Being out of synch with your own self. • Simpson’s real self shone through during his younger years, when he was given unconditional love from those around him. • During and after his football career, Simpson was given conditional positive regard, and as a result began to experience incongruity.

Threatening Situation • When there is an incongruity between your image of yourself, and your immediate experience of yourself.1 • When in threatening situations, we use defenses: • Denial-you block out the threatening situation • Perceptual distortion-you reinterpret the situation so it appears less threatening

Simpson’s Perceptual Distortion • In “If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer”, Simpson claims that Nicole Brown shared much of the blame for her own death, by calling her the enemy and expressing anger that she flirted openly with other men in front of their children.6 • Ronald Goldman is also partly to blame for his own death because he got involved during Simpson’s altercation with his ex wife.6

Conclusions • Overall, Rogers would see OJ Simpson as a psychologically healthy person. • Strives to make the very best of his existence and experiences • Remains flexible in the face of life’s little and big disasters • Criminal acts are only a distortion of his natural tendency

Questions • According to Erikson’s theory which stage do you think O.J. Simpson had the greatest conflict with? How did that alter his ego quality? • According to Rogers’ theory, would you say Simpson has developed a real self or an ideal self?

References • 1) Boeree, C.G. (1998). Carl Rogers. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://webspace.ship.edu/chboer/rogers.html. • 2) (2007). Carl Rogers. Retrieved October 26, 2004 from http://psych.eiu.edu/spencer/Rogers.html. • 3) Pescitelli, Dagmar. (1996). An Analysis of Carl Rogers’ Theory of Personality. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://pandc.ca/?cat=carl_rogers&page=rogerian_theory. • 4) (2001). Carl Rogers’ Self Theory. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://www.revision-notes.co.uk/revision/72.html. • 5) (2007). OJ Simpson. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://www.answers.com/topic/o-j-simpson. • 6) (2007). “If I Did It”: The Quasi-Confession of O.J. Simpson. Retrieved November 4, 2007 from http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/Simpson/ifididit.html • 7) Feist, J & Feist G.J. (2006) Theories of Personality. New York: McGraw Hill. • 8) Harder, A.F. (2002). The Developmental Stages of Erik Erikson. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://www.learning placeonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm • 9) (2007). Introduction to Erikson’s 8 Stages. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://web.cortland.edu/andersmd/ERIK/stageint.HTML • 10) (2007). OJ Simpson – The Early Years. Retrieved October 29, 2007 from http://sports.jrank.org/pages/4446/Simpson-O-J-Early-Years.html • 11) Deutsch, L & Ritter, K. (2007). FBI Knew of O.J. Simpson Plan in Advance. Retrieved November 1, 2007 from http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gGwO_KHE1hijwbiO- 4A8kOXN-vOAD8SM4JSO0

Orenthal James (O.J) Simpson