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Clinical material derived from the analyses of three children of different families who showed marked similarities in behaviour and personal appearance led the three therapists concerned to certain ideas about the role of inconsistency and unpredictability of maternal behaviour and the influence of the child's own anxiety on character development. Each child's anxiety, whether deriving from id or superego, was pathologically reinforced by real fear of the mother, who combined in her behaviour to the child both seductive and aggressive attitudes. The anxiety felt by the child was a combination of neurotic anxiety and real fear based upon the mother's unpredictability. These sources of anxiety constantly interacted, for the mother's inconsistencies and seductions reinforced the instinctual wishes and led to increased anxiety. The mother's aggressive behaviour similarly reinforced the prohibitions of the superego which was in any case faulty because of the mother's inconsistencies.
The situation was further complicated by projection outward of the internalized picture of the mother which carried with it the full weight of the child's own libido and aggression. All children tried to build up stable defences which were constantly undermined for want of a solid reality orientation upon which a stable ego could be built. The smallest provocation led to acute anxiety which it was attempted to deal with by identification with the aggressor. Insufficient defence led to regression under stress, a state of affairs which was reinforced by constant seduction.
The heightened anxiety of these children found discharge in the main through bodily excitement. This seemed to be the only form of pleasure which was consistently permitted and therefore could become conflict-free. Perhaps the most important factor was that in this way the children through the body-phallus equation satisfied their own and the mother's desire for a penis.