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Plesch feels that this subject has not received the consideration which its clinical and metapsychological significance merits. This defense mechanism is based on a developmental hierarchy of identification systems associated with the concept of the father. The structure of these systems is explained in terms of the oral, anal, and genital roots. The systems also serve as part of the normal structure, dynamism, and economy of the self system. They can be traced through the evolutionary stages of man and may be found even in animals in rudimentary form, suggesting a genetic continuity.
This defense mechanism protects the individual against paranoid experiences and a sense of inner void. In the normal state it operates at virtually unconscious levels and performs a totally different function. It is suggested that the identification systems are involved in the organization of experience. Evidence also points to the conclusion that they contribute to creativeness of thought through cross-fertilization of 'object' and 'subject' percepts.
Plesch illustrates his thesis with clinical data from his own cases and from a study of Oscar Wilde's autobiography.