ABSTRACT
The confirmation of the predicted splitting of the maternal representation has an important consequence for the predicted ontogenetic determinant of the Trobriand Oedipus complex. In the pre-Oedipal period of child development the boy experiences a highly "seductive" mother and a physically and emotionally remote father which, in a psychological chain reaction, leads to a strong incestuous attachment to the mother and an equally strong Oedipal rivalry with the father. On the basis of both sets of predicted findings it was concluded that the Trobriand Oedipal hypothesis can be accepted with a reasonable degree of confidence. The set of psychological characteristics that are predictably associated with a strong Oedipus complex, the acceptance of the Trobriand Oedipus hypothesis requires that this entire set of psychological characteristics be found in Trobriand males. In short, three types of data—behavioral, psychological, and cultural—constitute evidence in support of the prediction.
