Ronald Grossarth-Maticek

Ronald Grossarth-Maticek (19 June 1940) is a German sociologist specializing in the field of medical sociology, working in the fields of psychosomatics, psycho-oncology and health promotion.

He is the director of the Institute for Preventive Medicine and professor for postgraduate studies (ECPD).

Ronald Grossarth-Maticek was born in 1940 in Budapest.

In 1973 he received his PhD at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and in 1991 a doctorate in medical sciences (Dr. med. sc.) in the medical faculty of the University of Belgrade.

From 1973 to 1995 he directed the Heidelberg Prospective Study, a long-term study in which around 30,000 people from 18,000 Heidelberg households were examined at regular intervals over a period of more than 20 years for a variety of health-influencing variables.

On extensive questionnaires, he recorded dozens of physical factors (such as cigarette smoking, exercise, organ damage, genetic disposition and nutrition) as well as psychological factors (attachment to the mother in early childhood, stressors, distress, eustress, self-regulation).

He developed his own behavioral typology, into which he classified the interviewees according to the degree of their self-regulation.

According to Grossarth-Maticek's research results, the risk of illness is multiplied by an insufficient self-regulation.

Physical risk factors work mainly in sum, but especially when psychological risk factors are present at the same time.

In the "Heidelberg Prospective Study" Grossarth was able to prove a predominantly multi-causal origin of chronic diseases.

Grossarth-Maticek speaks of a "peculiar compulsion to act without necessity in a certain way and not differently".

Such behavior arises from a consolidation of behavior patterns in the first years of life.

If the "free flow of love" was disturbed by early childhood rejections, traumata, disappointment or other experiences, there could be disturbances of the inner and outer communication in adulthood, which, in combination with other factors synergistically, have an effect on health.

Inspired by the cooperation with the psychologist Hans Jürgen Eysenck, Grossarth developed a new behavioural typology.

In the behavioral typology developed by Grossarth, six types of behavioral patterns are distinguished:

Type I: Suffering in isolation: central and persistent orientation towards a longed-for but withdrawing object; inhibition in the realization of the longed-for proximity, thus inhibiting the satisfaction of this emotionally most important need.

Type II: Helpless excitement: Central and persistent orientation towards a disturbing, obstructive object, without reaching the desired distancing, with recurring overexcitation and a feeling of helplessly being at the mercy of others.

Type III: Ambivalence: High ambivalence and strong egocentrism.

Emotional instability with interim phases of autonomous self-regulation, but also with phases of intensive search for closeness with emotional needs on the one hand and after injuries phases of hyperactive excessive distancing on the other hand.

Type IV: Good self-regulation: Orientation towards current objects that enable subjective well-being, pleasure and security through which a sense of purpose can be experienced.

Flexible self-regulation adapted to the situation and needs.

Type V: Emphasizes rational: Rational and antiemotional behavior.

When overwhelmed by emotions, psychological crises and depressive mood arise.

Type VI: Irrational-emotional: Irrational, behaviour dominated by one's own feelings, without rational verification of one's own behaviour.

This typology is the result of Grossarth-Maticek's investigations into and considerations for the history and frequency of chronic diseases and health.

He emphasizes similarities between types I and II and sees type III as a hybrid of I and II.

Of course, in one subject, characteristics of several behavior types may be present at the same time, but one of them is usually dominant in behavior.

Grossarth-Maticek and his collaborators, as Helm Stierlin who wrote a preamble in Grossarth's book "Selbstregulation, Autonomie und Gesundheit", developed an autonomy training aimed at stimulating self-regulation.

In this autonomy training, a special form of cognitive behavioral therapy, the ability to achieve well-being, pleasure, security, and fulfilment of meaning through self-active problem solving is strengthened in conversation.

The trainee is encouraged to perceive himself/herself and to recognize which activities increase his/her well-being.

Autonomy training is seen as a preventive intervention, which is suitable for achieving effective behavioural changes in a relatively short time and then incorporating them into a long-term preventive programme.

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Grossarth uses the term "autonomy" in the sense of an inner independence from objects with negative experienced consequences, which results from self-knowledge and redesign of communication.

Self-regulation includes the personal ability to create the conditions for pleasure, well-being, security and inner balance through one's own behaviour in interpersonal relationships.

From 1975 to 1982 he headed the research project "Social Scientific Oncology", supported by the German Research Foundation and the Foundation for Education and Handicapped Support in Stuttgart, among others.

From 1982 to 1990, he was the head of the international research program "Prospective Epidemiology and Preventive Behavioral Medicine".

In 1990 he became Director of the Institute for Preventive Medicine and Political, Economic and Health Psychology in Heidelberg, an institution of the European Centre for Peace and Development (ECPD) in Belgrade, which belongs to the University for Peace in Costa Rica associated with the United Nations.

Grossarth-Maticek was awarded the title Professor by the European Center for Peace and Development (ECPD), which he may use in Germany with the addition Professor for Postgraduate Studies, ECPD.

Ronald Grossarth-Maticek is well known for his lectures, numerous books and articles in professional journals.

In 2019, some of the works of Maticek and his co-author, psychologist Hans Eysenck, were reviewed by King's College London and 26 were declared "unsafe".