The components of psychic conflict and its consequences in mental life.

This paper surveys current psychoanalytic concepts of drives, unpleasure related to drives, defense and compromise formation, with special attention to the author's contributions to each subject during the years 1950-1978.     

The classical/relational schism and psychic conflict

The mind's ingrained need to reduce and resolve conflicting perspectives, it is argued, is at the root of struggles among "schools" of analytic thought. Focusing attention on the conflictual process in analytic work can help both patients and analysts appreciate the fundamentally complementary nature of mind and the value of embracing distinctive points of view.     

Mr. A's creative adventure: reflections on drives and psychic conflict

The author discusses psychic conflict in the context of Freudian drive theory and its relationship to primal fantasies and repression. Freud's metaphor of the "Mystic Writing Pad" is reviewed, with particular attention to psychotic perception, especially the lack of ability to differentiate between self and object. Psychoanalytic psychodrama is proposed as an effective treatment modality in such cases, and an illustrative clinical example is presented.     

Recovery of affect and structural conflict

This paper deals with fragmented or dispersed affects states with special reference to deep depression. The clinical material presented consists of two patients; a seriously depressive man, and a female patient with a schizoaffective psychosis which has been treated and followed up by the author since the end of the 60s. The hypothesis is that, in a serious depression, as well as in traumatic states in general, the genuine affect tends to be dissected into its two constituents: a diffuse bodily excitation and dismantled drive-instinctual urges devoid of affective meaning. The author arrives at the conclusion that the analytic situation represents a metaphorical frame where the recovery of affect becomes possible when the disruptive experiences of the past are dealt with in the transference. The integration of affect signifies a major structural achievement, making the perception of reality possible without sacrificing affective experience and genuine interest in life. The author deals with the foundations of the structural theory and proposes that the early frame of primary identification comes to play a crucial rôle in the advanced psychic organisation. On the one hand, it carries the capacity of psychic representation and metaphorical thinking. On the other hand, as projected onto the future, it defines the frame of the ego-ideal and forms the basis for metaphorical interpretation of the superego demand.     

Emotional arousal and negative affect in marital conflict: the influence of gender,conflict structure,and demand‐withdrawal

This report covers two studies that examined how spouses' emotional arousal and negative affect in response to marital conflict are shaped by gender, conflict structure, and demand‐withdraw communication. In Study 1, 86 couples participated in a video analogue presentation procedure, and in Study 2, 32 couples participated in an observational methodology. In both studies, spouses' evaluative reports of their emotional arousal and negative affect were collected within two experimental conditions in which either the husband's or the wife's issue was discussed. In both studies, husbands—but not wives—reported lower levels of post‐interaction arousal and negative affect in the wife's issue condition than in the husband's issue condition. In both studies, husbands' as well as wives' level of emotional arousal was positively associated with their level of negative affect. In Study 2, husbands who were less demanding and more withdrawing during marital conflict were less aroused after the discussion. In contrast, wives reported more emotional arousal and negative affect as they were more withdrawing and less demanding, respectively. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trait anxiety and dynamic adjustments in conflict processing

Recently, it has been assumed that high- and low-trait-anxious subjects differ in the way they use fundamental cognitive control mechanisms. The present study was designed to further elucidate this topic by focusing on trial-to-trial adjustments in neuronal correlates of conflict processing. An electroencephalogram was recorded while subjects (N=71) performed a gender discrimination version of the Stroop task. The conflict-related N400 of the ERP was influenced by an interaction between trait anxiety and previous trial context: An additional negative-going deflection in the N400 range was observed when the target—distractor pairing of the directly preceding trial was incongruent, but only in highly anxious subjects. Thus, highly anxious subjects appear to more strongly engage neuronal modules involved in conflict monitoring when previously exposed to a high stimulus-response conflict. These results indicate that trait anxiety is crucially linked to the way the cognitive system dynamically adapts to recent demands.     

Relationships between conflict,affect and deviant sexual behaviors in rapists and pedophiles

The aim of the current study was to determine the relationship in sexual offenders between conflict, affective states and particular sexual behaviors (fantasies and masturbatory activities while having such fantasies). To this end we developed the “Fantasy Report”, a self-assessment method for recording affective components and sexual behaviors. Thirteen rapists and 9 pedophiles filled out the Fantasy Report every 2 days for a period of 60 days. In rapists, negative mood and the presence of conflicts coincided with both overwhelming deviant sexual fantasies and increased masturbatory activities while having such fantasies. Furthermore, the emotions most frequently reported by rapists following conflicts were loneliness, humiliation, anger and feelings of inadequacy and rejection. Affective components, however, were not associated with nondeviant sexual behaviors. For the pedophiles, the data revealed a significant relationship only between negative moods and deviant sexual fantasies. These data are interpreted to mean that, in sexual offenders, negative affect is a crucial component in the chain that leads to deviant sexual behaviors.     

Social anxiety and the accuracy of predicted affect

Social anxiety is theorised to arise from sustained over-activation of a mammalian evolved system for detecting and responding to social threat with corresponding diminished opportunities for attaining the pleasure of safe attachments. Emotional forecasting data from two holidays were used to test the hypothesis that greater social anxiety would be associated with decreased expectations of positive affect (PA) and greater anticipated negative affect (NA) on a holiday marked by group celebration (St. Patrick's Day) while being associated with greater predicted PA for daters on a romantic holiday (Valentine's Day). Participants completed symptom reports, made affective forecasts and provided multiple affect reports throughout each holiday. Higher levels of social anxiety were associated with greater anticipated PA for Valentine's Day daters, but lower experienced PA on the holiday; this was not found for trait anxiety and depression. Alternatively, trait anxiety, depression and social anxiety were associated with less predicted PA for St. Patrick's Day, greater anticipated NA and diminished experienced PA/greater NA during the holiday. Results are discussed in light of perceived hope for rewarding safe emotional contact for those daters in contrast to the greater possibility for social threat associated with group celebration typical of St. Patrick's Day.     

Identification complexity and conflict: how multiple identifications affect conflict across functional boundaries

We integrate insights from the social identity complexity and dual identification literature to explore the influence of workplace identification on cross-functional conflicts at work. We propose that patterns of identification across multiple identity targets will affect the development of cross-functional conflicts within an organization. We test our hypotheses in a two-wave study of 156 military personnel over a period of 4 months, finding support for our propositions. Specifically, we find that less complex patterns of identification (defined as dominant identification with a single workplace identity) are associated with higher increases in process, task and relationship conflict during cross-functional working, compared to complex patterns of identification (identification with two or three targets) and weak identification. These findings have important implications for cross-functional working, and also provide new insights into the role of identification complexity in shaping workplace outcomes.     

Intergroup conflict, out-group derogation, and self-directed negative affect among Italian South Tyroleans

In South Tyrol, a multiethnic Italian province, the authors examined the self-directed negative affect that members of an Italian group experienced after they evaluated members of the German and Albanian groups. The authors examined the affect as a function of out-group derogation. The authors argued that to the extent that out-group derogation may run counter to norms toward intergroup fairness, such normative nonconformity will elicit negative affect directed at the self as a function of perceived intergroup conflict. The findings support the authors' line of reasoning: among Italian South Tyroleans, those who expressed greater out-group derogation were led to experience stronger negative self-directed affect when they rated a low-conflict out-group, but not when they rated a high-conflict out-group, compared to participants whose out-group derogation was less.     

The function of the therapist's affect in therapeutic conflict in groups

Group psychotherapy theory and technique are presented with the goals of helping group practitioners working with difficult clients: 1) develop a treatment plan; 2) create a therapeutic alliance; 3) foster a responsive group climate; and 4) utilize the therapist's countertransferential reactions in dealing with therapeutic conflict. Historical modifications of the analyst's role in the development of group psychotherapy are noted. Emphasis is give to the recognition of therapist-client identifications in order to separate feelings induced in the therapist from countertransferential reactions, to enable the practitioner to respond appropriately to the affective and inspirational substratum of therapeutic groups.     

A longitudinal analysis of financial loss,anxiety, destructive conflict,and relational maintenance

This study examined how destructive conflict behavior and relational maintenance behavior are linked to financial loss in adult romantic relationships. Based on conservation of resources (COR) theory, it was hypothesized that financial loss indirectly (through anxiety) predicts increased destructive conflict behavior and decreased relational maintenance behavior. Across three waves of data, results indicated that financial loss significantly predicted passive‐destructive conflict behavior (i.e., neglect) through anxiety. Financial loss did not, however, directly or indirectly predict active‐destructive conflict behavior (i.e., exit). Financial loss negatively predicted relational maintenance behavior, but that effect was found only from Wave 1 to Wave 2 and was not mediated by anxiety. Overall, results support COR theory and identify some of the specific relational consequences of financial difficulty.     

Peer conflict avoidance: associations with loneliness, social anxiety, and social avoidance

Failure to resolve peer conflict is associated with children's reports of loneliness, social anxiety, and social avoidance. Although these relationships are well established, researchers have not examined the association between the avoidance of peer conflict and various adjustment characteristics. The current study examined the association between avoidance of conflict and measures of loneliness, social anxiety, and social avoidance for 59 pupils in Grade 4 (31 boys and 28 girls) and 47 in Grade 8 (22 boys and 25 girls). Volunteers indicated that conflict avoidance based on autonomy, e.g., independence issues, and interpersonal issues, e.g., closeness and cohesion, was associated with scores on loneliness for boys and girls, respectively. Conflict avoidance for emotional and physical well-being and fear of punishment was associated with increased reports of loneliness and social anxiety for children in Grade 4.     

Changes in affect during treatment for depression and anxiety

We tested the hypothesis that the tripartite model [Clark, L. A., & Watson, D. (1991). Tripartite model of anxiety and depression: Psychometric evidence and psychometric implications. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 316-336] can be extended to account for change during treatment for anxiety and depression. Forty-one patients treated naturalistically in private practice with cognitive behavior therapy completed weekly measures of depression, anxiety, negative affect (NA), positive affect (PA), and anxious arousal (AA). Consistent with the model, NA was associated with anxiety and depression during treatment, PA was more strongly related to depression than to anxiety, and AA was more strongly related to anxiety than to depression. As predicted, symptoms of depression and anxiety and NA all decreased during treatment. As predicted, AA also decreased, particularly for patients with panic disorder. PA increased during treatment, but only for patients who showed a significant decline in depression and only over an extended period of treatment. Nearly two-thirds of the variance in anxiety change was accounted for by changes in depression and NA, and just over three-fourths of the variance in depression change was accounted for by changes in anxiety and NA, indicating that much of the change in anxiety and depression across the course of treatment is shared in common.     

Comments on the clinical analysis of anxiety and depressive affect

In listening to clinical material, the analyst frequently has to decide among several apparently valid avenues of investigation. The author examines an aspect of the way he chooses among technical alternatives. His perceptions of an analysand's motivations are influenced by two complementary affect-defense configurations: inhibition in response to anxiety and enactment of wishful fantasy in response to depressive affect. These conceptualizations act as deep structures at the base of his clinical thinking and give direction to his analytic activity. A connection is suggested between the choice to analyze one or another specific affect-defense configuration and the sequential unfolding of tolerable frustrations and gratifications for the analysand.     

Compulsive checking and anxiety in a nonclinical sample: Differences in cognition,behavior, personality,and affect

This study addresses the question of why some highly anxious individuals exhibit excessive levels of compulsive checking behavior while other do not. To this end, nonclinical samples of compulsive checkers (n=19), (nonchecking) anxious controls (n=16), and (nonchecking) nonanxious controls (n=12) were compared on a variety of cognitive, behavioral, personality, and affective measures hypothesized to differentiate checkers from anxious controls. Results indicated that checkers exhibited higher levels of perfectionism and worry, and demonstrated greater cognitive impairment on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Furthermore, performance and subjective experiences of performance appeared to be mediated by perfectionism and worry. Findings suggest that both personality and cognitive variables are important correlates of the form of anxiety-related symptomatology.     

Perceptions of conflict and support in romantic relationships: the role of attachment anxiety

Guided by attachment theory, a 2-part study was conducted to test how perceptions of relationship-based conflict and support are associated with relationship satisfaction/closeness and future quality. Dating partners completed diaries for 14 days (Part 1) and then were videotaped while discussing a major problem that occurred during the diary study (Part 2). Part 1 reveals that more anxiously attached individuals perceived more conflict with their dating partners and reported a tendency for conflicts to escalate in severity. Perceptions of daily relationship-based conflicts negatively impacted the perceived satisfaction/closeness and relationship futures of highly anxious individuals, whereas perceptions of greater daily support had positive effects. Part 2 reveals that highly anxious individuals appeared more distressed and escalated the severity of conflicts (rated by observers) and reported feeling more distressed. The authors discuss the unique features of attachment anxiety and how changing perceptions of relationship satisfaction/closeness and stability could erode commitment over time.     

Rehearsal partially mediates the negative relations of the fading affect bias with depression,anxiety, and stress

The fading affect bias (FAB) is defined by unpleasant affect fading faster than pleasant affect. The FAB persists across several cultures and event types, and it is positively related to healthy outcomes and negatively related to unhealthy outcomes. Although the notion of the FAB as a healthy process fits well with contemporary theoretical perspectives, such as self‐enhancement theory, few studies have (a) examined and established reliable relations between the FAB and psychological distress variables and (b) established overall rehearsal as a mediator of these relations. We examined and found reliable, negative relations between psychological distress and the FAB for combined data from several studies examining different event types. We also examined and showed that overall rehearsal partially mediated these relations. These findings help legitimize the relation of psychological distress and FAB as a reliable scientific phenomenon, show that the FAB results from cognitive mechanisms, and support therapeutic emotional memory reinterpretation.