Object relations and addiction: The role of “transmuting externalizations”

Addiction is viewed as resulting from a failure in the separation-individuation process. Due to lack of reliable selfobjects and failure to make transmuting internalizations, the addict remains dependent upon transmuting externalizations in an attempt to incorporate soothing objects into the self. As comfort provided by transmuting externalizations cannot be internalized into the self, the process inevitably fails. Treatment of addiction is thus conceived here as a multimodal strategy to help addicts complete separation-individuation and make transmuting internalizations of the soothing and realistic capacities of the therapist and peer group members.     

The “Authoritarian Personality” Reconsidered: the Phantom of “Left Fascism”*

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis - This article explores the question of “Left fascism,” which emerged in relation to discussions around the Student Movement in the German Federal...     

“Containing the Uncontainable”: The Return of the Phantom and its Reconfiguration in Ethnonational Conflict Resolution

A phenomenologically informed psychoanalytic praxis for framing and conducting ethnonational conflict resolution in fractured communities is presented. When conducted with care, it begins with the polarization of each side in the conflict and continues into a second phase where the antagonism changes into the negotiation of paradox, irony and multiplicity of positions. Third, the crossing of mental borders with trepidation follows. Fourth, an ethic of responsibility, where common ground is sought brings closure to the process. A plea for humility, however, is required of practitioner scholars of conflict resolution because there is invariably a phantom that threatens to be resurrected to derail what at one time looked like success long after the work is formally completed. The return of the phantom requires practitioners to seriously consider implications for follow-up.     

Commentary on “The Negative Transitional Object: Theoretical Elaboration and Clinical Illustration”

This commentary engages with Pauley’s (this issue) clinical case through a brief discussion of the transitional object and a questioning of the author’s new concept the negative transitional object.     

Contemporary Catholic Perspectives on Christian–Muslim Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Tanzania

Taking into consideration that Christians and Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa live intermingled in family, clan or ethnic groups, this article takes cognizance of the effect of the teachings of each tradition about their own identity and their perception of the other. It also seeks to take into account the Roman Catholic principles of inter-religious dialogue as enunciated by the Second Vatican Council in the documents Nostra Aetate and the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christians, as well as Unitatis Reintegratio, the Decree on Ecumenism, and Dominus Iesus. In view of the fact that these are seen as a source of tension, the question arises as to whether they are being interpreted correctly or applied in the spirit intended.     

The Thought Experiment of Maxwell’s Demon and the Origin of Irreversibility

The problem of the irreversibility’s origin in thermodynamic processes occupies a distinguished place among many and lasting attempts by researchers to derive irreversibility from molecular-mechanical principles. However, this problem is still open and no universally accepted solution may be given during any course. In this paper, I shall try to show that the examining of Maxwell’s demon thought experiment may provide insight into the difficulties that emerge, looking for this origin because: (i) it is connected with the notion of irreversibility, and (ii) one of its functions is that of the “reversibility objection.” In order to illustrate this point, I study Boltzmann’s approach to the problem of a molecular-mechanical interpretation of irreversibility and I show that an auxiliary assumption (the selected direction of time) is responsible for producing irreversibility. But this result is accordant with the predictions of Maxwell’s demon thought experiment: the assumptions of this kind are not dictated by molecular-mechanical principles but are separate input in the model-systems used.

The Shaping Influence of Film and Television on the Spirituality and Identity of Children and Adolescents: an educational response—part 3

This is the third in a series of articles in this journal which considers the shaping influence of film and television on children's spirituality (Rossiter, 1996, 1997). All three are framed within a particular conceptual scheme (discussed in detail in part 1) which sets out to promote theorizing (on the part of teachers and others interested in the question) about a range of possible psychological mechanisms through which film and television can have a spiritual and moral influence. The scheme is theoretical and pedagogical in focus; it is not directly concerned with research on causal links between the watching of film and television and children's thinking and behaviour. This article begins by concluding the discussion in part 2 on the potential influence of feature films and television. Then follows an exploration of the possible spiritual influence of television advertising.     

Exploring the Factor Structure of the Social Cognition and Object Relations–Global Rating Method: Support for Two- and Three-Factor Models

The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scales–Global Rating Method (SCORS–G) contains 8 scales for coding narrative content. This study explores the factor structure of this measure using college (n = 171), outpatient (n = 239), and inpatient (n = 78) samples. Participants told stories to the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT; Murray, 1943) cards. Stories were transcribed and coded by blind raters using the SCORS–G. Cases were randomly assigned to an exploratory or validation group. Exploratory factor analysis with the exploratory group suggested 2- and 3-factor models. The Emotional Investment in Relationships (EIR) scale did not obtain a primary loading on any factor and was not included in subsequentmodels. After modifications, confirmatory factor analysis indicated good-to-adequate fit for 2- and 3-factor models. Both models showed good fit in the validation group and met criteria for invariance across models. Findings indicated that some SCORS–G scales tap cognitive-structural elements, whereas others assess affective-relational components of narratives. We found mild support separating the affective-relational scales in terms of internal representations for the self and others and relationships. The results reported here indicate that clinicians and researchers can calculate a separate cognitive-structural composite score and an affective-relational composite score when using the SCORS–G to rate TAT stories.     

The Costs of Consumer Culture and the “Cage Within”: The Impact of the Material “Good Life” and “Body Perfect” Ideals on Individuals” Identity and Well-Being

In this article I explore the motivated construal processes that allow individuals to dispel doubt and sustain conviction in the face of less-than-perfect partners and relationships. The surface features of conviction are discussed first with a focus on the positive illusions that predict relationship well-being and stability. The structural underpinnings of conviction are then discussed with a focus on the cognitive mechanisms that contain the implications of negativity within positive relationship representations. I conclude by discussing possible self-evaluation motives that may interfere with intimates dispelling doubt and finding the sense of conviction needed to sustain satisfying, stable romantic relationships.     

Introduction to the Special Section on the Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale–Global Rating Method: From Research to Practice

There continues to be a need in the field of psychology for measures that quantify qualitative data in dynamically rich and clinically meaningful ways. The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale–Global Rating Method (SCORS–G; Westen, 1995) is a clinician-rated measure with a strong theoretical foundation that assesses sophisticated underlying constructs, specifically 8 dimensions of object relations (Stein &; Slavin-Mulford, 2018 Stein, M. B., &; Slavin-Mulford, J. (2018). The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale–Global Rating Method (SCORS–G): A comprehensive guide for clinicians and researchers. New York, NY: Routledge. [Google Scholar]). The SCORS–G has steadily increased in popularity and this special section of the Journal of Personality Assessment reflects this growing interest. In this introduction, we provide readers with a brief overview of the 5 articles in this special section and note ways in which they reflect and build on the existing SCORS–G empirical literature. Contextualizing these articles within the broader literature allows us to highlight how the measure is employed in clinical and research settings. Each of these 5 articles also highlights areas and opportunities for future research that would address gaps in the SCORS–G literature and strengthen the utility of the measure. We close by noting how each of studies can be seen as a model for future lines of research.     

The “Epidemic” of Cheating Depends on Its Definition: A Critique of Inferring the Moral Quality of “Cheating in Any Form”

The incidence and moral implications of cheating depend on how it is defined and measured. Research that defines and operationalizes cheating as an inventory of acts, that is, “cheating in any form,” has often fueled concern that cheating is reaching “epidemic proportions.” Such inventory measures appear, however, to conflate moral and administrative conceptions of the problem. Inasmuch as the immorality of behavior is a function of moral judgment, academic misconduct is immoral only when it is intentional, and the greatest moral weight should be ascribed to violations that students judge to be the most “serious.”     

The Impact of Film Manipulation on Men’s and Women’s Attitudes Toward Women and Film Editing

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of film manipulation on men’s and women’s attitudes toward women and film editing. One hundred and seventy-four participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Three groups viewed a particular manipulation of the treatment film (i.e., uncut, mosaic-ed, or edited) The Accused, a movie about gang rape that was based on a true story. The fourth group served as a control. As predicted, men reported significantly higher levels of traditionalism and rape myth acceptance-related attitudes at the onset of the study, whereas women reported higher levels of empathic attitudes. Following the study, and as expected, women experienced significantly more attitude change as a result of viewing the treatment film; men’s rape myth-related attitudes nonetheless continued to exceed those of women. Finally, men’s positive attitudes toward favoring editing decreased as sexual violence increased, whereas women’s pro-editing attitudes increased as sexual violence increased. The theoretical implications of the study, as well as the impact of viewing sexual violence in a more reality-based, versus a more entertaining, forum are discussed.     

The Symbol and the Theory of the Life-World: “The Transcendences of the Life-World and Their Overcoming by Signs and Symbols”

This essay presents a phenomenological analysis of the functioning of symbols as elements of the life-world with the purpose of demonstrating the interrelationship of individual and society. On the basis of Alfred Schutz's theory of the life-world, signs and symbols are viewed as mechanisms by means of which the individual can overcome the transcendences posed by time, space, the world of the Other, and multiple realities which confront him or her. Accordingly, the individual's life-world divides itself into the dimensions of time, space, the social world and various reality spheres which form the boundaries or transcendences that the I has to understand and integrate. Signs and symbols are described as appresentational modes which stand for experiences originating in the different spheres of the life-world within the world of everyday life, within which they can be communicated, thereby establishing intersubjectivity. Schutz's theory of the symbol explains how social entities – such as nations, states or religious groups – are symbolically integrated to become components of the individual's life-world. The following paper reconstructs Schutz's concept of the symbol as a crucial component of his theory of the life-world, which is seen as an outstanding phenomenological contribution to the theory of the sign and the symbol in general.     

Psychological Skills and “the Paras”: The Indirect Effects of Psychological Skills on Endurance

We examined the indirect effects of basic psychological skills (PS) on military endurance through enhanced advanced PS while controlling for fitness. British Army recruits (n = 159) participated in three endurance events for Parachute Regiment selection and completed an adapted Test of Performance Strategies questionnaire (Hardy et al., 2010 Hardy, L., Roberts, R., Thomas, P. R., &; Murphy, S. M. (2010). Test of performance strategies (TOPS): Instrument refinement using confirmatory factor analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11, 27–35. doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2009.04.007[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Following confirmatory factor analyses, the multiple mediation regression analyses using PROCESS (Hayes, 2013 Hayes, A.F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. New York, NY: Guilford Press. [Google Scholar]) suggested that goal setting, imagery and relaxation all had positive indirect effects on endurance via activation, with goal setting also impacting on endurance via negative thinking. These data provide some support for basic PS influencing endurance via advanced PS.