Cross-Cultural Challenges to the Construct “Posttraumatic Growth”

Responses of individuals to traumatic events are varied. Traumatic events can lead to positive transformations that are known as posttraumatic growth (PTG). Most of the empirical studies of PTG have been addressed from a Western perspective. Theoretically, the concept appears to be cross-culturally valid, but there has been a fundamental deficiency in operationalizing the concept in regard to cultures that are non-Western. Cultural elements play an important role in influencing the behavior of individuals in the aftermath of trauma. Hence, it is important to conceptualize and measure PTG in the framework of the culture to which the individual belongs. The effects of culture come from both the immediate culture (proximal) and the broader (distal) sources that impact the nature of rumination, cognitive strategies, and the process of growth. This paper addresses various cross-cultural challenges to the construct PTG such as emic versus etic perspectives on PTG, proximate and distal influences of culture on PTG, specific cultural influences on rumination, cognitive strategies, and growth, cultural bias inherent in theories of PTG, and measurement issues of PTG across cultures.     

共情对灾后青少年亲社会行为的影响：感恩、社会支持和创伤后成长的中介作用

以雅安地震极重灾区芦山县的542名中学生为被试, 在地震发生3.5年后, 采用人际反应指数量表测查被试的共情能力, 并在震后4.5年采用感恩问卷、社会关系网络问卷、创伤后成长问卷和亲社会行为问卷测查被试的感恩、社会支持、创伤后成长(posttraumatic growth, PTG)和亲社会行为, 从追踪的视角考察地震后青少年的共情能力对亲社会行为的影响, 并探讨感恩、社会支持和创伤后成长(PTG)在其中的中介作用。结果显示, 共情可直接正向预测亲社会行为; 共情对亲社会行为的预测可分别通过感恩、社会支持和PTG的中介进行; 共情还可以分别通过感恩经社会支持、感恩经PTG、社会支持经PTG、感恩经社会支持再经PTG的链式中介对亲社会行为起到正向预测作用。这一发现提示, 未来的创伤后心理辅导工作应更加关注青少年的积极心理和社会行为的发展。     

Prospective writing: Randomized controlled trial of an intervention for facilitating growth after adversity

Little is known about how posttraumatic growth (PTG) can be fostered and controversy surrounds how it is best measured. We designed and tested an intervention, prospective writing, to facilitate PTG by encouraging people to explore new possibilities after adversity. Adults (N = 188) with recent adverse experiences were randomly assigned to do prospective writing, factual writing, or no writing weekly for one month. PTG was assessed with both retrospective and current-standing measures. Hierarchical linear modeling and response profile analysis were used to assess the intervention’s impact, and latent growth curve modeling was used to test mediation. Prospective writing participants showed the greatest gains in PTG as assessed by the current-standing measure, but did not reliably show greater retrospective PTG than controls. Although large effect sizes for the mediation paths suggested that engagement with new possibilities may be a plausible mechanism, this result fell short of statistical significance. Prospection-based interventions merit further investigation.     

An investigation into the jumping-to-conclusions bias in social anxiety

‘Jumping-to-Conclusions’ (JTC) is a data-gathering bias characterised by hasty decision-making, and is typically seen in individuals with high levels of delusions or paranoia. JTC has also been found in people with high trait and state anxiety. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between JTC and trait social anxiety and state anxiety, given paranoia is common in both social anxiety and psychotic disorders. One-hundred-and-eighty-six undergraduate students were allocated to a manipulation or control condition, and classified as high or low socially anxious. All participants completed the ‘beads task’ to assess JTC, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (state subscale) to assess state anxiety. Participants in the manipulation condition were given an anxiety-inducing situation. Although the manipulation was effective in inducing state anxiety, there was no significant correlation between JTC and trait or state social anxiety. High socially anxious individuals showed more conservative decision-making than controls over time, which was posited to be caused by inhibited working memory resulting from increased state anxiety.     

社会支持、创伤后应激障碍与创伤后成长之间的关系:来自雅安地震后小学生的追踪研究

本文采用追踪研究的设计,在雅安地震后的6、12和18个月三个时间点,采用社会支持问卷、儿童创伤后应激障碍症状量表、DSM-5的PTSD核查表和创伤后成长问卷对303名小学生进行调查。通过建立交叉滞后模型,考察社会支持、创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)与创伤后成长(PTG)三者之间的关系,结果发现在震后6至18个月之间,PTG对PTSD没有显著的预测作用,震后6个月的PTSD对震后12个月的PTG具有显著的跨时间点的正向预测作用,但是该作用在震后12至18个月之间不再显著;震后6至12个月之间,社会支持对PTSD发挥单向的缓解作用,但与PTG之间不存在显著的预测作用;在12至18个月之间,PTSD可以单向地降低社会支持,且社会支持与PTG之间也存在显著的正向相互预测作用。     

Posttraumatic growth following pregnancy termination for fetal abnormality: the predictive role of coping strategies and perinatal grief

Background: Research about termination for fetal abnormality (TFA) suggests that it is a traumatic event with potential negative psychological consequences. However, evidence also indicates that following traumatic events individuals may experience growth. Although TFA’s negative psychological outcomes are well documented, little is known of the potential for growth following this event. Therefore, the study’s objectives were to measure posttraumatic growth (PTG) post-TFA, examine the relationship between PTG, perinatal grief and coping, and determine the predictors of PTG.

Design: An online, retrospective survey was conducted with 161 women.

Methods: Eligible participants were women over 18 who had undergone TFA. Participants were recruited from a support organisation. They completed the Brief COPE, Short Perinatal Grief Scale and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Data were analysed using regression analyses.

Results: Moderate levels of PTG were observed for “relating to others,” “personal strengths” and “appreciation of life.” “Positive reframing” was a significant predictor of PTG. Despite using mainly “adaptive” coping strategies, women’s grief levels were high.

Conclusions: “Adaptive” coping strategies such as, “positive reframing” are relevant to TFA. They may act as protective factors against distress and as foundations for growth, implicating that interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which aim to reframe women’s experience, may be beneficial.     

Don't Be So Hard on Yourself: Self-Compassion Facilitates Creative Originality Among Self-Judgmental Individuals

Self-compassion is a multifaceted state of potential utility in alleviating the self-critical tendencies that may undermine creative expressions among certain individuals. To investigate this idea, 86 undergraduates were randomly assigned to control or self-compassion conditions, following which creative originality was assessed by a version of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT). The manipulation was hypothesized to facilitate creative originality particularly among individuals who are prone to critical self-judgment, as assessed by a trait measure. This interactive hypothesis was supported: Self-judgmental individuals displayed lower levels of creative originality in the control condition, but equal levels of creative originality in the self-compassion condition. Results are discussed in the context of theories of creative potential, self-compassion, and chronic tendencies toward self-criticism.     

损失-收益框架下责任感对建议采纳的影响

实验1和实验2分别探讨了在损失-收益框架下特质责任感和状态责任感对建议采纳的影响。结果发现：（1）无论是特质责任感还是状态责任感,高责任感的个体比低责任感个体更倾向于采纳他人建议。（2）收益框架下的个体比损失框架下的个体更愿意采纳他人建议。（3）无论是特质责任感还是状态责任感,高责任感的个体对他人建议的采纳程度不受框架的影响,而低责任感个体在收益框架下比在损失框架下的建议采纳程度高。     

女大学生中共情对自我中心和利他行为关系的调节作用

目的：考察在女大学生中特质与状态共情对个体自我中心特质与利他行为之间的关系。方法：研究一采用问卷调查考察特质共情对自我中心特质与利他行为倾向的调节作用; 研究二采用行为实验 (自我中心特质高或低的女大学生) 来考察启动的状态共情对真实利他行为的影响。结果：共情特质/状态会与自我中心特质交互作用来影响个体的利他行为/倾向。结论：高共情状态/特质的被试其自我中心会降低利他行为/倾向, 而低共情状态或特质的被试无此倾向。     

Team-level goal orientation: an emergent state and its relationships with team inputs,process, and outcomes

Building on recent efforts to extend the concept of goal orientation to teams, we identify team-level goal orientation as an emergent state, distinct from static trait goal orientations of team members. We reinforce this distinction by developing and testing hypotheses about team inputs, processes, and outcomes as determinants of the development of team goal orientation over time. We test our hypotheses with longitudinal data from 230 participants on 64 teams engaged in a management simulation. We find that team members’ trait goal orientations affect the team’s state goal orientation, but only in the early stages of team functioning. Team process and interim outcomes drive changes in team state goal orientation.     

Guarding against hostile thoughts: trait anger and the recruitment of cognitive control

Trait anger is a robust predictor of the angry and aggressive response to hostile situational input, but it is important to better understand the mechanisms underlying this dimension of personality. The present two studies (total N=106) examined the possibility that individuals low in trait anger systematically recruit cognitive control resources within hostile contexts. These resources would likely be useful in facilitating emotion regulation operations. In support of this cognitive control framework, Experiment 1 found that low (but not high) trait anger individuals exhibited superior response-switching abilities in a hostile stimulus context. Experiment 2 conceptually replicated this pattern using a different cognitive control measure related to flanker interference effects. The convergence of findings across studies provides one likely mechanism for the reduced levels of reactivity at low levels of trait anger. Findings are discussed in relation to broader theories of trait anger and emotion regulation.     

Positive psychotherapy for distressed cancer survivors: Posttraumatic growth facilitation reduces posttraumatic stress

Background/Objective

There is increasing evidence that positive life changes, such as posttraumatic growth (PTG), can result from the experience of coping with cancer. However, no interventions have been specifically designed to facilitate the development of PTG in cancer. In this article, we describe and assess the results of Positive Psychotherapy for Cancer (PPC) survivors. It aims to facilitate PTG as a way of achieving significant reductions in the symptoms of emotional distress and posttraumatic stress. In addition, the corroboration of this PTG facilitation is assessed using interpersonal indicators. Method: We allocated 126 consecutive survivors of cancer with high levels of emotional distress and who were seeking psychological support to either an experimental group (PPC) or a waiting list group. Results: The PPC group obtained significantly better results after treatment than the control group, showing reduced distress, decreased posttraumatic symptoms, and increased PTG. The benefits were maintained at 3 and 12 months’ follow-up. Participants’ PTG was correlated to the PTG that their significant others attributed to them, corroborating PTG facilitation. Conclusions: PPC appears to promote significant long-term PTG and can reduce emotional distress and posttraumatic stress in cancer survivors. In addition, PTG facilitation induced by PPC is corroborated by significant others.     

焦虑、建议者善意程度对个体建议采纳的影响

通过两个实验探讨焦虑和建议者的善意程度对建议采纳的影响。实验一采用电影片段来诱发被试的焦虑情绪,实验二采用特质焦虑量表选取高低特质焦虑的被试参加实验。研究发现：（1）焦虑情绪对建议采纳有影响,焦虑情绪下的被试,其建议采纳程度大于处于中性情绪状态的被试。（2）高低特质焦虑的被试建议采纳程度没有显著差异。（3）建议者的善意程度会影响建议采纳,高善意建议者的建议更多地被采纳。     

青少年的自我同情对创伤后应激障碍与创伤后成长的影响:感恩的中介作用

采用自我同情量表、感恩问卷、创伤后应激障碍症状核查表和创伤后成长问卷对雅安地震4.5年后的499名中学生进行调查,以考察自我同情对创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)和创伤后成长(PTG)的影响,并检验感恩在其间的中介作用。结果发现,积极自我同情可以直接负向预测PTSD、正向预测PTG,消极自我同情可以直接正向预测PTSD;积极自我同情可以通过感恩负向预测PTSD、正向预测PTG,消极自我同情可以通过感恩正向预测PTSD、负向预测PTG。研究显示,积极的自我同情可以缓解青少年的PTSD、促进PTG的发展,而消极自我同情会加重青少年的PTSD;感恩在自我同情与PTSD和PTG之间发挥了显著的中介作用。     

焦虑对重量感知判断的影响

行动经济理论认为个体对物理环境的感知与其具备的资源有关,而焦虑与资源不足有关。基于此,本研究通过3个实验来探讨3种不同性质的焦虑对重量感知判断的影响。实验1通过身体姿势诱发焦虑,结果发现同放松的身体姿势相比,焦虑的身体姿势能诱发出焦虑且此姿势下个体会认为背包的重量更重。实验2通过具有压力性的外部任务诱发焦虑,结果显示同奇偶判断任务相比,心算任务能诱发出明显的焦虑且此任务下个体将背包的重量判断为更重。实验3探讨特质焦虑的影响,结果发现高特质焦虑个体同低特质焦虑者相比会认为背包的重量更重。本研究表明焦虑会影响个体对物体物理属性的感知。     

An exploration of the moderating effect of trait emotional intelligence on memory and attention in neutral and stressful conditions

Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI) refers to individual differences in the experience, perception, regulation, and utilization of emotions. Research has shown that trait EI moderated subjective and endocrine responses to both natural and laboratory stressors. This study explores, the cognitive processes underlying this effect, under the hypothesis that trait EI moderates the impact of stress on memory and/or attention. Results supported the hypothesis, but solely for the ‘regulation’ EI‐dimension (named self‐control or SC). In neutral conditions, high SC was characterized by an attentional focus to neutral material and a facilitated memory for positive events, whereas low SC was characterized by an attentional focus to emotional material (regardless of valence) and a facilitated memory for negative events. In stressful conditions, high SC individuals engaged attention to emotional material (regardless of valence) and recalled more negative events, while low SC individuals disengaged attention from emotional material and recalled more positive events.     

青少年核心信念挑战对创伤后成长的影响：反刍与社会支持的作用

采用核心信念问卷、反刍问卷、社会支持问卷和创伤后成长问卷, 以汶川地震4年半后的354名中学生为被试, 考察其核心信念挑战、侵入性反刍、主动反刍、社会支持与创伤后成长之间的关系。结果发现, 地震4年半后青少年创伤后成长的整体水平较高, 其中女生高于男生, 初二学生相对低于高年级学生。结构方程模型的结果显示, 侵入性反刍和主动反刍在核心信念挑战与创伤后成长之间起部分中介作用, 核心信念挑战可以直接正向预测创伤后成长, 也可以通过侵入性反刍对创伤后成长起负向预测作用、通过主动反刍对创伤后成长起正向预测作用、通过侵入性反刍经主动反刍正向预测创伤后成长; 社会支持在侵入性反刍影响创伤后成长的直接路径上不起调节作用, 但在侵入性反刍经主动反刍对创伤后成长的间接路径上起调节作用, 具体表现为侵入性反刍对主动反刍的正向预测作用随着社会支持的增加而降低。     

Clothes Make a Difference: The Role of Self-Objectification

Objectification Theory contends that women self-objectify as a result of internalizing an observer’s perspective on their physical selves. Self-objectification has been examined as both a stable enduring trait and as a context dependent state. The present study aimed to assess the link between clothing, a neglected area of women’s appearance management, and self-objectification. Participants were 102 South Australian female undergraduate students who completed a questionnaire containing a trait measure of self-objectification, as well as four different scenarios varying in clothing worn and setting depicted, followed by state measures of self-objectification, negative mood, body shame, and body dissatisfaction. It was found that the scenarios involving revealing clothing (bathers) led to greater state self-objectification, body shame, body dissatisfaction and negative mood than the scenarios involving more modest clothing (sweater), especially for heavier women. In addition, the dressing room scenarios led to greater state self-objectification but less negative mood than the public scenarios. It was concluded that clothing represents an important contributor to the body and emotional experience of contemporary young women.     

Trait Intellect Predicts Cognitive Engagement: Evidence from a Resource Allocation Perspective

Trait Intellect, one of the two ‘aspects’ of the broader Openness/Intellect ‘domain’, predicts performance on a range of cognitive tasks including tests of intelligence and working memory. This has been explained in terms of the tendency for high‐Intellect individuals to explore, or engage more effortfully with, abstract information. This theoretical perspective can be framed in the language of Resource Allocation Theory, in terms of high‐Intellect individuals allocating more of their available cognitive resources to abstract cognitive tasks. In two experiments (total N = 160), we examined the relation between Intellect and cognitive engagement during a primary word‐search task under conditions of both high and low secondary cognitive load. Both experiments revealed that high‐Intellect individuals were more vulnerable to the impact of the secondary cognitive load on primary task performance. This suggests that, under low secondary load, such individuals were indeed allocating more of their available cognitive resources to the primary task. These results held after controlling for trait Openness, trait Industriousness (an aspect of Conscientiousness) and a measure of working memory capacity (N‐back task). Our findings provide novel support for the cognitive mechanisms proposed to underlie trait Intellect. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology