Differentiation of Self Predicts Life Satisfaction through Marital Adjustment

Abstract

Previous studies have documented the link between differentiation of self and life satisfaction. However, the underlying mechanisms explaining these associations are yet to be tested at the dyadic level. This study examined the mediating role of marital adjustment in the association between differentiation of self and life satisfaction among 113 Turkish heterosexual married couples (N?=?226). Analyses using the Common Fate Model demonstrated that differentiation of self was associated with higher levels of marital adjustment and life satisfaction, such that marital adjustment was positively associated with life satisfaction, and in turn, marital adjustment fully mediated this association. Implications are discussed for clinicians and cross-cultural researchers who seek to promote greater life satisfaction by targeting both differentiation and marital adjustment.     

Measuring illness perceptions in the family context: psychometric properties of the IPQ-R adapted for adolescent–caregiver dyads

Objectives: Given the lack of validated measures assessing illness perceptions in families, the aim of our study was the development and psychometric testing of an adapted version of the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) allowing for Common Sense Model-based dyadic assessment of adolescents’ and caregivers’ perceptions of a chronic illness in adolescence.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey design, factor structure, reliability and validity of the adapted measure You-IPQ-R were tested in a sample of adolescents with asthma (N?=?155) and their primary caregivers (N?=?132). Analysis included a dyadic methodology (dyadic confirmatory factor analyses) and examination of the suitability of the measure for different age groups.

Results: Both the adolescent and the caregiver versions of the You-IPQ-R revealed good overall validity and reliability. For all Common Sense Model dimensions except for timeline cyclical in the caregiver version, unidimensional scales aligning with the original IPQ-R structure could be confirmed. Age-specific analyses revealed good to excellent measurement properties in adolescents aged 14 years or older, but considerably poorer indices in younger adolescents.

Conclusion: The dyadically validated You-IPQ-R will enable researchers and clinicians to compare illness perceptions in adolescent–caregiver dyads and to assess the effects of family illness perceptions’ congruence upon medical, psychosocial and behavioural outcomes.     

Renaissance Liturgical Reforms: Reflections on Intentions and Methods

Abstract

One of the hallmarks of the Renaissance was the concern with authenticity, and a concern with ad fontes texts. This is illustrated in the liturgical revisions which where planned for the Breviary, culminating in the edition prepared by Cardinal Quignon, and in the methods employed by Thomas Cranmer in his compilation of the Book of Common Prayer. This paper looks more closely at these attempts at Renaissance liturgical reform.     

… Ever Ever After

Summary

In this article the Drs. Perls look at twelve couples who have each been married at least 30 years. Common values among the couples are explored including commitment, mutual respect, philosophical viewpoints, and monogamy. Developmental experiences and socio-cultural changes are presented as a framework for understanding how this particular sample of couples continued in their longterm relationships with satisfaction.     

Application of signature strengths at work: A dual-level analysis

ABSTRACT

Each individual possesses character strengths, the most significant of which are classified as signature strengths. With a sample of 164 individuals who were employed at least part-time in a variety of industries, we examined application of signature strengths and well-being both between-persons (global) and within-persons (daily). Global application of signature strengths was associated with global job satisfaction and strain; however, no significant mediation effects on intent to turnover were found. We also found that daily variations in application of signature strengths were related to daily job satisfaction and strain. Common method bias associated with trait positive and negative affect differed by level of analysis: At the between-person (global) level, trait affect produced substantial inflation of estimates, but at the within-person (daily) level, inflation was negligible. The results suggest the importance of daily opportunities to apply signature strengths and of accounting for variance attributable to trait affect in between-person analyses.     

Coping Responses and Emotional Distress in Fathers of Children with Special Needs and “Redreaming” as a Creative Intervention

Abstract

Parents dream that their children will have every benefit possible to survive and thrive in the world. When their children have special needs, these dreams are challenged. Parents must adjust to the needs of their child and to the loss of this aspect of their dream. Common challenges and considerations when working with fathers of children with special needs are presented. “Redreaming,” an intervention to facilitate positive reappraisal, and creative approaches are also presented.     

The First Latin Book of Common Prayer: English Reformation in a Continental Perspective

Abstract

The Ordinatio ecclesiae (1551) of Alexander Alesius is a little-known Latin translation of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer. Alesius had been resident in England in the 1530s and had kept in touch with his English friends when he returned to the continent, becoming professor of theology at Leipzig. The Ordinatio ecclesiae is, in many ways, a baffling document since it is not a rigid translation of Cranmer's rite. Instead, it contains passages which are both more Roman and more evangelical than the English liturgy. Following a detailed comparison of the English and Latin versions, the author attempts to place the Ordinatio ecclesiae in the context of Reformation politics on the continent during the years between the ‘Augsburg Interim’ and the resumption of the Council of Trent. He finds that the Latin Prayer book was intended to publicize Cranmer's reform measures as an example of a territorial Reformation in order to add a substantial voice to the chorus of evangelical churches calling for a free General Council. The conservative nature of the first Book of Common Prayer seemed ideally suited to further dialogue between evangelicals and reform-minded Catholics, but also to appealing for reconciliation and unity among Lutheran theologians in Saxony who had become divided on the issue of the Interim.     

Self-compassion and responses to negative social feedback: The role of fronto-amygdala circuit connectivity

ABSTRACT

Self-compassion has been shown to have significant relationships with psychological health and well-being. Despite the increasing growth of research on the topic, no studies to date have investigated how self-compassion relates to neural responses to threats to the self. To investigate whether self-compassion relates to threat-regulatory mechanisms at the neural level of analysis, we conducted a functional MRI study in a sample of college-aged students. We hypothesized that self-compassion would relate to greater negative connectivity between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and amygdala during a social feedback task. Interestingly, we found a negative correlation between self-compassion and VMPFC-amygdala functional connectivity as predicted; however, this seemed to be due to low levels of self-compassion relating to greater positive connectivity in this circuit (rather than high levels of self-compassion relating to more negative connectivity). We also found significant relationships with multiple subcomponents of self-compassion (Common Humanity, Self-Judgment). These results shed light on how self-compassion might affect neural responses to threat and informs our understanding of the basic psychological regulatory mechanisms linking a lack of self-compassion with poor mental health.     

Spiritual Dimension of Human Sexuality

SUMMARY

The quest for spiritual maturity may be likened to a spiritual odyssey. This paper represents research concerning the spiritual dimension of human sexuality. Diminishment and loss are givens of the senior years. Loss is exacerbated in relationships defined by fidelity and commitment.

Four headings outline the paper; an extensive bibliography supports and documents the essays. End to Innocence: we are next. Common parlance dwells on myths of aging, while (here are distinct realities of aged sexuality. Loneliness can be devastating; there must be more creative societal responses to the human condition of old and alone. Love Revisited: read, sexual desire and love. Historical perspective re-examines eros and agape, literature, which is bigger than life, is a much neglected resource – and an illuminating one. When confronting mystery, the poet and novelist may provide the language we need to comprehend the phenomenon of love (and grace). Human Sexuality and Spirituality; Hebrew-Christian and Eastern religions (Taoism and Tantric Sex) have somewhat to say in terms of sexuality and spiritual pilgrimage. Acquiescence: human values of touching, intimacy, friendship, and vulnerability must be considered.     

Myths and realities of computerphobia: A meta-analysis

Abstract

Common beliefs about computerphobia were examined using meta-analytic techniques. Stringent screening criteria yielded 81 research reports with sample populations including college students, adults and business professionals, elementary/secondary students and teachers as well as postsecondary teachers. Results indicated that none of the six common beliefs characterizing the computerphobic represent reality. The computerphobic is equally likely to be a younger or older male or female. Although computerphobics tend to experience other types of anxiety (mathematics, test, state, trait), these anxieties account for little variance. Results indicated further that computer experience alone is not sufficient to eliminate computerphobia, but that psychological techniques have treated successfully these negative psychological reactions.     

The ethics of intergenerational relationships

Abstract

According to the relational approach we have obligations to members of future generations not because of their interests or properties but because, and only because, they are our descendants or successors. Common accounts of relational duties do not explain how we can have obligations to people who do not yet exist. In this defence of the relational approach I examine three sources of intergenerational obligations: the concern of parents for their children, including their future children; the desire of community members to pass on a heritage to their descendants; and the relationship of citizens in an intergenerational polity.     

Social cognition models and health behaviour: A structured review

Abstract

A number of social cognition models have been developed to account for socio-demographic variations in health behaviour. This paper distinguishes between: (a) motivational, (b) behavioural enaction, and (c) multi-stage models of health behaviour. The models are evaluated in terms of advancement of existing knowledge and - where appropriate - predictive utility. Common themes that appear within- and between- these categories are discussed, with consideration of ways in which theory may be advanced by future research. Each approach has associated strengths and weaknesses, suggesting that a “consensus” approach to the study of health behaviour may prove fruitful. Identification of the key constructs across different model types would allow coherent integration and promote further understanding of the psycho-social determinants of health behaviour.     

An Eastern Heritage in a Western Rite: A Study of Source and Method for Archbishop Cranmer's Inclusion of ‘A Prayer of Chrysostome‘ in the English Litany of 1544

Abstract

Representing the first officially authorized printing of an English-language text, Thomas Cranmer's Litany (1544)—a direct precursor of the 1549 Book of Common Prayer—is an important historical document. It also has linguistic significance, since ‘in setting forth certain godly prayers and suffrages in our native English tongue', Cranmer went beyond simple translation of the Latin. Among his innovations was the insertion of ‘A Prayer of Chrysostome', taken directly from an Eastern Orthodox source. The English rendering of the prayer has long been considered a masterly translation. However, while beautifully executed, Cranmer's version (compared with earlier Greek and Latin texts) is peculiar at points and raises theological questions. This study reviews and critiques scholarship on the matter while offering new insights into Cranmer's connections to Christian Orthodox thought and practice.     

Social Psychiatry in Action—A Therapeutic Community by Harry A. Wilmer

Abstract

Obesity has proven difficult to treat. Many approaches neglect to address the deep-rooted underlying psychological issues. This paper describes a psychodynamically oriented approach to treating compulsive overeating as an addiction. Common to all addictions is a compulsion to consume a substance or engage in a behavior, a preoccupation with using behavior and rituals, and a lifestyle marked by an inability to manage the behavior and its harmful consequences. The approach represents a shift away from primarily medical models of intervention to integrated models focusing on the psychological underpinnings of obesity. Long-term psychodynamic group psychotherapy is recommended as a primary treatment.     

The Development and Maintenance of Expert Athletic Performance: Perceptions of World and Olympic Champions

This study examined the factors that contributed to the development and maintenance of expert athletic performance. Four men and six women having won at least two gold medals at separate Olympics and/or World Championships were interviewed using an in-depth, open-ended, and semi-structured approach (Patton, 1987). The qualitative data were analyzed both inductively and deductively. Results revealed that the athletes progressed through four stages throughout their career: the Sampling, Specializing, Investment, and Maintenance Years. Common findings were that at an elite level, contextual factors included parents, coaches, teammates/ friends, support staff, other athletes, and school/education. Personal characteristics pertained to self-confidence, motivation, creativity, and perseverance. Training involved technical, tactical, physical, and mental components and was influenced by quantity, quality, intensity, and recovery. Competition factors concerned meticulous planning, evaluations, dealing with pressure, expectations, and adversity, and focusing on the process rather than the outcome of events. Implications to increase the quality of experience of athletes are discussed.     

Book reviews

Abstract

Marriage Counseling in Groups, by M. M. Ohlsen. Champaign, IL: Research Press Co., 1979, paperback, 200 pages, $6.95.

Common Sense in Therapy, by Yoosuf A. Haveliwala, Albert E. Scheflen and Norman Ashcraft. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1979, 199 pages, $13.50.

Handbook of Suicidology: Principles, Problems and Practice, by Louis Wekstein. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1979, 303 pages, $17.50.

Making It as a Stepparent: New Roles, New Rules, by Claire Berman. New York: Doubleday, 1980, 202 pages, $8.95.

Invitation to a Dialogue: Union and Separation in Family Life, by Otto Pollak and Ellen S. Wise. New York: Spectrum, 1979, $9.95.     

Observations on the Meaning of Behavior in Groups of Chronic Schizophrenics

Abstract

In the United States, there is currently an increase in admissions to psychiatric hospitals, diagnostic heterogeneity, briefer stays, and a lack of inpatient research. Most traditional group therapy models are constructed for longer-term homogeneous patients. Diagnostically homogeneous groups even outperform heterogeneous groups. However, changes in health care have created a clinical dilemma in psychiatric hospitals where groups have become characterized by brief duration, rapid turnover, and diagnostic heterogeneity. A literature review offered little in the way of treatment recommendations, let alone a model or empirical basis, for facilitating these types of groups. Common factors from group therapy studies were extracted. Based on an integration of these studies, a process-oriented psychoeducational (POP) treatment model is recommended. This model is theoretically constructed and outlined for future study.     

Dyadic coping in Latino couples: validity of the Spanish version of the Dyadic Coping Inventory

Abstract

This study seeks to validate the Spanish version of the Dyadic Coping Inventory (DCI) in a Latino population with data from 113 heterosexual couples. Results for both partners confirm the factorial structure for the Spanish version (Subscales: Stress Communication, Emotion- and Problem-Focused Supportive, Delegated, and Negative Dyadic Coping, Emotion- and Problem-Focused Common Dyadic Coping, and Evaluation of Dyadic Coping; Aggregated Scales: Dyadic Coping by Oneself and by Partner) and support the discriminant validity of its subscales and the concurrent, and criterion validity of the subscales and aggregated scales. These results do not only indicate that the Spanish version of the DCI can be used reliably as a measure of coping in Spanish-speaking Latino couples, but they also suggest that this group relies on dyadic coping frequently and that this type of coping is associated with positive relationship functioning and individual coping. Limitations and implications are discussed.     

Doing Psychotherapy with Patients with Genital Herpes: Issues and Interventions

Abstract

This article presents issues that the psychotherapist is likely to have to deal with in treating patients with genital herpes. A review of medical issues, clinical manifestations and pharmacotherapy of herpes infections is presented. Common psychological reactions and psychopathology related to herpes simplex virus infection, a discussion of the patient's dilemma of disclosing his or her herpes simplex positive status to others and a list of cognitive-logical distortions often encountered in, and negatively affecting, patients with genital herpes are presented in detailed examples. A practical model (SANE) conceptualizing psychotherapy for patients with genital herpes in 4 intervention stages (Stabilization-crisis intervention, Acceptance, Normalization and social-personal Empowerment-evolution) is suggested for use. The use of cognitive-behavioral therapeutic strategies in facilitating the patient's assumption of a healthier psychosocial perspective in each stage is comprehensively detailed. Ethical and legal concerns in working with herpes simplex positive patients are also discussed.