Imagination as laboratory

The theme, 'Science and the Symbolic', may be approached via either concept. From one side, we may track how imagination, fantasy, and even dreams have initiated scientific theory and lines of research. From the other, we may look to the mythopoeic musings of the human mind for themes of proto-science and/or proto-psychology, and attempt to discern if they follow a method which may be called scientific. Neuroscientists such as Edelman and Llinas honour imagination as the carrier of emergent properties, and depth psychoanalysts see it as a vector toward actualization. What mind imagines through what the alchemists termed 'true imagination' may eventually be realized through what brain and body may conceive and execute.     

Creating Trauma-informed Sports Programming for Traumatized Youth: Core Principles for an Adjunctive Therapeutic Approach

ABSTRACT

Youth who have experienced trauma may find opportunities for recovery in community settings, such as team sports. Sports and other community settings may provide an important structure, a venue for persevering toward goals, and a place to connect with mentors and friends. However, the symptoms with which such youth present, such as hyperarousal and aggression, may serve as a barrier to the potentially supportive environment that sports may provide. The typical means of coaching in such environments may be adapted to increase accessibility to youth. In this article, we describe principles of trauma-informed sports programming, including adaptations to play structures, that draw from gold-standard trauma-informed psychotherapy approaches. These techniques may help youth workers adapt their settings to meet a broader range of needs and aspire to provide clinicians with tools for collateral work with trauma-exposed clients.     

Some thoughts between body and mind in the light of Wilma Bucci's multiple code theory

The author proposes the usefulness of Wilma Bucci's Multiple Code Theory in clarifying some controversial issues in psychoanalytically inspired psychosomatics. Definition of a dialectic among different entities may appear difficult in an unitarian view of the organism, where body and mind are seen as having no kind of intrinsic existence, which may be differentiated from the organism as a whole, but as two categories having to do with the perspective of the observer. This aporia may find a solution in a redefinition of the body-mind relationship as that between symbolic systems and the subsymbolic system, both of which may be viewed as mind or as body depending on the point of observation. Similarly, somatic pathology, if we accept an unitary paradigm, need no longer be viewed as due to an influence of 'mind' on 'body': a definition of pathology as linked to a disconnection between different systems, as found in Bucci's theory, is proposed as a possible solution. Emergence of somatic symptoms, however, besides being witness to disconnection, may be seen as the subsymbolic first expression of an item of content, an attempt at reconnection, as already proposed, in a way, by Winnicott in 1949. This attempt has much better opportunities to succeed when it finds an adequate container, as in analysis. A clinical situation of this kind is presented.     

Bread and Roses: Empathy and Recognition

Empathy and Recognition represent two closely intertwined, crucial elements of human relatedness, and thus of the analytic relationship. Each ushers in a different quality of relatedness in the dyad: Empathy is a response to a basic human need, crucial to psychic safety and coherence, and may be imagined ahead of time as the need for someone to understand one’s experience, to get one’s pain. By contrast, recognition as a longing may be only partially formulated before it is emergent, because it is in the moments when it is realized that the desire for its inherent mutuality may be most keenly felt. It is in such moments, often arising through collision and unpacking between two distinct and suddenly more fully knowable subjectivities, that the experience of desire may be both held and renewed. Recent relational writing has made clear how deeply intersubjective empathy may be, in its fullest realization; however, with recognition, the desire for the other as other, who may now be known as such, arises anew out of the experience of being met in intersubjective encounter. Like bread and roses, both are vital as felt experience, and in potentiating transformation.     

Semantic components and conceptual development

Several phenomena in the acquisition of word meanings may be accounted for by a theory of component-by-component acquisition, a mechanism analogous to that proposed for phonological development. By defining a concept as an habitual plan, and a component as a subplan, we may extend this theory to acquisition of concepts in general. This theory may be applied to logical concepts, physical reasoning and moral reasoning as well as verbal concepts. The ideas of component-by-component acquisition and of transfer of learning between concepts sharing components thus provide an alternative to developmental stage theories.     

How a supportive partner may increase relationship satisfaction

The way in which satisfaction with a romantic relationship may be affected by how supportive a partner is and how constructively they deal with conflict in that relationship was examined in young adults. Both greater support and less conflict were found to be independently associated with relationship satisfaction, implying that both are necessary for a satisfactory relationship. While support did not mitigate the possible effects of conflict on satisfaction, it may lead to more constructive conflict which in turn may enhance satisfaction. Support seen as being available as well as support that was received were independently associated with relationship satisfaction. Of the different forms of available support measured, only support reflecting being cared for was independently associated with relationship satisfaction. These results suggest that encouraging couples to be emotionally supportive to each other may improve the effectiveness of relationship counselling as well as relationship enhancement and problem prevention programmes.     

Listening to the Claims of Experience: Psychology and the Question of Transcendence

The question of transcendence remains a problematic one for psychology, not least because it entails the possible existence of what William James (1902/1982) referred to as “higher energies” outside the perimeter of the self. As such, it also entails the possibility that naturalism may be inadequate as a foundational principle for the discipline. Acknowledging the difficulties posed by seeking to include the idea of transcendence within the province of psychology, compelling evidence may be found within experience itself for holding open the idea at hand. Seen from one angle, holding open the idea of transcendence may be seen as undermining the project of psychological science. Seen from another, however, it may be seen as serving this very project, albeit it in expanded form. Listening to the claims of experience may thus pave the way toward a more inclusive, capacious, and adequate psychology.     

The positive-negative asymmetry: On cognitive consistency and positivity bias

Positivity bias is approached from three viewpoints: (a) It may be the effect of purely cognitive dispositions. (b) As such, it may function as an hypothesis about reality. The related dynamic factor would be a tendency toward cognitive validity which may lead to an orientation toward the negative as a means to test the positivity-hypothesis. (c) Finally, the subject may seek rewarding behavioral interactions with entities within his life space. In this context cognitive positivity bias may reflect a behavioural approach bias which can be related to the dynamics of ‘mere survival’ and ‘self-actualization’.     

Depressed mood: The role of negative thoughts,self-consciousness,and sex role stereotypes

Research typically finds that depression is twice as common among women as among men. This may relate to differences in socialization that result in different emotions, cognitions, and coping reactions. Sex-role stereotypes, employment and marital status, and differential social pressures may also be significant in making women more vulnerable to the development of depression. Women may have less decision-making power, face more adverse life events, and have limited access to resources, which may lead to feelings of helplessness and low self-esteem. Low self-esteem and negative cognitions about the self in turn may be proximal factors predictive of negative mood. Additionally, women may be more prone to ruminative self-focus rather than active coping, a significant risk factor for depression. This study examined individual predictors of depressed mood for each sex, including coping, self-esteem, negative thoughts, self-consciousness (rumination), as well as social factors such as the endorsement of sex-role stereotypes and decision-making power in the family. Results indicated that social factors were not related to depressed mood in either sex, but were related to coping styles and self-esteem. Depressed mood was associated with individual characteristics, such as avoidant coping styles, social anxiety for women, and ruminative self-focus for men. Regression analysis showed that coping through denial and negative thoughts explained depressed mood, and the latter was particularly true for men. These results point to the significance of examining both individual and social factors when attempting to understand depression in men and women.     

Self-Help Books: Some Ethical Questions

Self-help books may be a useful resource to counselors in their work with counselees. They may contribute, however, to the development of psychological problems or prevent people from seeking help when needed. The Utopia promised by self-help books may be a pathology in its own right as marketing experts “hype” a book beyond any reasonable evidence of its efficacy. Ethical questions are raised as well as action suggestions for authors, professional counselors, and professional organizations.     

How should careproviders respond to patients' requests that may be refused?

Some requests made to careproviders by patients may be of great personal importance to patients. Careproviders may assign proportionally greater weight to these exceptional requests, and may choose to take exceptional measures to assist. A strong trust relationship may be formed with patients as a result.     

Toward a Social Psychology of Social Support

An analysis of social psychological aspects of social support examined several stages of the interaction between provider and recipient. In the first stage, the provider may offer support, respond positively to requests for support, or decline requests for support, whereas the recipient may seek, accept, or reject support. In the second stage, after support is exchanged, attributions about its effect may occur for each member, which in turn affects the extent to which the support is continued and the nature of its effect. Attributional errors about the effect may occur, especially if factors other than support—such as external factors—alter the problem status. The final stage follows the resolution of the problem and may involve reciprocation of support when roles are reversed, although such reciprocity may not be a necessary condition for social support. Possible mechanisms for both positive as well as negative effects of support were postulated. Assessing the effects of support is complicated by factors such as individual differences, the degree of match between social support beliefs held by provider and recipient, type of problem, and the timing of support.     

To Add Insight to Injury: Childhood Abuse,Abuse Perceptions,and the Emotional and Physical Health of Young Adults

Although childhood abuse is strongly associated with psychological difficulties, survivors may not perceive their experiences as abusive. Depression, anxiety, dissociation, and physical health complaints may decrease perceptions of abuse and may also be exacerbated by individuals' abuse perceptions. The current study examined abuse perceptions, abuse experiences, and current symptoms among 185 university students. Ninety-six participants repeated the study 1–2 years later. At Time 1, self-labeling as “abused” or “maltreated” was not related to psychological or physical health symptoms. At Time 2, self-labeling as “abused” or “maltreated” was positively related to depression, anxiety, and dissociation. Results indicate that abuse perceptions may change over time and may be connected with emotional and physical symptoms.     

Labels and the Self: Identity Labels as Scaffold

This paper considers how labels may be used: “Neurodiverse,” “genderfluid,” “sex-positive,” “ADHD,” and “highly-sensitive” are just some of the labels that may be offered by patients in introducing themselves. Such labels can be thought of as shortcuts, a way to define identity and sum up a feeling state, attitude, or behaviour. While they may sometimes be “given” in the sense of a diagnosis, they are also “found” and self-adopted. Using scaffolding as a metaphor for allowing growth or development to take place (or compensate for its absence), the phenomenon of self-labelling is presented as fulfilling different functions, namely: Label as mirrored reflection; Label as creative defence; Label as something with which to play; Label as container for that which cannot yet be known; Label as calling something into being; and Label as collective dream image. The article starts with three brief composite clinical sketches, and goes on to explore some of the ways that labels may be used with reference to the presented clinical material.     

Stress, Energy, and Immunity: An Ecological View

ABSTRACT— A common perspective on stress-related changes in the human immune system is that such changes are potentially harmful, especially those occurring during chronic stress. In contrast, an ecological perspective views the immune system as an energetically costly system that may or may not have priority over other uses of that energy. From this perspective, the immune system may have energy made available for it via reduction of other activities, may change in energetically conservative ways when the protection it confers needs to be balanced with the energetic demands of other activities such as fight or flight, or may be suppressed when other activities are more important than immunity for total well-being. This last type of change can explain why aspects of psychosocial health such as optimism relate to worse immunity under some circumstances and suggests that both benefits and costs of immunosuppression during stress should be considered in research on human stress and immunity.     

Personal and community sustainability

Many community members reduce their community involvements as they more through midlife. This may be true for community psychologists as well. Yet research evidence suggests that-intellectually, at least-we can function at or near peak levels through our 80s and 90s. How then might we best sustain ourselves and our work through our entire lives? Answers may lie in full exercise of all capacities, in strong support networks, and in actions that meet one's deeper needs, “the needs of the soul”. These same principles may sustain community life as well, for some key principles of personal and community sustainability may be similar. Applications of these ideas to communities and to community psychology are discussed.     

The effects of relationship context and modality on ratings of funniness

There is evidence to suggest that humour is an important part of mate choice and that humour may serve as an indicator of genetic quality. The current study investigated how rated funniness from a video clip was related to an individual’s attractiveness as a short-term or long-term partner. We additionally tested for the presence of an attractiveness halo effect on humour ratings by comparing ratings of funniness from video clips, audio-only presentations, and photographs. We found that funniness was most strongly correlated with attractiveness for short-term relationships, especially in videos of males. We also found that attractiveness was related to funniness ratings differently across video, audio-only clips, and photographs. Relative to their rated funniness in the audio-only condition, with no appearance cues, attractive individuals were rated as funnier in video clips than less attractive individuals. An additional study demonstrated that ratings of flirtatiousness and funniness were strongly correlated. Perceived similarity between producing humour and flirting may explain why humour is more preferable in a short-term partner as flirting may be seen to signal proceptivity. The effects of attractiveness on humour judgement may also be explained by an association with flirtation as flirting may be most enjoyable when directed by attractive individuals.     

临床决策中患者及其家属的地位与作用

医生、医院每天都在为患者做临床决策。而在各个决策中患者与家属应该处于什么地位的问题早有争论。除了疾病外患者性别、年龄、家庭、经济、社会地位的个体差异决定了医生决策的不同。患者要真正参与,就必须真正全面知情。关于患者参与多少的问题要因人而异,可能只是提出意愿,可能提出耗资的底线,可能权衡费效比,可能以生活质量为唯一原则。总之,临床决策中患者及其家属的地位因人而异。     

Using Positive Psychological Interventions to Improve Well-Being: Are They Effective Across Cultures,for Clinical and Non-Clinical Samples?

Substantial research has shown that positive psychological interventions (PPIs) have beneficial effects on well-being. This article evaluates whether PPIs would be effective for everyone, across different cultures. It starts by reviewing the effectiveness of PPIs among the general population, as well as their effectiveness in ameliorating depressive symptoms and increasing well-being among clinical samples. Though generally beneficial, PPIs however, may not be equally effective across cultures. We present evidence showing that certain types of PPIs may be less effective for Asians than those from Western cultures. Next, the article examines whether prosocial behavior may be a PPI that is universally beneficial and the possible explanations for its widespread benefits. Finally, we proceed to propose how the current repertoire of PPIs may be expanded to include new types that may be more suited for those in collectivistic cultures. Synthesizing across these areas, this article concludes with suggestions on how PPIs can be adapted for use across cultures, as well as future directions for the field of PPIs.

     

DIFFERENTIAL RESPONDING ACROSS THERAPISTS IN A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS: A CASE STUDY

False negative functional analysis (FA) results may be less likely when caregivers serve as therapists, as problem behavior may be more likely to occur in the presence of a caregiver than with a novel therapist. This case study both replicated and extended prior research on this topic. It provides an example of FA results differing between a caregiver and novel therapist and also showed that FA results may differ across caregivers when they serve as therapists. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.