Personality,life events and the course of anxiety and depression

Using data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, we examined among 1322 participants with a DSM‐IV diagnosis of depression or anxiety: (i) whether positive and negative life events influence 1‐year course of anxiety and depressive symptoms; (ii) whether personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion) predict symptom course and moderate the impact of life events on symptom course; and (iii) whether life events mediate relationships of neuroticism and extraversion with symptom course. Negative life events were predictive of both anxiety and depressive symptoms, while positive life events predicted the course of depressive symptoms only. Personality traits had significant predictive and moderating effects on symptom course, though these effects were rather small. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In Context

‘In Context’ is aimed at giving contextualization its rightful place in the study of argumentation. First, Frans H. van Eemeren explains the crucial role of context in a reconstructive analysis of argumentative discourse. He distinguishes four levels of contextualization. Second, he situates his approach to context in the field of argumentation studies by comparing it with Walton’s approach. He emphasizes the importance of distinguishing clearly between a normatively motivated theoretical ideal model and empirically-based communicative activity types. Third, van Eemeren concentrates on the ‘macro-level’ of contextualization: contextualization in institutionalized communicative activity types. He makes clear that the macro-context of a communicative activity type can be characterized argumentatively by describing the disctinctive features of the empirical counterparts of the four stages of a critical discussion in the activity type concerned. Fourth, he points out what the consequences of the macrocontextualization of argumentative discourse in a certain communicative activity type are for the strategic maneuvering that may takes place and the identification of fallacies as derailments of strategic maneuvering. Fifth, van Eemeren draws some general conclusions regarding the role of contextualization in the analysis and evaluation of argumentative discourse.     

Designs for studying the effectiveness of long-term psychoanalytic treatments: balancing level of evidence and acceptability to patients

Long-Term Psychoanalytic Treatments (LTPT) include both long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapy (LTPP) and psychoanalysis (PsAn). Current opinion seems to be that there is some evidence for the effectiveness of LTPP, but none for that of PsAn. This may be due in part to researchers not balancing the level of evidence of randomized controlled studies (RCTs), cohort studies, and pre-post studies with patients' acceptance of these various research designs used in studying the effectiveness of LTPT. After a review of the merits of eight possible control conditions for LTPT in RCTs and cohort studies, and a consideration of the limitations and merits of pre-post studies, it was found that RCTs pair high levels of evidence with limited degrees of patient acceptance, especially where PsAn is concerned. Cohort studies appear to provide at most a moderate level of evidence. Their acceptability is hardly better than that of RCTs, as it depends on the acceptability of control conditions similar to those of RCTs. The acceptability of pre-post studies is much better, but they can provide, at most, a moderate level of evidence. Apart from randomization, they can meet all methodological criteria for high-quality research (often they do not, but there are ways to correct this). In summary, in the long-term treatment of complex mental disorders with LTPT, RCTs often pair a high level of evidence with limited patient acceptance of the method. Compared to RCTs, cohort studies show a lower level of evidence without much gain in acceptability. Pre-post studies pair the highest level of acceptability with the lowest level of evidence of the three designs. Limited acceptability is not to be confused with no acceptability, nor moderate level of evidence with none.     

Narratives at work: the development of career identity

Well-developed career stories are becoming increasingly important for individuals as they navigate an unstable and unpredictable labour market. Existing narrative approaches in career guidance do not yet clearly identify the learning process by which career stories are created. In this article, a model of transformation-through-writing will be introduced to help explain the learning process that occurs when narratives are used for constructing career stories. We propose that this learning process occurs stepwise in four cognitive stages: sensing, sifting, focusing, and understanding. To progress through these stages, an internal (with oneself) as well as an external (with relevant others) dialogue is needed. The case study used to illustrate the process is a story of unemployment and effectively shows how narratives can be created through expressive and reflective writing and how such a process may foster career learning in response to a boundary experience.     

Beyond Global Apartheid: Polarization and (De)Radicalisation in Tanzania

This contribution studies polarization and (de)radicalization in Tanzania. It is based on interviews with 175 people conducted between 2012 and 2018. For this contribution the author focuses on one of them, a well-known Muslim leader in Dar es Salaam. The author analyses the interview with him from a Dialogical Self Theory perspective, using Critical Discourse Analysis as a method. The aim of the contribution is to test the fruitfulness of bridging these two approaches in understanding (de)radicalization. The author assumes that both approaches are compatible and complementary. Both are rooted in social constructivism, dialogism and narrative theory. The author concludes that both approaches have strengths and weaknesses. A strength of Dialogical Self Theory is that it conceptualizes the self in society. Critical Discourses Analysis conceptualizes better the society in the self. For understanding social polarization and (de)radicalization, critical discourse analysis has the advantage that it shows that words constitute and are constituted by political agendas. Dialogical Self Theory can better explain that the other is not a complete stranger but already part of me. This makes compromises between quite different positions possible.     

Glen Pettigrove and Christine Swanton (eds.): Neglected Virtues

Ethical Theory and Moral Practice -     

从“批判性讨论”的理想模型到具体情境中的论证性会话——“语用论辩术”论证理论的逐步发展

在本文中,弗兰斯·范·爱默伦对语用论辩术理论的发展历程加以了概述,清晰说明了该理论如何从建构理想的"批判性讨论"模型,逐步和系统地发展到对真实论证实践中基本论证模式的探究。首先,他介绍了语用论辩术之"标准"理论的基本内容,该理论是以"论辩的合理性"为旨归的。进而,他概述了一些旨在巩固和完善语用论辩术"标准"理论的经验研究。之后,他讨论了语用论辩术的"扩展"理论,该理论的特点在于增加了探讨"取效性"的修辞学维度。随后,他介绍了一些与"遵从合理性来达到取效性"相关的经验研究,这些研究都是基于在"扩展"理论中所引入的"策略性操控"概念。最后,他说明了论证性会话所发生的"制度化语境"如何被纳入到了语用论辩术理论建构当中。进而,他对当前语用论辩术关于"典型论证模式"的研究加以了讨论,这些论证模式都关联于在特定语境中实施策略性操控的制度性先决条件。