Projective Tests in Vocational Counseling

In Switzerland, the role of projective techniques in vocational counseling is currently under debate. The author of a recent book on the Zulliger-test — a three card, Rorschach-type instrument — claims to have identified a number of syndromes that reflect vocationally relevant personality characteristics. His results are criticized on methodological grounds, and an alternative approach is proposed that emphasizes the expressive and essentially idiographic nature of projective test records. Their main contribution is to permit a better understanding of client motivations and attitudes, resulting in a more effective counseling interaction. Accordingly, these tests should be validated against attitudinal criteria and measures of counseling progress rather than long-term vocational behavior and success on the job.     

A Non-Verbal Technique for Assessing Frustration Response in Pre-School Children

The present study represents a report of the initial development of a picture method for assessing response to frustration in preschool children. Study 1 (N = 91) included the initial development of the picture materials; it also produced some validational support for the picture method in the form of significant correlations between picture choices and extensive behavior observations. Study 2 (N = 49) was designed to be essentially a replication of Study 1. In addition, further validational support was sought through the correlation of picture choices with global teacher ratings of the behaviors of interest.     

Physical Attractiveness and Popularity: The Mediating Role of Self-Perception

Subjective ratings of physical attractiveness were compared with objective ratings of attractiveness in the prediction of popularity. The relationships between Harter's (1979) Perceived Competency Scale for Children (PCSC) and both popularity and physical attractiveness were also examined. Fifty-three third-grade and 54 fifth-grade children were tested on the Harter scales and on a new 7-item scale of self-perceived attractiveness. Objective attractiveness ratings were provided by 30 other children of the same grades and sex. Popularity was assessed by sociometric nominations and ratings. The results replicated the moderate relationship of objective attractiveness and popularity found in prior studies. Self-perceived attractiveness was unrelated to popularity in third-grade children but was significantly related at the fifth-grade level. Subjective and objective attractiveness were inversely related at the third-grade level but were positively related in fifth graders. Objective attractiveness was unrelated to self-esteem at either grade level but subjective attractiveness predicted self-esteem for all the children.     

The role of cognitive appraisal in media-induced presence and emotions

In the present study, we applied Valins’ (1966) bogus bodily feedback paradigm to investigate the roles of cognitive appraisal (tele)presence, and emotion in the context of media usage. Participants (N=30) viewed short sequences of a TV show, whereby false heart rate feedback was provided. In line with Valins’ paradigm, the manipulation we used in this study included two levels: high vs. low false heart rate feedback. We assessed presence, enjoyment, and the real heart rate. Participants reported stronger experiences of presence and enjoyed the clips more when they wrongly believed that they had been aroused. Since bogus feedback increases the sensation of presence, the results indicate that presence—like emotions—can be influenced by cognitive appraisals. It is likely that the false heart rate feedback was attributed to the stimulus, which in turn enhanced the sensation of presence.     

Psychoanalytic Couple Therapy: Classical Style

In this essay, the core concepts of psychoanalysis are set forth as the context for the application of classical psychoanalytic theory to the practice of couple therapy. Infantile sexuality and aggression are shown to have a powerful role in the interpersonal lives of family members. The repetition compulsion structures marital interaction and intergenerational dynamics. The intrapsychic emphasis of classical ego-psychology is viewed in the interpersonal arena, and the author suggests adding to the Oedipus and Narcissus myths a myth that resonates with this shift in emphasis. In introducing the “Pygmalion–Galatea process,” the author captures the universal attempt to change the psychic dynamics of the other or others. This ultimately mutual process begins with the infant's mirroring of its caretakers—which includes language acquisition. Much of human interaction is fueled by subsequent attempts to create others in our own images of them and by their reactive compliance or resistance to that dynamic. Three case illustrations are presented to show how these phenomena manifest themselves in marital interaction and in dreams.     

Multi-domain Models of Risk Factors for Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Preschoolers: Evidence for Common and Specific Factors

Relatively few studies have examined multiple pathways by which risk factors from different domains are related to symptoms of anxiety and depression in young children; even fewer have assessed risks for these symptoms specifically, rather than for internalizing symptoms in general. We examined a theoretically- and empirically-based model of variables associated with these symptom types in a diverse community sample of 796 4-year-olds (391 boys, 405 girls) that included factors from the following domains: contextual (SES, stress and family conflict); parent characteristics (parental depression); parenting (support/engagement, hostility and scaffolding); and child characteristics including negative affect (NA) effortful control (EC) sensory regulation (SR), inhibitory control (IC) and attachment. We also compared the models to determine which variables contribute to a common correlates of symptoms of anxiety or depression, and which correlates differentiate between those symptom types. In the best-fitting model for these symptom types (a) SES, stress and conflict had indirect effects on both symptom types via long-chain paths; (b) caregiver depression had direct effects and indirect ones (mediated through parenting and child effortful control) on both symptom types; (c) parenting had direct and indirect effects (via temperament and SR); and temperament had direct effects on both symptom types. These data provide evidence of common risk factors, as well as indicate some specific pathways/mediators for the different symptom types. EC was related to anxiety, but not depression symptoms, suggesting that strategies to improve child EC may be particularly effective for treatment of anxiety symptoms in young children.     

On creating a psychoanalytic mind

The term process knowledge is introduced to highlight a particular way of analyzing that centers on how our patients gain knowledge. It is suggested that analyzing with heightened awareness to process knowledge is crucial for the patients' capacity for self-analysis, and differs from helping patients primarily gain knowledge of their unconscious fantasies and conflicts as the primary curative factor in psychoanalysis.     

Executive Functioning Predicts Social Skills Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Adverse sequelae of prenatal alcohol exposure include executive function and social skills impairments, although these two domains have not been empirically linked in alcohol-exposed individuals. This study investigated this relationship using the BRIEF and the SSRS in 98 children aged 6 to 11 years. Executive functions explained a significant percentage of variance in parent and teacher rated social skills. No differences were found among children with diagnoses of FAS, partial FAS, or alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. It may be helpful to consider executive functioning in designing social skills interventions for alcohol-exposed children whether or not they have full FAS.     

Positive und negative Metakognitionen über Krankheitssorgen

Background

Metacognitions have been shown to be relevant in the emergence and maintenance of worry processes, particularly for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In contrast, metacognitions have been neglected in hypochondriasis and health anxiety, perhaps due to the traditional assignment of hypochondriasis to the somatoform disorders. Is worrying about illness associated with metacognitions and are these associated with other features of health anxiety?

Material and methods

In this study 1,246 people took part in an online survey. Items capturing positive (PM) and negative metacognitions (NM) were presented together with instruments for the assessment of health anxiety and depressive symptoms. The dimensional structure of PM and NM over illness worries was examined with nonlinear confirmatory factor analyses. Associations with depressivity and the number of consultations by different physicians were examined in structural equation models (SEM), separately for subgroups with and without a diagnosed somatic disease.

Results

The PMs and NMs about illness worries varied relatively independently from one another along two dimensions. The PMs were specifically associated with health anxiety and the number of different physician consultations and NMs were related to all dimensions of the Whiteley index and particularly strongly to depressivity.

Conclusions

Illness-related anxiety provokes metacognitions, similar to other worries as known from GAD. Considering the strong associations of PMs and NMs with several facets of health anxiety found, it appears promising to take them into account for the formulation of cognitive-behavioral models of health anxiety and its treatment.