The unsaid in the psychotherapy narrative: Voicing the unvoiced

In research interviews, psychotherapy clients, from different therapeutic approaches, identified silent moments entailing processes that facilitated their therapeutic progress. A grounded theory method was used to analyse these interviews resulting in three categories of productive pauses: emotional, expressive and reflective pauses. This study examines these categories in relation to their narrative context, and, more broadly, to narrative theory. It highlights what remains unsaid in the psychotherapy narrative, describes these silent processes that transform narration into a therapeutic experience and reframes the therapeutic narrative as a method for structuring introspective silences.     

Nonconscious goal pursuit: Acting in an explanatory vacuum

Nonconsciously activated goals and consciously set goals produce the same outcomes by engaging similar psychological processes (Bargh, 1990; Gollwitzer & Bargh, 2005). However, nonconscious and conscious goal pursuit may have different effects on subsequent affect if goal pursuit affords an explanation, as nonconscious goal pursuit occurs in an explanatory vacuum (i.e. cannot be readily attributed to the respective goal intention). We compared self-reported affect after nonconscious versus conscious goal pursuit that either violated or conformed to a prevailing social norm. When goal-directed behavior did not require an explanation (was norm-conforming), affective experiences did not differ after nonconscious and conscious goal pursuit. However, when goal-directed behavior required an explanation (was norm-violating), nonconscious goal pursuit induced more negative affect than conscious goal pursuit.     

Measurement of nerve growth factor serum concentration in a psychologically stressful situation in men

Psychologically stressful events have been reported to elevate nerve growth factor (NGF) serum concentrations. NGF and cortisol serum concentrations were measured in 20 healthy male volunteers before (3 p.m.) and after (5 p.m.) an academic oral presentation and on a control day. Cortisol showed a significant overall change (p=0.001), i.e. cortisol serum concentrations were increased on the lecture day at 3 p.m. (p=0.007; 155%) and at 5 p.m. (p=0.001; 175%) as compared with the control day. In contrast to cortisol no significant differences among the four serum NGF measurements was detected (Chi-quadrat 2.94, df=3, p=0.401), i.e. the NGF serum concentrations remained unchanged on the lecture day at 3 p.m. (p=0.279) and at 5 p.m. (p=0.627) as compared with the control day. We conclude that NGF serum levels do not change during acute stress, at least after this type of stressor.     

It could have been me: vicarious victims and disaster-focused distress

College students who had experienced no personal bereavement in the September 11 terrorist attacks completed questionnaires between 3 and 5 weeks after the attacks and 5 months later. Cross-sectional and longitudinal structural equation model (SEM) analyses revealed that general distress and disaster-focused distress are discernable reactions following a collective loss. Both types of distress were higher among women and by those reporting social strain. General distress was associated with previous stressful events and mental health issues. Perceived similarity to the victims predicted disaster-focused distress and mediated the relationship between attending to media accounts of victims and disaster-focused distress. Only the disaster-focused distress reactions of survivor guilt and grief were associated with collective helping behaviors after the attacks and, for women, these behaviors were associated with greater reductions in these distress reactions over time. Discussion focuses on the importance of examining disaster-focused distress reactions following collective loss.     

Warmth and contingency and their relationship to maternal attitudes toward parenting

In this study, the authors addressed the question of whether maternal parenting behaviors in terms of sensitivity, warmth, and contingency with respect to small infants were equally represented in attitudes toward parenting. Sixty mothers from central Germany with middle-class socioeconomic backgrounds were videotaped with their 1st born 3-month-old infant in a free-play and a caregiving episode in their home. The different maternal parenting components were behaviorally analyzed. Maternal attitudes toward parenting were assessed with self-report measures. The results showed that behavioral sensitivity was significantly associated with attitudes related to contingency, whereas behavioral warmth and contingency were not associated with maternal attitudes. The authors interpreted differential associations as a reflection of intuitive and explicit parenting strategies, with only sensitivity being explicitly represented.     

Development of Infant High-Intensity Fear and Fear Regulation from 6 to 24 Months: Maternal Sensitivity and Depressive Symptoms as Moderators

Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology - This study tested bidirectional relations between infant high-intensity fear and fear regulation over 1.5 years, and maternal sensitivity...     

Potential traumatic events in early childhood and behavioural resilience: a longitudinal case control study

Abstract

Resilience can be evidenced when an exposure to potentially traumatic event (PTE) has no negative impact on behavior. This study explored the effects of exposure to PTE applying a longitudinal design with 592 children (mean age 4 years) followed across three years. Children who had experienced a PTE and those who had not, were compared over time. Behavioral difficulties and prosocial behaviour for children experiencing PTE did not differ from those who had not experienced a PTE suggesting resilience among the exposed children. PTE in itself seems to carry minimal risk for symptoms of behaviour difficulties among preschool children.