Trauma,perversion and marital bond

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to study in the clinic the incidence of so-called perverse phenomena in relationships, in order to find out when these phenomena depend on a perverse organization and when they are only a kind of erotic game between the couple, in both hetero- and homosexual aspects. The first difficulty was to find a definition of “perversion” shared by the authors who have carried out research on the subject and consequently to determine what characterizes a perverse marital bond. In contrast to neurosis, which can be defined by the use of the repression mechanism, the mechanism of disavowal is not exclusive for perversion since it can be found even in other psychical arrangements. Is it, then, a structure or a psychological organization? It is also considered to be a “truth” in psychoanalysis that the pervert cannot be analyzed. But is it the pervert who cannot be analyzed, or is it the analyst who cannot bear listening to him? Do the theoretical references of the analyst not give sufficient theoretical support to maintain his listening? This paper presents the hypothesis that perversion is an attempt – always a frustrated one, and for this reason indefinitely repeated – to elaborate a trauma in which the pervert, identified with the traumatic agent, touches a point equally traumatic for his partner, turning the partner into an object of enjoyment. This arrangement allows the pervert, at least in his imagination, to leave the suffered trauma behind, adopting towards the object a position of activity and domination. Identifying with the aggressor, he leaves his partner paralyzed in the traumatic point, a situation that he knows all too well.

dos Reis Filho JT, et al Trauma, Perversion und eheliche Bande

Der Artikel untersucht klinische Fällen von sogenannter Perversion in Beziehungen, mit dem Ziel herauszufinden, wann es sich um eine perverse Organisation und wann es sich lediglich um eine spezielle Art von erotischem Spiel zwischen dem Paar handelt, dies sowohl in hetero- wie in homosexuellen Beziehungen. Die erste Schwierigkeit war, eine für alle Autoren akzeptable Definition von Perversion zu finden. Alle hatten Erfahrung in Forschung in diesem Gebiet und mussten sich auf Vorstellungen einigen, wodurch eine perverse eheliche Beziehung gekennzeichnet ist. Im Gegensatz zur Neurose, gekennzeichnet ausschliesslich von Verdrängungsmechanismen, kommt Ablehnung nicht ausschliesslich bei der Perversion vor sondern auch bei anderen psychischen Strukturen. Ist Perversion demnach eine psychische Struktur oder eine psychologische Organisation? Es wird auch als erwiesen betrachtet, dass ein Perverser nicht analysiert werden kann. Aber, ist es wirklich der Perverse, der nicht analysiert werden kann? Ist es nicht vielleicht der Analytiker, der es nicht ertragen kann, dem Perversen zuzuhören? Gibt der theoretische analytische Hintergrund des Analytikers ihm möglicherweise nicht genug Unterstützung, um das Zuhören aufrechterhalten zu können? Dieser Aufsatz vertritt die Hypothese, dass die Perversion ein unaufhörlich wiederholter, immer misslingender Versuch ist, ein Trauma aufzuarbeiten. Der Perverse ist identifiziert mit dem Täter im damaligen Trauma. Er trifft einen traumatisierten Punkt beim Partner und macht aus ihm ein Objekt seiner Lusterfüllung. Dieses Arrangement erlaubt dem Perversen-wenigstens in seiner Phantasie – das von ihm erlittene Trauma hinter sich zu lassen, indem er gegenüber dem Objekt eine Position der Aktivität und Dominanz einnimmt. Identifiziert mit dem Aggressor belässt er seinen Partner gelähmt am traumatischen Punkt-eine Situation, die er nur allzu gut an sich selbst kennt.

dos Reis Filho JT et al. Trauma, perversión y el vínculo marital

El propósito del presente trabajo es estudiar en la clínica la incidencia de los cada vez más llamados fenómenos perversos en las relaciones, para descubrir cuando este fenómeno depende de una organización perversa y cuando se trata de un tipo de juego erótico en las parejas, tanto en sus aspectos homosexuales como heterosexuales. La primera dificultad fue encontrar una definición de perversión compartida por los autores estudiosos de este tema y consecuentemente determinar las características de un vínculo marital perverso. En contraste con la neurosis que puede ser definida por el uso del mecanismo de la represión, el mecanismo de la negación no es característico de la perversión únicamente sino que se puede también encontrar en otras organizaciones psíquicas. ¿Se trata entonces de una estructura o de una organización psicológica? Se considera también que en psicoanálisis, es cierto que se trata al perverso como inanalizable. Bueno, ¿es el perverso el que no es analizable o es el psicoanalista que no puede soportar escucharlo? Acaso las referencias teóricas del analista no ofrecen suficientes soportes teóricos para mantener la escucha? Este trabajo presenta la hipótesis de que la perversión es un intento – siempre frustrado, y por lo mismo indefinidamente repetido- para elaborar un trauma en el que el perverso está identificado con el agente traumático, tocando un punto igualmente traumático en su pareja, convirtiendo a su pareja en objeto de su disfrute. Este arreglo permite al perverso, al menos en su imaginación, dejar atrás el trauma sufrido, adoptando con su objeto una posición de actividad y dominación. Identificándose con el agresor, deja a su pareja paralizada en el punto traumático, situación que el perverso sabe muy bien.     

Parent-adolescent health conversations as action: Theoretical and methodological issues

Abstract

A qualitative research method based on action theory is proposed and illustrated for use in health psychology and health promotion research. Action refers to the goal-directed and intentional behaviors of individual and groups. Action theory has the advantage of using the perspectives provided by manifest behavior, internal processes, and social meaning in the analysis of action. In this article, the actions under consideration are the health-related conversations of parents and their adolescent children. The approach is premised on an understanding of health promotion as a family task constructed through actions such as conversations between family members. Health conversations in two parent-adolescent dyads are used to illustrate the method. The analysis includes the identification of goals, functional steps, and elements and their relation to the family health promotion project. Specific attention is paid to data gathering and analysis issues and their implications for health promotion research.     

Individual Ambidexterity: Exploring and Exploiting in Dynamic Contexts

The objective of this study is to analyze the mediating role of intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction in the relationship between the 2 dimensions of work–family conflict—family interfering with work (FIW) and work interfering with family (WIF)—and general job satisfaction. Step-by-step hierarchical regression analyses were carried out on a sample of 151 men and women from a Spanish public organization. The results confirmed the mediating role of intrinsic job satisfaction in the case of FIW. This highlights the importance of taking into account the level of satisfaction with the intrinsic facets of one's job as a measure for understanding why FIW has a negative impact on general job satisfaction.     

Exploring the Mental Health of Mexican Migrant Farm Workers in the Midwest: Psychosocial Predictors of Psychological Distress and Suggestions for Prevention and Treatment

The purposes of the present study were threefold: (a) to assess the prevalence levels of anxiety and depression in a sample of Mexican migrant farm workers in the midwestern United States; (b) to explore the relationships among acculturative stress, anxiety, and depression; and (c) to examine the variables that best predict anxiety and depression. The overall sample revealed elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Migrant farm workers with heightened levels of acculturative stress were more likely to report high levels of anxiety and depression. Family dysfunction, ineffective social support, low self-esteem, lack of agreement with the decision to migrate, high education levels, high levels of acculturative stress, and high levels of anxiety were significantly associated with high depression levels. The overall findings suggest that migrant farm workers who experience elevated levels of acculturative stress may be at risk for experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression. The findings highlight the importance of establishing prevention and treatment services for migrant farm workers that aim to increase levels of emotional support, self-esteem, and coping skills.     

Classical conditioning of eyelid and mystacial vibrissae responses in conscious mice

The murine vibrissae sensorimotor system has been scrutinized as a target of motor learning through trace classical conditioning. Conditioned eyelid responses were acquired by using weak electrical whisker-pad stimulation as conditioned stimulus (CS) and strong electrical periorbital stimulation as unconditioned stimulus (US). In addition, conditioned vibrissal protraction was obtained pairing either weak electrical whisker-pad stimulation or a tone as CS, with a strong electric shock delivered in the whisker-pad as US. This finding suggests that evolutionary pressure has selected a sensorimotor system capable of constructing conditioned responses on the basis of temporal relationships of stimuli, independently of any putative functional purpose.     

Outcome-specific transfer between predictive and instrumental learning is unaffected by extinction but reversed by counterconditioning in human participants

Three experiments were conducted to explore the effects of different interference treatments upon outcome-specific transfer from predictive learning to instrumental responding. A computer game was designed in which participants had to defend Andalusia from navy and air-force attacks. Participants learned the relationship between two instrumental responses (two keys in a standard keyboard) and two different outcomes (destruction of the ships or destruction of the planes). Then, they learned to predict which of two different cues predicted either outcome. Finally, participants were allowed to give either of the two instrumental responses in the presence of each cue. Outcome-specific transfer was shown as a preference for the response that shared the outcome with the current cue. Extinction of the cue before the transfer test had no effect upon transfer, regardless of the level of extinction (Experiments 1-3). However, pairing the cue with the alternative outcome (counterconditioning) reversed the outcome-based transfer effect (Experiment 3). The implications of these results for the contents of extinction in human predictive learning are discussed.     

Predictors of healthcare resource use in fibromyalgia

This work identifies which psychosocial, clinical and perceived health status factors predict health-resource use in Fibromyalgia (FM), considering the patients' assistance level. Participants were 315 FM patients from Primary Care (PC: n=101) and Rheumatology Services (RS: n=214). Stepwise regression analysis showed that self-efficacy variables were significant predictors of medication intake in PC, and, along with Illness-focused coping, of the health service use. In RS, perceived health status was the best predictor of medication intake. In any case, Pain intensity significantly predicted the use of health resources. These data offer a new perspective for intervention in these patients, taking into account the level of assistance.     

Effect of stimulus opening size in global dominance with orientation classification task

The aims of this study is to examine whether global dominance depends on the opening size of the stimulus with concentric hierarchical figures and orientation classification task and to determine the role of the salience of global opening and its coincidence with vertical symmetry axis of context. In the first experiment, participants had to indicate the opening direction of stimuli, which were open-left and open-right figures. Three openings were included: 10, 25 and 50% of the total circle perimeter. The results showed a local advantage with stimuli of 10%, absence of global or local advantage with stimuli of 25% and global advantage with stimuli of 50%. In the second experiment, stimuli with an opening of 50% were presented randomly in several positions in the visual field in order to avoid the coincidence of global opening with the vertical symmetry axis of context. The results showed an absence of global or local advantage. These findings indicate that global dominance with orientation classification task depends on stimulus characteristics such as opening size, and strategies used in visual recognition.     

Emotion and recognition memory: the discrimination of negative information as an adaptive process

We studied the effect of emotion generated by IAPS (International Affective Picture System) pictures on incidental recognition of these pictures for short retention periods (15 min). Memorization distraction tasks and reaction time tasks were used together with short exposure times (2 seconds per picture) in order to prevent a high recognition rate that would impede testing for the effect of emotion on discrimination parameters (A′) and response bias (B′′D) (ceiling effect). We used 80 pictures representing the medium and high levels of two-dimensional emotional space. The results showed greater discrimination and a more conservative response style to unpleasant and medium arousal level pictures. These pictures produced higher confidence and lower response times in the recognition phase. The results can be explained by the negative content of the pictures and activation level effects on attentional processing and memory, and can be interpreted as a phenomenon that is evolutionarily adaptive.     

“The king of France is bald” reconsidered: a case against Yablo

Stephen Yablo has argued for metaontological antirealism: he believes that the sentences claiming or denying the existence of numbers (or other abstract entities or mereological sums) are inapt for truth valuation, because the reference failure of a numerical singular term (or a singular term for an abstract entity or a mereological sum) would not produce a truth value gap in any sentence containing that term. At the same time, Yablo believes that nothing similar applies to singular terms that aim to refer to an entity whose existence or non-existence is a factual matter, e.g. ‘the king of France’: the failure of the presupposition that there is a unique French king makes some sentences with the term ‘the king of France’, in particular “The king of France is bald”, gappy. In this paper I will show that the sentence “The king of France is bald” must be false, and not gappy, according to Yablo’s own criteria and that, furthermore, the presupposition that the term ‘the king of France’ refers presents a fail-safe mechanism in the same way Yablo thinks abstract presuppositions do—this undermines his argument for metaontological antirealism.