The “Arnold Schwarzenegger Effect”: Is strength of the “victim” related to misinterpretations of harm intrusions?

The present study used an in vivo paradigm to examine whether the victim's vulnerability in a harm-related intrusion affects beliefs about the importance of thoughts (i.e., Thought Action Fusion; TAF). Sixty-six undergraduate students at a large university were randomly assigned to imagine either a vulnerable (e.g., elderly man) or able-bodied individual (e.g., strong youthful male) they know getting into a car accident and provided in vivo ratings of anxiety, guilt, likelihood, moral wrongness, and urges to neutralize. Results indicated that thinking of car accident involving a vulnerable, compared to an able-bodied person, provoked more distress (anxiety and guilt), stronger feelings of moral wrongness, greater urges to cancel the effects of thinking such thoughts, and higher estimates of the likelihood that the collision would occur. The findings of our study broadly support Rachman's (1998) assertion that more significance and importance is attached to negative thoughts about vulnerable or helpless people. Current findings are discussed in terms of the cognitive-behavioral model of obsessions and clinical implications are addressed.     

Cross-cultural differences in distributive justice: a comparison of Turkey and the U.S

When allocators make decisions about distributing resources, they face a dilemma if the expectations for consequences that will flow from particular choices are incongruent with each other. For example, a certain allocation choice might be expected to make an allocator appear warm and likable but unfair. Previous research has found that culture can shape these perceptions and, thus, their congruence or incongruence. The present study further investigated these ideas. Differences between Turkish and U.S. students' perceptions of allocators who distributed resources on the basis of merit vs. need were investigated. Results revealed an allocation dilemma among the U.S. but not among the Turkish students. Specifically, the U.S. students perceived greater incongruence among allocation consequences for both merit and need choices than did the students from Turkey for whom perceptions of allocator's fairness were more aligned with perceptions of allocator's warmth.     

Problematic Identity Processes: The Role of Identity Distress

This special issue of Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research explores some of the anxiety, distress, and difficulties that may be encountered in the identity development process. Despite findings documenting the presence of identity distress in samples from a variety of settings and cultures, it has been slowly moving out of direct attention within the world of clinical psychology and psychiatry. This special issue expands on our understanding of identity distress in a number of ways. It adds to our knowledge of prevalence and severity, as well as its psychological correlates. It examines identity distress under the contexts of traumatic exposure and the refugee experience, and it offers some cross-national comparisons. Also offered is a developmental psychopathology perspective as a way to lay the groundwork for increased prevention and intervention work, and an example of such an intervention program for emerging adults. It is hoped that this special issue on identity distress will shine more light on this important, and possibly growing, yet understudied phenomenon, and will contribute toward expanding and enhancing efforts to foster positive youth development.     

Bullying in Psychoanalytic Life: A Few Episodes,and Some Thoughts

This article explores several examples of bullying in psychoanalytic training (often candidates bullied by faculty, but at times faculty bullied by candidates, or mutual bullying among candidates) and within psychoanalytic societies. It proposes that this may happen both in homogeneous groups (where individuals seen as disloyal to the common views may be harassed) and in heterogeneous groups (where theoretical disagreements and competition may deteriorate). Interpretations outside the consulting room (and in some instances even within an analytic setting) may become a subtle form of bullying. Although many professional and political groups may exhibit subtle and rationalized forms of bullying, their impact is more powerful in psychoanalytic groups on the background of transference–countertransference feelings originating in members' personal analyses with other members. A readiness to expose and discuss such episodes is crucial if we wish to reduce their destructive influence in training and in subsequent relations among analytic colleagues.     

ON “POLYGAMOUS ANALYSIS”

The close relationships among Ferenczi’s analysands at the time the Clinical Diary was written are explored, and their potential influences on their analyses are discussed. It is suggested that the fact that “a virtual group” emerged in this context may have sabotaged to some extent Ferenczi’s clinical work, because this setting did not allow the open joint exploration possible in an actual analytic group, and at the same time stood in the way of achieving “a background of safety” fostered by the privacy and confidentiality of a fully individual analysis. Several examples are given of situations that may have made analysands feel betrayed or abandoned by the divided loyalties of their analyst, and may have created painful splits in Ferenczi’s own countertransferences.