Clinical applications of Matte Blanco's thinking

Ignacio Matte Blanco (1908–1995) left very few specific indications about the applications of his theoretical notions to his interpretative style. The author shows how he uses Matte Blanco to formulate some of his own interpretations. The first part of the paper uses clinical vignettes to illustrate some of Matte‐Blanco's concepts. Their theoretical vocabulary is thus made explicit. Then two psychoanalytic sessions are discussed at greater length, together with one from a therapy, so that the use of Matte‐Blanco's notions can be seen clearly, allowing for a fresh perspective on areas of psychoanalytic theory, particularly dreams, psychopathology viewed according to the proportions of asymmetrical and symmetrical functioning in the patient's bi‐logical mental system, the multidimensionality of the unconscious, the structural unconscious, the emotion‐thought relationship, projective identification, resistance, and negative therapeutic reaction. The practical consequences of all this are elaborated, particularly the ensuing possibility of ‘thinking with the patient' in the session. This enables the patient to introject a form of mental functioning in which the asymmetrical mode is not invaded by the symmetric mode (a parallel can be seen here with the Bionian concept of dialogue between the psychotic and non‐psychotic parts of the mind).     

Feeling Better About Self After Receiving Negative Feedback: When the Sense That Ability Can Be Improved Is Activated

Past studies suggest that managers and educators often consider negative feedback as a motivator for individuals to think about their shortcomings and improve their work, but delivering negative feedback does not always achieve desired results. The present study, based on incremental theory, employed an intervention method to activate the belief that a particular ability could be improved after negative feedback. Three experiments tested the intervention effect on negative self-relevant emotion. Study 1 indicated conveying suggestions for improving ability reduced negative self-relevant emotion after negative feedback. Study 2 tested whether activating the sense of possible improvement in the ability could reduce negative self-relevant emotion. Results indicated activating the belief that ability could be improved reduced negative self-relevant emotion after failure, but delivering emotion management information alone did not yield the same effect. Study 3 extended the results by affirming the effort participants made in doing the test, and found the affirmation reduced negative self-relevant emotion. Collectively, the findings indicated focusing on the belief that the ability could be improved in the future can reduce negative self-relevant emotion after negative feedback.     

Servant Leadership and Follower Outcomes: Mediating Effects of Organizational Identification and Psychological Safety

This study investigated the mediating role of organizational identification and psychological safety in the relationship between servant leadership and two employee outcomes: employee voice and negative feedback seeking behavior. The sample for this study comprised of 174 full-time employees drawn from a large food company based in Pakistan. Results showed that organizational identification and psychological safety partially mediated the effects of servant leadership on voice and negative feedback seeking behavior. The theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed.     

An Examination of the RDoC Negative Valence Systems Domain Constructs and the Self-Reports Unit of Analysis

In response to shortcomings with the current diagnostic classification system for mental health disorders, such as poor validity and reliability of categorical diagnoses, the National Institute of Mental Health proposed the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative to move towards a dimensional approach using translational research. The current study examined associations between measures of behaviors, cognitions, and mental health symptoms and how they overlap in the Negative Valence Systems (NVS) domain. Specifically, we examined how the Self-Reports unit of analysis reflects the RDoC NVS constructs of acute threat, potential threat, sustained threat, frustrative nonreward, and loss. The overall goal was to identify additional self-report measures that reflect these constructs. Participants, two student samples and two community samples (total N = 1,509), completed online self-reported measures. Questionnaire total and subscale scores were submitted to a principal-axis factor analysis with Promax rotation separately for each sample. For both student samples and one community sample six-factor solutions emerged reflecting major aspects of the RDoC NVS and positive valence systems, particularly acute threat (i.e., fear/panic), potential threat (i.e., inhibition/worry), sustained threat (i.e., chronic stress), loss (i.e., low well-being), frustrative nonreward (i.e., reactive aggression), and reduced behavioral activation. The second community sample differed in that fear/panic and frustration/anger was combined in a general distress factor. Recommendations for additional NVS self-report markers are discussed.     

Inertia of negative emotions at work: Correlates of inflexible emotion dynamics in the workplace*

Emotional inertia is a central feature of emotion dynamics and it refers to the degree to which emotional states are self-predictive and linger over time, describing their resistance to change. It is related to several indicators of maladjustment, yet there is limited research on its correlates in the workplace, where it may be particularly relevant as emotional experiences deeply influence organizational life. In two experience-sampling studies, we studied temporal dependency of negative emotional states at work in terms of emotional inertia. In a first study (n = 128), we investigated the association between exhaustion, the core dimension of burnout, with inertia of negative emotions. In a second study (n = 116), we aimed to replicate findings from the first study and additionally examined the moderating role of inertia of negative emotions in the relationship between negative emotions at work and counterproductive work behaviour. The findings show that exhaustion is consistently associated with inertia of negative emotions, and that inertia of negative emotions aggravates the relation between negative emotions and workers' counterproductive work behaviour.     

儿童期创伤与有留守经历大学生负性情绪：心理韧性的调节作用

本研究旨在考察有留守经历的大学生儿童期创伤与负性情绪关系,以及心理韧性在其间的调节作用。对391名有留守经历的大学生进行间隔3个月的两次问卷调查。结果:(1)相较于没有儿童期创伤的个体,有儿童期创伤的个体心理韧性更低,抑郁、焦虑、压力水平更高;(2)在控制性别、城乡来源、是否独生、年龄与T1时间点负性情绪的作用后,T1时间点的儿童期创伤、心理韧性均能显著预测T2时间点的负性情绪;(3)低心理韧性水平下,儿童期创伤显著预测留守经历大学生的负性情绪;高心理韧性水平下,预测作用不再显著。表明儿童期创伤是有留守经历的大学生负性情绪的风险因素,心理韧性可以调节儿童期创伤对有留守经历大学生的负性情绪的预测。     

宋代学者论“轻重”

和前代相比,宋代学者对《管子》＂轻重＂内容的分析,更为深入细致;对＂轻重＂的总体评价与年代作者的认识,也发生了变化。宋代学者对＂轻重＂近乎一致的否定评价,受到当时理学思想的直接影响;他们对＂轻重＂著作年代与作者的辨伪,与当时的疑古思潮密切相关。     

幼儿的坚持性与执行功能和负性情绪的关系

儿童的认知控制和情绪调节可能影响他们面对挑战任务时的坚持性水平,而后者与其学校适应能力密切相关。本研究采用实验法和问卷法对91名6岁幼儿进行研究,主要探讨学前班儿童的坚持性与执行功能和负性情绪之间的关系,试图从认知控制和情绪调节角度,为提高幼儿的任务坚持性提供有效的干预策略。结果表明：（1）幼儿执行功能发展得越完备,其坚持性水平越高;（2）幼儿表露的负性情绪越少,其坚持性水平越高;（3）幼儿执行功能与坚持性的关系受到负性情绪的调节,对于负性情绪水平较低的幼儿,执行功能可以预测坚持性发展水平。     

Escape as reinforcement and escape extinction in the treatment of feeding problems

Given the effectiveness of putative escape extinction as treatment for feeding problems, it is surprising that little is known about the effects of escape as reinforcement for appropriate eating during treatment. In the current investigation, we examined the effectiveness of escape as reinforcement for mouth clean (a product measure of swallowing), escape as reinforcement for mouth clean plus escape extinction (EE), and EE alone as treatment for the food refusal of 5 children. Results were similar to those of previous studies, in that reinforcement alone did not result in increases in mouth clean or decreases in inappropriate behavior (e.g., Piazza, Patel, Gulotta, Sevin, & Layer, 2003). Increases in mouth clean and decreases in inappropriate behavior occurred when the therapist implemented EE independent of the presence or absence of reinforcement. Results are discussed in terms of the role of negative reinforcement in the etiology and treatment of feeding problems.     

Chin prompt plus re-presentation as treatment for expulsion in children with feeding disorders

Expulsion (spitting out food) is a problem behavior observed in many children with feeding disorders. In the current investigation, we identified 4 children diagnosed with a feeding disorder who exhibited high rates of expulsion. Treatment with re-presentation (placing expelled liquids or solids back into the child's mouth) was not effective in reducing expulsion. Therefore, we added a chin-prompt procedure (the feeder applied gentle upward pressure to the child's chin and lower lip) for the initial presentation and the re-presentation. Chin prompt plus re-presentation resulted in low rates of expulsion for all 4 children. The results are discussed in terms of the potential underlying mechanisms behind the effectiveness of the chin-prompt procedure.