The psychopathology of everyday Vienna: Psychoanalysis and Freud's familiars

This paper examines the parapraxes made by, to or about Jewish-identifi ed individuals discussed by Freud in Psychopathology of everyday life. Each of these errors and slips is occasioned by what he terms a 'mésalliance' between a Jew and a Gentile. Such incidents of distorted language betray unresolved ambivalences and unformulated anxieties endemic to Jewish-Gentile interaction in Freud's Vienna. First, the disturbed relationships between German-speaking Gentiles and their threatening Doppelgänger, the Jews, are analyzed by means of Freud's analysis of the 'uncanny' and an examination of the particular restrictions placed upon the 'offi cially' emancipated Jews in the Habsburg Empire, especially with regard to intermarriage. Then, the paper turns to Freud's discussions of explicitly Jewish-identifi ed individuals and their limitation to illustrating parapraxes associated with what should be the most pleasurable and intimate relationships between Jew and Gentile, namely sexual and connubial relations. His focus upon this confl icted conjunction diagnosed the intrinsically problematic character of Jew-Gentile interaction in his Vienna.     

Measuring superstitious belief: why lucky charms matter

A large body of research has attempted to develop theories about the function and origin of superstitious beliefs on the basis of the psychological correlates of such beliefs. Most of this work has measured superstitious belief using the Paranormal Belief Scale (PBS). However, this scale refers solely to negative superstitions (e.g., breaking a mirror will cause bad luck) and omits items referring to positive superstitions (e.g., carrying a lucky charm will bring good luck). The two studies reported here found significant interactions between belief in negative and positive superstitions, and several individual difference measures. These findings have important implications for theory development, demonstrate that the PBS is an incomplete measure of superstitious belief, and highlight the need for future measures to include items referring to positive superstitions.     

Forming Life Satisfaction among Different Social Groups during the Modernization of China

Quality of life has become a notable concern in the modernization of China. However, there are no adequate data to chart the formation of quality of life, in terms of life satisfaction, and in relation to the societal conditions of modernization. Moreover, it is still a question concerning how life satisfaction forms among people of different social groups, differentiated by class, education, age, and gender. To answer the questions, the present study involved a random sample survey of 732 inhabitants in Beijing. Results indicate the contributions of income, age, perceived modern economic conditions in society, and satisfaction with societal economic conditions. In contrast, education and the ownership class appear to predict lower life satisfaction. Furthermore, there are significant variations in the effects of the factors in predicting the life satisfaction of people in different social groups. Notably, perceived economic conditions appear to be less important to people of higher class positions. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Banding Together: New Horizons in Lifelong Music Making

New Horizons Bands are wind and percussion bands designed for both novice and former musicians over the age of 50. This article describes the Iowa City, Iowa, program from the director's observations and from excerpted comments by participants. Not only does the band program fulfill musical aspirations, but it also provides meaningful interpersonal relationships for the adult learners and their families, the college-aged instructors, and the director.     

Factors Related to the Long-Term Course of PTSD in Older Ex–Prisoners of War

This study examined relationships between socioenvironmental factors occurring in later-life and current and changing PTSD symptom levels in a sample of 177 community-dwelling World War II and Korean era ex–prisoners of war. Factors examined included negative life events, negative health events, social support, and death acceptance. PTSD was assessed at Time 1. PTSD and the later-life factors were then assessed 4 years later (Time 2). Cross-sectional analysis examined the relationship of the later-life factors to current PTSD symptomatology. Longitudinal analysis examined their relationship to changing PTSD symptomatology over the 4-year interval. Negative health changes, social support, and death acceptance were significantly related to current and changing PTSD symptomatology, but negative life events were not. The authors conclude that health and psychosocial factors that may occur in later-life can be related to PTSD symptom levels even many decades after a traumatic experience.     

The Brief Stress and Coping Inventory: A Useful Stress Management Instrument

The Brief Stress and Coping Inventory (BSCI) was designed to gather stress and coping information from an individual in 15 minutes, compared to a nearly 1-hour completion time required for the parent instrument. All BSCI scales are described, along with our scoring methodology. Intercorrelations between scales are presented. Reliability and validity estimates were seen to be satisfactory to highly satisfactory. A multiple regression analysis identified 3 out of 8 scales that contributed significantly and uniquely to an optimal predictive equation for illness symptoms (R = .70). Frequency distributions of group results, which greatly help work site managers to understand results from stress management programs, are illustrated.     

Correlates of Patient Satisfaction Among Menopausal Women

Patient satisfaction can increase compliance and health outcomes in many populations. Menopausal-age women present unique physical and psychosocial concerns that separate them from other populations in their health care needs and preferences. We surveyed 48 women (ages 45–60) regarding their satisfaction with a recent annual exam office visit in a family practice clinic. Women reported the number of quality of life issues they discussed during this visit and which of these they considered most important, as well as menopausal symptoms and perceived health competence. Regression analyses identified variables most related to patient satisfaction. Of three components of visit satisfaction (Quality, Humaneness, and General Satisfaction), Quality was predicted by quality of life issues discussed. Physical, psychological, and functional domains were considered most important to the patients, whereas physical, psychological, and social domains were most often actually discussed in the visit.     

Integrating New Members into an Ongoing Therapy Group: The Life-Line Technique

Integrating a new member into an existing group poses many problems, both for the new member and the group as a whole. To address these, the authors propose use of a life-line technique to introduce a new member to the group. Following review of the basic narrative assumptions, a specific procedure that utilizes the life-line is described. Comments of new and old members after one typical life-line presentation are given. These comments are representative of those made on other occasions. They indicate that this life story review is therapeutically helpful and assists the process of integration of a new member into an ongoing group. Some limitations of this method are addressed in the discussion.     

Life Stress and Major Depression

ABSTRACT— People have long believed that adversity and stress contribute to emotional problems in general and to depression in particular. A considerable body of research has supported this intuition, documenting a consistent association between major stressful life events and the onset of clinical depression. However, most individuals under stress do not become depressed, sometimes depression develops without prior stress, and distinguishing psychological distress from major depression can be diagnostically challenging. In varying forms and degrees, life stress may play multiple roles in relation to major depression. In this article, we outline the opportunities and obstacles associated with conceptualizing depression from a life-stress perspective and discuss the implications for future research.     

生命需要心理学理论与生命教育方法

＂生命需要心理学理论与生命教育方法＂是研究者开展了为期五年的生命发展研究后获得的心理学与教育学的研究成果。五年中,研究者以0～6岁正常学前儿童为对象,对其实行生命发展教育,获取了大量的生命发展事实,证明了：1）人类生命具有人人可遵循的生长发展规律——＂需要＂的生长发展规律;2）＂需要＂的生物性基础的早期建构是＂需要＂生长发展规律的核心内容;3）马斯洛的＂需要层次＂中心理需要的低级阶段——＂安全需要＂之前还存在一个生命的原始需要——以＂新奇、探索、操作＂为对象的＂需要＂,其贯穿在0～6岁的儿童早期生命阶段;4）0～6岁时期,＂儿童需要＂不是恒定的、稳定的、成熟的心理机能,而是处在生长过程中。＂需要＂强度的提升是0～6岁时期以＂需要＂为核心的心理整体建构的鲜为人知的生命法则;5）0～6岁时期＂需要＂的良好建构,使＂需要＂水平达到推动生命走向＂需要＂的最高层次——＂自我实现需要＂的强度;6）＂需要层次＂与生命质量存在着内在关联;7）儿童＂原始需要＂满足的方法为：在儿童＂原始需要＂机能强度与寓含＂新奇、探索、操作＂属性的＂原始需要＂对象即外部刺激之间建立起犹如昆虫与花类般默契的真正联系。