A feasibility study of psychological strengths and well-being assessment in individuals living with recurrent depression

Current conceptualizations of mental illness focus on assessing psychopathology. A balanced approach would assess strengths that individuals bring to coping with illness. This study measures psychological strengths in individuals with recurrent depression, their coping strategies, and their perceptions of the usefulness of strengths assessment as a component of psychological assessment. Individuals (N?=?112) with recurrent depression completed an online questionnaire measuring several psychological strengths, including gratitude, forgiveness, spirituality, and hope. Participants also described their use of coping strategies and their reaction to the utility of the two-continua model of mental health. A subset (n?=?10) completed a follow-up telephone interview. Higher levels of gratitude, self-forgiveness, hope, and spirituality and lower levels of optimism were indicative of higher life satisfaction. Self-forgiveness, spirituality, and gratitude were predictors of happiness. Higher levels of hope and self-forgiveness predicted positive affect whereas lower levels of self-forgiveness predicted negative affect. Participants reported using a range of coping resources and indicated that they valued strengths assessment, perceiving the two-continua model of mental health as empowering. The researcher discusses implications for clinical practice.     

The glass half-full or a hopeful outlook: Which explains more variance in interpersonal suicide risk in a psychotherapy clinic sample?

Recent research has suggested that constructs in the field of positive psychology may be important for understanding suicide risk. Specifically, both hope theory and dispositional optimism have been linked to lower levels of suicidal ideation and interpersonal suicide risk. Despite these encouraging findings, no study has investigated the relationships between hope, optimism, and suicide risk in a clinical sample. The current study aimed to address this gap and to determine if hope or optimism was more important for understanding suicide risk as operationalized by the interpersonal-psychological theory and suicidal ideation. Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that both hope and optimism predicted lower levels of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness, but were not significant predictors of suicidal ideation. Further, results revealed that when both hope and optimism were entered into a hierarchical regression in the final step, only optimism remained significant. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.     

择偶与人类嗓音

本文对择偶与人类嗓音之间的关系进行了深入分析。首先, 人类具有普遍的异性嗓音偏好：男性偏爱高音调的女性嗓音, 女性偏爱低音调的男性嗓音, 这种普遍偏好受到一系列跟自身婚配价值有关的因素的调节。其次, 人类的嗓音偏好跟嗓音背后的进化意义密切关联：女性化嗓音是女性生育力的线索, 而男性化嗓音是男性好基因和好资源的线索。而且, 富有吸引力的男性嗓音和女性嗓音能够预测个体的性行为和繁殖成功。再次, 富有有吸引力的人类嗓音影响个体的社会认知, 对亲密关系的维系也会带来消极影响。最后, 我们探讨了未来研究的若干方向：研究基频之外的其他嗓音参数, 探讨嗓音偏好的性选择机制、特殊群体的嗓音偏好, 以及嗓音偏好与其他认知过程的关系。     

2013年心理学研究状况分析——从《中国人民大学复印报刊资料·心理学》看发展变化

对2013年《中国人民大学复印报刊资料·心理学》杂志全文转载发表的143篇文章做了梳理。对各个栏目如“理论进展”“基础新论”“应用平台”等分别进行了介绍,重点推荐了有代表性的论文,并简单介绍了他们的研究成果,旨在使心理学科学研究成果的价值最大化。从刊载的论文可以看出,心理学的研究既有理论研究的深度,也有应用研究的广度。     

Thanks,congratulations and publishing useful research

This editorial covers the types and styles of papers European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology publishes and an examination of how to make work and organizational psychology research more useful to society.     

Can voicing conflict within experiential learning groups facilitate connection? building and developing effective multi-disciplinary team-working skills

In the UK, Clinical Psychologists (CPs) work in a variety of settings within the National Health Service (NHS), often within Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs). Problem-Based Learning (PBL) within CP training at the University of Hertfordshire (UH) offers unique opportunities to combine scientist-practitioner and reflective-practitioner models to learn about group dynamics from the personal experience of working within an experiential learning group.

Further, given Trainees work three days per week on placement within MDTs in the NHS, the learning gained within a ‘safer’ PBL context can be utilised within these clinical settings. For two years, Trainees at UH have to work in small PBL groups with five or six members learning to work together to achieve a goal (four assessed presentations) negotiating their own personal and professional journey, as well as a group journey. Consequently, PBL offers trainees opportunities to learn (1) how individuals work within a group; (2) how personal experiences influence this process; (3) how others influence them and are influenced by them; and (4) how a group of diverse individuals conceptualise, understand and convey case vignettes to an audience. Within these groups, many Trainees learn to speak out, reflect, listen attentively, empathise, validate and accept diverse experiences. Further, when differences dominate they often learn to negotiate these, finding a way to maintain effective team working in order to complete the presentation. Focusing on the conflict that can occur within (any) group, this paper explores themes from the reflective narratives of six trainees: parallels and differences between MDTs and PBL groups, striving for and achieving authenticity; and conflict as a ‘swear’ word. We conclude that exploring the role PBL can play in training individuals to work effectively in teams may be of benefit within the training of other professional groups.     

Venturing into the visual voice: combining photos and interviews in phenomenological inquiry around marginalisation and chronic illness

In this article, we present a reflection on the research process of combining photographs with phenomenologically oriented interviews. Two studies in the field of chronic illness with marginalised individuals (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* people living with MS; men diagnosed with breast cancer) are employed to illustrate a range of conceptual, methodological and pragmatic issues. Both studies draw upon an integrative theoretical framework within a critical health psychology epistemological paradigm informed by phenomenological psychology and visual methodologies. The data collected for both studies have been analysed through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). We offer some thoughts regarding certain challenges and opportunities of synergising verbal and visual data and illustrate our arguments through a series of examples from the two studies, which are critically discussed. We argue that qualitative research in psychology benefits from an enhanced multimethodological approach employing existential phenomenological psychology and visual methodologies, especially when exploring chronic illness in marginalised communities, and we outline benefits for the wider community of qualitative researchers in psychology.     

Coping in High-Risk Snow-Sports: A Qualitative Exploration of Alpine Racing and Freestyle Athletes’ Experiences

This study examines how semi-elite student snow-sport athletes utilize process and trait coping strategies to combat risk-taking, potential loss and trauma, and other stressors integral to their sport participation. Factors influencing coping strategy preference are also explored. Semistructured interviews were used to explore 10 participants’ experiences; the narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five master themes emerged from the analysis: Challenges to Overcome; Taking Action; Changing Perspectives; Staying in Control; and Underlying Influences. The findings highlight how participants develop and utilize preferred coping strategies, although the unpredictable nature of snow-sports can result in situation-specific process coping. Findings are discussed in relation to the differences between racing and freestyle disciplines.     

空气污染的不良效应及理论模型:环境心理学的视角

空气污染的不良效应不仅限于生理健康损害,还涉及认知功能、情绪和行为等多方面的消极影响。针对空气污染不良效应的形成机制,以往研究提出了环境应激模型和社会-环境交互模型,这些理论模型强调空气污染的不良效应不仅涉及污染的直接暴露程度,也取决于个体的身心状况以及他对空气污染的主观评价。基于以往研究的不足,尤其是环境心理学介入空气污染研究的可行性,未来研究可着眼于改进空气污染的心理学研究方法,开展空气污染的环境应激和风险感知研究。     

人以天地之气生:气象对人类心理与行为的影响

从情绪波动到文明兴衰,研究者愈来愈意识到大气现象对人类的重要影响。气象心理学涵盖天气和气候这两大类大气现象作用于人类个体和群体的心理与行为乃至文化特征的各种研究。在个体心理层面,温度、湿度、日照等气象因素会影响个体情绪、工作记忆和认知能力。在个体行为层面,人际亲和行为和反社会行为也会被天气左右。在群体和文化层面,从长程上考察,气温和降水量与多尺度人类群体冲突爆发密切相关;气候冷暖和资源多寡也会共同形塑当地族群的文化心理行为特征。人类世界始终嵌入于天气和气候等宏观生态环境中并受其影响,气象心理学应当在心理学研究体系中占有一席之地。