Who is called to be a bishop? A study in psychological type profiling of bishops in the Church of England

A sample of 168 bishops, serving or retired, in the Church of England completed the Francis Psychological Type Scales. The psychological type profile of these bishops was compared with that of 626 Anglican clergymen. The bishops differed significantly from the clergymen on three of the four aspects of psychological type. The bishops were more likely to prefer extraversion (53% compared with 43%), more likely to prefer sensing (49% compared with 38%), and more likely to prefer judging (88% compared with 68%). Overall the SJ temperament was preferred by 47% of the bishops compared with 31% of the clergymen. Moreover, there was a significant difference between diocesan bishops and suffragan bishops in terms of the judging process. While 37% of the suffragan bishops preferred thinking, the proportion rose to 56% among the diocesan bishops. These findings are discussed in light of the Anglican ordinal and in light of the strengths brought to ministry by different psychological types.     

Psychotherapy training in Europe: similarities and differences

This paper gives a brief overview of the survey of European Psychotherapy training that was carried out by a team of European researchers. It sketches the current situation in each country and provides a brief quote from informants in each country, giving the flavour of the problems each is struggling with.     

Ethnic identification,religious identity,and psychological well-being among Muslim and Christian Palestinians in Israel

This study examined relationships between ethnic identification, religious identity, and psychological well-being. The participants were 854 indigenous Israeli Palestinians, of whom 520 (36% males and 64% females) were Muslim and 334 (39% males and 61% females) Christian students, respectively. The sample ranged in age between 17 and 38 years, with a mean of 24.31 (SD = 4.43). Measures of Palestinian ethnic identity, religious identity, and psychological well-being were administered to study participants. The analysis revealed that, for each of the Muslim and Christian samples, Palestinian ethnic identity and religious identity were weakly positively correlated, a finding indicating a possible relative independence between these constructs. After partialling out the effect of age and religious identity, increased degrees of Palestinian ethnic identification linked to higher degrees of positive indicators of well-being and to lower degrees of negative indicators of well-being within each of the samples. These findings held, and were even more pronounced, in the case of religious identity, after controlling for age and Palestinian ethnic identity. The study concludes that religious identity may equal or exceed ethnic identity in importance as a feature of minority individuals’ self-concept informing their well-being.     

The association between personality,attachment, psychological distress,church denomination and the god concept among a non-clinical sample

The association between personality, attachment, psychological distress, church denomination and the God concept was studied among a sample of 208 subjects from the normal population. Subjects were Christians, members of an Orthodox reformed church or the Pentecostal church. Negative feelings towards God were associated with a high level of harm avoidance, insecure attachment and a high level of psychological distress. Psychological distress mediated the association between personality and attachment variables and negative feelings towards God. Psychological distress and church denomination were the only two independent predictors of negative feelings towards God. Moreover, results showed that the Orthodox reformed church members hold a more negative concept of God than the Pentecostal church members do. Orthodox reformed church members see God in particular as a punitive judge, independent of personality, attachment and psychological distress, suggesting a large influence of religious culture on this particular type of God concept. Results are discussed from a psychotherapeutic point of view. Finally, several ethical issues regarding psychotherapy with religious clients are addressed.     

Common themes and structures in male victims' stories of religion and sexual abuse

This paper presents some outcomes of research on the narrative construction of religion and sexual abuse in male victims. Twelve open biographic interviews with adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse have been analysed for content and structure. Three narrative themes were identified to appear in all interviews: distance/proximity, power/powerlessness and guilt/innocence. Using statistical methods (correlations and cluster analysis), the relation was investigated between these narrative themes and categories of evaluation, life period addressed, religion, sexuality and significant others. At group level, very few correlations or patterns were found. Two possible explanations are discussed: (1) the lack of canonical stories and (2) the limitations to narrative competence as a result of traumatization. Structure analysis at the individual level yields relatively coherent patterns, so that the second explanation hypothesized seems less likely. Based on content and structure analysis, three narrative methods of construction are discussed: contrasting stories of sexual abuse and religion, sequencing stories and reinterpreting themes from both religion and sexual abuse. Finally, implications are discussed concerning researching canonical stories and their impact on coping, understanding and facilitating the creative potential of narrators, and the complicated relationship of individual constructions, confessional convictions and academic theological theories.     

Modulation de l’expression de l’identité professionnelle par l’utilisation d’appellations synonymes : « chômeur », « demandeur d’emploi » et « chercheur d’emploi »

The present research aimed to investigate whether and how terminology influences the expression of the self-concept, as well as that of the representation of others. More precisely, this paper explores, in the context of unemployment, how the words “unemployed person”, “job enquirer” and “jobseeker” can enhance the expression of the professional self concept and that of the representation of others. The Multistage Investigator of Social Identity method (IMIS; Zavalloni & Louis-Guérin, 1984) has been implemented to collect data from the French employment services. As expected, results provided evidence that the terminology used modulates professional identity expression; such that the words “unemployed person” and “job enquirer” lead individuals to unfavorably describe and perceive themselves. On the other hand, the designation “job seeker” helps them to put forward positive components of their professional self- concept and a less negative representation of others. These findings are discussed by stressing the relevance of using a terminology that does not stigmatize individuals and therefore avoids the disengagement from the job-seeking process.     

The Role of Personality Factors in the Dynamics of Context and Psychological Well-Being

The purpose of this study was to determine personality factors that mediate between context and psychological well-being. A convenience sample of 514 mutlicultural participants from Potchefstroom (n=384) and Mafikeng (n=130) comprising mainly of black and white students was drawn. The participants completed measures on extraversion and agreeableness and psychological well-being in a cross-sectional survey. Context was defined in terms of differentials pertaining to race, socioeconomic differentials and infrastructural resources. Regression analyses indicated the viability of relationships among context, personality and psychological well-being. Structural equation models showed that both extraversion and agreeableness mediate the relationship between context and psychological well-being. Future research using longitudinal designs may study the importance of social context, personality factors and psychological well-being within and between groups.     

Community Psychology in Zimbabwe: Past,Present and Future

The study describes and evaluates community psychology in Zimbabwe. We distinguish between a professional with the title ‘community psychologist’ and the practice of the field of community psychology in Zimbabwe. Community psychology services in Zimbabwe include the provision of education to all school- going age children, and free health services and housing for all. We also consider community psychology applications in the context of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, rising unemployment, homelessness, child abuse, disabilities, disasters and other hardships from urbanization, economics, and other challenges. Psychologists and other professionals offer community psychology services in the context of these challenges.     

Beyond Smiling: The Evaluation of a Positive Psychological Intervention Aimed at Student Happiness

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a positive psychological intervention (PPI) aimed at increasing happiness of students in a tertiary educational institution. A convenience sample (n = 20) was drawn from the entire population of academic third year students in the field of Industrial/Organisational psychology (n = 109). The majority of the participants were Sesotho speaking (45%), black (95%), female (90%), and 21 years of age (45%). A single group pre-, post-, and post-post-test design was used. The PPI stretched across eight months and was presented in two phases: (a) a three day self-development workshop and (b) six sessions of individual coaching. The intervention focused on facilitating development on two levels, namely a psychological (engagement, meaning, person-environment fit, autonomy, competence, relatedness and authenticity), and emotional (pleasure, affect balance and life satisfaction) level. Data were collected using the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Orientations to Happiness Questionnaire, Basic Psychological Needs Scale, the Authentic Self Inventory and Person-Environment Fit scale. The results indicated that the overall happiness of a student increased through developing individuals on both an emotional and psychological level. The PPI affected all the aspects conceptualised in this study, except for two components of authenticity. Therefore, a multi-dimensional approach towards PPIs aimed at happiness of students in a tertiary educational environment may contribute to happy students.     

Psychological Contract in HIV Prevention Clinical Trials in Resource Poor Communities in Africa

The paper explored the application of psychological contract in HIV prevention clinical trials in resource poor communities in Africa. The psychological contract was discussed in relation to practices in New HIV Prevention Technologies in Africa. From this discussion, it would seem risk for exposure to HIV infection is less well articulated in the psychological contract between the promoters of HIV prevention clinical trials and participants in resource poor communities in Africa. The trialing of New HIV Prevention Technologies in Africa should have in-built psychological contract transparency to reduce the risk of participant exposure to HIV infection in clinical trials.