Why is support for Jamesian actual–ideal discrepancy model so elusive? A latent-variable approach

We investigate the Actual–Ideal Discrepancy (AID) model of self-esteem determination dating back to James (1890/1963). Although intuitively appealing, this model received weak support from rigorous empirical research. We propose a multiple-item latent difference approach to AID as applied to a range of self-concept domains and sub-domains in young adolescents from two different countries (UK: N = 402; Italy: N = 250). The effects of the AID remained elusive for most domains and sub-domains; indeed, the effects of the specific AIDs were generally trivial and only appearance-AID became significant in the combined sample. Also AIDs did not substantially explain the more general self-concepts beyond what was explained by the actual domains. Even if they had been significant, AID effects would have been, at best, trivially small and detectable only using appropriate latent-variable methodologies coupled with large sample sizes; thus undermining the psychological meaning of the AID model.     

Ideological analytics: A study of evolving world values

This study analyses ideologies in a comparative perspective. It does so by treating ideologies as normative mental systems interacting with environmental physical realities and following their evolution in the contemporary world. As a result, it exemplifies a systematic method of undertaking a diagnosis, anagnosis, and prognosis of the global ideological situation.

The study introduces a relevance tree reflecting the conceptual framework of ideological analytics. On this basis, it presents three levels of generality which contain the outline of a substantive analysis. The examples given therein illustrate the model and could serve as prototypes for more detailed studies.

Finally, the study draws the main conclusions from the above generalizations by identifying the dialectical process of ideological dynamics. This process together with the non‐linear development of social systems produce the macrohistorical cycles of world evolution. Thus, the proposed hypothesis of dialectichaos can contribute to a better understanding oïideosocial change.     

Mourning the Loss of the Idealized Self: A Transsexual Passage

Abstract

The few published psychoanalytic writings that exist regarding transsexual men and women tend to focus on the etiology of their gender identities and almost invariably define these patients as inherently pathological. Such myopic viewpoints leave no room for analysis and discussion of the transsexual patient's normal developmental process. In this paper, I use a Kleinian framework to depathologize the coping strategies employed by transsexual patients and to illustrate the importance of mourning in the development of a positive transsexual identity. A clinician who is able to sit comfortably with contradiction may facilitate the transsexual patient's mourning process—saying goodbye to the persecutory object of the past and letting go of the idealized image of the future.     

青少年理想自我表征的丰富性及其调节作用研究

本文尝试对青少年理想自我表征丰富性进行量化研究,并着重从压力缓冲和人际交往角度探讨了理想自我表征丰富性对个体心理健康的调节作用,以及理想自我表征丰富性与弹性的关系.研究结果表明,青少年理想自我表征丰富性不存在年龄差异,而在性别上存在差异,且这种差异主要存在于初中男女生之间;丰富的理想自我表征有利于缓冲青少年对压力的负性体验,并在一定程度上影响他们在同学中的人缘.此外,理想自我表征丰富性对心理健康的调节主要通过弹性中介发挥作用,预示着理想自我表征丰富性可能是青少年弹性的重要构成成分.     

项目特征曲线等值的抽样误差

现在,等值越来越受到各考试测验机构及测量学研究人员的重视,特别是项目反应理论等值的优越性更使他们有了信心。然而,很多人却没有注意到被试能力分布形态可能给等值结果带来的影响效果及程度。本研究以项目反应理论两级记分模型的项目参数等值在不同被试能力分布形态下的结果差异作为重点,探讨被试抽样偏差可能给项目特征曲线等值带来的误差问题。研究结果表明,被试能力分布形态会显著地影响项目参数等值的系数,特别地,能力分布的偏态系数与等值方程的截距存在显著的线性相关关系,但能力分布形态的变化对等值方程中斜率的影响并不明显