Is separation anxiety in adolescents and parents related to parental differentiation of self?

The current study examined the relationship between separation anxiety in adolescents after their transition to middle school, on the one hand, and differentiation of self and separation anxiety in their parents, on the other hand. The sample included 88 adolescents from northern Israel, together with their biological parents. Adolescents' separation anxiety was found to be negatively associated with maternal I-position (IP). In terms of gender differences, mothers' levels of emotional reactivity and fusion with others were higher than fathers', while fathers' levels of IP and emotional cut-off were higher than mothers'. Furthermore, parents' levels of differentiation of self were negatively correlated with their own levels of separation anxiety. The study found an absence of gender differences in separation anxiety, both for parents and adolescents. Also, parents' separation anxiety was not related to adolescents' separation anxiety. The results indicate that differentiation of self among mothers is a significant characteristic in understanding adolescents' separation anxiety. On a practical level, this study has the potential to increase the awareness of teachers, school counsellors and psychologists of those familial sources that promote and increase adolescents' separation anxiety.     

On Okin's critique of libertarianism

Susan Moller Okin's critique of libertarianism in Justice, Gender, and the Family has received only slight attention in the libertarian literature. I find this neglect of Okin's argument surprising: The argument is straightforward and, if sound, it establishes a devastating conflict between the core libertarian notions of self-ownership and the acquisition of property through labour. In this paper, I first present a reconstruction of Okin's argument. In brief, she points out that mothers make children through their labour; thus it would seem that mothers own their (adult) children; but this implies that the children are not self-owners. I then examine the two most common objections to this argument in the literature: mothers do not make children, and acquisition by labour includes an exception for persons. I give several replies to each objection, including an extension of Okin's argument that I call Okin's dilemma. This dilemma argues that the libertarian can avoid Okin's conclusion only by requiring an involuntary property transfer. And this alternative, it seems, is just as unacceptable for many libertarians. I close with some speculation about the further implications of Okin's dilemma for libertarianism.     

Anna Freud and the Holocaust: Mourning and survival guilt

This article explores the period of Anna Freud's life after she was informed of the deaths of her aunts in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Understanding of this period may be enhanced by consideration of the role of the Holocaust in her complicated mourning process. A series of her dreams is re‐examined from the point of view of survivor guilt and the complicated mourning of her father in the context of the Holocaust. It is argued that unconscious reproaches against her father led to an identification with him that included his ‘decision’ to leave his sisters in Vienna. Survivor guilt in relation to her aunts’ murders is seen as one of the complicating factors in the mourning process. In addition the article discusses the possible role of this period, particularly her work with child concentration camp survivors, in her post‐war writing. The noted duality in her work between innovation and conservatism is explored in terms of an outcome of the mourning process of this period. It is argued that her views on mourning, trauma, attachment, and the widening scope of indications for psychoanalysis were influenced by the outcome of her mourning process. Finally, an irony is noted in the fact that her attitude about altruism never changed despite the role of the altruism of others in her rescue from the Nazis.     

Effects of Early Maternal Separation on Subsequent Reproductive and Behavioral Outcomes in Male Rats

To investigate effects of maternal separation on reproductive and behavioral outcomes, male Wistar rats were separated from their mothers daily for 3 hr (maternal separation; MS) or 0 hr (control) from postnatal day (PND) 1 to 14. Timing of puberty, reproductive parameters, hormone levels, and aggressive behaviors in juvenile and adult rats were examined. Contrary to expectations, there was no effect of maternal separation on any measure of aggression. However, maternal separation altered peripubertal testosterone secretion and increased mean day of preputial separation. In addition, adult MS males demonstrated less total sexual behavior. There was no difference in sperm counts or testosterone levels at necropsy on PND 56 or in adulthood, but seminal vesicle weights were increased in adult MS rats. These results suggest that early life stress may influence hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis development in males, at least during peripuberty.     

Predicting Behavioral Career Commitment of College Students With Attachment and Separation Relationships

This study compares the behavioral and attitudinal career commitment of college students, then examines the influences of parental attachment and separation on career commitment. Undergraduates (N = 195) from 3 academic programs were surveyed: a combined degree program that accepts students simultaneously into bachelor's and medical programs, premedical curriculum alone, and general university enrollment. Behavioral career commitment (enrollment in one of the aforementioned programs) correlated with attitudinal commitment for the combined degree and general enrollment groups. Greater attachment to father and less separation from parents were associated with lower career commitment for men. Attachment and separation did not predict career commitment for women.     

Assessing Omitted Confounder Bias in Multilevel Mediation Models

To draw valid inference about an indirect effect in a mediation model, there must be no omitted confounders. No omitted confounders means that there are no common causes of hypothesized causal relationships. When the no-omitted-confounder assumption is violated, inference about indirect effects can be severely biased and the results potentially misleading. Despite the increasing attention to address confounder bias in single-level mediation, this topic has received little attention in the growing area of multilevel mediation analysis. A formidable challenge is that the no-omitted-confounder assumption is untestable. To address this challenge, we first analytically examined the biasing effects of potential violations of this critical assumption in a two-level mediation model with random intercepts and slopes, in which all the variables are measured at Level 1. Our analytic results show that omitting a Level 1 confounder can yield misleading results about key quantities of interest, such as Level 1 and Level 2 indirect effects. Second, we proposed a sensitivity analysis technique to assess the extent to which potential violation of the no-omitted-confounder assumption might invalidate or alter the conclusions about the indirect effects observed. We illustrated the methods using an empirical study and provided computer code so that researchers can implement the methods discussed.     

Parents en résidence alternée et relation coparentale : le rôle de la relation d’attachement entre les ex-partenaires et des variables liées au contexte de la séparation conjugale

A context–process–outcomes model was proposed to examined the effect of a variety of factors associated with divorce on post-divorce coparental relationship in a sample of joint physical custody parents with children aged between 4 years and 12 years old (50–50) (n = 38). Parents completed questionnaires evaluating quality of coparental relationship. This variable is analyzed through 2 indicators: the parenting alliance and the hostility. The results revealed that attachment between former spouses and the kind of legal decision emerged as significant predictors of coparental relationship. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, higher level of preoccupation was found to predict more supportive parental alliance. Implications for research and intervention are discussed.     

学步期焦虑影响5岁幼儿创造力：一般认知和掌握动机的链式中介作用

儿童早期焦虑是一种常见的心理卫生问题, 影响个体中央执行功能的发展, 而个体中央执行功能所表现的认知能力的发展通常反映出个体创造性问题解决的过程。本研究采用追踪研究设计, 探讨了学步期儿童焦虑对其学龄前期创造力的长时影响及其潜在作用机制。来自北京的96个家庭(男孩42名, 女孩54名)参与了本研究。在儿童1岁和2岁时, 母亲填写中国版《12~36月龄幼儿情绪社会性评估量表》和家庭基本信息调查表。在儿童2岁时, 采用贝利婴幼儿发展量表评估幼儿的一般认知能力; 在儿童3岁时, 母亲报告儿童掌握动机情况; 在儿童5岁时, 采用托兰斯活动与动作创造性思维测验评估儿童的创造力。研究结果表明：(1)儿童学步期焦虑(广泛性焦虑和分离焦虑)可以显著负向预测其5岁时的创造力; (2)一般认知能力和掌握动机在儿童学步期焦虑(广泛性焦虑和分离焦虑)和学前期创造力之间的链式中介作用成立; (3)儿童学步期广泛性焦虑还可以通过直接负向预测掌握动机, 从而对其5岁创造力的表现产生消极影响。     

歧视知觉与农村留守青少年的孤独感:亲子分离年龄和分离时长的作用

以1177名农村留守青少年为被试（包括394名双亲外出青少年和783名父亲外出青少年）,考察其歧视知觉和孤独感之间的关系,并检验亲子分离年龄和分离时长在其中的调节作用。结果发现：（1）双亲外出青少年的歧视知觉水平显著高于父亲外出青少年,留守男生的孤独感显著高于女生;（2）歧视知觉能够显著正向预测留守青少年的孤独感,且对双亲外出青少年孤独感的预测作用强于父亲外出青少年;（3）与亲子分离年龄较大相比,在亲子分离年龄较小的情况下,歧视知觉对双亲外出青少年孤独感的预测作用更强;与亲子分离时间较长的青少年相比,在亲子分离时间较短的情况下,歧视知觉对两类留守青少年孤独感的预测作用更高;（4）亲子分离时长对歧视知觉与父亲外出青少年孤独感之间关系的调节作用因亲子分离年龄不同而有所差异。     

第二类有中介的调节模型

心理学研究常用有中介的调节模型揭示调节作用通过中介变量间接实现的现象。介绍了第二类有中介的调节模型(meMO-II)的概念及优势; 将meMO-II与其它中介调节混合模型进行了辨析; 给出了meMO-II的建模方法和分析流程, 并用一个实例演示; 介绍了基于潜变量的meMO-II的分析方法、meMO-II建模方法的新进展以及meMO-II的变式。研究有助于推动调节机制研究的发展。