Brightness contrast effects in a pupillometric experiment

The effect of depth displacement of test bars from the induction wedge of the Ponzo illusion was investigated in two experiments. Either two wedges of opposite orientation were presented simultaneously, one at a near and the other at a far distance, or only one wedge was presented at either the near or the far distance. The test bars were stereoscopically either in the plane of the wedge or displaced from the wedge in distance. When the two wedges were presented simultaneously, the direction of the Ponzo illusion was determined by the wedge at the same perceived distance as the test bars. When only one wedge was present, stereoscopic displacement of the bars in front of, but not behind, the wedge decreased the magnitude of the illusion. The results are interpreted in terms of the adjacency principle.

     

Spiritual Dryness and Celibacy in Catholic Priests – Discernment of Ongoing Spiritual Journeys from Relational and Psychosexual Immaturities

Pastoral Psychology - The celibacy of Roman Catholic priests, in contrast to a single lifestyle, implies an existential choice for spiritual reasons as a conscious motivation. Nevertheless, several...     

Rupillary response/semantic differential scale relationships

Subjects of both sexes were shown a series of pictures consisting of three affective themes: Benign, Disease, and Nudes. Both the pupillary response and the two relevant dimensions yielded by the semantic differential scale (SDS), attention-interest (AI) and pleasantness-evaluation (PE), were significantly different to the three themes. Across themes, the pupil was most closely related to PE. Within themes there was a significant correspondence between pupil and the SDS indexes only to the Disease theme. The evidence supports the following conclusions: men and women respond similarly to sexually evocative materials, psychopupillary constriction can be reliably induced, and both the pupil and SDS indexes can serve to discriminate between affective themes.     

Coping Mechanisms for Psychosomatic Symptoms among Aging Roman Catholic German priests

To identify and investigate coping mechanisms and other factors which may impact upon the psychosomatic symptoms of aging German Roman Catholic priests. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 499 aging German Roman Catholic priests with standardized questionnaires: Brief Symptom Inventory, Coping Inventory Stressful Situations, and Religious Coping Scale. Task-Oriented Coping exhibited a significant difference between the two groups. Multiple regression analyses indicated that psychosomatic symptoms could be best predicted by means of Task-Oriented Coping mechanisms, identification with priesthood, and by a low Negative Religious Coping. The success of adaptive coping processes for older clergy may depend on how they employ strategies, strengthen their spiritual dimensions, and manage important psychosocial aspects of aging. In our sample, Depression and Somatization are explained best by Emotion-Oriented Coping. It is desirable for aging priests to be aware of protective factors like Role Identification, Task-Oriented Coping, and low Negative Religious Coping, which may be helpful in improving their psychological well-being.     

Exploring teacher popularity: associations with teacher characteristics and student outcomes in primary school

In this study, we investigated conditions and consequences of teacher popularity in primary schools. Teacher popularity is embedded in a theoretical framework that describes relationships between teacher competence, teaching quality, and student outcomes. In the empirical analyses, we used multilevel modeling to distinguish between individual students’ liking of the teacher and a teacher’s popularity as rated by the whole class (N?=?1070 students, 54 teachers). The classroom level composite of the extent to which students liked their teacher was a reliable indicator of teacher popularity. Teacher popularity was associated with teacher self-reports of self-efficacy and teaching enthusiasm and with external observers’ ratings of teaching quality. The grades students received were not related to the popularity ratings. In a longitudinal study, teacher popularity predicted students’ learning gains and interest development over and above the effects of teaching quality. These results suggest that teacher popularity can be a useful and informative indicator in research on students’ academic development and teacher effectiveness.     

Religiosität und Spiritualität in der Psychotherapie

For many years religious and spiritual issues have been avoided in psychotherapy. In the face of social changes a more culturally sensitive psychotherapy is needed to professionally deal with religious backgrounds, spiritual needs and spiritual resources. A remarkable spiritual turn has recently been observed particularly in psychoanalysis, which was originally very antireligious. Health research studies are exploring the healing craft of religious virtues and values. It is important to discern between an empirically proven healing method and an ideologically founded promise of salvation. It is the task of the therapist to find out whether the patient's religiosity or spirituality is part of the problem or part of the solution.     

Reporting spiritual needs of older adults living in Bavarian residential and nursing homes

We intended to study unaddressed psychosocial and spiritual needs among older people (of at least 65 years of age) living in nine residential/nursing homes in Bavaria in Southern Germany. We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional study with standardised questionnaires (i.e., Spiritual Needs Questionnaire, Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale, Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation, etc.). Religious needs were predicted best by residents’ religious trust. Existential needs and inner peace needs correlated moderately with grief, and were predicted best by family/social support needs. All members of an interdisciplinary team should be trained in the specific competence of recognising older people's unmet spiritual needs. When these needs are recognised, caregivers and relatives have the chance to react.     

Reactions and Strategies of German Catholic Priests to Cope with Phases of Spiritual Dryness

Journal of Religion and Health - We investigated strategies of 763 Catholic priests (response rate 36%) to deal with phases of spiritual dryness, specifically their reactions toward these feelings,...     

Anerkennung als interaktionelles Moment der Psychoanalyse*

Nachdem in einem früheren Artikel (Daser 2003) die Theorie der Anerkennung ausführlicher entwickelt wurde, soll in dieser Arbeit dem Anerkennungsphänomen an praktisch-therapeutischen Beispielen nachgegangen werden. Zunächst wird Anerkennung als eine wertzuschreibende Handlung vorgestellt, die in Abhängigkeit vom Kontext das Selbstwertgefühl des Patienten stärkt und seine Beziehungsangst mindert, sodass er seine Abwehr reduzieren und sich dem analytischen Prozess zuwenden kann. Dabei erscheint Anerkennung einerseits als Wirkung der analytischen Methode, andererseits kann sie sich aber auch mit Interventionen verbinden, die dieser Methode zu widersprechen scheinen. Diese Interventionen erhalten damit eine die Selbsterfahrung des Patienten und damit den analytischen Prozess fördernde Wirkung. Dies wird an mehreren Beispielen ausgeführt. Darüber hinaus wird die Bedeutung der Anerkennung für Empathie hervorgehoben und am Fall eines sich zwischen Analytiker und Patient entfaltenden Spiels Anerkennung als ein Element herausgearbeitet, das den Übergang von einer Reinszenierung zu einer Neuinszenierung ermöglicht. Schließlich wird Anerkennung mit den Konzepten von Stern (et al. 2002) sowie von Weiss und Sampson (1986) in Beziehung gesetzt. Dabei zeigt sich Anerkennung als ein Element des Etwas-Mehr, das die analytische Therapie nach Stern* über die Deutung hinaus benötigt. Dabei ist Anerkennung aber nicht nur ein Adjuvans, das der emotionalen Wegbereitung der Deutung dient. Vielmehr ist existenzielle Anerkennung, um die es hier im Unterschied zum pädagogisch gemeinten Lob geht, Ergebnis einer triangulierenden Bewegung und damit der Deutung prozessual korreliert. Anerkennung und Deutung erscheinen so als sich wechselseitig ergänzende Momente eines Selbsterfahrungsprozesses, in dem Einsichts- und Beziehungsbildung nicht zu trennen sind.