A theory of behavior interaction in dyads: A structuralist account

A theory from the behavioral and social sciences is presented from the structuralist point of view. A more comprehensive theory-net is outlined, some basic terms and core assumptions are formulated, and an expansion of the theory towards two intended applications is given. Finally, some results of a first empirical test of the theory are reported. The aim of the paper is to show that the structuralist account of scientific theories is not confined to mathematical theories from the natural sciences, but can also be applied to relatively informal constructions of the behavioral and social sciences.     

Psychotherapie von Suchterkrankungen

Zusammenfassung Im ersten Teil dieser übersicht wurden m?gliche Bedenken hinsichtlich der Psychotherapie Suchtkranker diskutiert. Der Weg von der Diagnostik zur Motivationstherapie wurde beschrieben. In diesem zweiten Teil werden zun?chst einige ausgew?hlte Beitr?ge verschiedener Psychotherapierichtungen zur Suchtkrankenbehandlung vorgestellt. Es wird deutlich, dass die deskriptive Diagnostik zur Interventionsplanung um eine weitergehende „Feindiagnostik” erg?nzt werden muss, die von dem gew?hlten psychotherapeutischen Ansatz abh?ngt, da es eine einheitliche Suchtpers?nlichkeit nicht gibt. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden – nach einer einführenden übersicht – die psychoanalytisch-tiefenpsychologischen Konzepte und Therapiemodelle für Suchtkranke sowie die kognitiv-verhaltenstherapeutischen Ans?tze unter Berücksichtigung spezifischer Rückfallpr?ventionstrainings vorgestellt. Abschlie?end wird auf allgemeine und spezifische Wirkfaktoren und empirische Wirksamkeitsnachweise der Psychotherapie von Suchterkrankungen eingegangen.      

Zur Problematik der Suchtgefährdung von berufstätigen Medizinern

Two samples of working physicians have been compared in a cross-sectional study – one representative sample of addicted physicians with a substance abuse problem (n=142) and one representative sample (n=275) of physicians in general; the objective was to develop preventive strategies. As a measuring instrument a specific questionnaire on quality of life of physicians (Reimer and Jurkat) has been used. Generally, quality of life is lower in the substance abuse sample in comparison to the control group. It can be concluded that the variables concerning the areas life satisfaction/-dissatisfaction and health differentiate even more between the groups than the areas work satisfaction/-dissatisfaction and choice of occupation. Whereas quality of life of female physicians was on the average somewhat higher than that of their male colleagues in the control group, this could not be confirmed in the sample of impaired physicians. Especially the ability to relax seems to be essential as a preventive measure, and apparently it is of high importance for working physicians to care for an adequate and satisfying private life to balance their stressful working life.     

Mindeststandards forensischer Nachsorge

In 2007 forensic aftercare was integrated into the German Penal Code as part of legal supervision. Since then a large and growing number of patients have been supervised by forensic psychiatric aftercare units throughout Germany. Forensic psychiatric aftercare appears to be very successful as measured by the relapse rates in delinquency. Nevertheless, only very little has been considered about which standards have contributed to and are indispensable for this success. This article presents the quality criteria which are the basis for a successful aftercare and outlines the minimum standards for the equipment and therapeutic approach and in combination with this forms the framework for an appropriate reporting system.     

Features of the Expert-System-Shell SPIRIT

The inference process in a probabilistic and conditional environmentunder minimum relative entropy, permits the acquisition of basicknowledge, the consideration of - even uncertain - ad hoc knowledge,and the response to queries. Even if these procedures are wellknown in the relevant literature their realisation for large-scaleapplications needs a sophisticated tool, allowing the communicationwith the user as well as all relevant logical transformationsand numerical calculations. SPIRIT is an Expert-System-Shellfor these purposes. Even for hundreds of – consistent– facts about the involved variables’ dependenciesthe shell automatically generates the corresponding epistemicstate, thus permitting the derivation of conclusions from theacquired knowledge. These conclusions’ reliability orprecision can be checked, inviting the user to enrich the knowledgeby further facts, if desired. Any inconsistencies among providedfacts are detected, and their elimination will be supportedby the shell. Knowledge acquisition can come from provided factsby a knowledge engineer as well as from real world data; inductivelearning supports the use of such data. An important capabilityof the shell is the calculation of impacts upon ideas or conceptsfrom a given stimulus. This paper is a brief survey of theoreticalconcepts and the corresponding features of the system, whichare accompanied by illustrative examples.     

Psy-BaDo

Ohne Zusammenfassung