An Epistolary Conversation

This written exchange is between a senior and a younger Jungian analyst on issues relevant to the development of analytical psychology throughout the world today. The younger analyst, Stefano Carpani, considers himself a neo-Jungian. He explains to John Beebe, known for post-Jungian contributions to the study of typology, integrity, and gender, how important it is to include sociological perspectives alongside those that stem from the Jungian practice of relational psychoanalysis. The degree to which analysis has become an extended meditation on the relation of individual self-exploration to supra-personal Self-realization is emphasized by both authors, who envision this introspection leading to an expanded inner openness that Carpani has called “absolute freedom.” The authors conclude that absolute freedom is a space of engaged reflection that can permit an informed but individualized approach to the complexities of the world soul today.     

Regression II. Development through regression

As shown in our previous paper (‘Regression I. Experimental approaches to regression’, JAP, 65, 2, 345-65), the common mechanism of regression can be described as reversible dedifferentiation, which is understood as a relative increase of the proportion of low-differentiated (older) systems in actualized experience. Experimental data show that regression following disease (chronic tension headache) is followed by adaptation and an increase in system differentiation in that experience domain which contains systems responsible for that adaptation. The results of mathematical modelling support the idea that reversible dedifferentiation can be one of the mechanisms for increasing the effectiveness of adaptation through learning. Reversible dedifferentiation, which is phenomenologically described as regression, is a general mechanism for restructuring the organism-environment interactions in situations where behaviours that were effective in the past become ineffective. Reversible dedifferentiation has evolved as a component of adaptation when new behaviours are formed and large-scale modifications in the existing behaviours are required in the face of changes in the external and/or internal environment. Thus, the authors believe that this article provides evidence for Jung’s view that regression is not only a ‘return’ to past forms of thinking, affects and behaviour, but that regressive processes provide a significant impetus for psychological growth and development.     

Personal values and unsanctioned aggression inherent in contact sports: The role of self-regulatory mechanisms,aggressiveness, and demographic variables

IntroductionTo date, research-examining factors related to the sociocognitive self-regulatory mechanisms governing unsanctioned aggression have received scant attention in applied sport psychology.ObjectiveA mediating model as influenced by various demographic variables was applied to explore the relationships between athletes’ personal values and their unsanctioned aggression directly and indirectly through the mediating role of resistive self-regulatory efficacy, moral disengagement, and aggressiveness.MethodA sample of 301 French competitors of different age (young: n = 200 and adult: n = 101), gender (male: n = 172 and female: n = 129), type of sport (high: n = 131 and low contact: n = 170), level of competition (beginner: n = 115, intermediate: n = 110, and advanced: n = 76), and length of practice (brief: n = 109, intermediate: n = 49, and extensive: n = 143) completed a questionnaire assessing the aforementioned variables.ResultsStructural equation modelling demonstrates that self-transcendence and self-enhancement values have only indirect negative and positive effects, respectively, on unsanctioned aggression through the full mediating effect of the mediators. Also, age, gender, and type of sport were predictive only of some personal values and mediators.ConclusionThese findings offer evidence that resistive self-regulatory efficacy, moral disengagement, and aggressiveness are mediators that fully govern the impact of athletes’ personal values and certain demographic variables on their unsanctioned aggression. Several limitations, implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.     

La version française du dictionnaire pour le LIWC : modalités de construction et exemples d’utilisation

LIWC is, originally, a text analysis program that counts words of English texts in psychologically meaningful categories. It provides an analysis (in percentage) for 80 dimensions of language (functional words, topics, punctuation). The goal of this methodological note is to present the French LIWC. This version respects the structure of the categories of the English version of the software and gives explanations about the user guide such the preparation of the to be analyzed texts. Then, we explain the decisions for translating the English dictionary into French. We emphasize the constraints imposed by the morphology of written French language and the difficulties encountered (elision of the article, elision of negation and of verbs’ tense). Presenting the translation problems allows understanding the modalities of construction of the dictionary and allows for a LIWC user to build a personalized dictionary in order to analyze contents more suited to the research needs. A qualitative comparison of dimensions obtained with both the French and English versions for 66 bilingual texts of various types and contents provides satisfactory results. A statistical comparison of 119 expressive writings produced by students from three university courses (Humanities, Sciences and Psychology) about a given event (success or failure to an exam) shows the validity of the French version for identifying the expressed contents. Thus, this tool should be efficient for undertaking research in different fields of psychology (health, work and education) concerning oral and written language produced in different contexts.     

Les foyers de protection judiciaire de la jeunesse et la prise en charge des jeunes auteurs de délit : représentations sociales et réflexions autour de groupes d’adolescents et d’éducateurs

The educators’ work in juvenile justice residential communities and their capacity of affective attunement to the adolescent's needs is essential for the creation of a protective and enriching context for the adolescent and his life trajectories. This article aims to explore the social representations of educators and young people in residential communities in Italy, through the analysis of their discourses gathered during focus groups. Our results reveal the need to compare these representations and work to narrow the gap between the caregivers and the users, in order to improve the relationship between the different protagonists of the interaction and, consequently, the possibilities of good success of interventions.     

Les troubles des comportements alimentaires chez des étudiants de première année : une étude prospective multigroupes

There is increasing use of the phrase “campus eating symptoms” to describe regular binge eating (together with frequent exercise, and occasional reliance on vomiting or laxatives), concerns about body image, depressive symptoms, stress, and university adjustment problems among students. Incidence of eating disorders in the early grades of university is increasing, and the period from age 17–19 years (peak of bulimia) which corresponds to the beginning of study at university is critical. Given the stressful environment that is the 1st academic year, it is useful to consider eating disorders risk factors.

Method

Our study is longitudinal. At the beginning, the participants consisted of 1110 freshmen. Data regarding adjustment to university, gender, body image, BMI, transactional variables (perceived stress and coping) and eating disorders (EAT-26) were collected. At T2 (end of academic year), 556 students were recruited to reassess their eating behaviours. The aim of the study was to test gender invariance of a theoretical eating disorders model including all these variables and eating disorders measured a year apart from a mixed population integrating the university for the first times. This model assumes that these variables exert direct effects on eating disorders as measured in time one who in turn will affect the stability of these troubles a year later. Although very little research include boys in the study of eating disorders, the results of our multi-group analysis support the idea of the existence of sex differences in eating disorder predictors: the only common predictor of eating disorders among girls and boys was the use emotion-focused coping. Among boys, the best predictors of eating disorders were problem-focused coping, and seeking social support. Among girls, our results revealed that body mass index, body image, and academic adjustment and stress were the predictors of eating disorders. Finally, we found a temporal stability of eating disorders. This study showed that personal and contextual aspects have a direct impact on students’ eating behaviour. However, among boys, neither body image nor perceived stress affect the eating behaviour but how they cope with stress. The gender gap in the explanation of eating disorders suggest to not exclude the male population in this type of study and to treat the data separately.     

Expérience de pré-deuil à l’approche du décès de son conjoint : une analyse phénoménologique interprétative

This article aims at scientifically investigating the anticipatory grief/mourning phenomenon, which is referred to the psychic processes before the death of a loved one, using the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The IPA is grounded on a phenomenological hermeneutic: the indepth study of the meaning-process of a subjective experience by a person. This analysis is applied to the case of a woman caring for her spouse suffering from a cancer, in end-of-life. The findings give an insight of the psychological functioning of a person facing the impending death of a relative, and offer reflection-tools concerning prevention of psychic distress in the bereavement field.     

Malchish‐Kibalchish: cultural factors in a clinical case

In this paper, a Jungian understanding of cultural factors influencing individual analysis is illustrated with the case of a patient suffering from panic attacks. The analysis revealed that, in addition to the patient's personal background, the collectivistic attitudes of the Soviet culture, which had a moulding effect on the patient in his childhood and obstructed his individuation, should be taken into account. The concepts of the totalitarian object and the Russian cultural complex encompassing a grandiosity pole and an inferiority pole are used to explore the patient's condition, and the crucial role of creating mutual language with the patient is outlined.     

Analyse et comparaison de discours de patients douloureux chroniques durant une thérapie de soutien par opposition à l’utilisation de la thérapie Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

IntroductionThe use of EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing – being innovative in the area of chronic pain. If his efficiency as show in the specific litterature, the way its work it is really different than usual therapy.ObjectiveThe main objective of this work is to compare the speech of patients during the use of EMDR vs. supportive therapy in a supported unit of chronic pain to the hospital.MethodsForty-five patients divided into three groups received EMDR therapy (standard protocol), EMDR therapy (pain protocol) as well as supportive therapy. All interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the software Alceste.ResultsThe results show that the semantic classes differ between the three forms of therapy, as well as passive or active posture of the patient during the therapy.ConclusionThese results give us an additional insights into what happens in fine in different types of therapy.     

The assessment of autistic traits with the Autism Spectrum Quotient: Contribution of the French version to its construct validity

IntroductionThe Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (AQ, Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) is a self-report assessment tool aiming at screening autistic traits in normal intelligence adults. While numerous versions in other languages than English now exist, few factorial evidence do sustain the valid use of this instrument as it was conceived, based upon five distinct dimensions (Social skills, Communication, Attention to detail, Attention switching, Imagination); no such study exists with a French version of the AQ. The aim of our study is therefore to present the French version of the scale and to explore its factorial validity with confirmatory factorial analyses and, possibly, its invariance across men and women.MethodSeveral confirmatory factorial analyses, with the robust WLSMV estimator for categorical response format, were run on the questionnaire data from 788 French-speaking students (17–25 years old) at university faculties or schools for higher education in Belgium. The original five-factor measurement model of the AQ was assessed as well as alternative models. An exploratory factorial analysis was also applied to get more insight as to possible sources of misfit.ResultsNo measurement model – neither the original five-factor one nor any of the six other models tested – did produce statistics or fit indices close to significant values: there was no fit to the data. The internal consistency of the subscales was weak; the exploratory factorial analysis further confirmed that as much as ten factors were needed to explain 45% of the data variance.ConclusionOur results, with a French version of the scale, add to many other ones which suggest that the AQ is a too heterogeneous questionnaire with somewhat ill-defined dimensions and non specific/ambiguous items. The questionnaire should probably be shortened and its content realigned to core features of the autism spectrum.