An Exploration of the Relationship Between Culture and Resilience Capacity in Trauma Survivors

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 475-489
Author(s):  
Ping Zheng ◽  
Matt J. Gray ◽  
Wen-Jie Duan ◽  
Samuel M. Y. Ho ◽  
Mian Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mainland China ◽  
Trauma Survivors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Dialectical Thinking ◽  
Cultural Variables ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Resilience Capacity

Resilience capacity has been found to be associated with individuals’ flexibility and adaptability when dealing with adversity-related stress. Previous research suggested that resilience capacity may play an important role in moderating the relationships between exposure to traumatic events and severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and cultural factors may be associated with that process. However, adequate research of the mechanisms on how culture may relate to the relationship between resilience and PTSD is still lacking. The present study attempted to explore potential mediators associated with the relationship between culture and resilience capacity among trauma survivors and focused on the potential mediating associations of cultural variables (independent/interdependent self-construal, dialectical thinking, and familism). Levels of culture-related variables among three cultural regions (America, Hong Kong, and Mainland China) were assessed and analyzed. The results of a bootstrapping analysis indicated that independent self-construal and dialectical thinking each significantly mediated the relationship between culture and resilience capacity. Cultural and clinical implications of these findings and suggestions for future research were explored.

Cultural Variations in Resilience Capacity and Posttraumatic Stress: A Tri-Cultural Comparison

2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 273-295
Author(s):  
Ping Zheng ◽  
Matt J. Gray ◽  
Wen-Jie Duan ◽  
Samuel M. Y. Ho ◽  
Mian Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Psychological Trauma ◽  
Trauma Survivors ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
Resilience Scale ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Resilience Capacity

Resilience capacity has been associated with individuals’ flexibility and adaptability in responding to potential trauma. Culture-related appraisals influence not only interpretations of etiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and perception of severity of PTSD symptoms but also flexible coping strategies. However, adequate research of the mechanisms on how culture may affect the relationship between resilience and PTSD does not yet exist. The present study focused on whether and how culture (America, Hong Kong, and Mainland China) moderated the relationship between resilience capacity and severity of posttraumatic distress. Data were collected at three research sites (America, Hong Kong, and Mainland China) where 558 trauma survivors were recruited. Measures included the Life Events Checklist ( LEC-5), the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 ( PCL-5), and the Revised Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale ( CD-RISC-R). The results of one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that American participants were more resilient than the participants in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The results of multiple regression indicated that frequency of exposure to trauma was a weaker predictor of severity of PTSD symptoms at high versus low levels of resilience capacity. The results also indicated a weaker moderating effect of Hong Kong versus American culture on the relation between resilience capacity and PTSD. This pilot study highlighted East–West cultural differences in the baselines of resilience capacity and posttraumatic stress and may motivate clinicians and researchers to reevaluate Western diagnostic criteria to psychological trauma conceptualization and treatment for non-Western populations.

Cultural differences in gift recipients’ attitude and behavior toward disliked gifts

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Theeranuch Pusaksrikit ◽  
Sydney Chinchanachokchai
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relationship Closeness ◽  
Marketing Segmentation ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
The Usa ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of cultural differences and the types of relationship closeness involved in recipients’ emotional and behavioral reactions after receiving disliked gifts. Design/methodology/approach Collecting data from Thailand and the USA, two experiments were conducted in a 2 (self-construal: independent/interdependent) × 2 (relationship closeness: close/distant) between-subjects design. Study 1 explores the recipients’ feelings and reactions upon receipt of a disliked gift. Study 2 explores the disposition process for a disliked gift. Findings The results show that a recipient’s emotions, reaction and disposition process can be affected by cultural differences and relationship closeness: specifically that close and distant relationships moderate the relationship between self-construal and gift-receiving attitudes and behaviors. Research limitations/implications Future research can investigate representative groups from other countries to broaden the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications This understanding can guide gift-givers when selecting gifts for close or distant recipients across cultures. Additionally, it can help retailers develop and introduce new marketing strategies by applying self-construal as a marketing segmentation tool for gift purchase and disposition. Originality/value This research is among the first studies to offer insights into how individuals in different cultures manage disliked gifts they receive from people in either close or distant relationships.

scholarly journals The New Ecological Paradigm, Pro-Environmental Behaviour, and the Moderating Effects of Locus of Control and Self-Construal

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7728
Author(s):  
Lukasz Andrzej Derdowski ◽  
Åsa Helen Grahn ◽  
Håvard Hansen ◽  
Heidi Skeiseid
Keyword(s):  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Future Research ◽  
New Ecological Paradigm ◽  
Environmental Behaviour ◽  
Internal Locus Of Control ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Ecological Paradigm ◽  
Purchasing Behaviour ◽  
The Relationship

Acquiring a better understanding of what drives pro-environmental and sustainable behaviour is important for both researchers and practitioners alike. The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating role of locus of control and self-construal on the relationship between pro-environmental beliefs and pro-environmental consumer behaviour. We explicitly model the endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) as a predictor of three specific types of environmental behaviour—travel, purchasing and day to day activities. The results show a positive and significant association between the endorsement of NEP and a person’s pro-environmental traveling behaviour, purchasing behaviour and day to day activities. Moreover, we find that the effects are moderated by a person’s locus of control, specifically, it remains positive and significant only for people with an internal locus of control. However, we found no moderating effect of a person’s self-construal on the association between NEP and pro-environmental behaviour. The findings are important in the continuing work to understand what is limiting consumers to behave according to their beliefs. Practical and theoretical implications of the results as well as suggestions for future research are presented.

Self-Complexity and Perceived Self-Aspect Control in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-65
Author(s):  
Kerrie Channer ◽  
Laura Jobson
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Trauma Survivors ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder often brings about profound, lasting, structural changes to one's sense of self. Aims: This study investigated self-complexity and self-aspect control in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method: Trauma survivors with (n = 103) and without (n = 102) PTSD completed an online questionnaire which involved the completion of a self-complexity task and measures of PTSD. Results: It was found that those with PTSD had significantly greater overall self-complexity than those without PTSD. Furthermore, when considering self-description valence, it was found that those with PTSD had significantly greater negative self-complexity than those without PTSD, but the groups did not differ in terms of positive self-complexity. Second, those with PTSD reported significantly less control over their self-aspects. Third, for those with PTSD, lower levels of self-aspect control were significantly correlated with greater negative self-complexity and lower positive self-complexity. Finally, self-aspect control mediated the relationship between self-complexity and PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: The theoretical implications for PTSD models and the clinical implications for the treatment of those with PTSD are explored.

Dialectical Thinking and Attitudes toward Action/Inaction Beyond East Asia

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan Zell ◽  
Rong Su ◽  
Dolores Albarracín
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
South Korea ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Previous Theory ◽  
Dialectical Thinking

Previous research has focused primarily on assessing dialectical thinking among respondents in representative East Asian and Western nations (e.g., China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States). This chapter examines how dialectical thinking varies across 19 nations/subnations spanning four continents. Consistent with previous theory, dialectical thinking was highest in East Asian societies, such as mainland China, Hong Kong, and Japan. Dialectical thinking was lowest in Guatemala, Turkey, and Italy. Further, both individual and nation-level dialecticism significantly predicted attitudes toward action and inaction. That is, both cultural groups and individuals high in dialectical thinking evidenced greater balance and moderation in attitudes toward action and inaction than cultural groups and individuals low in dialectical thinking. Given that dialectical thinking exists to some degree in a variety of cultures, factors that cultivate dialecticism in both East Asian and Western cultures are addressed. The chapter concludes with discussion of avenues for future research examining patterns of dialectical thinking across the globe.

scholarly journals Attention bias toward threat is associated with exaggerated fear expression and impaired extinction in PTSD

2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 533-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Fani ◽  
E. B. Tone ◽  
J. Phifer ◽  
S. D. Norrholm ◽  
B. Bradley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Fear Learning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Neural Network Models ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Fear Potentiated Startle ◽  
The Relationship

BackgroundPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in a minority of traumatized individuals. Attention biases to threat and abnormalities in fear learning and extinction are processes likely to play a critical role in the creation and/or maintenance of PTSD symptomatology. However, the relationship between these processes has not been established, particularly in highly traumatized populations; understanding their interaction can help inform neural network models and treatments for PTSD.MethodAttention biases were measured using a dot probe task modified for use with our population; task stimuli included photographs of angry facial expressions, which are emotionally salient threat signals. A fear-potentiated startle paradigm was employed to measure atypical physiological response during acquisition and extinction phases of fear learning. These measures were administered to a sample of 64 minority (largely African American), highly traumatized individuals with and without PTSD.ResultsParticipants with PTSD demonstrated attention biases toward threat; this attentional style was associated with exaggerated startle response during fear learning and early and middle phases of extinction, even after accounting for the effects of trauma exposure.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that an attentional bias toward threat is associated with abnormalities in ‘fear load’ in PTSD, providing seminal evidence for an interaction between these two processes. Future research combining these behavioral and psychophysiological techniques with neuroimaging will be useful toward addressing how one process may modulate the other and understanding whether these phenomena are manifestations of dysfunction within a shared neural network. Ultimately, this may serve to inform PTSD treatments specifically designed to correct these atypical processes.

scholarly journals Mediating Role of Stress at Work in the Relationship of Alexithymia and PTSD among Emergency Call Operators

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12830
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Wojciechowska ◽  
Aleksandra Jasielska ◽  
Michał Ziarko ◽  
Michał Sieński ◽  
Maciej Różewicki
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Emergency Call ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Potentially Traumatic Events ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Stress At Work ◽  
The Relationship

Aim: The main purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between alexithymia, stress at work, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in impact emergency call center operators working in Poland (province of Greater Poland). The risk of exposure to critical life events was also considered. Methods: Data were collected using self-report questionnaires administered after dispatchers’ shifts. The emergency call center operators (N = 66) completed the Impact of Event Scale—Revised, 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Workplace Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and a questionnaire measuring the frequency and intensity of potentially traumatic events faced by emergency operators (a questionnaire developed by the authors). Results: Twenty of the most frequent events (e.g., child sexual harassment, rape, etc.) were identified. Results indicated that post-traumatic stress positively correlated with (a) work-related stress and (b) one aspect of alexithymia: difficulty expressing feelings. Additionally, work-related stress was identified as a mediator for the relation between alexithymia and the intensity of post-traumatic stress. Conclusions: The results of this study confirm that emergency operators are a high-risk group for the development of PTSD. The study results suggest that performing the work of an emergency dispatcher is not only demanding but also inherently involves participation in potentially traumatic events (as encountered through emergency calls).

Symptoms of Alcohol Dependence Predict Suicide Ideation Among Alaskan Undergraduates

Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. DeCou ◽  
Monica C. Skewes
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Dependence ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Alcohol Problems ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Causal Mechanism ◽  
Students At Risk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Alcohol Related Problems

Abstract. Background: Previous research has demonstrated an association between alcohol-related problems and suicidal ideation (SI). Aims: The present study evaluated, simultaneously, alcohol consequences and symptoms of alcohol dependence as predictors of SI after adjusting for depressive symptoms and alcohol consumption. Method: A sample of 298 Alaskan undergraduates completed survey measures, including the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire, the Short Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory – II. The association between alcohol problems and SI status was evaluated using sequential logistic regression. Results: Symptoms of alcohol dependence (OR = 1.88, p < .05), but not alcohol-related consequences (OR = 1.01, p = .95), emerged as an independent predictor of SI status above and beyond depressive symptoms (OR = 2.39, p < .001) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.08, p = .39). Conclusion: Alcohol dependence symptoms represented a unique risk for SI relative to alcohol-related consequences and alcohol consumption. Future research should examine the causal mechanism behind the relationship between alcohol dependence and suicidality among university students. Assessing the presence of dependence symptoms may improve the accuracy of identifying students at risk of SI.

The Relationship Between Interoception and Metacognition

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Meessen ◽  
Verena Mainz ◽  
Siegfried Gauggel ◽  
Eftychia Volz-Sidiropoulou ◽  
Stefan Sütterlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Metacognitive Awareness ◽  
Interoceptive Awareness ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Heartbeat Perception ◽  
Interoceptive Accuracy ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Recently, Garfinkel and Critchley (2013) proposed to distinguish between three facets of interoception: interoceptive sensibility, interoceptive accuracy, and interoceptive awareness. This pilot study investigated how these facets interrelate to each other and whether interoceptive awareness is related to the metacognitive awareness of memory performance. A sample of 24 healthy students completed a heartbeat perception task (HPT) and a memory task. Judgments of confidence were requested for each task. Participants filled in questionnaires assessing interoceptive sensibility, depression, anxiety, and socio-demographic characteristics. The three facets of interoception were found to be uncorrelated and interoceptive awareness was not related to metacognitive awareness of memory performance. Whereas memory performance was significantly related to metamemory awareness, interoceptive accuracy (HPT) and interoceptive awareness were not correlated. Results suggest that future research on interoception should assess all facets of interoception in order to capture the multifaceted quality of the construct.

Cross-Lagged Relationships Between Self-Esteem, Self-Construal, and Happiness in a Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-185
Author(s):  
Daniela Moza ◽  
Laurențiu Maricuțoiu ◽  
Alin Gavreliuc
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Construal ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Independent Person

Abstract. Previous research established that an independent construal of the self is associated with higher self-esteem, which, in turn, is associated with increased happiness. Regarding the directionality of these relationships, theoretical arguments have suggested that self-construal precedes self-esteem and that self-esteem precedes happiness. However, most research in this area is cross-sectional, thus limiting any conclusions about directionality. The present study tested these relationships in 101 Romanian undergraduates using a 3-wave cross-lagged design with a 6-month time lag between every two waves. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that self-esteem is an antecedent of both happiness and dimensions of independent self-construal (i.e., consistency vs. variability and self-expression vs. harmony). In other words, one’s positive evaluation of self-worth precedes one’s self-perception as being a happy and independent person. The findings are discussed with respect to the theoretical and practical implications, along with limitations and suggestions for future research.

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