scholarly journals Clinical evidence in the phenomenon of Alien Abduction

2021 ◽  
pp. 107-115
Author(s):  
Perrotta Giulio
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Delusional Disorder ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Female Group ◽  
Theoretical Assumption ◽  
Primary Disorder ◽  
Alien Abduction ◽  
The Individual

Purpose: Starting from the classic definition of “alien abduction”, the present research, starting from the study published in 2020 on the proposed clinical classification of this particular phenomenon, is aimed at confirming the theoretical assumption of psychopathological origin. Methods: Clinical interview, based on narrative-anamnestic and documentary evidence and the basis of the Perrotta Human Emotions Model (PHEM) concerning their emotional and perceptual-reactive experience, and administration of the battery of psychometric tests published in international scientific journals by the author of this work: 1) Perrotta Integrative Clinical Interviews (PICI-2), to investigate functional and dysfunctional personality traits; 2) Perrotta Individual Sexual Matrix Questionnaire (PSM-Q), to investigate the individual sexual matrix; 3) Perrotta Affective Dependence Questionnaire (PAD-Q), to investigate the profiles of affective and relational dependence; 4) Perrotta Human Defense Mechanisms Questionnaire (PDM-Q), to investigate the defence mechanisms of the Ego. Results: Preliminary results from the interviews and the anamnestic form would suggest that the phenomenon of alien abductions has a greater tendency to occur in the female group, in the adult and mature group (and tends to diminish but not disappear with advancing age) and in the group geographically originating in central-northern Italy (due to lower religious influences but greater openness to the typical contents of ufological and mystery narratives). Moreover, the subsequent results would lead us to deduce with almost total certainty, concerning the selected sample, that the phenomenon of alien abductions has an absolute prevalence in the believing population concerning the existence of paranormal phenomena per se, even in the absence of objective and/or scientific evidence. It is a phenomenon that is almost completely linked (110/112, 98.2%) to a medium-low or not fully educated cultural level. Based on the PICI-2 it emerged that the primary emerging disorder is alternatively the delusional disorder, the dissociative disorder and the narcissistic disorder; followed, as secondary disorders, by the delusional disorder (if it is not considered as primary disorder), the schizoid disorder, the borderline disorder, the obsessive disorder and the psychopathic disorder. The analysis of functional traits also reported the marked dysfunctional tendency of the classes referring to self-control, sensitivity, Ego-Es comparison, emotionality, ego stability, security and relational functionality, confirming here too the marked dysfunctional tendency of the clinical population. According to the PSM-Q, almost 2/3 of the participants (73/112, 65.2%) present a dysfunctional tendency to sexual behaviour and a marked tendency to chronicle feelings of shame in avoidance behaviour or hyposexuality. Furthermore, 100% of the sample of the population surveyed report having suffered significant or serious psychological or physical abuse at a young age, or intra-parental relational imbalances, or in any case a sexual upbringing that was not open and lacking in free communication. According to the PDM-Q, 27.7% (31/112) are affected by affective dependency, with greater emphasis on types I (neurotic), VI (covert narcissist), V (borderline) and III (histrionic), in that order of descent. Finally, the PDM-Q reveals the widespread psychopathological tendency of the functional ego framework for the mechanisms of isolation, denial, regression, reactive formation, denial, projection, removal, withdrawal, instinct, repression and idealisation. Conclusion: This research confirms the psychopathological nature of the alien abduction phenomenon, which deserves to be treated using a psychotherapeutic approach (preferably cognitive-behavioural and/or strategic) and possibly also pharmacological in serious cases, depending on the symptoms manifested and the severity of the morbid condition.

scholarly journals Clinical evidence in the phenomenon of Demonic Possession

2021 ◽  
pp. 088-095
Author(s):  
Perrotta Giulio
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Delusional Disorder ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Reasonable Doubt ◽  
Clinical Population ◽  
Female Group ◽  
Theoretical Assumption ◽  
Demonic Possession ◽  
The Individual

Purpose: Starting from the classic definition of “demonic possession” (as a psychophysical condition in which a person becomes the victim of a supernatural being of demonic origin), the present research, starting from the study published in 2019 on the proposed clinical classification of this particular phenomenon, is aimed at confirming the theoretical assumption of psychopathological origin, refuting the assumptions of the most significant analytical orientations, such as the ethnopsychiatric, the socio-anthropological, the cultural, the religious and the esoteric, to reaffirm the accuracy of the theoretical approach of the multifactorial model proposed in the previous research. Methods: Clinical interview, based on narrative-anamnestic and documentary evidence and the basis of the Perrotta Human Emotions Model (PHEM) concerning their emotional and perceptual-reactive experience, and administration of the battery of psychometric tests published in international scientific journals by the author of this work: 1) Perrotta Integrative Clinical Interviews (PICI-2), to investigate functional and dysfunctional personality traits; 2) Perrotta Individual Sexual Matrix Questionnaire (PSM-Q), to investigate the individual sexual matrix; 3) Perrotta Affective Dependence Questionnaire (PAD-Q), to investigate the profiles of affective and relational dependence; 4) Perrotta Human Defense Mechanisms Questionnaire (PDM-Q), to investigate the defence mechanisms of the Ego. Results: The preliminary results of the interviews and the anamnestic form would suggest that the phenomenon of demonic possession has a greater tendency to manifest itself in the female group, in the juvenile group (and tends to decrease but not to disappear with the advancement of age) and in the group geographically originating in the centre-south of Italy (due to greater religious influences, popular beliefs and ancestral fideistic representations). Moreover, the subsequent findings would lead to deduce with almost total certainty, concerning the selected sample, that the phenomenon of demonic possession has an absolute prevalence in the believing population, faithful or in any case trusting in the existence of paranormal phenomena per se, even in the absence of objective and/or scientific evidence. Based on the PICI-2 it emerged that the primary emerging disorder turns out to be alternatively the delusional disorder, the dissociative disorder and the obsessive disorder; followed, as secondary disorders, by the delusional disorder (if it is not considered as primary disorder), the schizoid disorder, the borderline disorder and the psychopathic disorder. Even the analysis of functional traits has reported the marked dysfunctional tendency of the classes that refer to self-control, sensitivity, Ego-ID comparison, emotionality, ego stability, security and relational functionality, reaffirming here too the marked dysfunctional tendency of the clinical population. According to the PSM-Q, more than 1/4 of participants present a lack of acceptance of their sexual orientation and a marked tendency to chronicle feelings of shame into dysfunctional sexual behaviours of avoidance or hypersexuality. Still, nine in ten reports having experienced severe psychological or physical abuse at a young age, or intraparental relational imbalance, or otherwise a sexual upbringing that was not open and lacked free communication. According to the PDM-Q, 37.2% are affected by affective dependence, with a greater emphasis on types I (neurotic), V (borderline), III (histrionic), and VII (psychotic) in that order of descent. Finally, the PDM-Q reveals the widespread psychopathological tendency of the ego function framework for the mechanisms of isolation, denial, regression, reactive formation, denial, projection, removal, withdrawal, instinct, repression, and idealization. Conclusions: The present research demonstrates beyond any reasonable doubt the psychopathological nature of the phenomenon of demonic possession, which deserves to be treated pharmacologically and with a psychotherapeutic approach (preferably cognitive-behavioural and/or strategic), according to the symptoms manifested and the severity of the morbid condition.

scholarly journals The relationship of individual psychological and individual-typological characteristics in individuals with personality disorders, committed socially dangerous acts

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 105-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.A. Dubinsky ◽  
G.M. Tokareva ◽  
A.S. Vasilchenko ◽  
N.E. Lysenko
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Self Control ◽  
System Activation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Social Dangerousness ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between individual psychological and individually-typological characteristics of patients with personality disorders who committed socially dangerous acts were studied, taking into account the severity of the organic factor and the degree of their social dangerousness. 121 males were surveyed, 70 of them were diagnosed with "organic personality disorder" and 33 - personality disorder. The types of personality disorders were diagnosed. The individual variables, the ratio of processes of system activation of behavior and its inhibition, protective styles, especially coping behaviours that constitute aggression, styles of self-regulation were analyzed. It was revealed that low settings of the system activation behavior found in the group of persons with a high degree of social dangerousness, determines the formation of individual psychological treats related to the rigidity behavior, the instability of the motives, impulsivity, negative emotionality, disinhibition. During comparison of samples of individuals with medium and high degree of social dangerousness it has been discovered that self-centeredness, as a component of self-control, high levels of affective components of aggression – anger and immature defense mechanisms significantly distinguish individuals with a high degree of public danger.

The Use of the Defense Mechanism Test to Aid in Understanding the Personality of Senior Executives and the Implications for Their Careers

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olya Khaleelee
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Intervention ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Defense Mechanism ◽  
Senior Executives ◽  
Ideal Types ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Test Profiles ◽  
Real Test

This paper describes the use of the Defense Mechanism Test as an aid in helping to assess senior executives in four areas: for selection, development, career strategy, and crisis intervention. The origins of this test, developed to measure the defense mechanisms used to protect the individual from stress, are described. The paper shows how it was used to predict the capacity of trainee fighter pilots to withstand stress and its later application to other stressful occupations. Finally, some ideal types of the test are shown followed by four real test profiles, two of them with their associated histories.

Personal Values Required for Ethical Best Practice during Intrapartum Care

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacobeth Mmabyala Louisa Malesela
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Intrapartum Care ◽  
Performance Reviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
Selection Processes ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Recruitment And Selection

Women bring into the birthing unit values which include preferences, concerns and expectations that are involved in decision-making during intrapartum care. When midwives fail to meet the women’s values, they experience such care as being inhumane and degrading, thus affecting the childbirth outcomes. The inhumane and degrading care includes a lack of sympathy and empathy, as well as a lack of attention to privacy and confidentiality. Midwives’ possession of the required personal values and the ability to integrate women’s values are vital to enhance ethical best practice during intrapartum care. The aim of the study was to explore and to describe the midwives’ personal values that are required for ethical best practice during intrapartum care. The birthing unit at a public hospital in the Gauteng province of South Africa formed the context of the study. A qualitative research design that was explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was used. The following personal values emerged: (1) respect, trust and dignity; (2) justice, equality and fairness; (3) freedom of choice and autonomy; (4) integrity, honesty and consistency; (5) good character and personality; (6) self-control and rapport; and (7) open-mindedness and flexibility. The midwives’ personal values form a strong precursor that is crucial for ethical best practice during intrapartum care. The individual midwives, nursing education institutions and health facilities can use the study findings in areas such as reflective midwifery practice, the midwifery curriculum, recruitment and selection processes, and as part of key performance areas and indicators in performance reviews.

Inhibition tasks are not associated with self-regulation outcomes in healthy college students

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis David Von Gunten ◽  
Bruce D Bartholow ◽  
Jorge S. Martins
Keyword(s):  
Latent Variable ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Variable Level ◽  
Cast Doubt ◽  
The Individual

Executive functioning (EF) is defined as a set of top-down processes used in reasoning, forming goals, planning, concentrating, and inhibition. It is widely believed that these processes are critical to self-regulation and, therefore, that performance on behavioral task measures of EF should be associated with individual differences in everyday life outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to test this core assumption, focusing on the EF facet of inhibition. A sample of 463 undergraduates completed five laboratory inhibition tasks, along with three self-report measures of self-control and 28 self-report measures of life outcomes. Results showed that although most of the life outcome measures were associated with self-reported self-control, none of the life outcomes were associated with inhibition task performance at the latent-variable level, and few associations were found at the individual task level. These findings challenge the criterion validity of lab-based inhibition tasks. More generally, when considered alongside the known lack of convergent validity between inhibition tasks and self-report measures of self-control, the findings cast doubt on the task’s construct validity as measures of self-control processes. Potential methodological and theoretical reasons for the poor performance of laboratory-based inhibition tasks are discussed.

scholarly journals German Adaptation of the Subjective Vitality Scales (SVS-G)

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-75
Author(s):  
Alex Bertrams ◽  
Thomas H. Dyllick ◽  
Chris Englert ◽  
Ann Krispenz
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Individual Difference ◽  
State Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The State ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Subjective Vitality ◽  
Positive Feeling ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Correlated Factors

AbstractSubjective vitality is a positive feeling of aliveness and energy, and it is a crucial aspect of well-being. The Subjective Vitality Scales (SVS) have been developed to measure subjective vitality both at the individual difference level and the state level in English-speaking samples. We translated the SVS into German (the SVS-G) and examined their psychometric properties. In Study 1 (N=260), we found that two correlated factors (Factor 1: individual difference level; Factor 2: state level) with five items each constituted a useful structure for the SVS-G. Moreover, the scores on the individual difference scale were more stable than the scores on the state scale. We also found partial evidence for the measurement invariance over a period of three weeks. Conforming to our expectations, Study 2 (N=296) revealed that the SVS-G scores were related to positive and negative affect but could still be distinguished from the affect variables. In line with previous findings, Study 3 (N=203) showed that SVS-G scores are related to well-being variables (happiness and joviality) and the perceived capacity to actively perform effortful tasks (attentiveness and capacity for self-control). Across all the studies, the SVS-G showed satisfying inner consistency, and the two consideration levels (individual differences vs. state) could be differentiated. The initial evidence suggests that overall, the SVS-G have good psychometric properties.

scholarly journals POS1391 MEASURING SUBCLINICAL INFLAMMATION IN HAND AND FOREFOOT IN PATIENTS WITH ARTHRALGIA USING 1.5T OR 3.0T MRI: DOES FIELD STRENGTH MATTER?

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 978.1-978
Author(s):  
D. Krijbolder ◽  
M. Verstappen ◽  
F. Wouters ◽  
L. R. Lard ◽  
P. D. De Buck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Field Strength ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Imaging Features ◽  
Subclinical Inflammation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
3.0T Mri ◽  
Inflammation Score

Background:Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of small joints sensitively detects inflammation. MRI-detected subclinical inflammation, and tenosynovitis in particular, has been shown predictive for RA development in patients with arthralgia. These scientific data are mostly acquired on 1.0T-1.5T MRI scanners. However, 3.0T MRI is nowadays increasingly used in practice. Evidence on the comparability of these field strengths is scarce and it has never been studied in arthralgia where subclinical inflammation is subtle. Moreover, comparisons never included tenosynovitis, which is, of all imaging features, the strongest predictor for progression to RA.Objectives:To determine if there is a difference between 1.5T and 3.0T MRI in detecting subclinical inflammation in arthralgia patients.Methods:2968 locations (joints, bones or tendon sheaths) in hands and forefeet of 28 arthralgia patients were imaged on both 1.5T and 3.0T MRI. Two independent readers scored for erosions, osteitis, synovitis (according to RAMRIS) and tenosynovitis (as described by Haavaardsholm et al.). Scores were also summed as total inflammation (osteitis, synovitis and tenosynovitis) and total RAMRIS (erosions, osteitis, synovitis and tenosynovitis) scores. Interreader reliability (comparing both readers) and field strength agreement (comparing 1.5T and 3.0T) was assessed with interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Next, field strength agreement was assessed after dichotomization into presence or absence of inflammation. Analyses were performed on patient- and location-level.Results:ICCs between readers were excellent (>0.90). Comparing 1.5 and 3.0T revealed excellent ICCs of 0.90 (95% confidence interval 0.78-0.95) for the total inflammation score and 0.90 (0.78-0.95) for the total RAMRIS score. ICCs for individual inflammation features were: tenosynovitis: 0.87 (0.74-0.94), synovitis 0.65 (0.24-0.84) and osteitis 0.96 (0.91-0.98). The field strength agreement on dichotomized scores was 83% for the total inflammation score and 89% for the total RAMRIS score. Of the individual features, agreement for tenosynovitis was the highest (89%). Analyses on location- level showed similar results.Conclusion:Agreement of subclinical inflammation scores on 1.5T and 3.0T were good to excellent, in particular for tenosynovitis. This suggests that scientific evidence on predictive power of MRI in arthralgia patients, obtained on 1.5T, can be generalized to 3.0T when this field strength would be used for diagnostic purposes in daily practice.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

scholarly journals Differential Self-control Effects: Moral Filtering and the Subsidiary Relevance of Self-control

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helmut Hirtenlehner ◽  
Heinz Leitgöb
Keyword(s):  
Action Theory ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Moral Norms ◽  
Situational Characteristics ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Self Report Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Low Self Control

AbstractCriminological research has identified low self-control as major cause of criminal activity. However, astonishingly little is known about the individual and situational characteristics that affect the functioning of self-control in relation to crime. Recent theorizing, especially in the context of Situational Action Theory, suggests that the interplay of personal and contextual morality creates a morally preselected choice set whose composition determines the relevance of self-control. Guided by the ideas of differential self-control effects and a moral filtering of action alternatives, the present inquiry investigates whether the role of self-control in crime causation depends on the power of moral factors to exclude crime from the set of the considered behavioral options. We argue that the significance of an individual’s capacity for self-control increases with a growing weakness of the moral filter, reaching its maximum when both personal and setting morality encourage criminal activity. Analyses of self-report data on adolescent vandalism delinquency provide support for differential self-control effects. The general picture is that self-control ability matters most when the strength of the moral filter hits a low, which is when both an individual’s own moral rules and the moral norms of the setting facilitate offending. Further evidence suggests that crime contemplation is highest when individual morality and setting morality jointly encourage vandalism. There is also indication that trait self-control has a greater effect on vandalism delinquency at higher levels of crime contemplation. All these results accord with the notion of a subsidiary relevance of control.

scholarly journals Group size and aquatic vegetation modulates male preferences for female shoals in wild zebrafish, Danio rerio

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya Ghoshal ◽  
Anuradha Bhat
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Female Group ◽  
Aquatic Flora ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Individual

AbstractShoaling decisions in the wild are determined by a combination of innate preferences of the individual along with the interplay of multiple ecological factors. In their natural habitat as well as in the laboratory, zebrafish is a shoaling fish. Here, we investigate the role of group size and associated vegetation in shaping shoaling preferences of wild male zebrafish. We studied the association preference of males to groups of female shoals in a multi-choice test design. We found that males made greater proportion of visits to an 8-female group compared to 2 and 4-female groups. However, males spent similar proportions of time across the three female-containing groups. When artificial vegetation was incorporated along with female number as an additional factor, we found that males prefer high and moderately vegetated patches compared to low or no-vegetation groups, irrespective of the number of females in these patches. Based on experiments using a novel multi-choice design, our results show that preference for group size can change due to interaction of two separate factors. This work is a first attempt to understand the role of aquatic flora in determining shoaling preferences in zebrafish, using an experimental paradigm consisting of a gradation in female and vegetation densities.

scholarly journals Evidence-Based Medicine in judicial decisions concerning right to healthcare

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Rocha Dias ◽  
Geraldo Bezerra da Silva Junior
Keyword(s):  
Health Insurance ◽  
Evidence Based Medicine ◽  
Private Health Insurance ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Federal Court ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Unified Health System ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Based Medicine

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze, from the examination of decisions issued by Brazilian courts, how Evidence-Based Medicine was applied and if it led to well-founded decisions, searching the best scientific knowledge. Methods The decisions made by the Federal Courts were searched, with no time limits, at the website of the Federal Court Council, using the expression “Evidence-Based Medicine”. With regard to decisions issued by the court of the State of São Paulo, the search was done at the webpage and applying the same terms and criterion as to time. Next, a qualitative analysis of the decisions was conducted for each action, to verify if the patient/plaintiff’s situation, as well as the efficacy or inefficacy of treatments or drugs addressed in existing protocols were considered before the court granted the provision claimed by the plaintiff. Results In less than one-third of the decisions there was an appropriate discussion about efficacy of the procedure sought in court, in comparison to other procedures available in clinical guidelines adopted by the Brazilian Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde) or by private health insurance plans, considering the individual situation. The majority of the decisions involved private health insurance plans (n=13, 68%). Conclusion The number of decisions that did consider scientific evidence and the peculiarities of each patient was a concern. Further discussion on Evidence-Based Medicine in judgments involving public healthcare are required.

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