scholarly journals Defence versus Development: A Theory of Defensive and Expansive Self-Regulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Rojas Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Regulation Theory ◽  
The World

This article presents a macro theory of self-regulation: defensive and expansive self-regulation theory (DERT). It rests on two fundamental assumptions. First, it assumes the coexistence of two competing psychological systems: a defensive system motivated by the need for physical and psychological security, whose function is to protect the organism from harm to life and self, and an expansive system motivated by the needs for competence, relatedness and autonomy, whose function is the development of knowledge, skills, and social support. Second, DERT assumes a threefold distinction regarding consciousness, with psychological processes qualifying as either nonconscious, conscious or metaconscious. Based on the previous assumptions, the theory posits the coexistence of two self-regulatory modes: a defensive regulation, consisting of self-protective responses aimed at avoiding, escaping or fighting survival threats and self-threats, and an expansive regulation, consisting of non-defensive metaconsciousness of one’s psychological states and processes. Defensive regulation is assumed to be generally adaptive in the context of survival threats but not in that of self-threats. What is called for in the context of self-threats is expansive regulation, namely non-defensive metaconsciousness of the identifications, evaluations and interpretations of self, others and the world that cause the self-threats in the first place. The theory predicts that defensive and expansive regulation of self-threats cause psychological distress and well-being, and negative and positive interpersonal relationships, respectively.

The Oxford Handbook of Hypo-egoic Phenomena

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Social Activists ◽  
Optimal Behavior ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Virtuous Behavior

Human beings have an evolved capacity for self-awareness, along with a propensity to focus primarily on their own welfare. This pervasive self-focus is reflected in thoughts, emotions, and actions whose underlying theme is the pursuit of self-interest. Although a focus on oneself has clear adaptive functions—such as physical preservation, decision making, planning, and self-regulation—this pervasive egoic mindset has psychological, interpersonal, and societal costs. In an increasingly crowded and interdependent world, there is a pressing need for the investigation of alternatives to a “me and mine first” mindset. For centuries, many philosophers, scientists, spiritual leaders, and social activists have advocated a “hypo-egoic” way of being, a psychological mindset characterized by less self-preoccupation in favor of a more inclusive, “we first” mode of functioning. In recent years, investigation of a variety of topics under the umbrella of hypo-egoicism has emerged in psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, and philosophy as researchers have investigated both the features of hypo-egoic states and the psychological experiences that arise when self-focused processing is reduced, such as flow, equanimity, mindfulness, compassion, and mystical states. Bringing together current scholarship and science from multiple fields, theOxford Handbook of Hypo-egoic Phenomenaprovides an authoritative overview of theory, research, and applications concerning psychological states that involve diminished self-preoccupation and self-interest. TheHandbookalso reveals the widespread implications of such hypo-egoic functioning for personal well-being, optimal behavior regulation, interpersonal relationships, and prosocial and virtuous behavior.

scholarly journals Iconic photographs and the ebb and flow of empathic response to humanitarian disasters

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 640-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Slovic ◽  
Daniel Västfjäll ◽  
Arvid Erlandsson ◽  
Robin Gregory
Keyword(s):  
Visual Imagery ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Behavioral Data ◽  
Effective Intervention ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Death Toll ◽  
The World ◽  
The Face ◽  
Single Child

The power of visual imagery is well known, enshrined in such familiar sayings as “seeing is believing” and “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Iconic photos stir our emotions and transform our perspectives about life and the world in which we live. On September 2, 2015, photographs of a young Syrian child, Aylan Kurdi, lying face-down on a Turkish beach, filled the front pages of newspapers worldwide. These images brought much-needed attention to the Syrian war that had resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and created millions of refugees. Here we present behavioral data demonstrating that, in this case, an iconic photo of a single child had more impact than statistical reports of hundreds of thousands of deaths. People who had been unmoved by the relentlessly rising death toll in Syria suddenly appeared to care much more after having seen Aylan’s photograph; however, this newly created empathy waned rather quickly. We briefly examine the psychological processes underlying these findings, discuss some of their policy implications, and reflect on the lessons they provide about the challenges to effective intervention in the face of mass threats to human well-being.

scholarly journals Impact of family social support on psychological wellbeing of infertile women attending Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital, Kaduna, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abubakar R ◽  
Zubairu HD ◽  
Yohanna S
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Memorial Hospital ◽  
Infertile Women ◽  
Family Social Support ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Infertility could be a life crisis with a wide range of socio-cultural and emotional problems. These social consequences are usually not voluntarily disclosed by the affected women and consequently do not receive adequate attention so the women continue to suffer in silence. The study aimed to determine the impact of family social support on psychological well-being of infertile women attending Yusuf Dantsoho Memorial Hospital (YDMH), Kaduna. The study was a cross sectional study conducted at the YDMH, T/Wada, Kaduna. Two hundred and fifty-four women who presented to the gynecology clinic during the study period and consented to participate in the study were recruited consecutively. Data on socio-demographics and family social support were determined using a self-structured questionnaire. Psychological wellbeing was assessed using a General Health Questioner. Data was analyzed using EPI-INFO statistical package. Majority of the participants were Northerners (70.1%), Muslims (91.7%), and Unemployed (52.8%) with an average monthly income of less than N 20,000 (73.6%). Most were within the age group of 25–30 years (40.2%) and from monogamous families (70.1%) with most families having 0–5 children (89.4%). 67.7% of the participants had adequate social support from their husbands as against 32.3% who had inadequate support (such as availability of financial, support encouragement, concern and sense of social belonging). Only 33.5% had adequate social support from their in-laws while majority of them (66.5%) had inadequate social support. A total of 203 (79.9%) of the participants had psychological distress (self-administered questioner) while 51 (20.1%) had no psychological distress. Husbands and in-laws support were significantly related to psychological wellbeing of the infertile women. Adequate social support provided by family members reduces stress, improves psychological wellbeing and quality of life of infertile women.

scholarly journals The representation features of the personal experience substructures of students with different self-concept profiles

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-35
Author(s):  
P. Sevostianov
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Personal Experience ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
General Level ◽  
Individual Experience ◽  
Self Perception

 The article is devoted to the substructures of the personal component of individual experience research. In the framework of theoretical analysis, the structural organization of individual experience is reviewed. The author's position consists in sticking to the O.M. Laktionov three-component model of the experience. During the theoretical analysis contemporary studies devoted to the study of individual experience are reviewed. Several substructures of the personal component of individual experience, that require attentive study, are defined. The self-concept notion is analyzed. For the first time, an analysis of the features of relationship between the feeling of self-concept well-being and the personal experience substructures are presented. The analysis, described in this article, is a continuation of the research, which devoted to the study of self-concept in the framework of the structure of the students` personal component of individual experience, during which on the basis of analysis the substructures of personal experience formation features the self-concept profiles were received. Four self-concept profiles were taken into consideration out of the results of the study: the "Conflict profile": persons for whom the simultaneous inclusion of the prosperous and problematic types of self-perception is inherent; "Prosperous profile": persons for whom the prosperous self-concept perception, that combines with low level of problem self-concept perception, is inherent; "Tendency to well-being": persons who are characterized by the tendency to decrease the negative evaluation of their self-concept, having the average indicators of their self-concept well-being; "Tendency to conflict": individuals, who are characterized by average indicators of their self-concept perception in a problematic context in a tendency to decrease the assessment of their self-concept well-being. Directly in the course of the work, described in the article, a comparative analysis of students with different profiles was performed, that was based on the degree of representation of individual experience personal component substructures. The comparison was made using the rank criterion of Kruskal-Wallis. During the comparison, the following results were obtained: for the students with different self-concept profiles was not revealed any differences in the indicators of self-esteem, neuroticism, extraversion, cooperation, conscientiousness, planning self-regulation, self-regulation flexibility, goal purpose in life orientation, and such values as conformance, traditions, kindness, universality and security. Openness to experience, modeling, results estimation, independence, general level of self-regulation, process and result orientation, locus of control myself, general life meaningfulness and independence as a value were the most expressive for students with a prosperous self-concept profile, and the least expressive – for students with a conflict profile and profile with a tendency to conflict. Programming, as well as the stimulation, achievement and power values were the most expressive for the students with a tendency to a prosperous self-perception. The locus of life control and hedonism as the value was found the most expressive among the students with a tendency to a conflict in their own self-perception; the least expressive it was for students with a prosperous profile.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of healthcare workers in different regions of the world

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S258-S258
Author(s):  
Mahfuja Islam ◽  
Philip George ◽  
Sindhu Sankaran ◽  
Janet Leu Su Hui ◽  
Tzun Kit
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
The World ◽  
The Impact

AimsThe global health system is facing a serious challenge after the recent outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus infection which was first identified in Wuhan, China in November 2019 and declared as a pandemic in March 2020 by WHO. There is a wide consensus that this pandemic has negative psychosocial consequences as well as unforeseeable provision of mental health care services and just not on physical health alone. The aim of this research study is to determine the prevalence of psychological distress and to identify the sociodemographic variables with the main attributable factors associated with the psychological distress among healthcare workers and suggestions on how to reduce the impact on the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in different regions of the world.MethodWe performed a cross-sectional study from September-November 2020. We used a self-administered survey tool which was distributed electronically to healthcare workers across the globe. The data were stored on an online database with password protected devices where survey responses were restricted to investigators exclusively.Data collected were: 1) Socio-demographic data (age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, religion, role in the healthcare, region of practice); 2) Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI) questionnaire which contains 22 standardized items. This is a subjective assessment to score the degree of psychological well-being by focusing on 6 domains: depression; anxiety; positive-well-being; self-control; vitality and general health; 3) Subjective assessment from respondents of the main attributable factors causing psychological distress and suggested methods to help reduce the impact on mental health on health care workers.ResultMajority out of the 217 respondents were from a younger age group; females and married/domestic partnership, mainly from Western Pacific Region, South East Asian and the African Region. More than half the respondents were moderate-severely psychologically distressed and the three main attributable factors causing psychological distress were: fear of family/friends contracting COVID-19 followed by lack of PPE and discomfort caused by wearing PPE for long hours. Respondents suggested that the distress would be reduced if: more resources were provided in hospital; protocols and guidelines were implemented and counselling facilities with recreational activities were available to frontline workers.ConclusionThis study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of healthcare workers and more support or strategies need to come in place to protect frontline workers at the time of crises.

Moving Signs

2020 ◽  
pp. 46-80
Author(s):  
Tony Perman
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
The Self ◽  
The World ◽  
Semiotic Phenomenology ◽  
The Impact

The chapter explains the theoretical framework that guides the analysis in subsequent chapters and introduces a model for understanding emotional experience rooted in the semiotic phenomenology of C. S Peirce. This model allows for the explication of diverse modes of experience and explains the impact of habits and values in the interpretation of signs during ceremonial performance. As selves and interpersonal relationships are implicated in semiosis, experience becomes affective, linking perceptual, physiological, cultural, and public judgments in ongoing processes and projects of future-oriented flourishing. This four-step sequence---affect, emotion-appraisal, feeling, emotive is grounded in the self and its place in the world.

Comparative Analysis of International Approaches to the Protection of Online Privacy

2011 ◽  
pp. 347-366
Author(s):  
Peter O’Connor
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Self ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Black And White ◽  
The World ◽  
Regulation Approach ◽  
The Web

The Web provides unprecedented opportunities for Web site operators to implicitly and explicitly gather highly detailed personal data about site visitors, resulting in a real and pressing threat to privacy. Approaches to protecting such personal data differ greatly throughout the world. To generalize greatly, most countries follow one of two diametrically opposed philosophies—the self-regulation approach epitomized by the United States, or the comprehensive omnibus legislative approach mandated by the European Union. In practice, of course, the situation is not so black and white as most countries utilize elements of both approaches. This chapter explains the background and importance of protecting the privacy of personal data, contrasts the two major philosophical approaches to protection mentioned above, performs a comparative analysis of the current situation throughout the world, and highlights how the legislative approach is being adopted as the de facto standard throughout the world. The use of trust marks as an alternative to the self-regulation or legislative approach is also discussed, while the effectiveness of each of these efforts is also examined.

scholarly journals Positive psychiatry/psychology for older adults: a new and important movement but robust methodology is essential

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte R. Stoner
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
View Point ◽  
The World ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Dynamic Interplay

Positive psychiatry and the related positive psychology are offering a much needed alternative framework through which to view the psychology of old age (Jeste et al., 2015). Traditional models of old age tend to approach the subject from a negative view point where themes of dependency and decline can be common (Cumming and Henry, 1961). In contrast, positive psychiatry and psychology refer to the scientific study of strengths and capabilities that contribute to well-being (Seligman, 1998). Some of these can be thought of as character strengths and evidence suggests that concepts such as hope, humour, integrity, and gratitude are universal, with examples documented in at least 54 nations across the world (Park et al., 2006). Researchers aligned to these theoretical models seek to explore complex approaches to measuring and improving mental health, recognizing that well-being is often a dynamic interplay between positive and negative psychological processes and outcomes (Lomas and Ivtzan, 2016).

The diplomatic spouse

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svala Gudmundsdottir ◽  
Thorhallur Orn Gudlaugsson ◽  
Gylfi Dalmann Adalsteinsson
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Adjustment ◽  
European Economic Area ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Expatriate Spouses ◽  
The World ◽  
Foreign Ministries ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between adjustment, social support and satisfaction with life for expatriate spouses. The sample consists of European diplomatic spouses, residing all over the world.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quantitative study. The sample consists of European diplomatic spouses, residing all over the world. The sample consists of 268 participants: 231 females and 44 males.FindingsThe findings of this study reveal that there was a significant relationship between adjustment and emotional and instrumental support as well as satisfaction with life. Furthermore, a multiple regression was performed to predict the level of satisfaction with life. Both adjustment and emotional support were statistically significant and they explained nearly 50 percent of the variability in participant’s satisfaction with life.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations of the paper include, for example, method bias, language and geographic location.Practical implicationsForeign Ministries within the European Union (EU) will be in a better position to improve their expatriate programs and policies. Furthermore, this study indicated that the well-being of diplomatic spouses can be enhanced by considering how social support is provided, the level of adjustment and satisfaction with life.Social implicationsThis study highlights the importance for diplomatic spouses to belonging to various groups, and group membership serves as a means to gain access to social networks. Therefore, being part of support groups of other expatriate spouses can aid cross-cultural adjustment.Originality/valueLittle is known about diplomatic spouses. This paper will be an important first step in examining the relationship between adjustment, social support and satisfaction with life for the spouses of diplomats working for the Foreign Ministries within the EU and European Economic Area.

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