Analytic and Holistic Thinkers: Differences in the Dynamics of Heart Rate Complexity When Solving a Cognitive Task in Field-Dependent and Field-Independent Conditions

Analytic and holistic thinking styles are known to be associated with individual differences in various aspects of behavior and brain activity. In this study, we tested a hypothesis that differences in thinking styles may also be manifested at the level of neuro-visceral coordination. Heart rate variability (HRV) was compared between analytic and holistic thinkers at rest, during a simple motor choice reaction time task and when solving cognitive choice reaction time tasks in conditions with varying instructions contrasting the role of the field when evaluating objects. Participants (N = 52) with analytic and holistic thinking styles were equally successful at solving the cognitive tasks but response times were longer in the analytic group, compared to the holistic group. Heart rate complexity, as measured by sample entropy, was higher in the analytic group during the cognitive tasks but did not differ from the holistic group at rest or during the simple motor task. Analytic participants had longer response times and higher heart rate complexity when evaluating objects in relation to the field than when evaluating objects irrespective to the field. No difference in response times or heart rate complexity between tasks was observed in the holistic group. Our findings demonstrate that differences in individual behavior, including those related to holistic and analytic thinking styles, can be reflected not only in brain activity, as shown previously using fMRI and EEG methods, but also at the level of neuro-visceral coordination, as manifested in heart rate complexity.

Maximal prime homomorphic images of mod-p Iwasawa algebras

Let k be a finite field of characteristic p, and G a compact p-adic analytic group. Write kG for the completed group ring of G over k. In this paper, we describe the structure of the ring kG/P, where P is a minimal prime ideal of kG. We give an explicit isomorphism between kG/P and a matrix ring with coefficients in the ring ${(k'G')_\alpha }$ , where $k'/k$ is a finite field extension, $G'$ is a large subquotient of G with no finite normal subgroups, and (–) α is a “twisting” operation that preserves many desirable properties of the ring structure. We demonstrate the usefulness of this isomorphism by studying the correspondence induced between certain ideals of kG and those of ${(k'G')_\alpha }$ , and showing that this preserves many useful “group-theoretic” properties of ideals, in particular almost-faithfulness and control by a closed normal subgroup.

Complexity explained: The dialectical position between theory and practice. Theoretical group analytic concepts and clinical examples

I present below an attempt to understand complexity theory and the dialectical relationship between theory and group analytic practice. These are often concepts difficult to make sense of as they are rarely illuminated with clinical material for the reader or the trainee group analyst to comprehend. After the introduction of the Kantian and Hegelian dialectic and its use to understand group analytic concepts, I move on to the complexity theory and attempt to illustrate its significance with a clinical example from a small group analytic group. Cavafis’s celebrated poem ‘Ithaka’, is used as a metaphor for the utmost importance of the splendid interpersonal and transpersonal journey in group analysis with all its challenges and gains that this brings to the individual and to the group as a whole as the emphasis is on the process (journey) rather the destination (Ithaka).

Unexpected Сonnections: Cultural-Historical Psychologyin a Community Mental Health Setting?

This paper will reflect on the influence of Vygotsky and Luria in my work as an occupational therapist in the community mental health setting of an ‘Activity Centre’ in the National Health Service, between 1991 and 2001. The paper will discuss a limited study, referencing Vygotsky during that period, with the benefit of hindsight and subsequent developments in the field of cultural-historical psychology. The origi¬nal study raised the questions of what evidence could be found to support the application of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) with a mixed group of adults in a community setting, and how this process of learning might be assessed and evaluated. At the time, these questions were informed by litera¬ture sources no later than 1998, and learning theory was often absent from professional training in mental healthcare. However, I will propose that some models of practice in mental health — particularly those founded in psycho-analytic group therapy and occupational therapy — could be enhanced by a deeper un-derstanding of Vygotsky’s ZPD, Luria’s model of field research, and the discussion of some less established connections in psychoanalytic praxis.

The effects of analytic group therapy compared with pharmacotherapy in patients with anxiety disorders

Background: Psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are both effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders. However, drugs in pharmacotherapy are often compared with placebo controls, and psychotherapy is mostly compared to patients in the waiting list as the controls. We aimed to compare the effects of analytic group therapy with pharmacotherapy in patients with anxiety disorders. Methods: In this clinical trial study in Tehran, 65 patients (10 males, 55 females) presenting with a primary diagnosis of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and/or mixed anxiety-depressive disorder (based on a structured clinical interview by a psychiatrist) were enlisted during the period from 2016 to 2018. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: drug therapy (group D, 33 patients), or drug therapy + analytic group therapy (group G, 32 patients). Anxiety was assessed in both groups before and immediately after treatment by the Persian version of the Hamilton Anxiety scale (HAM-A). Collected data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software version 21. Results: Both groups showed a statistically significant decline in HAM-A scores after the treatment. However, group G had a greater significant change in anxiety score compared to group D. The mean decline of HAM-A was 25.694.82 for group G and 23.214.64 for group D. The HAM-A score was significantly reduced in group G compared to group D (p = 0.039). Conclusion: This study showed that psychodynamic psychotherapy could improve the pharmacotherapy effects and is superior to pharmacotherapy alone.

‘Where chaos was, there shall be a matrix’ (de Maré). The large analytic group between chaos and creativity—reflections on the concept, its history and further evolution

The author presents a survey of the development of large group theory. Older publications (e.g. Kreeger, Turqet, also drawing on Freud, M. Klein, Bion) describe the chaotic-aggressive, near-psychosis character of the large group, a certain contrast between the seemingly ‘benign’ small group and the ‘destructive’ large group and a predominantly dyadic relationship between the conductor and the large group. More recent publications (Wilke, Island, formerly also de Maré) underline the creative-constructive potential of the large group and the intersubjective interweaving of the conductor and the large group. Experiences with a conductor-pair in the daily large group of the Altaussee workshop instead of one conductor are discussed. The author pleads for the application of modern intersubjective theorizing to the large group. The analytic attitude and intervention technique would be changed: the traditional position of strict neutrality, anonymity and abstinence as well as the emphasis on whole-group interpretations would be substituted by a more open stance that does not hide the subjectivity of the conductor(s) but rather reveals and uses the conductor’s subjectivity to promote the analytic process.

Apparel employees’ creative, analytical and emotional intelligences and their job and career satisfaction

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how apparel employees’ analytic, creative and emotional intelligence (EI) influence their job (JS) and career satisfaction (CS) from the theory of EI perspective. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was administered to apparel employees with a response of 135 participants. Regression-based conditional process analysis using bootstrapped confidence intervals was employed to analyze the study’s hypotheses. Findings Findings indicated that, using EI, overall participants had higher JS and, therefore, CS. However, the degree of such relationships was different for the analytic and creative groups. Specifically, when the analytic group has high EI, the direct effect of EI on JS and CS was higher than the creative group had on high EI. That is, EI seems to help the analytic group to achieve their JS and CS more directly and, respectively, while the creative group gets more indirect benefit of JS between EI and CS. Originality/value This study is one of the first to empirically investigate the apparel work environment by assessing employees’ analytic, creative and EIs and their relationships with JS and CS. Implications for the apparel industry and academia show that apparel companies and educators may need to enhance EI for their current and future employees to help create a more positive and long-lasting career in the apparel industry.

Twin phenomena during a transformation process

This article presents the development of a clinical outpatient analytic group and advances a view on twin phenomena in dreams. The influence of real and transferential twin experiences on the dynamic matrix is also shown. The way diffuse ego-boundaries and narcissistic injuries in the group lead to self-exclusion is discussed. The group’s struggle with autonomy–dependency conflicts is reflected upon with reference to lack of differentiation between self- and object-representations as they are also known in twin psychodynamics. It is demonstrated how the group intersubjectively connects with the psychotic experience of one participant. This leads to the group eventually being able to serve as a transitional space and deal with deep issues by managing projective and splitting mechanisms in both psychotic and non-psychotic transference and countertransference. Foulkes’ concept of the transpersonal is used to define how these intense occurrences lead to a beneficial outcome in the treatment of severe psychic disorders.

An exploration of members’ experiences of group therapy: an interpretive phenomenological analysis

NHS patients referred for group analytic psychotherapy often have limited capacity to manage their own or others’ emotions and therefore struggle to use analytic group psychotherapy because its unstructured format can feel too anxiety provoking. This research looked into members’ experiences of group analytic therapy, using a qualitative approach, to examine the experiences of group processes for members and their therapists. Phenomenological Interpretive Analysis was used to analyse the interview transcripts and develop over-arching themes. Findings revealed shared themes between members and therapists, describing strong feelings: ‘anger; competition with members and disappointment with therapists’ and ‘fears of emotional damage’. A super-ordinate theme of ‘weathering’ emerged, which connected to members being able to stay and understand these strong feelings and which led to themes of ‘sharing leading to new learning’ and ‘change’. Differences in themes were also found: ‘anger could be destructive’ and ‘feeling attacked’ were identified by members only, whilst therapists identified ‘re-enactment: repair or re-traumatization’. Members emphasized; ‘therapists as parents providing safety’ and ‘support from other members’ as crucial in helping them to stay to ‘weather’ the group process. The theme of ‘weathering’ was important because it related to all themes and provided an explanation for personal change in members. Clinical implications are discussed.