EXPLORING ALEXITHYMIA IN SOMATIZATION USING RORSCHACH PSYCHODIAGNOSTICS

It has been classically postulated that alexithymia is related to a pervasive inability of emotional recognition and expression. This leaves some individuals little choice but to somatise unprocessed emotions commonly caused by internal conflicts. The present study thus aimed to explore the nature of conflicts, controls and stress tolerance, affect, self-perception, and interpersonal perception and behavior in somatization patients with alexithymia. 30 individuals of both sexes and of the age range 20-50 years, diagnosed with somatization disorder and alexithymia, were purposively undertaken for the study. Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20, Sack’s Sentence Completion Test and the Rorschach Test – Exner’s Comprehensive System were used to screen for alexithymia, to measure conflicts and the other aforementioned domains respectively. Results revealed that conflicts related to self-concept, sex, and family were primarily present in this sample. Characteristic patterns of underlying vulnerabilities seemed to account for poor stress tolerance, affective complications, negative self-perception, and maladaptive interpersonal functioning. It is suggested that alexithymia and a tendency to develop conflicts in somatization are based on the foundation of certain fundamental personality predispositions. Identifying said personality patterns could aid in appropriate and effective goal-setting in psychotherapy, specific to this otherwise treatment-resistant patient population.

Social stressors, personality andcoping behaviors associated withmale inmate violence

Purpose The purpose of this study was to expand available knowledge on predictors of male inmate violence by examining a large set of variables offered by the importation, deprivation and threat appraisal and coping theories. Design/methodology/approach A total of 465 male inmates from five medium-security prisons in Wisconsin completed surveys to report demographics, violence, personality, social stressors and healthy coping behaviors to help manage risk by identifying key factors. Findings Inmates reported more violence with the “imported” characteristics of younger age, less incarceration, no college experience and personality patterns of impulsiveness, hostility and internal locus of control. More violence was reported by inmates with social stressors experienced from family and correctional staff. Additionally, less violence was reported by inmates with more healthy coping behaviors of exercise and social support, especially from family and other inmates. Research limitations/implications One must remain uncertain about whether similar patterns of demographics, personality, social stressors and coping behaviors associated with inmate violence would be found in other US prisons. Future research can determine whether similar predictors of violence are found for women inmates and the consideration of ethnicity should be warranted when examining predictors of inmate violence. Practical implications Prison administrators can develop new programs to reduce social stressors and increase healthy coping behaviors found by this study to be significantly associated with reduced violence, exercise and social support from other inmates and family. Social implications This research recommends that educating and training correctional staff for a trauma-informed care approach is an integral part of lessening the effects of “pains of imprisonment” on inmate violence and healing the effects of trauma. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study provides the first direct comparison of social stressors from other inmates, correctional staff or family members outside the prison as possible predictors of male inmate violence.

Differential Effects of Psychological Interventions in Online and Face-to-Face Settings on DSM-5 and ICD-11 Maladaptive Trait Domains: An Exploratory Pilot Study

While mental health treatments have proven to be effective for a range of mental health problems, there is comparably little research on its effects on personality disorders or difficulty (PD). New dimensional conceptualizations of PD such as the ICD-11 PD model enable the cost- and time-effective dimensional assessment of severity and style of PD. Furthermore, they constitute a promising tool to investigate PD, not only as a treatment endpoint but also as a predictive or influencing factor for mental health treatments. In this study, we investigated the effects in two different mental health treatment settings [online (N = 38); face-to-face and blended [FTF/blended] (N = 35)] on the reduction of maladaptive personality traits as well as the interaction between maladaptive personality patterns and the response on primary endpoints (i.e., mental distress). Results indicate that both treatment settings have comparable within-group effects on the reduction of distress symptoms, while the treatment in the FTF/blended setting seems to have a stronger impact on the reduction of maladaptive traits. Further, reduction of maladaptive trait expressions was a reliable predictor of treatment response in the FTF/blended setting while explaining less variance in the online setting. Beyond the promising findings on the utility of maladaptive trait change as an outcome measure, we discuss possible applications as an information source for treatment decisions.

Childhood Personality Assessment Q-Sort (CPAP-Q): A Clinically and Empirically Procedure for Assessing Traits and Emerging Patterns of Personality in Childhood

Background: Despite increasing research confirming the existence of childhood personalities, which are recognizable from a developmental perspective, controversies over the possibility to assess personality in childhood have continued. The purpose of this study was to provide initial data on the validation of the Childhood Personality Assessment Q-Sort (CPAP-Q), a clinician report instrument that can be employed to evaluate children’s personalities and address the gap in the field of emerging personality in children classification. Method: A sample of 135 clinicians completed the CPAP-Q to assess the personality features of 135 children (ages 4–11) who had been in their care between two and 12 months. The clinicians completed a clinical questionnaire to collect information on them, the children, and their families, as well as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), to evaluate the children’s behavioral problems and social competencies. Results: Q-factor analysis identified seven specific emerging personality patterns: psychological health, borderline/impulsive, borderline/dysregulated, schizoid, inhibited/self-critical, obsessive, and dysphoric/dependent. These patterns revealed good levels of validity and reliability. Conclusions: These findings are preliminary, but seem to support the possibility of evaluating emerging personality patterns in childhood and their developmental pathways that may lead to personality disorders in adolescence and adulthood. The CPAP-Q promises to significantly contribute to less explored research areas and encourage systematic studies of children assessment, promoting best practices for individualized diagnoses.

The Heroine’s/Hero’s Journey—A Call for Transformation? Transformative Learning, Archetypal Patterns, and Embodied Knowing/Learning

This article explores the phenomena of personal transformation within the frame of a self-experiential workshop, named the Heroine/Hero’s Journey. The Heroine/Hero is the archetype who sets out on an adventurous journey, in pursuit of her or his call for transformation. Rebillot based on Campbell’s (1949) mythological work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces created an experiential approach in the form of a one-week workshop, which utilizes methods from theatre and Gestalt therapy. This phenomenologically oriented vignette research draws on interviews and co-experienced observations, which were conducted during the workshop in order to explore the participants’ experiences and the content of participants’ transformation. The embodied representation of personality patterns, conscious and unconscious and especially the confrontation of these patterns, created transformative experiences for the participants. The depth psychological understanding of transformative processes, highlighting the potential of embodied and archetypal ways of knowing, provides the theoretical frame for giving meaning to these experiences.

An analytical study of cognitive achievement and the accuracy of soccer scoring according to the ingram system

Continuous research has reached the importance of cognitive skill achievement in the performance of football skills, especially scoring skill, as the research aims to identify the personality styles that the sample has according to the Inikram system and to identify the differences between groups according to personality patterns in cognitive achievement to learn the skill of football scoring. Using the descriptive approach using the analytical method, the sample number reached (60) students and (22) students were excluded because of the appearance of patterns in them. The exploratory experiment sample (6) students was chosen) The main sample student was (32) students and the results showed that there is a relationship between testing requirementsFor the collection of cognitive performance skill and skillful performance of the skill of scoring according to the personal system Alanikram

El caso "Pierre". Comentarios al tratamiento de un paciente narcisista

We present here a case of a patient with a narcissistic personality disorder. We must take narcissism, like the rest of the personality patterns, as the response of an individual to a context, as the result of a relational matrix (Mitchell). The origin of pathological narcissism is to be found in caregivers who emotionally neglected the child, victim of isolation, on the one hand, and who share and promote narcissistic fantasies of the child, confused with their own fantasies. Dysregulation of narcissism occurs when the child's needs have been ignored, causing severe disturbances in self-esteem or the creation of a great defensive shield (Morrison). At first, our patient could not accept any fault in himself, assuming that the therapist would not accept his faults either. The challenge as therapists is to assume the disability that the patient attributes to us, the incompetence that the patient pursues, without us falling into disaster or in the most absolute hell, which is ultimately what he fears the most. Accepting the faults that the patient displaces in the therapist is a surprise for the patient, it was even a corrective experience in the encounter with himself.

Pastoral Konseling Terhadap Anak Usia 5-12 Tahun Yang Mengalami Krisis Kasih Sayang

Anak-anak di dunia ini sangat membutuhkan bimbingan dari orang tua yang dilakukan dengan adanya rasa kasih sayang dari keluarga terutama bimbingan dari orang tua. Dengan bimbingan dan kasih sayang yang sepatutnya, seorang anak akan bertumbuh menjadi suatu kesukaan bagi orang tua, berkat bagi dunia, dan terang bercahaya bagi Allah. Pengaruh keluarga atau pun juga guru yang mengajar mereka di sekolah bagi perkembangan anak sangatlah besar. Karena guru juga merupakan tempat utama bagi pembentukan karakter, watak, dan kepribadian anak di sekolah. Dengan bantuan dan dorongan dari keluarga, teman-teman, dan anggota-anggota keluarga besar, anak-anak seharusnya merasakan masa kanak-kanak sebagai suatu masa untuk menemukan pribadi seperti yang telah dikehendaki oleh Tuhan. Namun keadaan dunia ini tidaklah selalu sesuai dengan yang diharapkan. Dunia saat ini memberikan kepada anak-anak kemudahan-kemudahan untuk melakukan sesuatu yang tidak sesuai dengan yang diajarkan dalam keluarga begitu juga dengan lingkungan sangat mempengaruhi pembentukan pola-pola kepribadian maupun pola-pola sikapnya. Ketika orang tua tidak memberikan kasih sayang kepada anak sejak kecil yang seharusnya diterima oleh anak dan ketika orang tua gagal memberikan kasih sayang kepada anak, maka anak tidak dapat bertumbuh dengan baik dan di sekolah pun anak tidak aktif dalam mengikuti pengajaran. Hal yang lainnya ialah, mereka bertumbuh menjadi anak-anak yang pemalu dan takut untuk tampil didepan umum, juga kurang percaya diri, menganggap diri kurang mampu, tidak hanya di sekolah namun di lingkungan juga. Peristiwa lainnya ialah ketika orang tua tidak terlalu mementingkan pertumbuhan anak, maka akan membuat anak sulit mengikuti pengajaran yang baik di sekolah. Kasus-kasus di atas, adalah akibat kurangnya pastoral konseling terhadap anak pada usia 5-12 tahun sehingga berdampak pembentukan karakter dan emosi yang kurang baik. Oleh sebab itu guru diharapkan mampu untuk mengerti pastoral konseling dengan benar dan menjalankannya didalam pengajaran tiap-tiap hari yang dilakukan seorang guru di sekolah, karena pastoral konseling terhadap anak yang benar akan mempengaruhi kecerdasan anak dan anak dapat merasakan kasih sayang atau perhatian yang seharusnya mereka dapatkan dari orang tua. Children in this world really need guidance from parents which is done with the love of family, especially guidance from parents. With proper guidance and affection, a child will grow into a joy for parents, a blessing to the world, and a bright light for God. The influence of the family or also the teacher who teaches them at school for children's development is very large. Because the teacher is also the main place for the formation of character, character, and personality of children in school. With the help and encouragement from family, friends, and members of extended families, children should feel childhood as a time to find the person who is desired by God. But the state of this world is not always as expected. Today's world gives children the ease of doing things that are not in accordance with what is taught in the family as well as the environment greatly influencing the formation of personality patterns and patterns of attitude. When parents do not give love to children since childhood which should be accepted by children and when parents fail to give love to children, then the child cannot grow properly and even in school the child is not active in following teaching. The other thing is, they grow up to be shy children who are afraid to appear in public, also lack of confidence, consider themselves less capable, not only in school but also in the environment. Other events are when parents are not too concerned with the child's growth, it will make it difficult for children to follow good teaching in school. The cases above, are due to the lack of pastoral counseling of children at the age of 5-12 years, which results in the formation of character and emotions that are not good. Therefore teachers are expected to be able to understand pastoral counseling correctly and carry it out in teaching every day that is done by a teacher at school, because pastoral counseling to the right child will affect the intelligence of children and children can feel the love or attention they should get from parents.

Profiling Dating Apps Users: Sociodemographic and Personality Characteristics

The development of new technologies, the expansion of the Internet, and the emergence of dating apps (e.g., Tinder, Grindr) in recent years have changed the way to meet and approach potential romantic and/or sexual partners. The recent phenomenon has led to some gaps in the literature on individual differences (sociodemographic variables and personality traits) between users (previous and current users) and non-users of dating apps. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between using dating apps, sociodemographics (gender, age, sexual orientation, and relationship status), and bright and dark personality traits. Participants were 1705 university students (70% women, 30% men), aged between 18 and 26 (M = 20.60, SD = 2.09), who completed several online questionnaires. Through multinomial logistic regression analyses, it was found that men, older youth, and members of sexual minorities were more likely to be current and previous dating apps users. Being single and higher scores in open-mindedness were associated with higher probability to be current dating apps user. The dark personality showed no predictive ability. The discussion highlights the usefulness of knowing and considering the sociodemographic background and the characteristics of personality patterns in the design and implementation of preventive and promotion programs of healthy romantic and sexual relationships to improve people’s better health and well-being.