Early Memories Of Warmth Research Articles

The effect of childhood memories of happiness and peace on distress tolerance: the mediating role of emotional intelligence

BackgroundThe main objectives of this study were to examine whether childhood memories of happiness and peace are associated with distress tolerance and to determine whether distress tolerance mediates the relationship between childhood memories of happiness and peace. We hypothesized that childhood memories of happiness and peace are directly and indirectly associ-ated with distress tolerance through emotional intelligence.Participants and procedureParticipants consisted of 538 individuals aged between 19 and 27 years and in emerging adulthood. Among these partici-pants, 426 were female and 112 were male. The data collection tools used in this study included the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale, the Distress Tolerance Scale, and the Rotterdam Emotional Intelligence Scale. A multiple medi-ation model was analysed using the bootstrapping technique.ResultsEarly memories of warmth and safety, other-focused emotion evaluation, self-focused emotion control, and distress toler-ance were positively correlated. Early warm and safe memories were positively correlated with self-focused, other-focused, and self-regulated emotions. However, self-focused emotion appraisal did not substantially affect distress tolerance. Boot-strapping technique indicated that early memories of warmth and safeness increased other-focused emotion appraisal and self-focused emotion regulation and increased distress tolerance. Early memories of warmth and safeness did not indirectly affect distress tolerance through self-focused emotion appraisal and other-focused emotion regulation.ConclusionsWe found positive associations between distress tolerance, early warmth and safety memories, and other- and self-focused emotion regulation. Early memories of warmth and safeness directly raised distress tolerance, without mediation by self-focused emotion evaluation or other-focused emotion control.

Bullying Behaviors of Adolescents: The Role of Attachment to Teachers and Memories of Childhood Care

Bullying is a social phenomenon that involves the repetition of aggressive, intentional and harmful behaviors directed at a specific person. Currently, one in three children is a victim of bullying. The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between the quality of the relationship with teachers, memories of childhood care and bullying in adolescents. The sample consisted of 416 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years old. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Cuestionario de Evaluación de la Violencia entre Iguales en la Escuela y en el Ocio, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment and the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale. The results demonstrated that bullying behaviors are more often perpetrated by males and with higher levels of aggression in private schools. They also revealed that students who perceive higher levels of support, understanding, trust and openness from teachers tend to be less likely to be targets of bullying. The results also demonstrated a relationship between positive memories of childhood care and students’ perceptions of greater support, understanding, trust and openness from their teachers. An analysis of the results was discussed considering attachment theory due to the implications of memories of primary care and the quality of teacher–student relationships regarding bullying.

"Help Me Control My Impulses!": Adolescent Impulsivity and Its Negative Individual, Family, Peer, and Community Explanatory Factors.

The literature shows that impulsivity, prevalent in adolescence, is negatively linked with a variety of psychosocial factors (e.g., positive interpersonal relationships, emotion regulation); however, there is limited research examining the relative contribution of multiple factors for this trait nor exploring how these factors influence the associations between impulsivity and risk-related outcomes. Drawing on multiple components of the unified theory of development (i.e., psychological variables, peers subsystem, community subsystem, family processes subsystem), this cross-sectional study aims to identify explanatory psychosocial variables (i.e., early memories of warmth and safeness, rational decision-making style, resilience, emotion regulation, coping, parental attachment, social group attachment, satisfaction with school and family-related variables) that are negatively related with impulsivity, in younger (13-15) and older (16-19 years) adolescents, and explore their moderating role in the associations between this trait and some risk-related outcomes (i.e., verbal aggression, anger, self-harm, other high-risk behaviors). A representative sample of 6894 adolescents (52.9% female) living in the Azores (Portugal), with ages ranging from 13 to 19 (M = 15.4), was used. Two stepwise multiple regressions, one for each age group, revealed that only emotion regulation, parental attachment, and social group attachment had a negative effect on impulsivity in both age groups; additionally, satisfaction with teachers also had this effect in younger adolescents. The first three variables weakened the positive associations between impulsivity and the risk-related outcomes. These results suggest that the psychological system and all subsystems of the social context measured play a relevant role in explaining adolescent impulsivity and that it may be reduced by promoting emotion regulation, positive parenting practices, healthier relationships with peers, and healthier relationships with teachers.

The Enhancing Role of Emotion Regulation in the Links between Early Positive Memories and Self-harm and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescence

Adolescence is a critical developmental period associated with an increased variety of interrelated risks and vulnerabilities. Previous studies have found associations between early memories of warmth and safeness, as well as emotion regulation, and self-harm and suicidal ideation in adolescence. Additionally, these early emotional memories have been found to be positively linked with some indicators of emotion regulation during this period. The present cross-sectional study extends prior research by exploring the moderating role of emotion regulation in the relationships between early memories of warmth and safeness, as well as each of the following risk-related outcomes in adolescence, in younger (i.e., 13–15) and older (i.e., 16–19) adolescents: suicidal ideation and self-harm and its associated functions (i.e., automatic and social reinforcement. Three self-report measures of these early emotional memories, emotion regulation, and risk-related outcomes, and a sample of 7918 Portuguese adolescents (53.3% females), with ages ranging from 13 to 19 (Mage = 15.5), were used. In both age groups, at high levels of emotion regulation, early memories of warmth and safeness had a greater (negative) effect on suicidal ideation and the automatic reinforcement function of self-harm, compared to at average and low levels of emotion regulation. These findings highlight the enhancing role of emotion regulation on the associations between early memories of warmth and safeness and some risk-related outcomes in adolescents, both younger and older, which reveals the relevance of targeting emotion regulation when preventing or tackling these outcomes, regardless of adolescents’ levels of early memories of warmth and safeness.

Early Emotional Experiences and Prosocial Behavior among Chinese Adolescents: The Roles of Psychological Suzhi and Subjective Socioeconomic Status.

Prosocial behavior plays a vital role in adolescents' well-being and social functioning, with the recall of early emotional experiences being a major influence. Positive experiences such as early memories of warmth and safeness (EMWS) contribute to prosocial interpersonal characteristics, whereas adverse experiences such as child psychological abuse and neglect (CPAN) lead to social withdrawal or behavioral problems. The direct effects of EMWS and CPAN on prosocial behavior were investigated in this study, along with the mediation effect of psychological suzhi and the moderation effect of subjective socioeconomic status (SSS). A sample of 948 adolescents (Mage = 14.05 years, SD = 1.68 years; 43.6% females) was randomly recruited to complete self-report questionnaires. Correlation results indicated that EMWS promoted prosocial behavior, whereas CPAN was negatively associated with prosocial behavior. Path analyses confirmed the mediating role of psychological suzhi on the effects of EMWS and CPAN on prosocial behavior. SSS was shown to moderate the effects of EMWS on prosocial behavior and CPAN on psychological suzhi. Compared to lower SSS, higher SSS would reinforce the positive impact of EMWS on prosocial behavior and exacerbate the negative impact of CPAN on psychological suzhi. The current study provided new insight into understanding the underlying mechanisms of prosocial behavior from the perspective of early emotional experiences.

Early memories of warmth and safeness with peers and borderline personality features in adolescents: The mediator role of self-disgust

IntroductionAdolescence is a development stage that stands out by normative challenges that comprise the creation of representations about the self and the others, the definition of a sense of identity, and adaptation of emotional regulatory strategies and behaviors in social contexts, particularly within the group of peers. However, these developmental tasks can raise psychological difficulties that may facilitate the emergence of psychopathology in adolescents.ObjectivesAnalyze the role of self-disgust in the relationship between early memories of warmth and safeness with peers and borderline personality features in adolescents.MethodsSample was composed of 451 adolescents (260 females and 185 males), with a mean of 15.55 years of age (SD = 1.49), who completed self-report questionnaires to assess early memories of warmth and safeness with peers (EMWSSPeers-A), self-disgust (MSDS-A) and borderline features (BPFS-C). Pearson’s correlation coefficients and a path analysis were performed using SPSS and PROCESS Macro.ResultsGirls had higher values of self-disgust and borderline features than boys, as well as similar levels in early memories of warmth and safeness with peers. The mediation model was significant and explained 54% of the variance of the borderline traits, with early emotional positive memories with peers and self-disgust dimensions contributing significantly to the explanation model. Gender and exclusion (a specific dimension of the self-disgust scale) did not have predictive power in borderline features.ConclusionsOur results contribute to a better understanding of the psychological mechanisms involved in the development of borderline traits and consequently to clinical practices and research on adolescence.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Relationship Between Warm Childhood Memories and Mobile Phone Addiction: A Moderated Mediation Model.

Childhood experiences have an important effect on mobile phone addiction, but the relationship between positive childhood experiences and mobile phone addiction and its underlying mechanisms should be explored further. This study aims to explore a model linking early memories of warmth and safeness to mobile phone addiction via the mediating role of alexithymia and moderating role of negative coping styles. A total of 379 Chinese college students (Mage = 19.80years, SD = 1.38; 240 females) completed a questionnaire consisting of the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Mobile Phone Addiction Scale, and Negative Coping Styles Scale. Results indicate that early memories of warmth and safeness are negatively correlated with mobile phone addiction, and alexithymia plays a mediating role in the link between early memories of warmth and safeness and mobile phone addiction. In addition, negative coping styles significantly moderate the relationship between early memories of warmth and safeness and alexithymia, specifically, the negative association between early memories of warmth and safeness and alexithymia is highly significant at high (vs. low) negative coping styles levels. The findings suggest that early memories of warmth and safeness are an important protective factor against mobile phone addiction, which enrich the literature on mobile phone addiction and provide empirical support for the prevention of mobile phone addiction.

Early memories of warmth and safeness, and current social safeness: Longitudinal contributions for girls’ body appreciation

Early memories of warmth and safeness, and current social safeness: Longitudinal contributions for girls’ body appreciation

Childhood Emotional Incest Scale (CEIS): Development, validation, cross-validation, and reliability.

Describing a maladaptive parent-child relationship wherein a parent turns to a child for the satisfaction of emotional and/or relational needs, emotional incest remains an underinvestigated phenomenon. This is partly due to a lack of an empirically based measure of childhood emotional incest, and as a result, a 2-factor, 12-item scale was created based on expert opinion and a preliminary study of 319 university students. Each consisting of 6 items, the factors were called "Surrogate Spouse" and "Unsatisfactory Childhood." A follow-up study conducted with a second sample of 415 participants supports the 2-factor structure as a good fit to the data as well as the invariance of the scale across genders. The Childhood Emotional Incest Scale (CEIS) demonstrates good convergent validity with childhood emotional neglect (r = .58) and emotional abuse (r = .52) as well as good divergent validity with early memories of warmth and safeness (r = -0.54). The CEIS has also been found to be a stronger predictor of decreased life satisfaction and increased anxiety than the Parent-Focused Parentification subscale. Based on the values of internal consistency, composite reliability, and test-retest reliability, both factor and total scores of the CEIS can also be considered reliable. Therefore, as a measure of childhood emotional experiences for the retrospective assessment of adults, the 12-item CEIS can be utilized in the research of counseling, psychology, and education, particularly with regard to expanding knowledge into the roots and consequences of emotional incest and promoting parenting practices and marital/relational dynamics that are more functional. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Depression in Institutionalized Adolescents: The Role of Memories of Warmth and Safeness, Shame and Self-criticism.

Institutionalization is a current problem, related to several indicators of psychological maladjustment. In the same way, there are several studies that point to the role of shame and self-criticism in the development of psychopathology. Therefore, our study explored, in institutionalized adolescents, whether early memories of warmth and safeness (EMWS) were associated to depression through external shame and self-criticism. The sample included 171 institutionalized adolescents (60.2% girls; Mage = 15.56; SD = 1.49). Depression, EMWS, external shame and self-criticism were assessed. The EMWS didn't show a direct effect on depression, exerting its effect indirectly through external shame and self-criticism. The relationship between EMWS and self-criticism was fully mediated by external shame, and the relationship between external shame and depression was fully mediated by self-criticism. In conclusion, the way the individual sees and relates to the self seems to impact on psychological adjustment and in the development of psychopathology. The fact that external shame and self-criticism fully mediated the relationship between EMWS and depression emphasizes the relevance of preventive and therapeutic approaches that aim to promote a healthier way of relating to the self.

The Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale: Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance

ObjectivesResearch has shown that rearing styles and early emotional memories, especially those related to feelings of threat or safeness, play a key role in subsequent emotional and social adjustment throughout the lifespan. Several authors have argued for the study of early memories of warmth and safeness rather than rearing styles. The Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale (EMWSS) has proven to be a valid instrument to do so. This study adds to previous research about the EMWSS by investigating its dimensionality throughout confirmatory analysis procedures and its measurement invariance between male and females in an adult sample. MethodsA sample of 502 adults (51.2% female, Mean age = 36.46 years, SD = 13.79) recruited from a community sample in Portugal was collected. In addition to the EMWSS, participants completed measures of recall of parental rearing behavior, attachment, self-criticism, self-reassuring, self-compassion and psychopathology. ResultsA one-factor measurement model revealed a good fit to the data and the instrument showed excellent internal consistency, with a Cronbach alpha of .96. The EMWSS also proved to be gender invariant. Regarding construct validity, the EMWSS was found to be associated with external variables in the expected direction. LimitationsThe convenience sample used might be not representative of the general population. ConclusionThis work highlights the relevance of the EMWSS in helping to advance knowledge on how early memories of warmth and safeness impact on psychopathological outcomes, and of making it available for use in research and clinical settings.

The soothing-affiliation system and body appreciation: recollected and present affect

ABSTRACTAttachment and affiliation-related affect has been stated to be a powerful regulator of human development, maturation, well-being and health. Accordingly, as research on positive body image has evolved, data on the association between non-judgmental interpersonal relationships and body appreciation has emerged. The present study sought to explore a model linking memories of early affiliative relationships with body appreciation via higher current social safeness and the experience of positive affect in a sample of Portuguese women aged between 18 and 50 years (N = 286). Online data collection occurred throughout 2017. The multivariate analyses of the hypothesized model revealed good fit to the data, and results showed that early memories of warmth and safeness were associated with body appreciation via higher current social safeness and higher safeness/contentment affect. Safeness/contentment affect was the positive affect revealed as being more strongly related to body appreciation. These results provide strong support for the importance of early and current emotional bonds for women’s body appreciation and suggest that therapists should consider the cultivation of affiliation skills when promoting positive body image.

Self-to-others and self-to-self relationships: paths to understanding the valence of body image and eating attitudes in emerging adult women.

Interpersonal and intrapersonal factors contributing to body appreciation in emerging adult women remain poorly explored. Thus, the present study aimed to test the impact of early memories of warmth and safeness with peers, self-compassion, and social safeness, in body appreciation and in disordered eating attitudes and behaviours. A total of 387 womenaged between 18 and 25 completed a set of self-report questionnaires. Data were analysed through descriptive and correlation statistics, and the suitability of a theoretical model was explored via path analysis. Self-report instruments assessed participants' weight and height, early memories of warmth and safeness with peers, self-compassion, social safeness, body appreciation, as wellas disordered eating. Early memories of warmth and safeness with peers associated with higher self-compassion and feelings of social safeness, which were both positively linked to body appreciation. Body appreciation associated with a lower display of disordered eating. It seems that childhood and adolescent experiences may have an important influence on the development of self-to-self and self-to-others secure relationships, with consequences on the way women behave and relate with their unique body characteristics. The pertinence of developing self-compassion and affiliative skills to promote positive body image among femalesis suggested, as well as ofapplying compassion-based strategies when clinically approaching symptoms of eating disorders. Cross-sectional descriptive study, Level V.

Early shame and safeness memories, and later depressive symptoms and safe affect: The mediating role of self-compassion

Compassion focused therapy (CFT) is a promising treatment for depression, especially where there are features of shame. CFT works to reduce fears of compassion, and develop compassion competencies, to alleviate distress and cultivate safe affect. While the relationship between fears of compassion, early emotional memories and depression is empirically supported, our aim was to explore the role of compassion competencies in these associations. A general population sample of 223 participants completed questionnaires measuring traumatic qualities and centrality of shame memories, early memories of warmth and safeness, compassion for others, from others and self-compassion, and depressive symptoms and safe affect. Results showed that shame memories’ traumatic qualities and centrality correlated positively with depressive symptoms and negatively with safe affect, compassion from others and self-compassion, while early memories of warmth and safeness correlated negatively with depressive symptoms and positively with safe affect and self-compassion. Self-compassion had the strongest correlations with depressive symptoms and safe affect. Path analysis revealed self-compassion as the only significant mediator on associations between early emotional memories, depressive symptoms and safe affect. Clinical implications include support for developing compassion competencies when working with depression and shame, and working directly with early emotional memories themselves.

Determining The Predictors of Self-Efficacy and Cyber Bullying

In this study, it was aimed to determine the variables affecting self-efficacy and cyber bullying. The participants of the study were 223 high school students. The data was collected through the use of self-administered questionnaires which were the General Self-efficacy Scale, the Gratitude Scale, the Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness Scale and the Revised Cyber Bullying Inventory. Results of structural equation modeling analysis revealed that self-efficacy was affected by early memories of warmth and safeness and cyber bullying was affected by being a cyber victim. All goodness of fit indices of the model in this study was satisfactory. The results of the study demonstrated the importance of early memories of warmth in improving self-efficacy and preventing cyber victimization is effective in decreasing cyber bullying.

The Origins of Fears of Compassion: Shame and Lack of Safeness Memories, Fears of Compassion and Psychopathology

ABSTRACTEmpirical and clinical research suggests that some individuals find self-generating compassion and receiving compassion from others difficult and aversive. However, it is unclear how these fears of compassion are linked to early experiences and to psychopathological symptoms. This study explores the relationship between shame traumatic memories, centrality of shame memories, early memories of warmth and safeness, fears of compassion, and depression, anxiety and paranoid symptoms. Participants were 302 individuals from the general community population, who completed self-report measures of fears of compassion, shame memories, early affiliative memories, and psychopathology. Shame traumatic and central memories were positively associated with fears of compassion for self, for others and from others, whereas early memories of warmth and safeness were negatively related to such fears. Path analyses revealed that fears of compassion for self and of receiving compassion from others mediated the effects of shame traumatic memory, centrality of shame memory and early memories of warmth and safeness on depressive, anxious and paranoid symptoms. These findings have implications for therapeutic interventions as these fears, as well as the negative shame-based emotional memories fuelling them, may need to be addressed in therapy to assist patients in self-generating and receiving compassion.

Early memories of warmth and safeness and eating psychopathology: The mediating role of social safeness and body appreciation

Research on human development and functioning has highlighted the importance of earlyemotional and relational experiences. Particularly, an association between the absenceof early positive memories and the presence of disordered eating has been evidenced byrecent investigations. However, the study of the mechanisms underlying this associationremains unclear.Using a sample of 490 women, the hypothesis that early positive memories are negativelyassociated with disordered eating via social safeness and a positive relationship withone’s body image was tested via path analysis. The tested model explained 51% of eatingpsychopathology’s variance, and revealed a good adjustment to the empirical data. Additionally, social safeness and body appreciation were revealed as mediators of the impact of early warm and safe memories on disordered eating, when controlling for the effect of BMI.These findings suggest the importance of targeting social safeness and acceptance, especiallywhen defining potentially effective programmes for the prevention of eating disorders.

Assessing positive emotional memories with peers: The Early Memories of Warmth and Safeness with Peers Scale for adolescents

Research on the association between early positive relational experiences and later psychosocial adjustment is growing. The quality of peer relationships may have a particularly important effect on adolescents' wellbeing and mental health. The current study aimed at examining a measure of personal emotional memories of peer relationships characterized by warmth, safeness and affection, which occurred in childhood and adolescence (EMWSSPeers-A).Distinct samples (N = 584) of adolescents aged between 12 and 18 were used to assess the EMWSSPeers-A′ factorial structure through a Principal Component Analysis and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and to analyse the scale's psychometric properties.Results indicated a one-dimensional structure with 12 items with very good internal consistency, and construct, convergent, divergent and incremental validities.By allowing the examination of the role played by memories of positive peer relationships on adolescents' psychological adjustment, the EMWSSPeers-A may be potentially useful for future model testing and for the assessment of interventions.

Defensive Responses to Early Memories with Peers: a Possible Pathway to Disordered Eating.

Childhood and early adolescence experiences, specifically those that provide an adulthood enriched with warm and safe memories, are consistently stated in literature as powerful emotional regulators. In contrast, individuals who scarcely recall positive experiences may begin to believe that others see the self as inferior, inadequate and unattractive. In order to cope with a perceived loss of social desirability and achieve other's acceptance, individuals may become submissive, and women, particularly, may resort to the presentation of a perfect body image. Both mechanisms are defensive responses suggested to be associated with mental health difficulties, particularly disordered eating behaviors. The present study aimed at exploring the association between early memories of warmth and safeness with peers and eating psychopathology. Also, a path analysis was conducted to investigate the mediator role of submissiveness and perfectionistic self-presentation focused on body image on this association, in a sample of 342 female students. Results revealed that the absence of early positive memories with peers holds a significant effect over eating psychopathology's severity, and also that this effect is mediated through submissiveness and body image-related perfectionistic self-presentation. This model accounted for 13%, 19% and 51% of submissiveness, perfectionistic self-presentation of body image and eating psychopathology's variances, respectively, and showed excellent model fit.

Early memories of warmth and safeness and eating psychopathology: the mediating role of social safeness and body appreciation

Early memories of warmth and safeness and eating psychopathology: the mediating role of social safeness and body appreciation