Interpersonal Reactions Research Articles

Turning Towards the Affective: Medical Semiotics of Child Maltreatment in Denmark

ABSTRACT Signs of child maltreatment may be physical and detectable by clinical examination but may also arise as a feeling of strangeness that sparks uncertainty. Based on fieldwork in Danish general practice, and thinking along recent discussions around semiotics and affect, the article explores how feelings of “strangeness” arise in child consultations. It focuses on how subjective, embodied, and interpersonal reactions arise, how signs, however tactile and arbitrary, are felt and experienced, and how engaging with affective aspects when doing diagnosis, could expand the medical semiotics of child maltreatment.

The relationship between empathy and school adjustment of left-behind children: The mediating role of coping styles.

To investigate the effects of left-behind children’s empathy and coping styles on school adjustment, 605 left-behind children in the third grade from three rural elementary schools in Suzhou, Anhui Province were selected to complete the Chinese version of the Interpersonal Reaction Index Scale, the Coping Style Scale, and the School Adjustment Behavior Scale for Primary and Secondary School Students. The results showed that (1) emotional empathy positively predicted children’s social competence, and negatively predicted children’s antisocial behavior; cognitive empathy positively predicted children’s social competence; (2) the role of positive coping styles mediated the relationship between cognitive empathy and social competence, and that between cognitive empathy and antisocial behavior; negative coping styles mediated the relationship between cognitive empathy and antisocial behavior; both positive and negative coping styles mediated the relationship between emotional empathy and social competence, and that between emotional empathy and antisocial behavior. The findings of the study are valuable for understanding the relationship between empathy and school adjustment, which also helps to enhance the school adjustment of left-behind children.

Filling The Secrecy Vacuum: How Perceived Leader Secrecy Invites Gossip and Feedback Seeking?

Our organizational lives are awash with secrecy. Despite its importance in shaping social dynamics at the workplace, interpersonal reactions to secrecy have rarely been empirically investigated within specific relationships. By locating secrecy in the most significant dyadic relationship in organizations (i.e., leader-member relationship), this study aims to reveal how employees respond to and deal with their experienced leader secrecy—leader intentionally keeping some information secret from them at work. Drawing from cognitive theories of rumination, we contend that perceived leader secrecy signals to employees for their failure in achieving interpersonal goals and thus gives rise to rumination, which in turn triggers employees to gossip with their coworkers and seek information from the leader and, at the same time, leaves employees in a state of emotional exhaustion. Such mediating effects of perceived leader secrecy on dependent outcomes via rumination are stronger for employees in higher-quality relationships with their leader. By employing an experiment in the Western context (i.e., Study 1) and an experience-sampling study with three daily assessments in the Eastern context (i.e., Study 2), we find support for most of these predictions, except for the relationship between rumination and feedback-seeking from the leader. Interestingly, we found in Study 2 that both gossip and feedback-seeking could not actually eliminate employees’ following perception of leader secrecy. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of our work.

The Struggle Is Real: Employee Reactions to Indirect Trauma from Anti-Black Policing.

Despite increased media coverage of police using lethal force against Black civilians, little research aims to understand how such events affect employees, particularly Black employees, at work. We draw on spillover—transferring emotions and/or behaviors from one domain to another—to examine how collective, indirect trauma, or trauma experienced by a large group of people not directly involved in an event, affected employees at work. Across two studies, we investigated Black and White employees’ differential cognitive (Study 1), emotional, and interpersonal reactions (Studies 1 & 2) to hearing about police officers’ use of lethal force against Black civilians (i.e., collective, indirect racial trauma). Results from a survey with open- and close-ended questions (Study 1) supported our predictions that Black (vs. White) employees would be more upset about police shootings and would think about, talk about, and be more distracted by these incidents while at work. Open-ended responses revealed social support, seeking advice and comfort from our social networks, as a strategy Black and White employees may use to cope with collective, indirect racial trauma at work. Importantly, support communicating mutual understanding—or shared perspective—was particularly important for Black employees. An experiment (Study 2) further probed the emotional and relational consequences of interactions with coworkers and, counter to predictions, found coworkers who expressed pro-police attitudes (i.e., not communicating mutual understanding) in the aftermath of a racially biased shooting were negatively evaluated by Black and White employees. Our findings provide implications for research on spillover and understanding coworker/team dynamics in organizations.

The Social Aftershocks of Voice: An Investigation of Employees’ Affective and Interpersonal Reactions after Speaking Up

We draw on cognitive-motivational-relational theory to build a theoretical model outlining how speaking up affects voicers’ emotions and subsequent social behavior. Across three studies—an experime...

Interpersonal Outcomes of Religious Identity Management at Work

AbstractDespite potential positive intrapersonal outcomes of expressing important aspects of identity, people fear its negative interpersonal consequences. Two complementary studies with triangulating methodologies explore the interpersonal implications of a full range of religious identity management behaviours, from concealing to ardently revealing religion in the workplace. A field experiment manipulating religion and identity management behaviours demonstrated that ardently revealing a religious affiliation improved interpersonal reactions across religious groups. A complementary virtual experiment suggested that the effects of revealing behaviours (whether in relation to one’s religion or another social identity group) on interpersonal reactions were explained by enhanced perceptions of authenticity. Together, these findings provide robust evidence that being open about social group memberships can result in positive interpersonal experiences.

A cognitive behavioural model of the bidirectional relationship between disordered eating and diabetes self care in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

This qualitative study aimed to develop the first cognitive behavioural therapy model outlining the development and maintenance of disordered eating in type 1 diabetes and report on recovery strategies and resilience factors to improve previous theoretical models of type 1 diabetes and disordered eating. Twenty-three women (n=9 with type 1 diabetes and disordered eating, n=5 with type 1 diabetes recovering from disordered eating, and n=9 with type 1 diabetes without disordered eating) participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using grounded theory and individual cognitive-behavioural formulations were developed for each participant to inform the development/maintenance and resilience models. The development/maintenance model summarises commonly experienced vicious cycles of thoughts, feelings and behaviours in type 1 diabetes and disordered eating. The resilience model summarises strategies and knowledge acquired by those with type 1 diabetes in recovery from disordered eating and individuals with type 1 diabetes who did not develop disordered eating. Early adverse life events, past psychiatric history, perfectionist personality traits, difficult experiences around type 1 diabetes diagnosis and its relentless daily management sensitise individuals to eating, weight and shape cues. Alongside physical symptoms/complications, unhelpful interpersonal reactions and inadequate healthcare, vicious cycles of thoughts, feelings and behaviours develop. 'Good enough' psychological adaptation to type 1 diabetes, integrating type 1 diabetes into one's identity, self care and compassion around eating, weight and shape were key protective/post-traumatic resilience factors. This first cognitive behavioural therapy model of type 1 diabetes and disordered eating informed by personal experience will inform an intervention for type 1 diabetes and disordered eating.

Adding maintaining factors to developmental models of anorexia nervosa: An empirical examination in adolescents.

A biopsychosocial approach has been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa (AN), despite only a few of the existing etiological models having received empirical support. The aim of this study was to empirically investigate Herpertz-Dahlmann, Seitz, and Konrad (2011, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-011-0246-y)'s developmental model and to consider if interpersonal reactions to the illness might serve as maintaining factors following the model proposed by Treasure and Schmidt (2013, https://doi.org/10.1186/2050-2974-1-13) METHOD: One hundred adolescents and their families were participated in the study: 50 diagnosed with AN, paired by age and parents' socio-economic status with 50 adolescents without a pathology. Biological, psychological and familial variables were assessed using ten questionnaires and a blood analysis test. Additionally, structural equation modeling was conducted to assess two hypothetical models. The fit of both models was good after the addition of two covariate parameters (e.g., Comparative Fit Index>0.96 and Tucker-Lewis Index>0.95). Premorbid traits were linked to body dissatisfaction and to the number of stressful life events; this in turn was linked to AN symptoms. Biological and familial consequences reinforced this pathology. Our findings provide support for both models, suggesting that inter relationships between bio-psycho-familial variables can influence the course of AN during adolescence.

Comprehensive Treatment of Depression: As Simple as the A-B-C’S

The treatment of depression can become complicated because of the mix of symptoms and the range of interventions that are available. Furthermore, treatment works best when adapted to the unique needs of each client. A simple A-B-C’S framework can help therapists address several key domains that are relevant to the treatment of most depressed clients. Acceptance refers to the process whereby a therapist helps clients to understand and accept their emotional reactions, learning how to express negative emotions in a more constructive manner. Behavioral activation involves the use of structured activities to help clients make specific changes in their daily routine. Cognitive restructuring confronts the negative attitudes and pessimistic expectations that often underlie depressed moods. Social involvement refers to the process whereby the client examines social interactions and interpersonal reactions. Together, the A-B-C’S framework can help to ensure that therapists address several core domains that are relevant to most depressed clients.

Validity of the Grossarth-Maticek and Eysenck personality-stress model of disease: An empirical prospective cohort study

Personality-stress subtypes measured via the Short Interpersonal Reactions Inventory (SIRI) have been claimed to predispose to cancer, cardiovascular disease, or overall good health. We examined such associations in a 1993–1996 study on health risk factors in Australians aged over 50 years. 2197 women and 919 men completed the questionnaire, with nine subscores calculated. After a median 23.4 years, protocols were matched against dates/causes of death (1108 out of 3027 respondents with useable SIRI scores had died). Survival analysis tested for associations between subscores and mortality from all causes, mortality from cancers (30% of deaths), cardiovascular disease (23% of deaths), and other known causes (35% of deaths). Type 2 (CHD-prone) and Type 4 (healthy) scores were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality but not with any-cancer mortality. Despite criticisms of the Grossarth-Maticek and Eysenck data, we found empirical support for some SIRI subtypes. In accord with the Grossarth-Maticek and Eysenck personality-stress model, and consistent with two previous SIRI studies, inverse associations of Type 4 (healthy) scores with all-cause mortality were found and also Type 2 scores predicted CVD mortality. However, no significant relationship was found between Type 1 scores and cancer mortality.

Factors Associated with Burnout Syndrome in Multiprofessional Residents

Abstract: Introduction: Multiprofessional health residents deal with high stress daily, harming patient care, which can cause emotional and interpersonal reactions that contribute to the development of Burnout Syndrome, thus disclosing the importance of identifying the at-risk conditions for the syndrome and possible protection. The objectives of this study were to describe the occurrence of burnout, its impairment dimensions and the association with sociodemographic characteristics in multiprofessional residency professionals. Method: This is a descriptive research with a quantitative approach, conducted with multiprofessional health residents from public hospitals located in a capital of the Midwest region of Brazil. The ISB - Burnout Syndrome Inventory - was employed, using six indices (Positive Organizational Conditions, Negative Organizational Conditions, Emotional Exhaustion, Emotional Distancing, Dehumanization and Professional Achievement), associated with the assessment of sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, marital status, profession, previous work, change of city, living alone, having children, getting another degree, enjoying what you do in your free time, practicing physical activity, having a religion, undergoing a therapeutic process. The logistic regression method was used to verify the association between these characteristics and the diagnosis of burnout syndrome. A total of 134 residents participated in the survey. Results: The results showed that Emotional Exhaustion is present in 91% of participants; Emotional Distance in 89.6%; Dehumanization, in 61.9%; Professional Achievement in 11.2%; Positive Organizational Conditions, in 85.1%; and Negative Organizational Conditions, n 82.1%. A positive association was observed between taking simultaneous courses, male gender and living alone. Conclusion: It is observed that the practice of therapy can reduce the chance of developing the syndrome and it is concluded that there is a high prevalence of burnout syndrome in the assessed group, with it being a response to stress defined by the presence of exhaustion, distancing and dehumanization. Despite these results, the perception of professional achievement remains independent of stress.

Factors Associated with Burnout Syndrome in Multiprofessional Residents

Abstract: Introduction: Multiprofessional health residents deal with high stress daily, harming patient care, which can cause emotional and interpersonal reactions that contribute to the development of Burnout Syndrome, thus disclosing the importance of identifying the at-risk conditions for the syndrome and possible protection. The objectives of this study were to describe the occurrence of burnout, its impairment dimensions and the association with sociodemographic characteristics in multiprofessional residency professionals. Method: This is a descriptive research with a quantitative approach, conducted with multiprofessional health residents from public hospitals located in a capital of the Midwest region of Brazil. The ISB - Burnout Syndrome Inventory - was employed, using six indices (Positive Organizational Conditions, Negative Organizational Conditions, Emotional Exhaustion, Emotional Distancing, Dehumanization and Professional Achievement), associated with the assessment of sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, marital status, profession, previous work, change of city, living alone, having children, getting another degree, enjoying what you do in your free time, practicing physical activity, having a religion, undergoing a therapeutic process. The logistic regression method was used to verify the association between these characteristics and the diagnosis of burnout syndrome. A total of 134 residents participated in the survey. Results: The results showed that Emotional Exhaustion is present in 91% of participants; Emotional Distance in 89.6%; Dehumanization, in 61.9%; Professional Achievement in 11.2%; Positive Organizational Conditions, in 85.1%; and Negative Organizational Conditions, n 82.1%. A positive association was observed between taking simultaneous courses, male gender and living alone. Conclusion: It is observed that the practice of therapy can reduce the chance of developing the syndrome and it is concluded that there is a high prevalence of burnout syndrome in the assessed group, with it being a response to stress defined by the presence of exhaustion, distancing and dehumanization. Despite these results, the perception of professional achievement remains independent of stress.

Social Skills for Students in Helping Profession Working with Groups Under Risk

The lack of comprehensive information concerning the social skills of students in helping professions (psychologists, social workers, pedagogues, and special educators) imposes an important task for educational trainers. Students in training should learn appropriate communion skills for working with diverse vulnerable clients and communities in order to have adequate response to those in need. The data presented in this paper were obtain with use of qualitative and quantitative methods to measure empathy, altruism, and assertiveness in 450 psychology, pedagogue, social work and special education and rehabilitation students (IRI Index of interpersonal reaction, Davis, 1996, Scale of altruism, Raboteg-Šarić, 1993 and Scale of assertiveness, Zdravković, 2004) The results showed that there is a positive relation between the level of empathy and altruism, and a negative relation between the level of empathy and assertiveness in students. In addition, there are significant differences in the birth order, gender, year of study, the quality and the quantity of the education in the field (practical work) that they have participated in during the studies. The obtained results cannot be generalize to all helping professions because of the sample limitation, but they are significant for seeing the current state in regards of the examined characteristics and for building a strategy for their improvement. At the same time, the results present a significant indicator that confirms the idea of redesigning the current study programs that would provide opportunities for the present students to get the needed competencies for providing their professional success.

Social Skills for Students in Helping Profession Working with Groups Under Risk

The lack of comprehensive information concerning the social skills of students in helping professions (psychologists, social workers, pedagogues, and special educators) imposes an important task for educational trainers. Students in training should learn appropriate communion skills for working with diverse vulnerable clients and communities in order to have adequate response to those in need. The data presented in this paper were obtain with use of qualitative and quantitative methods to measure empathy, altruism, and assertiveness in 450 psychology, pedagogue, social work and special education and rehabilitation students (IRI Index of interpersonal reaction, Davis, 1996, Scale of altruism, Raboteg-Šarić, 1993 and Scale of assertiveness, Zdravković, 2004) The results showed that there is a positive relation between the level of empathy and altruism, and a negative relation between the level of empathy and assertiveness in students. In addition, there are significant differences in the birth order, gender, year of study, the quality and the quantity of the education in the field (practical work) that they have participated in during the studies. The obtained results cannot be generalize to all helping professions because of the sample limitation, but they are significant for seeing the current state in regards of the examined characteristics and for building a strategy for their improvement. At the same time, the results present a significant indicator that confirms the idea of redesigning the current study programs that would provide opportunities for the present students to get the needed competencies for providing their professional success.

Psychopathy as an Emergent Interpersonal Syndrome: What Is the Function of Fearlessness?

Lilienfeld and colleagues (this issue) propose that some personality disorders can be conceptualized as emergent interpersonal syndromes (EIS). An EIS elicits negative interpersonal reactions in others. Further, an EIS results from statistical interactions between symptom dimensions that are uncorrelated. As a prototypical EIS, psychopathy is an interaction between boldness (or fearlessness) and interpersonal antagonism. The authors marshal many threads of research to develop an intriguing idea that suggests the "whole" of psychopathy is more than the sum of its parts. Unfortunately, the authors focus primarily on psychopathy, and fail to provide convincing quantitative data for the statistical interaction that forms the basis for their theory. Also missing from this model of personality pathology is a consideration of what function boldness serves; viewing boldness as a means to accomplish the (maladaptive) rewarding goals that motivate the individual high in antagonism and disinhibition may serve to flesh out this theory and our conceptualization of personality pathology more broadly.

Theoretical background, first stage development and adaptation of a novel Integrative Adapt Therapy (IAT) for refugees.

Refugees are confronted with the task of adapting to the long-term erosion of psychosocial systems and institutions that in stable societies support psychological well-being and mental health. We provide an overview of the theoretical principles and practical steps taken to develop a novel psychotherapeutic approach, Integrative Adapt Therapy (IAT), which aims to assist refugees to adapt to these changes. This paper offers the background informing ongoing trials of IAT amongst refugees from Myanmar. A systematic process was followed in formulating the therapy and devising a treatment manual consistent with the principles of the Adaptation and Development After Persecution and Trauma (ADAPT) model. The process of development and refinement was based on qualitative research amongst 70 refugees (ten from West Papua and 60 Rohingya from Myanmar). The therapeutic process was then piloted by trained interventionists amongst a purposively selected sample of 20 Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. The final formulation of IAT represented an integration of the principles of the ADAPT model and evidence-based techniques of modern therapies in the field, including a transdiagnostic approach and the selective use of cognitive behavioural treatment elements such as problem-solving and emotional regulation techniques. The steps outlined in refining the manual are outlined in relation to work amongst West Papuan refugees, and the process of cultural and contextual modifications described during early piloting with Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. IAT integrates universal principles of the ADAPT model with the particularities of the culture, history of conflict and living context of each refugee community; this synthesis of knowledge forms the basis for participants gaining insights into their personal patterns of psychosocial adaptation to the refugee experience. Participants then apply evidence-based techniques to improve their capacity to adapt to the serial psychosocial changes they have encountered in their lives as refugees. The overarching goal of IAT is to provide refugees with a coherent framework that assists in making sense of their experiences and their emotional and interpersonal reactions to the challenges they confront within the family and community context. As such, the principles of a general model (ADAPT) are used as a springboard for making concrete, manageable and meaningful life changes at the individual level, a potentially novel approach for psychosocial interventions in the field.

REATTACH FOR AUTISM: MAKING SENSE

Autism Spectrum Disorders are a complex heterogenous group of clinical characteristics of which lack of central coherence and an atypical overall style of inter-personal reactions (forms of vitality) belong to the core symptomatology. Due to the number of individuals diagnosed with ASD that world-wide is growing rapidly, many research projects aim at detecting the underlying causes or mechanism or prevention and early intervention programs. ReAttach is an intervention for children and adults with ASD that facilitates arousal regulation, multiple sensory processing, coherence, social cognitive training and active learning. The method can be defined as a broader spectrum therapy, embracing neurodiversity and aiming at optimal health and personal and inter-relational development. The aim of this paper is to describe the ReAttach procedure and treatment outcome for ASD and to explain why ReAttach the involvement of parents and partners is required. The effects in terms of changes in clinical presentation and Forms of Vitality of individuals with ASD suggest that ReAttach is an accessible and cost-effective tool to overcome the developmental arrest in ASD.

REATTACH FOR AUTISM: MAKING SENSE

Autism Spectrum Disorders are a complex heterogenous group of clinical characteristics of which lack of central coherence and an atypical overall style of inter-personal reactions (forms of vitality) belong to the core symptomatology. Due to the number of individuals diagnosed with ASD that world-wide is growing rapidly, many research projects aim at detecting the underlying causes or mechanism or prevention and early intervention programs. ReAttach is an intervention for children and adults with ASD that facilitates arousal regulation, multiple sensory processing, coherence, social cognitive training and active learning. The method can be defined as a broader spectrum therapy, embracing neurodiversity and aiming at optimal health and personal and inter-relational development. The aim of this paper is to describe the ReAttach procedure and treatment outcome for ASD and to explain why ReAttach the involvement of parents and partners is required. The effects in terms of changes in clinical presentation and Forms of Vitality of individuals with ASD suggest that ReAttach is an accessible and cost-effective tool to overcome the developmental arrest in ASD.

Personal-adaptive indicators of the sovereignty of the students’ psychological space

The article presents a theoretical and empirical study of personal-adaptive indicators of the sovereignty of the students’ psychological space. The theoretical aspect of the problem emphasizes on viewing the social adaptation and its close relations with an individual’s social activity, aimed to gain knowledge about the world, develop certain principles and specific ways of interaction. It is stressed that an optimal variant of the local interaction between social environment and personality is the psychological space sovereignty, indicated by personal-adaptive characteristics that define the boundaries of an individual’s well-being and health. The paper demonstrates the importance of studying the sovereignty of psychological space in student years.&#x0D; The program of empirical research and the range of mathematical methods used to process the study results, allow specifying the factor symptom complex of personal-adaptive characteristics of students with different levels of psychological space sovereignty. High level is predetermined by an individual’s integral harmony in terms of positive self-esteem, self-regulation of emotions, independence, constructive communication, and life satisfaction, expressed by self-actualization in the signs of autonomy, creativity, and time orientation; friendliness and responsibility, as well as refractory reactions to the environmental stimuli. The medium level of psychological space sovereignty is characterized by emotional maturity, self-composure, sociability, open-mindedness, and outlook well-being; a social adaptation of such individuals is quite developed and focuses on the search of power, indicated by the quest for leadership and domination. Low level of psychological space sovereignty is denoted by personal maladaptive characteristics of the students, who experience emotional discomfort, existential malaise, the destructiveness of interpersonal communicative interaction, emotional immaturity, and dysphoric reactions to the environmental stimuli. The article necessitates on introducing and implementing psycho-correction practice for students with a low level of psychological space sovereignty to overcome potential emotional and maladaptive processes.

Facing exclusion and smiling through the pain: positive emotion expression during interpersonal ostracism.

Background: The present research compares smiling and emotion expression generally to other indicators of negative intra- and interpersonal reactions to ostracism, and in particular negative reactions towards the ostracizers.Methods: A total of N=143 participants (n=55 in Experiment 1 and n=88 in Experiment 2) were ostracized from a web-conference by two other individuals. Facial expressions of participants during the exclusion period were coded using EMFACS and compared to self-reported reactions to ostracism and the sources of the ostracism.Results: Ostracized individuals showed significant levels of both Duchenne (genuine) and non-Duchenne (social) smiling, despite finding ostracism highly aversive, reporting more negative attitudes towards the ostracizing confederates, and (in Experiment 2) higher levels of negative affect. Experiment 2 showed evidence of a self-regulation and display management function of smiling during ostracism in that participants who exhibited more Duchenne smiling during their exclusion also reported higher levels of positive emotion after the ostracism, and were also rated by a group of judges as experiencing more amusement at their exclusion.Conclusion: The web conferencing paradigm used in this study provides an ecologically valid method to study the management of expressive behavior during aversive interpersonal experiences, adding to the existing evidence of facial display management during other types of distressing experience.