Interpersonal Regulation Research Articles

Perceived teacher empathy and teenagers’ positive academic emotions: The mediating effect of interpersonal emotion regulation

Although teacher empathy has an important influence on adolescents’ positive academic emotions, the mediating mechanism between these two factors remains unclear. This study examines whether interpersonal emotion regulation plays a mediating role in the relationship between perceived teacher empathy and teenagers’ positive academic emotions. A total of 755 teenagers completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the Adolescents’ Academic Emotions Questionnaire, and the Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire. The results revealed significant correlations between two subscales of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, perspective-taking and empathic concern; two dimensions of the Adolescents’ Academic Emotions Questionnaire, high and low positive arousal; and two dimensions of the Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire, positive and negative emotion interpersonal emotion regulation. Perceived teacher empathy positively predicted teenagers’ positive academic emotions, and interpersonal emotion regulation played a mediating role.

Validation of the Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire in sports: measuring emotion regulation via social processes and interactions

ABSTRACT Emotions and emotion regulation within athletic populations have been explored and examined by researchers and practitioners for many years. However, no research within the field of sport psychology has utilised a quantifiable measure of sportspeople’s tendency to use, and perceived efficacy of, interpersonal strategies (i.e., regulating one’s own emotions via social interactions). The present study, therefore, aimed to examine the Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire (IRQ; Williams et al. [2018]. Interpersonal emotion regulation: Implications for affiliation, perceived support, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 115(2), 224. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000132) for use within sporting contexts. Two hundred and sixty-two sportspeople completed the IRQ along with measures of perceived social support, life satisfaction, and mental toughness. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the IRQ to have good model fit to its 4-factor structure and good internal reliability. IRQ scores were associated with greater perceived availability of social support and subjective wellbeing. However, IRQ scores did not correlate with self-reported mental toughness. These results provided support for use of the IRQ as a measure for sportspeople’s trait level of interpersonal emotion regulation.

Interpersonal Emotion Regulation: Consequences for Brands in Customer Service Interactions.

This research demonstrates that interpersonal emotion regulation—attempts to manage others’ feelings—influences consumer perceptions during sales and service interactions impacting brand trust and loyalty. Building on previous research linking interpersonal emotion regulation to improved outcomes between people, across five experiments, we demonstrate that antecedent-focused interpersonal emotion regulation strategies result in enhanced brand loyalty and brand trust compared to response-focused interpersonal emotion regulation strategies. Analysis of mediation models reveals this effect is explained by changes in the consumer’s emotions, which in turn influence evaluations of the service interaction and subsequently impacts brand outcomes. We identify reactance as a moderator of this effect, such that customers with low (high) reactance to interpersonal regulation attempts exhibit more (less) favorable brand trust and loyalty evaluations. Further, we demonstrate that the visibility of interpersonal emotion regulation represents an important boundary condition. These findings support the process model of interpersonal emotion regulation and generate important insights for both theory and practice.

Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation Narrative Therapy for women with ICD-11 complex PTSD related to childhood abuse in Japan: a pilot study

ABSTRACT Background: Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) Narrative Therapy (SNT) has shown efficacy in alleviating symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and improving emotion regulation and interpersonal skills among individuals with complex trauma, such as childhood abuse. Although this therapy is expected to be effective for patients with complex PTSD (CPTSD), no study has directly assessed diagnostic and symptom outcomes. Moreover, the potential of therapy to achieve good outcomes in non-Western countries remains unclear. Objective: This pilot study examined the feasibility, safety, and outcomes of SNT for CPTSD among women with a history of childhood abuse in a Japanese clinical setting. Methods: Ten women aged 21–54 years (M = 29.1 years) with childhood-abuse-related ICD-11 CPTSD were enrolled in this study. The International Trauma Interview and International Trauma Questionnaire were administered to diagnose CPTSD and assess its severity. Symptoms of dissociation and depression, difficulties in emotion regulation and interpersonal relationships, quality of life, and negative cognitions were assessed pretreatment, midtreatment (after the STAIR phase), and immediately posttreatment (after the Narrative Therapy phase), in addition to 3 months after treatment. Results: Seven of the 10 participants completed the treatment. The therapists’ adherence to the therapy protocol was 96.4%, ranging from 93.6% to 100% across therapists. Serious adverse events were not observed. Among the seven completers, six at posttreatment and all at follow-up no longer met CPTSD diagnosis. Exploratory analyses using the linear mixed-effects model showed significant improvements at posttreatment and follow-up for almost all the variables. Conclusions: The results provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility and safety of SNT for CPTSD in a Japanese clinical setting. This study is the first to report the use of SNT for individuals diagnosed with ICD-11 CPTSD using reliable clinician and self-report measures. HIGHLIGHTS This study examined the feasibility and safety of STAIR Narrative Therapy for women with ICD-11 CPTSD related to childhood abuse in a Japanese clinical setting. High therapy adherence was observed. No serious adverse events occurred.

A randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of Parenting-STAIR in treating maternal PTSD to reduce maltreatment recidivism: protocol for the Safe Mothers, Safe Children study

BackgroundChild maltreatment recidivism substantially increases the likelihood of adverse life outcomes, but there is little evidence that family preservation services are effective at reducing recidivism. Mothers in child welfare have very high rates of trauma exposure; maternal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an intervention target that has the potential to reduce abuse and neglect. The Safe Mothers, Safe Children (SMSC) intervention program involves the delivery of an innovative combination of interventions, including Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). The combined intervention, Parenting-STAIR (P-STAIR), targets maternal PTSD and comorbid depression symptoms to reduce the adverse effects of PTSD on parenting, improve positive parenting skills, and prevent maltreatment recidivism.MethodsThis study is a two-arm randomized controlled trial: P-STAIR (23 sessions) versus supportive counseling (23 sessions). Participants are mothers receiving child welfare family preservation services (FPS), with a child in the age range of 1–8 years old and meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD (with/without depression). Clinical assessment occurs at pre-treatment (baseline), two in-treatment assessments (mid-assessment #1 after module 9 and mid-assessment #2 after module 15), post-treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. Recidivism will be measured using the New York State Child Welfare Registry (NYSCWR). We will enroll a total of 220 participants over 4 years: half (N = 110) randomly assigned to the P-STAIR condition and half (N = 110) to the supportive counseling condition.DiscussionThis is the first RCT to investigate the efficacy of P-STAIR. The findings for the trial have the potential to contribute to the expansion of evidence-based practices for maternal PTSD, maltreatment, and child welfare.

The Positive Affect Tolerance and Integration Protocol: A Novel Application of EMDR Therapy Procedures to Help Survivors of Early Emotional Neglect Learn to Tolerate and Assimilate Moments of Appreciation, Praise, and Affection

Survivors of early neglect and other adverse childhood experiences often struggle with general and social anxiety, depressive states, and negative self-concept. Trauma-informed treatment strategies for survivors, such as EMDR therapy, exposure therapy, and cognitive processing therapy, tend to focus on resolving memories of adverse and traumatic experiences. Coping skills development models, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), emphasize training in mindfulness, assertiveness, or self-soothing skills for patients with persistent negative affect states. In the era of trauma-informed psychotherapy, an often-overlooked clinical issue is the impaired ability of survivors of early neglect to tolerate and integrate moments of shared positive interpersonal experience into positive emotional states and positive self-concepts. Survivors of neglect tend to make use of overt or covert avoidance strategies and minimization responses to avoid the discomfort, anxiety, or confusion they experience in what others find to be pleasurable and enriching social interactions. The Positive Affect Tolerance and Integration (PAT) protocol focuses on helping survivors of early emotional neglect to learn to tolerate and assimilate moments of appreciation, praise, and affection. This paper offers principles and a specific series of interventions that incorporate standard EMDR therapy procedures with minor adaptations. In addition to a summary of the PAT protocol, three case examples are described to illustrate selection criteria and potential clinical responses.

Comparing the Ratio of Therapist Support to Internet Sessions in a Blended Therapy Delivered to Trauma-Exposed Veterans: Quasi-experimental Comparison Study.

BackgroundBlended models of therapy, which incorporate elements of both internet and face-to-face methods, have been shown to be effective, but therapists and patients have expressed concerns that fewer face-to-face therapy sessions than self-guided internet sessions may be associated with lower therapeutic alliance, lower program completion rates, and poorer outcomes.ObjectiveA multisite quasi-experimental comparison study with a noninferiority design implemented in routine clinical care was used to assess webSTAIR, a 10-module blended therapy derived from STAIR (skills training in affective and interpersonal regulation) for trauma-exposed individuals delivered with 10 weekly therapist sessions (termed Coach10) compared to 5 biweekly sessions (Coach5). It was hypothesized that Coach5 would be as good as Coach10 in a range of outcomes.MethodsA total of 202 veterans were enrolled in the study with 101 assigned to Coach5 and 101 to Coach10. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression, emotion regulation, interpersonal problems, and social functioning measures were collected pre-, mid-, and posttreatment, and at a 3-month follow-up. Noninferiority analyses were conducted on symptom outcome measures. Comparisons were made of continuous and categorical measures regarding participant and therapist activities.ResultsParticipants reported moderate to severe levels of baseline PTSD, depression, or both. Significant reductions were obtained in all symptom measures posttreatment and at the 3-month follow up. Coach5 was not inferior to Coach10 in any outcome. Therapeutic alliance was at an equivalently high level across the 2 treatment conditions; completion rates and web usage were similar. Total session time was substantially less for the Coach5 therapists than the Coach10 therapists. Both programs were associated with a low, but equal number of therapist activities related to scheduling and crisis or motivational sessions.ConclusionsA blended model delivered with 5 sessions of therapist support was noninferior to 10 sessions in individuals with moderate to severe symptoms. Future studies identifying patient characteristics as moderators of outcomes with high versus low doses of therapist support will help create flexible, technology-based intervention programming.

Functions of Russian verb-derived discourse markers slušaj and smotri from the perspective of information management and interpersonal regulation

While a significant amount of research related to discourse markers in the Russian language has been devoted to particles, very few scholars have focused on verb-derived discourse markers such as slušaj (‘listen’), smotri (‘look’), znaeš’ (‘y'know’), ponimaeš’ (‘d'you understand’), and vidiš’ (‘d'you see’). In this paper, I focus on slušaj and smotri, exploring their functions of information management and interpersonal regulation in talk-in-interaction. Based on data collected from YouTube interview videos, I examine the features of slušaj and smotri in terms of speaker roles, position in utterances, utterance structure, and lexical co-occurrence. A qualitative analysis supported by quantitative results shows how slušaj and smotri perform their information management and interpersonal functions in requesting/providing information, reformulating utterances, establishing contact, and indicating empathy. Considering the similarities and differences observed from the analysis, the results of this study suggest that slušaj is likely to be an interpersonal marker typical of response utterances, while smotri is an information-oriented marker leading a hearer to understand an utterance.

Contemporaneous Emotion Regulation Theoretical Models: A Systematic Review

Background: Emotions and their regulation are a phenomenon present in everyday life. Despite its relevance and growing interest, a consensual and univocal definition has not yet been reached. Objective: This paper aims to review contemporary theoretical models of emotion regulation, looking for agreements and divergences between authors. It seeks to identify the main processes considered when working with emotional dysregulation. Method: Our team conducted a systematic review in the form of a narrative synthesis following the guidelines of the PRISMA statement. The database used were SCOPUS, PUBMED, and Dialnet. We included articles published between 2018 and 2020, which have been peer-reviewed in indexed scientific journals, whose central theme was the theoretical presentation of the construct of emotional regulation. We excluded articles that conceptualized only one dimension of the construct focused on specific populations and empirical studies without a theoretical conceptualization of the construct. The information was systematized in a table identifying authors' information, country of institutional affiliation, main characteristics of the given definition of emotion regulation, regulation skills mentioned, and underlying theoretical frameworks. Results: We identified ten different theoretical frameworks that propose models of emotion regulation. The main components found in the definition were the complexity of the construct, goal orientation, intra- or interpersonal regulation, the proposal of moderators, and its voluntary character. Discussion: There is a consensus on the use of emotion regulation strategies to adapt to environmental demands, achieve goals and increase well-being. We identify that people's learning history is an important factor in the development of emotional regulation skills. In addition, context and personality traits are proposed as moderators of the therapeutic efficacy of interventions focused on emotional regulation. Further studies along these lines would favor the implementation of preventive interventions and the personalization of treatments.

Étude des relations entre régulation émotionnelle (intra- et interpersonnelle), construction de l’identité et usages des jeux vidéo à l’adolescence

ObjectiveThe goal of this study is to investigate the relationships between intrapersonal and interpersonal emotion regulation processes and identity construction regarding video games use among a population of teenagers and young adults. This investigation is made considering gender differences, and is the first to do so in this field of research. MethodsAccording to the scores of the Game Addiction Scale and the game frequency scores, three groups have been formed: non-gamers (NG, n=37, mean age=19.70), non-problematic gamers (NPG, n=133, mean age=18.60) ang problematic gamers (PG, n=37, mean age=20.16). Participants full filled several questionnaires regarding identity construction: the Dimension of Identity Development Scale, the Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale, the Identity subscale of the Erikson Psychosocial Inventory Scale. Regarding emotional processes, the Positive And Negative Affect Schedule, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, and the Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire were completed by our participants. ResultsResults show many relationships between emotion regulation processes (intra- and interpersonal) and identity construction processes, regardless of video game use level. Also, specificities within these processes according to video game use appear: the non-problematic gamers being the group in which we find the most significant links. Our findings also emphasize gender specificities. ConclusionOur results confirm the interdependence between both intrapersonal et interpersonal emotion regulation and identity construction. Nevertheless, it is crucial to consider gender and video game use to understand these relationships, as emotion regulation processes differ according to gender. Our results provide useful perspectives regarding psychotherapeutic caring of teenagers and young adults with problematic video game use and put the emphasis on considering gender specificities to adjust the therapeutic support. In fact, important links were found between interpersonal emotion regulation and identity especially regarding negative emotions among boys; while the relationship between negative tendency of the interpersonal emotion regulation were found only among problematic girls gamers. Therefore, therapeutical care should put the emphasis on emotion processes: intrapersonal and interpersonal regulation but also emotion conscientization and clarity, two dimensions linked strongly to identity formation. Also, therapy may integrate parents, considering their involvement in these emotion processes development. Furthermore, we can also note a partial congruence between the two scales measuring the identity construction, highlighting the importance of the joint use of these two tools.

STAIR Plus Narrative Therapy-Adolescent Version (SNT-A) in An 11-Year-Old Girl With PTSD and Suicidal Behaviors Following Rape/Sexual Assault: A Case Report.

Rape/sexual assault can profoundly affect the physical, mental, and social well-being of victims. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide in rape/sexual assault survivors are significantly more frequent than the national prevalence of the condition, indicating that existing treatments require improvement. In this case report, we presented an 11-year-old Iranian girl with PTSD and suicidal behaviors following rape/sexual assault. We specifically focused on the process of helping the victim to develop effective coping skills and overcome the trauma through 16 weekly sessions of Skill Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR) plus Narrative Therapy-Adolescent Version (SNT-A). During this therapeutic approach, the patient regained emotional control over the traumatic experience and made sense of the experience. Our findings revealed that SNT-A might be an effective intervention to reduce suicidal ideation among adolescent victims of rape/sexual assault. Nonetheless, further investigations in this field need to be carried out through randomized controlled trials.

Examining Cultural Differences in the Associations between Appraisals and Emotion Regulation and PostTraumatic Stress Disorder in Malaysian and Australian Trauma Survivors.

Appraisals and emotional regulation play a central role in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite research demonstrating cultural differences in everyday appraisals and emotion regulation, little research has investigated the influence of culture on these processes in PTSD. This study examined cultural differences in the associations between appraisals, emotion regulation and PTSD symptoms using trauma survivors from an individualistic Western culture (Australia) and a collectivistic Asian culture (Malaysia). Trauma survivors (N = 228; 107 Australian with European cultural heritage, 121 Malaysian with Malay, Indian or Chinese cultural heritage) completed an on-line survey assessing PTSD (PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 with Life Events Checklist), appraisals (trauma-related, fatalism, cultural beliefs about adversity) and emotion regulation (suppression, reappraisal, interpersonal). The Malaysian group reported significantly greater fatalism, cultural beliefs about adversity, suppression and interpersonal emotion regulation than the Australian group. Greater trauma-specific appraisals, greater suppression, fewer cultural beliefs about adversity, and less use of social skills to enhance positivity were generally associated with greater PTSD symptom severity, with little evidence of cultural group moderating these associations. Interdependent self-construal mediated the relationships between cultural adversity beliefs, enhanced positivity, reappraisal, perspective taking and PTSD symptoms. Independent self-construal mediated the relationships between fatalism and perspective taking and PTSD symptoms. Cultural group did not moderate these indirect effects. Interdependent self-construal mediated the associations between interpersonal regulation strategies of soothing and social modelling with PTSD symptoms for the Malaysian but not the Australian group. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering self-construal and culture in understanding factors associated with PTSD.

Complex Trauma Symptoms after Childhood Maltreatment: Strengths and Challenges of the Therapy Program STAIR-NT

The number and type of traumatic experiences (especially childhood maltreatment) appear to increase the risk of developing complex trauma symptoms. There is initial evidence that patients with complex trauma benefit from phase-based therapeutic approaches. STAIR-NT (Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation with Narrative Therapy) is a two-phase trauma therapy approach: emotion regulation and interpersonal skills are learned in the STAIR phase, and in the narrative therapy phase (NT) the exposure to trauma aims at recognizing and changing dysfunctional, trauma-associated assumptions. Experiences with STAIR-NT in the context of a current treatment study show that the two phases provide a clear structure and more security for the treatment. First clinical experiences with STAIR-NT as well as short case vignettes are presented and recommendations for the treatment of patients with complex trauma are given. Concrete practical recommendations are offered for the implementation and individualization on interventions, which among others relate to offender contact, motivational work, handling dissociative states, therapeutic methods (especially exposure), and therapy completion. The close connection between theory and practice facilitates the transfer of learning experiences into everyday life and promotes the strengthening of patients’ self-efficacy and autonomy.

Социоэмоциональная регуляция в условиях коллаборативного обучения: обзор исследований

We analyze studies on socio-emotional regulation in collaborative learning. The features and advantages of collaborative learning are described. We consider The role of academic emotions in the learning process. The emotional background plays an important role in the learning process in general and collaborative learning in particular. Students often experience problems in the emotional sphere during learning process, for the solution of which they use the strategy of “emotion suppression”. In this context, social-emotional interaction plays an important role in the learning process. Positive social and emotional interaction contributes to increased motivation, harmonious functioning of the group and greater involvement in the learning process. Negative socio-emotional interaction creates difficulties for the process of group learning and is realized in directive forms of social regulation. The N.G. Lobczowski’s model describes the process of formation and regulation of emotions in the process of collaborative learning. According to this model, emotion formation spans the first four stages (context, stimulus event, appraisal, and emotional response) leading to the regulation. An important aspect of the socio-emotional interaction is the socio-emotional discourse. To create positive social and emotional conditions for learning, it is important to show interest in other members of the group, express social responsiveness, positively assess the progress in completing the task and the actions of group members, and express mutual support between participants. Solving problems and conflicts between group members is necessary to maintain a sense of cohesion among group members. The solution of the problems associated with the socio-emotional interaction requires the socio-emotional regulation, that is, responding to the manifestation of emotions in the group, solving the problems of the group and supporting positive interaction between group members. Students can apply behavioral, interpersonal, cognitive, motivational and motivational-cognitive socioemotional regulation strategies.

Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire日本語版の信頼性と妥当性

Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire日本語版の信頼性と妥当性

Investigating Everyday Prospective Memory in Younger and Older Couples

Abstract Daily events are not simply individual concepts, but shared by the social environment we live in. The present study investigates the role of romantic partners in the co-regulation of cognitive functioning by the example of prospective memory (PM), the ability to remember and correctly execute future intentions. In this context, we examined the impact of social proximity (i.e., physical closeness and psychological intimacy) on interpersonal regulation. Over the course of 21 days, 64 younger couples (18-33 years) and 52 couples of older adults (57-87 years) completed an ambulatory assessment comprising a daily pseudo-randomized PM task. Results reveal that couples’ PM performance was higher for younger than for older participants. Further, dyadic PM was correlated with psychological intimacy for both age groups, but the impact of time spent together on intimacy and PM performance, respectively, was stronger in older adults. Possible moderating factors and explanations for these findings will be discussed.

Adaptation of the Interpersonal Regulation Scale to Turkish: Validity and Reliability Study

Bu çalışmanın amacı, bireylerin kişilerarası duygu düzenleme davranışlarını gösterme eğilimlerini ve bu davranışların onlar üzerindeki etkinliklerini belirlemeyi hedefleyen Kişilerarası Düzenleme Ölçeği (KDÖ)’nin (Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire - IRQ) Türkçeye uyarlanması ve ölçeğin psikometrik özelliklerinin incelenmesidir. Çalışmanın örneklemini yaş ortalaması 21.2 (SS = 1.68) olan 417 üniversite öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Çeviri – tekrar çeviri yöntemi ile ölçeğin Türkçe formunun hazırlanmasının ardından KDÖ ve Stresle Başa Çıkma Tarzları Ölçeği’nin Sosyal Desteğe Başvurma Alt Ölçeği, Berkeley Duygu İfadesi Ölçeği, 5 Faktör Kişilik Ölçeği’nin Uyumluluk Alt Ölçeği, Pozitif ve Negatif Duygu Ölçeği ve UCLA Yalnızlık Ölçeği Kısa Formu katılımcılara uygulanmıştır. Ölçeğin faktör yapısını belirlemek amacıyla açımlayıcı ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizleri yapılmıştır. Ölçeğin ölçüt bağıntılı geçerliliği ise KDÖ’nün diğer ölçüm araçları ile korelasyonları hesaplanarak belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca, ölçeğin test-tekrar test güvenirlik ve Cronbach alfa iç tutarlık katsayıları hesaplanmıştır. Açımlayıcı faktör analizlerinde ölçeğin Türkçe formunun 16 madde ve 4 faktörden meydana geldiği belirlenmiştir. Bu faktörler, negatif eğilim, negatif etkinlik, pozitif eğilim ve pozitif etkinlik olarak isimlendirilmiştir. Faktörlerin varyansın %63.9’unu açıkladığı görülmüştür. Ölçek maddelerinin faktör yük değerlerinin ise .32 ile .81 değerleri arasında değiştiği görülmüştür. Doğrulayıcı faktör analizlerinde elde edilen değerler ise CFI =.97, NNFI = .96, GFI =.91, AGFI = .88, IFI =.97, SRMR = .057 ve RMSEA = .073 şeklindedir. Bu değerler verinin modele kabul edilebilir düzeyde uyum sağladığını göstermektedir. Ölçeğin, diğer ölçüm araçlarının önemli bir kısmıyla da istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde ilişkili olduğu belirlenmiştir. Ölçeğin Cronbach alfa iç tutarlık katsayısı .88; test-tekrar test güvenirliği ise .89 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Bu sonuçlar, KDÖ’nün Türkçe formunun geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçüm aracı olduğuna işaret etmektedir.

Phase-based treatment versus immediate trauma-focused treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder due to childhood abuse: randomised clinical trial

Background It is unclear whether people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and symptoms of complex PTSD due to childhood abuse need a treatment approach different from approaches in the PTSD treatment guidelines. Aims To determine whether a phase-based approach is more effective than an immediate trauma-focused approach in people with childhood-trauma related PTSD (Netherlands Trial Registry no.: NTR5991). Method Adults with PTSD following childhood abuse were randomly assigned to either a phase-based treatment condition (8 sessions of Skills Training in Affect and Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), followed by 16 sessions of eye-movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy; n = 57) or an immediately trauma-focused treatment condition (16 sessions of EMDR therapy; n = 64). Participants were assessed for symptoms of PTSD and complex PTSD, and other forms of psychopathology before, during and after treatment and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Results Data were analysed with linear mixed models. No significant differences between the two treatments on any variable at post-treatment or follow-up were found. Post-treatment, 68.8% no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria. Self-reported PTSD symptoms significantly decreased for both STAIR–EMDR therapy (d = 0.93) and EMDR therapy (d = 1.54) from pre- to post-treatment assessment, without significant difference between the two conditions. No differences in drop-out rates between the conditions were found (STAIR–EMDR 22.8% v. EMDR 17.2%). No study-related adverse events occurred. Conclusions This study provides compelling support for the use of EMDR therapy alone for the treatment of PTSD due to childhood abuse as opposed to needing any preparatory intervention.

Discursive Strategies of Indirect Apology in English-Language Personal Communication

Introduction. The urgency of the paper is due to the increased interest of linguists in the harmony of interaction and polite interpersonal communication maintenance and restoration. By means of discursive parameters of the communicative situation of apology modelling the research aims to identify the linguistic and strategic peculiarities of their realization in the form of direct and indirect apologies, and to describe the discursive and pragmatic specificity of indirect apology scenario, which prevails in the English-language interaction.Methodology and sources. The research is carried out on the material of modern British writers’ original texts (R. Joyce, J. Rowling, R. Golman) and scripts of feature films in English (Bridget Jones’ Diary, directed by Sharon Maguire, Emma – Directed by Douglas McGrath, etc.) selected by means of a continuous selection method, 172 text excerpts verbalize direct or indirect apologies. The speech act of apology, being a unit of the analysis, is aimed at demonstrating awareness of interpersonal relations and polite communication conventions violation. Linguistic-and-pragmatic analysis of direct and indirect apologies application stipulated the use of parametric modelling method, which involves building a model of communicative situation with the identification of constants, or parameters that vary and adapt to the circumstances of their use. The study of the strategic and tactical peculiarities of communicative behavior in situations with explication of indirect apology was performed by using content analysis method. It was accompanied by application of interpretive analysis of motives, reasons and conditions. In the course of the study, content analysis was applied to state out the subject matter of apologizing and forgiveness statements within the framework of a categorical communicative situation and the subsequent description of their lexical, grammatical, and syntactic peculiarities.Results and discussion. In order to restore harmony broken by accidental or deliberate violation of norms and conventions the communicants use direct or indirect apologies in situations of interpersonal interaction. The parametric modelling method application has enabled the identification of scenario realization variability and proved its conformity with direct and indirect apology strategies. The scenario realization mostly depends on the assessment of severity of the damage caused. The pragmatic-and-linguistic peculiarities of direct and indirect apology scenarios development in English speech practice have been considered and described. The immediate apology intention, which is verbalized in t he speech act of forgiveness request, constitutes the basis for direct apology scenario and is intensified by algorithmized sequence of speech-behavioral actions, such as admitting the guilt, giving excuses, shifting blame, communicating feelings, calling for empathy. In situations of indirect apology, as compared with the direct apology scenario, the replacement of a request for forgiveness by means of one or several speech actions is observed, which confirms the hypothesis of their compensating function in English-speaking interpersonal communication. The paper presents the results of a quantitative and qualitative calculation, which has enabled the researchers to draw a conclusion about the strategic preferences of English-speaking communicants, their gender-stipulated choice, frequency and effectiveness of speech actions application whilst the identified variants of apology scenarios implementation.Conclusion. The discursive strategies of indirect apology, which are expressed by means of speech acts of fault intensification and minimizing, uttered in case of offence or damage of various degree caused to a person, are viewed as value -oriented means of interpersonal relations regulation in the English-speaking community. They reveal the specificity of communicative self-distancing and personal space preservation.

Enhancing Flexibility: A Biosocial Model for Resilience to Adversity in Youth With Autism

Flexibility is often associated with resilience from adversity. Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk of stress and trauma yet have inherent difficulties with flexibility, including rigid behaviors, routines, “insistence on sameness,” and lack of social reciprocity. This review highlights literature of physiological and psychological processes related to inflexibility in ASD and proposes a heuristic model to understand mechanisms of resilience in the aftermath of adversity. This article presents the Biosocial Model for Resilience, which posits that interventions that target changes in central, autonomic, and endocrine dysregulation may in turn enhance processes of psychological flexibility (i.e., executive cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal regulation) that increase the likelihood of resilient adjustment in response to stressful experiences. This model of resilience is optimistic in positing that, in addition to critical programs on the prevention of social adversity, future research on flexibility can inform intervention programs that target this specific mechanism to minimize harmful aftereffects in youngsters with ASD.