Mental Representations Of Self Research Articles

Overlap between Mental Representations of Self and Brand

People's mental representations of self overlap with those of significant others and in-groups. We extend this finding to show that people's mental representations of self also overlap with inanimate, seemingly impersonal, marketplace entities: consumer brands. Our study follows the “including others in the self” paradigm set forth by Aron and colleagues. We use response times to find that characteristics on which the self and a loved brand are similar are relatively more accessible than dissimilar characteristics, indicating self–brand overlap. These findings suggest that self–other overlap extends beyond individuals and in-groups. Psychological implications of the inclusion of brands in the self are discussed.

Searching for the Self in Mind and Brain

Psychological theories of the self as a knowledge representation have important implications for finding the neural representation of the self or the brain module(s) that mediate self-referential thought. The view of the self as a concept suggests that we might have many context-specific selves, not just one. Similarly, there may be a number of modality-specific self-images. The autobiographical self is not a mere list of episodic memories, but more likely a narrative structure that includes the temporal and causal relations among remembered events. Although the mental representation of self is by definition unique, it is possible that its neural representation is not distinguishable from that of other persons; and that the brain modules that process information about the self also process information about other people, if not objects in general.

Mentalization and the Rorschach

The concept of mentalization – the ability to think about mental states (e.g., feelings, intentions, motivations) of self and others – has become increasingly influential in psychoanalysis ( Bateman & Fonagy, 2004 ; Fischer-Kern et al., 2010 ; Fonagy, 1991 ). Unfortunately, the clinical application and further exploration of the construct has been limited by the time-consuming and highly specialized methods used to assess it ( Choi-Kain & Gunderson, 2008 ; Meehan, Levy, Reynoso, Hill, & Clarkin, 2009 ). In that mentalization operates predominantly outside of conscious awareness and involves the assessment of mental representations of self and other, projective measures such as the Rorschach are possibly the most efficient to evaluate and further explore this construct. In this paper we present a conceptual framework for how texture responses (T) as they relate to the ability to form attachments, and human and human movement responses (M+/M–, GHR:PHR) as they relate to empathy, social understanding, and boundary formation, may be utilized in the assessment of mentalization.

The impact of ‘racism’ on the dissociative experiences scale

Despite the difficulty differentiating between the symptomology of dissociative disorders and schizophrenia, Black people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK continue to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and over-represented within the mental health care system. The reasons why remain illusive; however, some researchers have begun asking whether racism plays an integral part. Given that Black people often given racism as a contributing factor to their mental state, and the difficulty differentiating between the symptomology of dissociative disorders and schizophrenia, this study examined the relation between mental representations that might be indicative of the subjective experience of racism and dissociative experiences as evidence of a trauma-related response. A web-based questionnaire was responded to by 255 self-defined Black subscribers to an Ethnic Minority Research Panel. Results showed that youth, low academic achievement, mental representations of self in relation to people who made derogatory race-related comments about others and low self-esteem contributed significantly to the variation in reported dissociative experiences, overall. Therefore, processing of race-related information impacted on the Dissociative Experiences Scale and, therefore, might also explain the over representation of Black people within the mental health system in the UK.

‘So that we might have roses in December’: The functions of autobiographical memory

AbstractAutobiographical memory is not merely declarative and episodic in nature. It also entails explicit self‐reference, chronological organization and causal relations. It entails conscious recollection, in terms of remembering, knowing, feeling or believing. Its functions may be agentic or nonagentic, but all are assigned, not intrinsic, and thus are observer‐relative features of reality. Questions about function risk committing the adaptationist fallacy. Intrapersonally, autobiographical memory is a critical component in the mental representation of self. Interpersonally, autobiographical memory provides a basis for establishing and maintaining social relationships. Autobiographical memory is an individual right, and it may also be an ethical obligation. The popularity of memoir as a literary genre indicates that it is also a means of making money. In a future world of artificial minds with infinite capacity for data storage, there still will be no substitute for the human capacity to remember what really matters and forget what does not. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A randomized controlled trial of intranasal oxytocin as an adjunct to exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder

In humans, oxytocin nasal administration reduces social-threat perception and improves processes involved in communication and the encoding of positive social cues. The aim of this study was to determine whether oxytocin given as an adjunct to exposure therapy improves treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD) as indicated by a comprehensive set of symptom outcome measures. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we administered 24 IU of oxytocin or a placebo in combination with exposure therapy to twenty-five participants who met primary diagnosis for SAD. Participants administered with oxytocin showed improved positive evaluations of appearance and speech performance as exposure treatment sessions progressed. These effects did not generalize to improve overall treatment outcome from exposure therapy. Participants who received oxytocin or placebo reported similar levels of symptom reduction following treatment across symptom severity, dysfunctional cognition, and life-impairment measures. This study shows that the administration of oxytocin improves mental representations of self, following exposure therapy. These effects may be either short term or situation specific. Future research is now needed to determine whether oxytocin can enhance treatment outcomes for SAD when used with greater frequency, with a wider variety of social learning experiences, and in conjunction with interventions that more specifically target change in broader dysfunctional cognitions.

Attachment in adulthood: structure, dynamics, and change

The attachment behavioral system: basic concepts and principles -- A model of attachment-system functioning and dynamics in adulthood -- Normative attachment processes -- Measurement of attachment-related constructs in adulthood -- Individual differences in attachment-system functioning: development, stability, and change -- Attachment-related mental representations of self and others -- Attachment processes and emotion regulation -- Attachment orientations, behavioral self-regulation, and personal growth -- An attachment perspective on interpersonal regulation -- Attachment processes and couple functioning -- Relations between the attachment and caregiving systems -- Attachment and sex -- Attachment bases of psychopathology -- Implications of attachment theory and research for counseling and psychotherapy -- Applications of attachment theory and research in group and organizational settings -- Reflections on attachment security.

Caregiver traumatization adversely impacts young children's mental representations on the MacArthur Story Stem Battery

The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of maternal exposure to family violence, maltreatment, and related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on young children's mental representations of self and caregivers. Participant mothers (n = 24) and children (n = 25) were recruited from a referred sample when they were 4 – 7 years old. Maternal report and child story stem narratives were used. Mothers' experience of domestic violence and severity of violence-related PTSD symptoms robustly predicted more dysregulated aggression, attentional bias to danger and distress, as well as more avoidance of and withdrawal from conflicts presented in the children's story stems. Less narrative coherence was also noted. Traumatized mothers experience and symptoms prior to their child's turning 4 years old adversely affected their child's mental representations from ages 4 – 7 years.

Mental representations of self and others and perceived parenting behaviors in young adults with borderline personality disorder features

본 연구에서는 경계선 성격장애 성향자와 정상 통제집단의 자기 및 타인 표상과 관련 특성, 지각된 부모의 양육행동을 비교하였다. 대학생 357명에게 경계선 성격장애 척도(PAI-BOR), 자기개념 질문지(SCS), 타인개념 질문지(OCS), 상태-특성 분노 표현 척도(STAXI), 성인애착척도(AAS), 자기보고형 애착유형척도(SAS), 그리고 부모 양육행동 척도(PBI)를 실시한 후, 상관 및 회귀분석을 실시하고 경계선 성향자 집단 30명과 통제집단 30명을 선발하여 비교하였다. 연구 결과, 자기개념과 특성 분노가 경계선 성향을 유의미하게 예언하는 것으로 나타났다. 집단비교 결과 경계선 성향자의 자기개념이 더 부정적인 것으로 나타났으나 자기개념의 개인 내 분산은 경계선 성향자에서 오히려 더 작게 나타나서 이들의 자기개념이 일관적이지 않으리라는 가설은 지지되지 않았다. 또한 경계선 성향자가 더 부정적인 타인개념을 지니고 있었으나 타인개념의 개인 내 분산에서는 유의미한 집단간 차이가 없었다. 경계선 성향자는 통제집단보다 특성 분노와 상태 분노가 높고, 분노를 많이 억제하는 동시에 많이 표출하는 것으로 나타났다. 또 경계선 성향자들은 애착불안이 높고, 몰입형 및 두려움형이 많았으며, 통제집단보다 부모가 애정을 덜 주었으며 덜 합리적이고 비일관적인 양육행동을 보였다고 지각하였다. 본 연구 결과는 경계선 성격장애 성향자가 부정적인 자기개념 및 타인개념을 지니며, 분노 조절의 어려움과 부정적인 애착유형을 보이고 부모가 비일관적으로 양육하였다고 지각함을 시사하지만, 이들의 자기 및 타인표상의 일관성에 대해서는 추가적인 연구가 필요하다.

Overlapping Mental Representations of Self, Ingroup, and Outgroup: Unraveling Self-Stereotyping and Self-Anchoring

Smith and collaborators presented strong response time evidence for overlapping mental representations of the self and relevant ingroups, and they interpreted their findings as reflecting that people define themselves in terms of their ingroups. Besides on inferences from ingroup to self (self-stereotyping) however, self-ingroup overlap could also be based on inferences from the self to the ingroup (self-anchoring). The present research tackled this interpretational ambiguity and empirically distinguished self-anchoring versus self-stereotyping as processes possibly under-lying self-ingroup overlap. Results from three studies revealed stronger evidence for inferences from self to ingroup (selfanchoring) than the other way round (self-stereotyping).

A Factorial Representation of Suicidal Ideation among Academically Gifted Adolescents

Suicidal ideation assessment has been employed as an early screening method for identifying adolescents who are at risk for engaging in suicidal behaviors. While recent evidence has emerged that gifted adolescents do not have a higher rate of suicidal ideation, research on the psychological and personality characteristics of gifted youth have demonstrated that they differ from nongifted students in their mental representations of self. Therefore, this study examined the factorial representation for suicidal ideation among an academically gifted population. The results reveal the structure of suicidal ideation for the gifted sample in this study differs from the established normal sample. Further, the factorial representation outlined for suicidal ideation in the gifted sample supported the suicide trajectory model (Stillion & McDowell, 1996), providing a theoretical base for future intervention and refined assessment.

Readjustment 5 months after a first‐time myocardial infarction: reorienting the active self

This paper reports on an interview study exploring the self-regulation process in women and men, 5 months after a first-time myocardial infarction. Somatic, psychological and social factors affect readjustment after a first-time myocardial infarction, and studies have demonstrated substantial rates of depression in patients after myocardial infarction Women report poorer mental health and physical condition than do men. Reconstruction of the self begins when disease poses novel problems and is more likely to occur in cases of long-lasting and disruptive illnesses. Experiencing myocardial infarction is likely to alter a person's mental representation of self. However, the self-regulation process following first-time myocardial infarction is not yet fully understood. Twenty-one people (11 women, 10 men) were interviewed 5 months after first-time myocardial infarction. The grounded theory method provided the strategies for data collection and analysis. Interviewees' definition of themselves as active was threatened by fatigue and other health problems that kept them from taking part in activities as they had done before the heart attack. Although reorienting the active self was central to the process of recovery from myocardial infarction, reorienting was restricted by illness perception and coping. Participants had not established a stable health condition 5 months after first-time myocardial infarction. They mainly preferred to moderate rather than radically change their daily life activities. They needed more knowledge and support. Nurses can help with information and advice on managing daily life activities, including dialogue about lifestyle changes at this phase of readjustment.

A Freudian construct lost and reclaimed: The psychodynamics of personality pathology.

Although many early 20th-century descriptions of personality pathology were unabashedly psychoanalytic, recent editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) have attempted to frame personality disorders (PDs) in atheoretical terms. This article discusses the continuing relevance of psychoanalytic theory for PD diagnosis, research, and treatment. After reviewing the evolution of the PD concept since Freud’s time, 3 psychodynamic constructs central to a contemporary understanding of personality pathology are described: ego strength, defense style, and mental representations of self and others. Research in each area is briefly reviewed, the heuristic value of the psychodynamic perspective is discussed, and unresolved questions and future directions in the psychodynamics of personality pathology are addressed.

Memory perspective and self‐concept in social anxiety: An exploratory study

The mental representation of self and observer perspective images are important maintaining factors in cognitive models of social phobia (Clark & Wells, 1995; Rapee & Heimberg, 1997). This study investigates Libby and Eibach's (2002) hypothesis that the observer perspective is used to recall memories that are incongruent with current self‐concept. A total of 60 participants (divided into high and low social anxiety groups) completed a questionnaire in which they described current self‐concept, recalled four memories of social occasions (two congruent, two incongruent), and rated memory age and vividness. Congruence was defined as memories that “fit” with current self‐descriptions. A qualitative analysis of self‐concept showed that both groups used a similar range of themes. High socially anxious participants recalled more observer perspective memories in the second incongruent memory. Congruence did not influence vividness, but public self‐consciousness did. The implications of the results are discussed and suggestions made for future research.

Representations in Action

Integrating psychoanalytic and action models of development affords a rich, detailed depiction of developmental psychopathology. Psychoanalytic models depict mental representations of self and others as unconsciously organizing and regulating affect, cognition, and behavior, in response to both maturational imperatives and drive related conflicts. Action models emphasize the active, reciprocal, and goal oriented nature of person-context exchanges. In linking the two perspectives, we propose that representations serve as the mechanisms through which individuals shape their development, personality, and well-being. This integrative perspective is illustrated using a clinical case of an adolescent female treated for an eating disorder.

On Attachment to Internal Objects

This paper considers some clinical implications of attachment theory from the perspective of the theory of internal object relationships and the unconscious phantasies that derive from such relationships. The paper focuses on the contributions of Bowlby and his followers, particularly Mary Main, who has developed a language-based methodology to study representational processes in adults and children, bridging the gap between the systematic study of human behavior and clinical psychoanalysis. The theory of inherent role responsiveness in the internal object world—mental representations of self and other in interaction and externalized in complementary role relationships through exchanges of unconscious and conscious messages—is presented as the psychoanalytic complement of Bowlby's theory of internal working models of attachment. Role responsiveness occurs internally as well as externally, so that one can speak of attachment to phantasy objects as well as external objects. Clinical examples illustrate how the therapist, through maintaining a free-floating responsiveness to the patient's enactments, may reconstruct the internal working models of attachment and their origins in the transference. The paperthus illustrates the way in which the origins of phantasy derive from the wished for and feared states related to early experiences of felt security, or lack of it, in relation to the attachment objects, thereby integrating the psychoanalytic theory of phantasy with attachment theory.

Attachment Theory, Psychoanalysis, Personality Development, and Psychopathology

Blatt and Levy place attachment theory and research in a broad theoretical matrix by considering the relationship of attachment patterns to personality development and to different types of psychopathology in adults. Thus Blatt and Levy construct conceptual bridges between the two configurations of personality development and psychopathology that Blatt and colleagues have developed over the past quarter century (e.g., Behrends and Blatt, 1985; Blatt, 1974, 1995; Blatt and Behrends, 1987; Blatt and Blass, 1990, 1996; Blatt and Shichman, 1983) and attachment theory and research. Blatt and Levy identify a polarity that is central to attachment theory and research, the polarity of attachment and separation, and they note that this polarity has also been central in much of classic psychoanalytic theory (e.g., Freud, 1930; Loewald, 1962). This polarity is expressed in attachment theory and research in the differences between avoidant and anxious-preoccupied insecure attachment patterns as well in the distinction between two types of disorganized attachment, helpless-withdrawn and negative intrusive, identified by Lyons-Ruth (1999, 2001). This polarity of attachment and separation, or relatedness and self-definition is also fundamental to personality development that occurs in the hierarchical dialectic transaction of two basic developmental lines—interpersonal relatedness and self-definition (Blatt and Blass, 1990, 1996). This polarity is also inherent in the conception of two fundamental configurations of psychopathology—anaclitic psychopathology, the dependent (or infantile) and hysterical personality disorders—that are preoccupied with issues of interpersonal relatedness, and introjective psychopathology, the paranoid, obsessive-compulsive and depressive personality disorders, in which issues of self-definition and self-worth are dominant (Blatt, 1974, 1995; Blatt and Shichman, 1983). Thus, the identification of this fundamental polarity provides the basis for establishing links between attachment patterns, personality development, and adult psychopathology. Blatt and Levy also attempt to integrate psychoanalytic concepts of the representational world (e.g., Sandler and Rosenblatt, 1965)—the development of concepts of self and significant others—with the internal working models (IWMs) of attachment relationships. This integration enabled Blatt and Levy to bring a fuller developmental perspective to the IWMs of attachment theory and to note that, based on differences in the content and structural organization of the IWMs or mental representation of self and significant others, several developmental levels can be identified in both avoidant and anxious preoccupied attachment. These developmental levels within each attachment style also identifies less and more adaptive forms of both types of insecure attachment. Thus, the integration of the psychoanalytic concepts of mental representation with concepts of the IWM of attachment theory and research enables Blatt and Levy to create a fuller developmental perspective in the study of insecure attachment patterns.

You Are What They Eat: The Infulence of Reference Groups on Consumers' Connections to Brands

The set of associations consumers have about a brand is an important component of brand equity. This paper focuses on reference groups as a source of brand associations, which can be linked to one's mental representation of self to meet self-verification or self-enhancement goals. We conceptualize this linkage at an aggregate level in terms of self-brand connections, i.e., the extent to which individuals have incorporated a brand into their self-concept. Two studies show that brands used by member groups and aspiration groups can become connected to consumers' mental representation of self as they use these brands to define and create their self-concepts. Results from Experiment 1 show that the degree to which member group and aspiration group usage influences individual self-brand connections is contingent upon the degree to which the individual belongs to a member group or wishes to belong to an aspiration group. Experiment 2 finds that for individuals with self-enhancement goals, aspiration group brand use has a greater impact on self-brand connections; for individuals with self-verification goals, on the other hand, member group use has a greater impact.

You Are What They Eat: The Influence of Reference Groups on Consumers’ Connections to Brands

The set of associations consumers have about a brand is an important component of brand equity. In this article, we focus on reference groups as a source of brand associations, which can be linked to one's mental representation of self to meet self‐verification or self‐enhancement goals. We conceptualize this linkage at an aggregate level in terms of self‐brand connections, that is, the extent to which individuals have incorporated a brand into their self‐concept. In 2 studies, we show that brands used by member groups and aspiration groups can become connected to consumers’ mental representation of self as they use these brands to define and create their self‐concepts. Results from Experiment 1 show that the degree to which member group and aspiration group usage influences individual self‐brand connections is contingent on the degree to which the individual belongs to a member group or wishes to belong to an aspiration group. In Experiment 2, we found that for individuals with self‐enhancement goals, aspiration group brand use has a greater impact on self‐brand connections; for individuals with self‐verification goals, on the other hand, member group use has a greater impact.

A Social-Cognitive Neuroscience Analysis Of The Self

Abstract Over the last several years, researchers have begun to appreciate the ways in which questions of interest to personality and social psychologists can be addressed with neuropyschological case material (e.g., Klein & Kihlstrom, 1998; Klein, Loftus, & Kihlstrom, 1996; Macrae, Bodenhausen, Schloerscheidt, & Milne, 1998). In this paper we show how a neuropsychological approach can contribute to our understanding of the mental representation of self. We first review some of the limitations of studies of self that rely on findings from normal participants, and show how these can be overcome by examining the performance of patients with neuropsychological impairments. We then present the case of patient D.B., who suffered profound amnesia as a result of anoxia following cardiac arrest, as an example of the way in which the study of neuropsychological syndromes can cast important new light on questions concerning the mental representation of self.