Patterns Of Interpersonal Relationships Research Articles

Characteristics of Internet Use in Relation to Game Genre in Korean Adolescents

As the number of internet users increases, a new game genre using the internet as a networking tool is emerging. Some game genres are regarded as having greater addiction potentials than others. Games and the internet are closely related. We investigated games frequently used by adolescents and classified each of them with the help of game professionals. We also examined internet use patterns to identify relationships between game genre and internet use patterns. 627 middle school and high school students (male 488, female 139) completed questionnaires concerning computer and game use patterns and Korean internet addiction scales. Game genres were divided into eight criteria (simulation, role playing game, web board, community, action, adventure, shooting, and sports). Using Korean internet addiction scales, 627 participants were divided into a normal group (474), a potential risk group (128), and a high-risk group (25). Each group showed significant differences in total internet addiction scores. We classified players into specific game users based upon the game types they most prefer. Role playing game users showed significantly higher internet addiction scores than web board and sports game users. Game and internet addictions are also connected with interpersonal relationship patterns. We suggest that users of some game genre have unique psychological addiction potentials that are different from others and that this influences both game selection and internet use.

“Social Separation” Among Women Under 40 Years of Age Diagnosed with Breast Cancer and Carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutation

We conducted an exploratory, qualitative study investigating experiences of women who had developed breast cancer under the age of 40 and who were identified as BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers. These germline mutation carriers face an increased lifetime risk of a second primary breast cancer and an increased risk for a primary ovarian cancer. Thirteen women who fit this criteria participated in three focus groups conducted at a major cancer center in the UK during Spring 2003. We asked broad, open-ended questions that allowed for a wide range of responses about their cancer and genetic testing experiences, physical and psycho-social concerns, family and partner reactions and their need for social support. The women expressed feelings of devastation, loneliness, feeling different and isolation, ambivalence about having to support family members, worries about partner's anxiety and depression, and anxiety about talking to family members, especially children. These feelings were stronger after the cancer diagnosis and compounded by the genetic test results that occurred at a later time. We also found that, at least temporarily, the women experienced what we call "social separation"--emotional distance from, or dissonance with groups they interact with or are part of, e.g., family and friends, frequently leading to a reduction in communication or a change in previously unstated, but accepted normal interaction. We concentrate on a few characteristics of social separation-feelings of aloneness, isolation and separation, use of silence and verbal discretion, the relationship between estrangement and kinship interaction and norm disruption, and are looking at social patterns of interpersonal relationships that may occur when risk and illness statuses are new and framing and feeling rules have not as yet been clearly developed due to a cultural lag.

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Borderline Personality Disorder and Suicidality

A 35-year-old woman, an academic professional, sought outpatient treatment for chronic dysphoria, a pattern of turbulent and unsuccessful interpersonal relationships, and a state of barely concealed rage that she attributed to the shortcomings and failures of others. She received a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and began twice weekly psychotherapy. About 1 year into treatment, a stormy but long-term relationship with a man broke up, and the patient became angry and agitated. Although she blamed the man for the failed relationship and chronicled his many shortcomings, her mood shifted over several weeks and she reported feeling depressed and suicidal, hopeless about her future, and uninterested in work, friends, or family. How common and how serious is suicidal ideation and/or behavior in patients with borderline personality disorder? How should it be evaluated and managed? What is the appropriate role of hospitalization in such cases?

The implications of attachment theory and research for understanding borderline personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a highly prevalent, chronic, and debilitating psychiatric problem characterized by a pattern of chaotic and self-defeating interpersonal relationships, emotional lability, poor impulse control, angry outbursts, frequent suicidality, and self-mutilation. Recently, psychopathology researchers and theorists have begun to understand fundamental aspects of BPD such as unstable, intense interpersonal relationships, feelings of emptiness, bursts of rage, chronic fears of abandonment and intolerance for aloneness, and lack of a stable sense of self as stemming from impairments in the underlying attachment organization. These investigators have noted that the impulsivity, affective lability, and self-damaging actions that are the hallmark of borderline personality occur in an interpersonal context and are often precipitated by real or imagined events in relationships. This article reviews attachment theory and research as a means of providing a developmental psychopathology perspective on BPD. Following a brief review of Bowlby's theory of attachment, and an overview of the evidence with respect to the major claims of attachment theory, I discuss individual differences, the evidence that these differences are rooted in patterns of interaction with caregivers, and how these patterns have important implications for evolving adaptations and development. Following this discussion, I present recent work linking attachment theory and BPD, focusing on the implications for understanding the etiology and treatment of BPD. In conclusion, I address some of the salient issues that point to the direction for future research efforts.

Gender differences in social network development via mobile phone text messages: A longitudinal study

We examined the development of face-to-face (FTF) social networks and mobile/cell phone text message (MPTM)-mediated social networks, and gender differences in the social network structure of 64 male and 68 female first-year undergraduate students. Social network analysis showed that MPTM social networks consisted of dyadic relationships, and its growth was slower than FTF social networks. The intimacy of friends who communicate via both FTF and MPTM was rated higher than those who communicate only via FTF. The structure of MPTM social networks coincided with known gender differences in network characteristics. Females tended to expand their MPTM social networks more than males. These findings suggest that patterns of interpersonal relationships for MPTM social networks corresponded to Matsuda’s (2000) selective interpersonal relationship theory.

Stationäre Kurz- und Langzeitpsychotherapie - Indikationen, Ergebnisse, Prädiktoren/ Short-term and Long-term Inpatient Psychotherapy – Indications, Results, Predictors

This study investigated differences between patients in both short-term and long-term inpatient psychotherapy. Results for both settings as well as predictors of treatment outcomes were determined. Consecutive patients of the Giessen University Clinic for Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, who were treated during a two-year period in both short- and long-term treatment settings, were studied prospectively (N = 166; return-rate 70 %). Standardized questionnaires were applied for distress (SCL-90 R), physical complaints (GBB 24) and interpersonal problems (IIP-D) as well as for object relationships (IPO). In concordance with treatment concepts, patients in short-term psychotherapy had a more acute onset of symptoms, were more highly distressed and better occupationally integrated; patients in long-term treatment suffered more frequently from chronic psychosomatic disorders, personality disorders and comorbid somatic conditions. In both treatment settings distress and physical complaints decreased considerably and remained quite stable during follow-up. Concurring predictors of outcome were more adaptive patterns of object and interpersonal relationships as well as social resources. No differences were seen between the short-term and long-term treatment for utilization of ambulatory psychotherapy after discharge. The study shows that a differentiation between short- and long-term treatments, even within one psychosomatic hospital unit, allows for differential indication and treatment concepts.

Who benefits from inpatient short‐term psychotherapy in the long run? Patients' evaluations, outpatient after‐care and determinants of outcome

Little work has been published on short-term inpatient treatments combining the virtues of inpatient treatments and short-term psychotherapy. The purposes of this study are to (a) determine the outcomes of short-term psychodynamic inpatient psychotherapy from patients' and therapists' perspectives, (b) assess the stability of changes, and (c) identify predictors of long-term outcome. 83 consecutive inpatients (76% of those eligible) were assessed at intake, discharge, and 1 year follow-up by standardized questionnaires regarding symptoms (SCL-90R), interpersonal problems (IIP), object relationships (IPO), and the therapeutic relationship (HAQ). Diagnoses and functioning (GAF) were assessed by the therapists. Psychological distress (effect size S = 1.14) and physical complaints (ES = 1.03) decreased strongly from intake to discharge, the majority of patients moving from the pathological to the normal range of the global severity index GSI (SCL-90R). At follow-up, average distress remained at a low level, and the majority of patients, and their therapists and physicians, regarded their well-being as improved. In a multivariate approach, a substantial proportion of variance of the distress at follow-up (42%) was explained by an infantile object relationship pattern (IPO), social avoidance (IIP), negative vocational changes, and a lack of a confidant at follow-up. A delayed start of subsequent ambulatory psychotherapy was another negative outcome predictor. Attention should be given to maladaptive interpersonal relationship patterns, to vocational reintegration, and a confiding relationship as potential predictors of long-term outcome. Also, patterns of ambulatory after-care following inpatient treatment need further scrutiny.

Tobacco Use in Intimate Spaces: Issues in the Study of Couple Dynamics

Few guidelines exist for using qualitative research to examine couple dynamics in contexts complicated by strong social stigmas and wide-ranging patterns of interpersonal relationships. The purpose of this article is to describe the methodological and ethical issues that arose in an ongoing qualitative study focused on tobacco reduction in the context of couple relationships, and the strategies undertaken to deal with these challenges. The authors discuss their experiences with the following: recruitment in the context of social stigma and the potential for intracouple coercion, data collection and the implications of uncovering intimate dimensions of couples' lives, the impact of the research process on mothers' vulnerability, and the challenges of capturing shared, "dyad" experiences. These issues point to unique challenges in conducting qualitative research with couples and families and provide a useful base for similar studies.

Cognitive consistency and the formation of interpersonal attitudes: Cognitive balance affects the encoding of social information

Three studies investigated the role of cognitive balance in the formation of interpersonal attitudes. Experiment 1 found evidence for balanced triads when participants first formed an attitude about one person, and then learned about this person’s sentiments about another individual. Interestingly, balanced triads were obtained for both explicitly and implicitly assessed attitudes. Experiment 2 indicated that the pattern of interpersonal relations does not result in balanced triads, when participants first learn about the relationship between two neutral individuals, and then receive evaluative information about one of the two individuals. In this case, observed sentiments and evaluative information affected attitudes in an additive rather than interactive manner. Experiment 3 replicated these findings by manipulating valence, observed sentiments, and order of information acquisition in a single study. Taken together, these results suggest that cognitive balance influences the encoding of social information, rather than the retroactive construal of evaluative judgments.

Mme de Graffigny's Story

This article argues that Graffigny's Lettres d'une Peruvienne and Cenie tell essentially the same story, that of a woman sundered from her high estate and her betrothed. The pattern of interpersonal relations is present already in Graffigny's Nouvelle espagnole and La Princesse Azerolle. Graffigny's correspondence shows that this is a mythical version of her own story. Crises in 1743–44 involving her lover, her confidant, and her niece immediately precede the creation of her principal works. Her discovery in 1743 of Garcilaso's Histoire des Incas is associated with ‘amitie’ and with ‘amour’.

Mme de Graffigny's Story

This article argues that Graffigny's "Lettres d'une Péruvienne" and "Cénie" tell essentially the same story, that of a woman sundered from her high estate and her betrothed. The pattern of interpersonal relations is present already in Graffigny's "Nouvelle espagnole" and "La Princesse Azerolle". Graffigny's correspondence shows that this is a mythical version of her own story. Crises in 1743-44 involving her lover, her confidant, and her niece immediately precede the creation of her principal works. Her discovery in 1743 of Garcilaso's "Histoire des Incas" is associated with 'amitié' and with 'amour'.

Roles and relationships: a psychoeducational approach to reviewing strengths and difficulties in adulthood functioning.

The authors developed a psychoeducational protocol to help psychiatric patients review their patterns of interpersonal relationships. The conceptual framework is based on the Adult Personality Functioning Assessment (Hill, Fudge, Harrington, Pickles, & Rutter, 1995; Hill, Harrington, Fudge, Rutter, & Pickles, 1989). Seven domains of functioning are addressed: friendships, romantic relationships, family relationships, social contacts, therapeutic relationships, relationships with addictive substances and activities, and work. The intervention aims at fostering participants' reflectiveness about their relationships to enhance their capacity for social support. The introduction sets the protocol in context; an annotated version of patient materials includes commentary on each domain.

The relationship of attachment style to depression, catastrophizing and health care utilization in patients with chronic pain

Attachment theory and research suggest that patterns of interpersonal relationships may be important determinants of illness behavior, care seeking, and treatment response in individuals with chronic health problems, including chronic pain. Attachment styles have been shown to be associated with psychological adjustment in the context of chronic illness, but little research has been conducted so far examining these relationships in patients with chronic pain. We assessed 111 patients with chronic pain participating in a multidisciplinary pain treatment program to determine if attachment style is associated with pain, depression, catastrophizing and physical disability at pre-treatment and 12-month follow-up, and with change in health care utilization pre-treatment to follow-up. At both pre-treatment and follow-up, fearful attachment style was associated with significantly greater depression and catastrophizing, and secure attachment was associated with significantly lower levels of depression. Preoccupied attachment style was associated with greater than weekly pain-related visits at 12 months follow-up, even after controlling for depression, catastrophizing and pre-treatment pain-related health care utilization. The findings suggest that attachment style may be a useful construct for examining factors affecting adjustment and treatment response of patients with chronic pain.

Assessing Reenactment in Inpatient Psychodynamic Therapy

Research material from a study relating to a central concept of inpatient psychotherapy is presented. The purpose of the research program was to investigate the extent to which patients reenact their experience and behavior from relationships outside of psychotherapy during inpatient treatment. Toward this end, the concordance of patients' relationship and behavior experiences was measured at 2 separate stages of treatment. Patients' subjective relationship structures, as diagnosed at the beginning of treatment, were compared with the consensus rating of the team of therapists, who then assessed patients' interpersonal experience and behavior during the first 3 weeks of treatment. Axis II (relationships) of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics System was used as a measuring instrument. The similarity of the assessments was illustrated and checked for chance hits by means of the weighted kappa coefficient, κw (J. Cohen, 1968). All similarity comparisons showed clear kappa concordance (κw = 0.55, variance-κw < 0.001; and κw = 0.57, variance-κw < 0.001, respectively). Therefore, we believe that interpersonal relationship patterns from a patient's past, as related in the Relationship Anecdotes Paradigm Interview, largely correspond with his or her behavior observed by the hospital team. We thus conclude that the reenactment of relationship-behavior forms does occur.

Assessing Reenactment in Inpatient Psychodynamic Therapy

Research material from a study relating to a central concept of inpatient psychotherapy is presented. The purpose of the research program was to investigate the extent to which patients reenact their experience and behavior from relationships outside of psychotherapy during inpatient treatment. Toward this end, the concordance of patients' relationship and behavior experiences was measured at 2 separate stages of treatment. Patients' subjective relationship structures, as diagnosed at the beginning of treatment, were compared with the consensus rating of the team of therapists, who then assessed patients' interpersonal experience and behavior during the first 3 weeks of treatment. Axis II (relationships) of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics System was used as a measuring instrument. The similarity of the assessments was illustrated and checked for chance hits by means of the weighted kappa coefficient, κw (J. Cohen, 1968). All similarity comparisons showed clear kappa concordance (κw = 0.55, variance-κw < 0.001; and κw = 0.57, variance-κw < 0.001, respectively). Therefore, we believe that interpersonal relationship patterns from a patient's past, as related in the Relationship Anecdotes Paradigm Interview, largely correspond with his or her behavior observed by the hospital team. We thus conclude that the reenactment of relationship-behavior forms does occur.

Relations Between Parental Divorce and the Quality of Adult Sibling Relationships

Two theoretical approaches make opposite predictions concerning the effects of parental divorce on sibling relationship quality. From a social learning perspective, via modeling the individual learns negative patterns of interpersonal relations through the experience of parental conflict and divorce, which negatively affects relationship quality throughout the life span. A social support approach argues that sibling relationships may serve as a buffer to shield the individual from negative interactions between parents, perhaps resulting in closer, more intimate sibling relationships. Two hundred sixty-four college students described one of their sibling relationships using the Lifespan Sibling Relationship Scale (LSRS; Riggio, 2000), a standardized measure of attitudes toward the sibling in childhood and adulthood. Results indicated that young adults who experienced parental divorce during later childhood or adolescence experienced significantly fewer positive feelings toward the sibling in adulthood, and recalled fewer positive feelings, beliefs, and behaviors toward the sibling in childhood compared to those who experienced parental divorce earlier in childhood and young adults from married families.

Three therapeutic processes of inpatients with eating disorders compared with the Core Conflict Relationship Method (CCRT)

In this article the results of a research with the CCRT-method on the psychotherapies of three in-patients suffering from eating disorders are presented. The CCRT describes recurrent internal and interpersonal relationship patterns in narratives. Each therapy session was recorded on tape and transcribed. The CCRT components were identified from the verbatim transcripts. All three patients clearly showed a negative self-perception and despite a more graded attitude regarding other people they felt rejected by the community throughout the entire therapy. The CCRT of each patient was different: patient 1. had conflicts between dependence and independence with increasing autonomy; patient 2. had great symbiotic desires, which at the beginning of the therapy were warded off with a performance ideal; patient 3. showed self-assertion and an increasing level of openness against the community, despite a high level of fear and self-isolation at the onset of therapy. Despite methodological deficiencies the CCRT method proved to be sensitive enough to show similarities and differences among the individual courses of treatment.

Borderline personality traits in hysterical neurosis.

The objective of the present study is to demonstrate the traits of the psychopathology of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) compared with hysterical neurosis. A total of 48 subjects with BPD and 40 subjects with hysterical neurosis both defined by DSM-III-R were assessed by Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB). Statistical analysis was done by quantification of the second type, a multivariate data analysis. The total scores of DIB were BPD group, 6.13 +/- 1.52; hysterical neurosis group, 4.9 +/- 2.12 (t = 3.05, P = 0.0016). The correlation ratio (index of to what extent the two groups are discriminated) was 0.2442. Among the four parameters of: (i) affect, (ii) cognition, (iii) impulse-action pattern, (iv), and interpersonal relationships, the partial coefficient correlations of (iii) and (iv) were significantly high (0.342, 0.287, P < 0.01). The question items with high independent coefficients were manipulation (0.4416), intolerance of aloneness (0.3797), demanding nature (0.3768), self-mutilation (0.3609), visual hallucination (0.3395). Those with low score of independent coefficients were counterdependency (0.0533), identity disturbance (0.1010), depression (0.1551), loneliness (0.1752), hypomanic episode (0.1936). Both of BPD and hysterical neurosis groups were not so fairly well discriminated. However, these results suggested that impulse-action pattern and disorder of interpersonal relationships were traits of borderline personality disorder. We could admit manipulation, intolerance of aloneness as its symptoms. In addition, counterdependency, identity disturbance were comparatively common to both. There were some borderline personality traits symptomatically in hysterical neurosis.

Bridging the gap between attachment and object relations theories: A study of the transition to motherhood

An empirical study of the relations between assessments of adult attachment styles and object representations was performed in the context of first-time mothers' emotional ties to their unborn babies. We assumed that, while conceptualizations of attachment behaviour and internal working models grasp the early basic patterns of interpersonal relationships and affect regulation, object representations indicate current transformations of these patterns in an individual's internal world. Participants were a sample of 120 women in the third trimester of their first pregnancy. Participants' representations of their own mothers were found to fully mediate the association between internal working models and antenatal ties to their babies. Similarities and differences between theoretical conceptualizations and empirical operationalizations of attachment and object relations theories are discussed.