Department Of Psychology Research Articles

How Not to Become a Dominatrix: Moral Panic in the Supervision of a Social Psychology Dissertation on Heterosexual BDSM

ABSTRACT This article draws on standpoint theory, social psychology, psychoanalysis, and gender studies. Perversion is understood here as an insult aimed at controlling the (sexual) freedom of women, especially women conducting academic research on nonconforming sexualities. The author recounts the moral panic that accompanied her supervision of a Ph.D. on female domination in heterosexual BDSM. This dissertation was defended several years ago and is now published, thus allowing a retrospective reading. The candidate was rapidly identified with her research object by other professors and students in the psychology department, which aroused strong emotional reactions when she performed as Mistress Tarna in a Berlin dungeon. The author analyzes the consequences of this moral panic on the supervision of this academic work and questions the place of affect in both ethnographic fieldwork and the interactions between a Ph.D. supervisor and student.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ САМОСТІЙНОЇ РОБОТИ СТУДЕНТІВ ПІД ЧАС ВИВЧЕННЯ ГУМАНІТАРНИХ ДИСЦИПЛІН В УМОВАХ ДИСТАНЦІЙНОЇ ФОРМИ НАВЧАННЯ

The article is devoted to the problem of organizing students' independent work during the study of humanitarian disciplines in the conditions of distance education. The main factors that led to the active implementation of distance education in Ukrainian higher education institutions and an increase in the share of independent work of education seekers during the study of various disciplines are characterized. The approaches of Ukrainian author to the definition of the essence of the concept of «distance learning» were analyzed, and on their basis, the author's understanding of this definition was formulated (a form of organization of the educational process, which is implemented with the help of various information technologies and involves increasing the share of independent work of education seekers during the study of program material). The essence of the concept of independent work of students as an important form of organization of the educational process in higher education institutions is clarified. The focus is on what, at the current stage, it is the main type of educational activity of students, for which no less than 1/3 and no more than 2/3 of the total amount of study time of a student allocated to the study of a specific discipline is allocated. The peculiarities of the organization of independent work by the teachers of the department of Psychology, Pedagogy and Language Training O. M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv within such humanitarian disciplines as «Language training (for foreign students)», «Ukrainian language for professional direction», «Modern Ukrainian literary language», «Business Ukrainian language», «Professional rhetoric», «Scientific style language training». The main activities that are implemented in O. M. Beketov University in order to facilitate the process of independent work of students: creation of video and audio lectures, as well as slide presentations on topics studied within the disciplines, electronic correspondence, communication in Telegram, Viber, Skype applications, open access for of each student to the digital repository, which contains electronic resources, lecture notes, methodological instructions, study guides and textbooks, abstracts, dissertations, articles, etc. It has been proven that the effectiveness of the educational process in higher education depends to a large extent on the quality organization of independent work in the conditions of distance education.

Bruce G. Klonsky (1950-2022).

This article memorializes Bruce G. Klonsky (1950-2022), a devoted State University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY) educator and researcher. After joining SUNY Fredonia Psychology Department in 1979, he taught a wide range of psychology courses (15+), supervised hundreds of internship students, and was a creative research mentor for many undergraduates. His own research focused on leadership, social and personality development, and sport psychology, most recently examining the use of sport psychologists by professional sports teams. He was also active in the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, where he achieved both a valued certification as a Mental Performance Consultant and an honored appointment to Fellow Status for his contributions to the field of sport psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Impact of a Brief Mindfulness Training on Anxiety, Depression, and Subjective Happiness of the First-Year Psychology Students in Russia: Pilot Case Study of Ural Federal University

According to Russian researchers, university studies is among the most stressful activities for a person. First-year university students are particularly vulnerable to stress. The use of mindfulness-based programs to help students reduce and manage stress is gaining popularity around the world. Previous research has shown that such programs can improve the psychological well-being of students by reducing levels of anxiety and depression. In addition, students in helping majors, such as psychology students, would greatly benefit from mastering the skills of managing stress, as anxiety and stress are pertinent to their future profession. This pilot case study assesses the effectiveness of a brief mindfulness training aimed at improving Russian students’ mental and physical health. The participants were 83 first-year undergraduate students from the Psychology Department of the Ural Federal University named after B.N. Yeltsin. Data collection was completed in November 2019. A non-randomized controlled trial was conducted using a brief mindfulness training. The results show that the participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly lower levels of depression (η2 = .07, p = .00) and significantly higher levels of subjective happiness (η2 = .02, p = .02) than participants in the control group. Also, the participants in the experimental group showed marginally significant lower levels of anxiety (η2 = .02, p = .06). Frequent mindfulness meditation practice and the study of theoretical materials were associated with higher rates of psychological well-being of students. The findings suggest that mindfulness training may be an effective tool in addressing psychological challenges experienced by first-year students of the Psychology Department of Ural Federal University.

Stuart (Stu) Oskamp (1930-2022).

This article memorializes Stuart (Stu) Oskamp (1930-2022). Professor Oskamp, an eminent social psychologist, made enduring contributions by applying social psychological knowledge to real-world problems, especially to the sustainability of the earth. Stu taught at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) from 1960 to 2000. While there he served as chair of the psychology department, chair of the entire graduate faculty, acting director of the School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, and became professor emeritus and received the CGU President's Medal in 2000. Highlights of Stu's career and professional contributions are noted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Investigation of the Relationship Between Cognitive Flexibility Levels and Social Interest Levels of University Students

Purpose: In this study, the relationship between the cognitive flexibility score of university students and their social interest levels was investigated. In line with this main purpose; the moderator role of variables such as age, department and grade on this relationship was also examined.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: The participants of the study consist of, 344 female and 256 male totally 600 undergraduate students. The research was designed in correlational survey model. “Social Interest Scale” and “Cognitive Flexibility Inventory” were used to collect data. SPSS PROCESS was used in the analysis of the data. The linear regression statistical technique was used to determine the moderation effect.
 Findings: Positive and significant relationship at medium level was observed between cognitive flexibility and social interest levels of university students. Results; social interest, age, and department are significant predictors of cognitive flexibility.
 Highlights: It was observed that high social interest scores caused an increase in the cognitive flexibility scores of the participants in the group at the age of 24 years and older. While the moderation effect of social interest on cognitive flexibility is at the highest level in psychological counseling and guidance department considering undergraduate students, this group is followed by undergraduate students from primary school teaching and preschool teaching departments, respectively.

Descriptive Study of Transformational Leadership Influence on Professional Development of Teachers at Higher Education Level

The descriptive research study examined the impact of transformational leadership on university teachers' professional development. My study set out to evaluate the impact of transformational leadership on university-level teacher professional development. The aim of the research was to ascertain the impact of transformational leadership on the professional development of university teachers. This change in self-interest raises the ideals, maturity, and concern for the goal of the follower. This is an essential part of the Full Range Leadership Model. Transformational leadership has been suggested by researchers as a crucial component of a teacher's effectiveness. The researcher used a quantitative research design with the target population of 30 teachers of the psychology department of NUML University Islamabad. The sample size for the target population was 20 teachers. The delimitation of the study was teachers of the psychology department evening shift at NUML University Islamabad. The researcher developed a questionnaire and used a manual percentage formula for the research findings.

Experience of stigma and its relationship to identification with the neurodiversity model for Indian parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

It is widely recognized that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families continue to face extensive stigma and that much of the current research on ASD is deficit-focused. Diversity and inclusion perspectives are emerging, but there is less of a focus on how stigma affects the adoption of these approaches. In collaboration with the University of Michigan Department of Psychology and Action For Autism, a national Indian organization, our research aims to understand the experience of stigma and its relationship to identification with the neurodiversity model for Indian parents of children with ASD. The neurodiversity model proposes that ASD is a natural variation of human behavior that should be celebrated (Jaarsma & Welin, 2011). The study was carried out by administering online surveys through Qualtrics to Indian parents residing in India (N=82; full data n=56). This study explores the extent to which Asian value adherence, child functioning, and perceived ASD stigma contribute to parental alignment with the neurodiversity model. It also investigates the ways in which alignment with the model affects parental stress, isolation from family and friends, parenting goals, identification of child’s strengths, and positive perceptions about raising a child with ASD. Preliminary findings demonstrate statistically significant correlations between a child’s ASD behaviors, perceived ASD stigma, parental stress, and isolation from family and friends. A more complex mediation model of the effects of neurodiversity alignment on these variables will be evaluated in the future and will have implications for the adoption of strength-based practices and the reduction of stigma associated with ASD within different cultural contexts.

The effect of episodic future thinking ability on subjective cue use when judging credibility

AbstractBackgroundEpisodic Future Thought (EFT) ability affects how credible individuals appear (O'Connell et al., The effect of individual differences in episodic future thought on the ability to lie about intentions [manuscript submitted for publication], Psychology Department, Lancaster University, 2022). However, it is unclear how individuals with higher EFT ability create this credible demeanour. This paper describes two studies that explored participants' subjective cue use when judging the veracity of verbal statements (Study 1) and written statements (Study 2) provided by individuals with varying EFT ability.MethodIn Study 1, 68 participants judged the veracity and indicated which cues influenced their veracity judgements of six truthful and six deceptive verbal statements. In Study 2, 102 participants judged the veracity and indicated which cues influenced their veracity judgements of 24 truthful or 24 deceptive written statements.ResultsStudy 1 and Study 2 showed that the EFT ability of the sender affected subjective cue use. In Study 1, participants were influenced by different subjective cues when judging truthful (vs. deceptive) verbal statements. In Study 2, participants reported being influenced by the same cues in both veracity conditions. Study 1 showed that three cues mediated the relationship between EFT ability and veracity judgements. In Study 2, four cues mediated the EFT ability–veracity judgement relationship in the deceptive condition. There were no mediation effects in the truthful condition.ConclusionWe propose that EFT ability is an underlying cognitive mechanism involved in creating a credible demeanour which can affect participants' veracity judgements. The current results suggest that the cues present in higher EFT individual's accounts may be contributing to this credibility effect.

PEDAGOGICAL PROCESS AND INTERDEPARTMENTAL COOPERATION: FOSTERING A HOLISTIC UNDERSTANDING OF STRESS-RELATED DISORDERS AMONG STUDENTS

The World Health Organization estimates that one in every five individuals affected by war is at risk of developing mental illness. In Ukraine, this approximately approaches to 8.5 million people. According to the Ministry of Health’s predictions for the beginning of 2023, over 15 million Ukrainians will require psychological assistance due to the aftermath of war, with approximately 3.4 million requiring medical treatment. This review presents theoretical viewpoints and practical developments on the peculiarities of the pedagogical process and interdepartmental cooperation in fostering a comprehensive theoretical and clinical understanding of stress-related disorders among students by teams from the Department of Pathophysiology, Psychiatry, Narcology, and Medical Psychology of Poltava State Medical University.
 Stress-related disorders herein defined as a set of symptoms of varying degrees of severity caused by a significant subjectively perceived psychotraumatic event are classified into three groups by their manifestations: emotional disorders, cognitive disorders, and vegetative and somatic symptoms. To effectively prevent, diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate patients with stress-related disorders, students must receive interdisciplinary knowledge and training. Physiology and biochemistry of stress are introduced to students in the first year of their studies, and pathophysiology is taught through practical and experimental approaches. Medical psychology and psychiatry equip students with the skills and knowledge required to manage psychological responses to stress and evaluate clinical symptoms of stress-related disorders. Other clinical departments also provide relevant training on this subject.
 Therefore, a systematic approach to training students in diagnosis, therapy, and rehabilitation of patients with stress-related disorders is crucial. This requires a step-by-step, interdisciplinary integration of this issue, which is well reflected in the educational and professional programs of the second level of higher education.

Open Science in Psychosomatic Medicine.

Address correspondence to Suzanne C. Segerstrom, PhD, MPH, Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 125 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044. E-mail: [email protected] The members of the Psychosomatic Medicine Working Group are Nina Kupper, PhD, Associate Editor; Daryl B. O’Connor, PhD, Associate Editor; and Suzanne C. Segerstrom, PhD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief.

Career Aspirations for People With Serious Mental Disorders.

Career Aspirations for People With Serious Mental Disorders.

An Internet-Based Multi-Approach Intervention Targeting University Students Suffering from Psychological Problems: MindBlooming

AbstractThe young adult can experience psychological difficulties related to the delicate phase of life he/she is going through. Many of them show psychological difficulties but only a small portion receive the needed care. In this regard, internet-based interventions represent an important resource.MindBlooming is a seven-week intervention delivered through a mobile application for university students with mild to moderate psychological difficulties. The application is the result of the interdisciplinary work between the Department of Psychology and the Department of Informatics, Systems and Communication of the University of Milan-Bicocca.The intervention focused on symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleep problems, self-destructive thoughts, job- and study-related stress and burnout, and chronic pain. It is based on different approaches (multi-approach), primarily psychoeducation, Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment (CBT), and third-wave CBT. During the first pilot study, the intervention consisted of a 7-week treatment on two problematic areas according to each students’ personal needs, identified through an initial assessment. The achieved results are promising especially in terms of interest shown by students. However, we encountered technical problems that hampered the pilot study. A second pilot will be performed to further test the application.The MindBlooming project will be discussed in light of the need for further multidisciplinary research that confirms how biomarkers can be sensitive to non-pharmacological internet-based interventions.Keywordscognitive-behavioral treatment; internet-based intervention; university students.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Are In-Person Trainee Interviews a Relic of the Past?

Are In-Person Trainee Interviews a Relic of the Past?

A study on the mental state of prisoners near the end of their sentence caused by a psychological anxiety case

BackgroundThe form of group training for prisoners near the end of their prison sentence are often taken in China to help them enhance their ability to adapt to the society after being released from prison, but this training may have shortcomings of weak pertinence and non-differentiation. A prisoner had turned to his supervisor for help due to the emotional anxiety two months before the end of his prison sentence, which caused the concern to the individual psychological state of the prisoner. In order to reduce the stress and abnormal psychological state of prisoners before their release, and help them to rebuild themselves after returning to society, psychological tests and questionnaires were conducted on prisoners whose remaining prison term was less than three months. The prisoners with psychological fluctuations were screened out for timely intervention.Subjects and MethodsA prisoner, 23-year-old, male, complained of inattention, depression, tension, irritability and frequent insomnia, this phenomenon has been interrupted for a month. So, two months before his release from prison, he sought help from the prison Psychological Counseling Department. The psychological test result of the man is as follows: The Self Rating Anxiety Scale test (SAS) result is 67 points, which is higher than the norm, and SCL-90 Self-Rating Depression Scale (SCL-90) anxiety factor 2.6, higher than the norm. Through the use of cognitive therapy and relaxation training by the counselors, there was no anxiety state in the psychological test after four psychological consultations. The case aroused the concern about the psychological state of the criminals before their release from prison, and 30 criminals with the three months remaining in prison were given psychological tests and questionnaires to understand their psychological state. The questionnaire was conducted by self- filling method, the main contents included: criminal history, prison experience, self-evaluation of psychological state, planning after being released from prison, etc. The 30 criminals participated in SCL-90 test to understand their psychological status.ResultsAmong the 30 prisoners who participated in the SCL-90 test, 8 had higher anxiety factors than the norm, and 6 of them were under the age of 35. According to the statistics of the questionnaire survey results of 30 prisoners near the end of their sentence, 25 people felt that their recent sleep status was average or poor; 20 people have no desire to talk with others and discuss the future. 16 people did not have any life plans after releasing from prison. Among the 30 prisoners who participated in the questionnaire survey, 10 hoped to get pre-release employment guidance from the prison, and 10 hoped to participate in classes to learn skills such as reading clubs, computer or finance courses organized by the prison.ConclusionsPrisoners before their release, especially young prisoners under 35 years old, are more likely to have anxiety or irritability. Although the number of prisoners who are troubled with this psychological state and ask for help from supervisors is not large, and the number who take the initiative to plan their life before they are released from prison is also not large, most prisoners still hope to get care and help from the prison in their future life or have a job before they leave prison. Therefore, it is very important to pay more attention to the psychology of pre-release prisoners, especially the young people.

Prevalence and risk factors of non-adherence to antipsychotic medications in Saudi Arabia.

To evaluate the rate and determinants of non-adherence to antipsychotic medications in Saudi Arabia. This was a cross-sectional study that included a questionnaire, interview, and data extraction from medical records of adult patients on antipsychotic medications. The study was conducted at outpatient clinics at the psychological care department at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between October 25 and November 26, 2020. Data collection included three parts: patients' sociodemographic characteristics; antipsychotic medications used and patients' clinical characteristics; and adherence to antipsychotic medications measured by the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS). Out of 220 patients, 122 (55.5%) were considered non-adherent (MARS scores 6 or less). The MARS items contributing most to non-adherence were "the medication makes me feel tired and sluggish" and "forget to take the medication", 55 and 40.9%, respectively. Additionally, adverse drug effect significantly increased the risk of poor adherence in regression analysis (odds ratio=1.97, p=0.028). The model also showed that female sex, low income, cigarette smoking, substance abuse, uncontrolled disease, comorbidity, and use of Ruqyah religious therapy were associated with increased risk of poor adherence, but were however not statistically significant (p < 0.05). This study showed high non-adherence rate to antipsychotic medications. Adverse drug effects and forgetting to take medications were the main patient-reported barriers to adherence. Likewise, sociodemographic, clinical, and spiritual factors affected medication adherence. Knowing these predictors helps in early identification of patients who are predisposed to medication non-adherence and allows personalized interventions that improve adherence and treatment outcomes.

Expectation focused and frequency enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy for patients with major depression (EFFECT): a study protocol of a randomised active-control trial

IntroductionThe effectiveness of psychotherapy in depression is subject of an ongoing debate. The mechanisms of change are still underexplored. Research tries to find influencing factors fostering the effect of psychotherapy....

The relationship between moral judgment ability, parenting style, and perfectionism in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients: A mediating analysis.

Guilt is an important part of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The abnormal moral cognition of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients may be closely related to their high level of guilt. The purpose of this study was to explore the development level of moral judgment in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and the role of parenting style and perfectionism in moral judgment development. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the clinical psychology department of a Class III hospital in Beijing. The patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder were recruited, and the healthy control subjects were recruited at the same time. Questionnaires were used to collect data, including the Yale-Brown Compulsion Scale, the Moral Judgment Test, the Parenting Style Evaluation Scale, and the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. A total of 231 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 246 healthy controls were included. The results showed that, first, the obsessive-compulsive group scored significantly lower on moral judgment than the healthy control group. Second, the tendency of non-adaptive perfectionism was significantly higher in the obsessive-compulsive group than in the healthy control group. Third, parents' excessive control, denial, punishment, and other parenting styles and non-adaptive perfectionism are higher than those of healthy people. Fourthly, the mother of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients is overly interference and protective. Rejection, denial, punishment, harshness, and father's rejection and denial play a partial mediating role in moral judgment ability through the degree of non-adaptive perfectionism. The development level of moral judgment ability of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder was significantly lower than that of the normal group, and the level of non-adaptive perfectionism was significantly higher than that of the normal group. Parents of obsessive-compulsive patients use more high-pressure control education. Parenting style partially affects the moral judgment of obsessive-compulsive patients through the degree of non-adaptive perfectionism.

A Single-Session Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Reduces Anxiety and Improves Self-confidence in Athletes with Post-traumatic Stress Associated with Injury

Background: Stress and anxiety related to post-injury trauma in athletes is a latent problem in sport. The use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) allows sports psychologists to intervene with their athletes more effectively to help them into their recovery and achieve peak sport performance. Objectives: Analyze the EMDR therapy effect in the psychophysiological responses of four athletes with stress related to a traumatic event during sports practice. Methods: Four athletes (22.25 ± 1.71 years; 11.5 ± 2.65 years of experience) participated an idiographic single-case, multiple-probe study. The Sport Psychology Department of the institution approved the study for its application, which also followed the statement of the declaration of Helsinki. The participants had been medically cleared to practice their sport after sustaining a severe injury, but they expressed significant difficulty in performing optimally yet. The Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2RD was applied to measure the anxiety and self-confidence levels before, after and two weeks later EMDR therapy intervention. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing standard protocol therapy was carried out to identify the dysfunctional memories to be reprocessed, address the abnormal behaviors as trauma consequences, and develop the behavioral changes to manage the trauma. Heart rate variability parameters used as biofeedback were monitored during the EMDR protocol to associate with moments of stress and relief. Data analysis was performed using the smallest worthwhile change (SWC) of Hopkins to compare the results in the different moments of the protocol and study. Results: All four athletes reported likely and most likely beneficial changes (according to the SWC) in their levels of anxiety and self-confidence after the intervention with the EMRD therapy as well as at two weeks afterward. Heart rate variability (HRV) parameters linked with parasympathetic activity were reduced and the sympathetic parameters increased their levels when the intervention protocol induced stressor memories, observing an opposite behavior when EMDR phases let the athlete be relaxed or getting relief. Conclusions: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is a therapy is effective to manage a sport injury related psychologic trauma. Furthermore both, LnRMSSD and LnSS parameters of the HRV can be used as a biofeedback strategy for a better efficacy of EMDR-based treatment.

Study Finds Childhood Adversity Linked to Brain Differences in White, Black Children

Study Finds Childhood Adversity Linked to Brain Differences in White, Black Children