Reality Testing Research Articles

Some Arguments About Free Association as a Technique.

Freud, early in psychoanalytic history, modified hypnotic technique and recommended, in its stead, free association. This paper takes a close look at the theoretical foundations of that technique in light of theoretical developments over the past hundred plus years. It is argued that free association is similar to an asymptote, which is never quite reached. Moreover, it is argued that the direction to free associate is contraindicated in many, if not most, psychological disturbances. Guided association or avoidance of free association is sometimes required. For a limited group of patients, whose major ego functions (abstraction, integration, and reality testing), ego strengths (impulse control, affect tolerance, and containing primary process), object relations (capacities for empathy, trust, and closeness), and superego (shame/guilt) are intact, the direction to use the couch and attempt to free associate may still be quite useful. For most people who present for treatment, however, this approach is likely not beneficial. The complex arguments about the decision-making process regarding free association are discussed.

Three ways to change your mind: an epistemic framework for cognitive interventions.

Belief change is an important element of much CBT, yet very little consideration has been given to the theories of knowledge, the epistemology, which underlie this process. This article argues that understanding the epistemic basis of the techniques therapists use can help guide their choice of interventions. The empirical evidence for cognitive restructuring is considered, the importance of distancing and decentring noted, and three epistemic styles are identified: the rational-empiricist, pragmatist and 'constructivist' approaches. Different schools of CBT emphasise one or more of these. The article describes how these epistemes can be used to make decisions about which cognitive interventions to use, particularly when clients may be sceptical about reality testing because of entrenched beliefs or real-life adversity.

Efek Modernisasi Administrasi Perpajakannterhadap KepatuhannWajib Pajak

This study aims to determine the effect of modernization of tax administration on taxpayer compliance at KPP Pratama Bandung Tegallega. This study uses a survey approach with an explanatory method. The data collection technique in this study is primary data by distributing questionnaires to respondents with a total sample of 100 respondents. Sampling in this study using simple random sampling method. The data analysis technique used is Reality Test, Validity, Normality, Regression Coefficient, and Linear Regression 43.4% of taxpayer compliance is influenced by modernization of tax administration, while the rest is influenced by other factors. The hypothesis in this study shows that Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted. From the results of this study, tax modernization has a positive effect on taxpayer compliance.

Subtle impairments of perceptual-motor function and well-being are detectable among military cadets and college athletes with self-reported history of concussion.

A lack of obvious long-term effects of concussion on standard clinical measures of behavioral performance capabilities does not preclude the existence of subtle neural processing impairments that appear to be linked to elevated risk for subsequent concussion occurrence, and which may be associated with greater susceptibility to progressive neurodegenerative processes. The purpose of this observational cohort study was to assess virtual reality motor response variability and survey responses as possible indicators of suboptimal brain function among military cadets and college athletes with self-reported history of concussion (HxC). The cohort comprised 75 college students (20.7 ± 2.1 years): 39 Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) military cadets (10 female), 16 football players, and 20 wrestlers; HxC self-reported by 20 (29.2 ± 27.1 months prior, range: 3-96). A virtual reality (VR) test involving 40 lunging/reaching responses to horizontally moving dots (filled/congruent: same direction; open/incongruent: opposite direction) was administered, along with the Sport Fitness and Wellness Index (SFWI) survey. VR Dispersion (standard deviation of 12 T-scores for neck, upper extremity, and lower extremity responses to congruent vs. incongruent stimuli originating from central vs. peripheral locations) and SFWI response patterns were the primary outcomes of interest. Logistic regression modeling of VR Dispersion (range: 1.5-21.8), SFWI (range: 44-100), and an interaction between them provided 81% HxC classification accuracy (Model χ 2[2] = 26.03, p < .001; Hosmer & Lemeshow χ 2[8] = 1.86, p = .967; Nagelkerke R 2 = .427; Area Under Curve = .841, 95% CI: .734, .948). Binary modeling that included VR Dispersion ≥3.2 and SFWI ≤86 demonstrated 75% sensitivity and 86% specificity with both factors positive (Odds Ratio = 17.6, 95% CI: 5.0, 62.1). Detection of subtle indicators of altered brain processes that might otherwise remain unrecognized is clearly important for both short-term and long-term clinical management of concussion. Inconsistency among neck, upper extremity, and lower extremity responses to different types of moving visual stimuli, along with survey responses suggesting suboptimal well-being, merit further investigation as possible clinical indicators of persisting effects of concussion that might prove to be modifiable.

Approach to acute psychosis in older adults.

Approach to acute psychosis in older adults.

The effectiveness of emotion-oriented therapy on the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder

Background and Aim: Considering the complexity and importance of borderline personality disorder as well as the relatively high prevalence rate of this disorder in the society, this research was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of emotion-oriented therapy on the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder. Methods: The method of this quasi-experimental research and the design used to examine the hypotheses in this research was a pre-test-post-test design with an experimental group and a control group. The statistical population of this research was made up of all people with borderline personality disorder who visited two counseling centers in one area of Tehran in 2020. 30 people with borderline personality disorder were selected by purposive sampling method and then these people were placed in two groups of 15 people (emotional treatment experimental group and control group) by matching method. The experimental group received 12 sessions of 120 minutes on a weekly basis and the control group did not receive the treatment. The tool for collecting information in this research was the borderline personality questionnaire (Leichsenring, 1999). Due to the quantitative nature of the research, data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics methods (analysis of covariance test). Results: The findings showed that the observed F value for the borderline personality and its dimensions in the adjusted model (by adjusting the pre-test effect) for the whole scale, identity confusion, primary defense mechanism, reality testing, fear of intimacy and borderline personality respectively, is equal to: 33.275, 8.123, 7.902, 10.025 and 72.865. Moreover, its significance level (sig) is equal to 0.000, which indicates the existence of a significant difference between the post-test score in the experimental group and the control group, so the main effect of the group variable is significant, which means that emotion-oriented treatment is effective in the treatment of patients with borderline personality. Conclusion: Therefore, it can be concluded that emotion-oriented therapy can be a useful method for treating patients with borderline personality disorders, so it is suggested that specialists benefit from it in their work.

Comparison of Personality Organization in People with Dark and Bright Personality Traits

Purpose: The dual aspects of human personality, characterized by the dark and light triads, significantly influence various psychological and behavioral outcomes. The dark triad includes narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, while the light triad comprises empathy, compassion, and altruism. This study aimed to compare the personality organization of individuals with dark and light personality traits, focusing on Kornberg’s dimensions: identity diffusion, primitive defenses, and reality testing. Methodology: This causal-comparative study included a sample of 232 students from Shahid Madani University of Azerbaijan, selected using purposive sampling. Participants completed questionnaires assessing dark and light personality traits and the Personality Organization Inventory. Data were analyzed using SPSS-25, employing descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to compare the groups. Findings: Significant differences were found among individuals with dark traits, light traits, and normal individuals across all three dimensions of personality organization. Individuals with dark traits exhibited higher levels of primitive defenses (M = 28.25), greater identity diffusion (M = 25.75), and poorer reality testing (M = 49.93) compared to those with light traits (M = 24.30, M = 22.37, M = 38.81, respectively) and normal individuals (M = 26.23, M = 22.28, M = 41.87, respectively). Conclusion: The findings highlight that individual with dark traits have a more fragmented personality organization, characterized by maladaptive coping strategies and distorted reality perception, which contribute to their manipulative and antisocial behaviors. In contrast, individuals with light traits exhibit more cohesive personality organization, leading to prosocial and adaptive behaviors. These insights are crucial for developing targeted interventions to promote psychological well-being and improve organizational fit.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Assessment and Management of Patients with Substance Intoxication Presenting to the Emergency Department.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Assessment and Management of Patients with Substance Intoxication Presenting to the Emergency Department.

Are antidepressants effective in treating depersonalization derealization disorder: Inference from a case series

ABSTRACT Depersonalization derealization disorder is a clinical entity where the individual experiences a sense of being detached from his or her own body, feelings, sensations or actions, and the surroundings appear to be unreal, as if occurring in a dream. However, reality testing remains intact. Primary depersonalization derealization disorder is rare, while such experiences occur more commonly in association with anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, psychosis and substance use, and also in organic brain disorders like seizure disorder or head trauma. Such disorders lie somewhere in between frank psychosis and neurosis, and there is a lack of consensus regarding treatment protocols. Here we have presented three such cases, who responded partially to antidepressant treatment, with adjuvant behavior therapy in one case. Available literature suggests that antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and cognitive behavior therapy might be effective in treating such disorders. Further research is needed to formulate more effective treatment options for this disorder.

PENGARUH MOTIVASI KERJA DAN KERJASAMA TIM TERHADAP KINERJA PEGAWAI BALAI BESAR PENELITIAN VETERINER KOTA BOGOR

The thesis entitled “The Influence of Work Motivation and Teamwork on Employee Performance of the Bogor City Veterinary Research Center was written by Hafid Rachmat Febriansyah, NPM 181104010600, Under the guidance of: Dr.M.Aziz Firdaus, S.E.,M.M and Hj. Rachamatullaily, S.E., M.M Bogor City Veterinary Research Center (BB Litvet) is a technical implementation unit within the scope of a research agency under the coordination of the Center for Research and Development of Animal Husbandry (Puslitbangnak). The Bogor City Veterinary Research Center is established based on the regulation of the Minister of Agriculture number 34/permentan/OT.140/2013 concerning the organization and working procedures of the Veterinary Research Center with echelon II/b level and has the main task of carrying out veterinary research tasks. The choice of work motivation and teamwork at the Center for Veterinary Research as research subjects to determine the existence of work motivation and teamwork within the company, because work motivation has an effect as the most vital driving force in achieving performance. This study aims to determine the effect of work motivation on employee performance at the Bogor City Veterinary Research Center, to determine the effect of Teamwork on Employee Performance at the Bogor City Veterinary Research Center. The tests used in this study include Validity Test, Reality Test, Linearity Test, Homogeneity Test, Normality Test and t Test and f Test. Based on a discussion of the results of a study titled ``Effect of work motivation and teamwork on employee performance'' at the Bogor City Veterinary Research Center, we found that work motivation (X1) and teamwork (X2) It was concluded that it affects performance.

World War 3.0

Stephen Setterberg argues that World War 3.0 began in earnest in 2016 with the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. The combat itself was invisible, still then restricted to the virtual realm—“a collectively unconscious war, proceeding largely unrecognised, but a war nonetheless”. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine can be understood as the first spilling over of this broader virtual war into overt armed conflict—effectively WW3.1. Of course, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can also be understood in conventional terms as a proxy war between great powers. However, unlike earlier proxy wars, at least on the Russian side, there is not simply an ideological justification with competing narratives, but a direct assault on reality itself: a Jewish president is a Nazi; they are protecting the people they subjugated; their enemy is a nuclear threat as they make nuclear threats; etc. This overt attack on reality testing—a technique refined on their own populace for more than a century and now deployed worldwide—is psychological warfare’s nuclear equivalent and the central weapon of WW3.0.

Intrapsychic and Interpersonal Realms in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Their Comparison with Normal Individuals: A Look at Object Relations and Anger Management.

Objective: This study was designed to compare object relations and anger control between MS patients and normal individuals. Method : The present study was a cross-sectional case-control study with two groups: the case group (patients with MS) and the control group (normal controls without MS). 80 patients and 80 healthy individuals were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria using a simple random sampling method. The research's data collection tool was a three-part questionnaire consisting of demographic information, the Bell Object Relations and the Reality Testing Inventory (BORRTI) and the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory 2 (STAXI-2). The data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 26 using descriptive and analytical statistics (stepwise regression). Results: The results showed that in terms of object relations, there was no significant difference between the two groups except in alienation of relations (P = 0.035). The results also showed that in general, there was no statistically significant difference between the anger index of the group of MS patients and the normal controls. However, 12.8% of MS patients were significantly different in state of anger, trait anger and anger control compared to normal individuals. This difference was especially higher in angry temperament (P = 0.025) and the anger expression-in (P = 0.04). Conclusion: Although patients with MS were not significantly different from healthy individuals in terms of intrapsychic and interpersonal functions in the context of object relations and anger management, it seems that more complex and multifaceted explanations lie in the results that need further research.

Exploring the Concept of Psychological Distance and Its Impact on Intention to Settle in Construction Dispute Negotiation

Negotiation is the most frequently used and economical way of resolving construction disputes. However, negotiators are not always rational decision makers. It is not uncommon to find that negotiations fail despite the tabling of notable settlement options. Having the intention to settle is paramount in achieving an amicable settlement. To improve the success rate of construction dispute negotiations, this study posits exploring negotiators’ intention to settle from the perspective of how they perceive failure. Applying construal-level theory (CLT) and the concept of psychological distance (PD), it is hypothesized that construction dispute negotiators having the proximal psychological distance of negotiation failure would raise the respective concern that mediates intention to settle. With data collected from experienced construction dispute negotiators, the results of the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) supported the hypothesis. The findings of the study indicated that the negotiators’ distal perception of and low concern for failure can obscure their intention to settle. Furthermore, the results indicated that a reduced PD could enhance negotiators’ intention to settle. This finding explains why reality testing is effective in steering negotiators’ decisions along a rational course. In practice, a realistic assessment of the consequences of a negotiation failure by either the negotiation team or a neutral third party would raise attention to failure. The resulting proximal PD would lead to a stronger intention to settle. The study is novel in (1) offering a vital theoretical link between the perception of failure and the settlement intention; and (2) anchoring the functions of reality testing with the concept of PD.

Predicting internet addiction through object relations and ego strength: The moderating role of gender

ObjectivesThe present study aimed at predicting internet addiction through ego strength and object relations. It also attempted to investigate the moderating role of gender in the relationship between ego strength and object relations with internet addiction. MethodsThis descriptive study included 248 students (124 men, 124 women) at University of Tehran. Participants completed Bell Object Relations and Reality Testing Inventory (BORRTI), Ego Strength Scale (ESS), and Internet Addiction Test (IAT). ResultsThe results of Regression Analysis (P≤ .05) indicated that social incompetence, egocentricity and insecure attachment had a significant and positive correlation with internet addiction while the ego strength had a significant and negative correlation with it. Similar results obtained with respect to both men and women, but the relationship between object relations components and internet addiction was stronger in men. The gender variable, however, did not play a moderating role in the relationship between object relations and ego strength with internet addiction. ConclusionIt can be concluded that egocentricity and ego strength can significantly predict internet addiction and therefore need to be considered and worked on in treatment plans and preventive measures.

NEUROSCIENCE OF SLEEP AND COGNITION: INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NEW DREAM LUCIDITY INDUCTION PROTOCOL – A PILOT STUDY

The lack of standardized, efficient, and dependable lucid dream induction methods is one of the major barriers to studying the clinical and non-clinical applications of dream lucidity. Although the interest in therapeutic usage of lucid dreaming strategies in neuroscience of consciousness studies has increased in recent decades, many of the current induction approaches appear to not be replicable reliably. In this study, a new protocol for bringing on lucid dreaming was created, implemented, analyzed, and contrasted with two distinct other approaches. Techniques to induce dream lucidity include reality testing methods, the wake-and-go-to-bed technique, mnemonic initiation, senses-initiation, and a combination of the above. Before beginning their 2 weeks of lucid dream induction new protocol study, a total of 36 participants filled out a pre-test survey, maintained a dream recall diary and sleep log for the duration of the experiment, and completed a final survey. The findings showed that both the mnemonic induction and senses-initiation techniques were mildly effective in bringing about lucid dreaming. The new hybrid protocol, combining the reality check stra- tegy with dream recall amplification, performed significantly better. For lucid dream induction to work optimally, participants needed to become more proficient at remembering their dreams after waking up, so they were requested to maintain a sleep journal for 7 days before the experiment and throughout the study to enhance their ability to dream recall. There was no correlation found between the quality of one's sleep and the frequency of dream lucidity. The results demonstrated that the new induction protocol was more successful than the other two investigated methods. There are many clinical applications for dream lucidity, such as treatment of recurring and debilitating nightmares, narcolepsy, and PTSD. Therapeu- tic potential also includes future usage for anesthesia awareness and locked-in syndrome. As such, further dream lucidity research remains important.

Holistic Approach to Ship Design

The recently completed Horizon 2020 European Research project—HOLISHIP—Holistic Optimization of Ship Design and Operation for Life Cycle (2016–2020) has developed suitable tools and software platforms which are necessary for the creation of innovative design solutions meeting the set low-emission strategic objectives. The present paper introduces an innovative, holistic approach to ship design and the development of integrated design software platforms and tools, which are used in practical applications. In the era of the 4th industrial revolution, this project sets out to substantially advance ship design via the introduction of a fully computerized, multi-disciplinary optimization approach to ship design and life-cycle operation. The approach enables the exploration of a huge design space in a relatively short time, as well as the distributed/multi-site working and the virtual reality testing; thus, it is a strong asset for the development of innovative maritime concepts in response to the needs of the 21st century.

Vulnerable Capacity. Notes on a Quiet Legal Revolution

The vulnerability turn has contributed to the concept of vulnerability becoming an established part of the legal lexicon. By adopting a legal-philosophical perspective, this paper will explore what might be considered the most interesting theoretical outcome of the vulnerability paradigm: the concept of universal legal capacity, enshrined in Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The reasoning will focus on two main areas. First, the theoretical background of this reflection will be clarified, by investigating the main arguments of the current debate on vulnerability. Such a reflection will provide the necessary background to explore the relationship between autonomy and vulnerability. The second part of this paper specifically aims to analyse the content and legal implications of Article 12 CRPD. The exegesis of Article 12 will attempt to show that said Article is theoretically founded on the paradigm of vulnerability. Following that, a ‘reality test’ will give the opportunity to discuss some of the main positions that are present in the existing literature on the topic, with particular attention to the relationship between support and substitution. The expression vulnerable capacity has been used in order to emphasise the complex analysis required to adequately address the issue of capacity from a theoretical perspective. It will be argued that legal capacity can be considered vulnerable because it characterises a (universally) vulnerable subject.

Pengaruh Minat Belajar dan Kualitas Pertemanan Sebaya Terhadap Konsep diri Remaja SMA/SMK Sederajat di Kecamatan Pondok Kelapa Kabupaten Bengkulu Tengah

This article aims to examine how much influence interest in learning and the quality of peer friendship on self-concept in high school / vocational students of the same level in Pondok Kelapa District, Central Bengkulu Regency. The population in this study was adolescents in SMA/SMK sub-district of Pondok Kelapa, Central Bengkulu. This research uses a quantitative approach with a descriptive type of research. The sample in this study was 130 high school / vocational students as respondents. The type of data collection used in this study is a Likert scale questionnaire or using questionnaire survey techniques by distributing targets to respondents, as many as 30 statements consisting of 10 statements from self-concept indicators, 10 statements from learning minar indicators and 10 statements from peer friendship quality indicators. The analysis techniques used are Data Normality Test, Reality Test, Correlations Test, Descriptive Statistics Test, Model Summary Test, and Anova Test thus testing is carried out testing is carried out using. Based on the results of research and discussion, it can be concluded that the interest in learning and the quality of peer friendship affect the self-concept of high school / vocational students in Pondok Kelapa district, Central Bengkulu district. The influence of learning interest and friendship quality on self-concept reached 16.7%, while the remaining 83.3% was influenced by other variables.

The psychological examination and evaluation of unrelated kidney donors in Israel: a suggested model

ABSTRACT Altruistic organ donors represent a special population when compared to related living donors, requiring appropriate protection and attention regarding informed consent and psychological aspects related to the donation. Following the introduction of the Israeli Transplant Law of 2008, a retrospective study of altruistic donor files revealed that important psycho-diagnostic aspects were not emphasized in the existing guidelines. Thus, a new tool was formulated which incorporated those elements, including assessment of emotional maturity, ego strength, degree of interest in others, reality testing, degree of pressure to donate, anxiety, dysphoric and depressive factors and the ability to function under stress. The study examined 598 cases reviewed by the Central Evaluation Board over the period May 2008 – June 2016. Overall, 23.4% candidates were disqualified of whom 41% were declined on grounds related to mental health. Most of the donors were rejected based on 3–5 elements. Of these, a deficient assessment of reality in ambiguous situations, lack of emotional maturity, and lacking or partial ability to function effectively under stress, were most commonly cited as reasons for rejection. This model allowed the detection of important conditions previously not incorporated into existing guidelines and may serve as a model for other transplantation programs worldwide.

Assessment of the validity and feasibility of a novel virtual reality test of emotion regulation in patients with bipolar disorder and their unaffected relatives

BackgroundEmotion dysregulation has been suggested as an endophenotype of bipolar disorder (BD). Neuroimaging studies show aberrant neural activity during emotion regulation in remitted patients with BD and their unaffected first-degree relatives (UR) compared to healthy controls (HC). However, behavioural studies produce conflicting - generally negative findings - possibly due to limited sensitivity and ecological validity of current behavioural paradigms. MethodsThis study aimed to explore emotion regulation in BD (n = 30) and UR (n = 26) relative to HC (n = 47) by using a novel emotion regulation task in virtual reality (VR). Participants were instructed to either react naturally to, or dampen, their emotional response to highly positive or highly negative scenarios presented in first-person 360-degree spherically camera-recorded VR environments. Participants also completed a more traditional computerised task of emotion regulation for comparison purposes. ResultsPatients with BD exhibited difficulties with down-regulating their negative emotions in the VR paradigm compared to HC and UR (ps ≤ .04), whereas UR did not differ from HC (p = .97). There was no emotion regulation difference between groups in the more traditional computerised task (ps ≥ .40). LimitationsThe small sample size limits generalisability. ConclusionsThe results suggest trait-related reduced ability to down-regulate negative emotions in BD patients compared to HC in the VR paradigm, but not in the more traditional task of emotion regulation. This may indicate that VR provides a more sensitive measure relative to traditional paradigms. The findings provided no support for aberrant emotional regulation as an endophenotype of BD given the normal emotion regulation performance in UR.