Complexity Of Self Research Articles

Treatment of Alec: "History does not have to repeat itself".

Treatment of patients with pathological narcissism presents several challenges and there is paucity of published case reports that document meaningful and durable change in patients suffering from this condition. Using descriptive and atheoretical language, this paper presents a treatment of a young manin his transition from young adulthood to middle adulthood while he was negotiating complex residues of his experiences of growing up along with developmental challenges related to work and love. Against the backdrop of these transitions, the patient was working through various aspects of functioning related to pathological narcissism. Initially, given academic pressures and past romantic disappointments, he was confronting issues related to perfectionism, self-criticism, and avoidance. While he was able to move past some of these dynamics and function academically, later challenges related to becoming an independent adult led to a retreat into an avoidant state of futility and pessimism. Working through painful family dynamics related to not being seen and controlled, along with a deepening attachment in therapy as well as confrontation with realities of his life, led him to take steps towardgreater independence. Thereafter, his treatment focused on learning from life experiences such as a newly developed career and romantic life, accepting the complexity of self and others, and tolerating disillusionments.

Book Review Time and the Rhythms of Emancipatory Education. Rethinking the Temporal Complexity of Self and Society.

Michel Alhadeff-Jones is a young researcher who lives between Geneva (Switzerland) and New York (USA). Despite his youth, this book is an essay of impressive maturity. This work, published in the prestigious Routledge publishing house, constitutes an important contribution in the field of education and beyond; it will from now on be an unavoidable reference among researchers, educators and managers who deal with time field and educational rhythms, due to the depth, originality and rigor of its analyses and proposals.

Time and the Rhythms of Emancipatory Education: Rethinking the Temporal Complexity of Self and Society, by Michel Alhadeff-Jones. London and New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017. 226 pages

Academy of Management Learning & EducationVol. 18, No. 2 Book & Resource ReviewsTime and the Rhythms of Emancipatory Education: Rethinking the Temporal Complexity of Self and Society, by Michel Alhadeff-Jones. London and New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2017. 226 pagesE. PoirelE. PoirelUniversity of Montreal ().Published Online:8 Jul 2019https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2017.0335AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsDownload CitationsAdd to favoritesTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail View articleFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 18, No. 2 Permissions Metrics in the past 12 months History Published online 8 July 2019 Published in print 1 June 2019 Information© Academy of Management Learning & EducationDownload PDF

Book Review: Time and the rhythms of emancipatory education: Rethinking the temporal complexity of self and society

Book Review: Time and the rhythms of emancipatory education: Rethinking the temporal complexity of self and society

Michel Alhadeff-Jones, Time and the Rhythms of Emancipatory Education: Rethinking the Temporal Complexity of Self and Society. Routledge, 2017

Michel Alhadeff-Jones, Time and the Rhythms of Emancipatory Education: Rethinking the Temporal Complexity of Self and Society. Routledge, 2017

Time and the Rhythms of Emancipatory Education. Rethinking the Temporal Complexity of Self and Society

Time and the Rhythms of Emancipatory Education. Rethinking the Temporal Complexity of Self and Society

Does self-complexity moderate the effects of exposure to political violence for adolescents?

This study examined the moderating role of self-complexity (SC) on well-being (WB) and psychopathology among Israeli adolescents exposed to the Second Lebanon War (2006). Adolescents (N=584, mean age 16.41) completed a SC measure, Political and Negative Life Events (NLE) scales, Brief Symptom Inventory and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The theoretical model analyzed the function of SC as a moderator of exposure effects to political life events (PLE), while controlling for general NLE. Results corroborated the model with SC moderating the effects of the war-related PLE. Adolescents with low SC are at risk for damaged WB and psychiatric consequences from political violence exposure. This opens a diagnostic avenue for identification of at-risk adolescents in this socio-political context toward whom clinical programs should be directed.

Self-Complexity and Crime: Extending General Strain Theory

General strain theory suggests that a number of conditioning factors affect who is more likely to respond to strain with crime. This study introduces a previously neglected conditioning variable from the social psychology literature, self-complexity (SC). SC refers to (1) the number of identities individuals perceive as important to themselves; and (2) the varied characteristics they ascribe to these identities. The central argument of this study is that those who are lower in SC, or those with fewer identities and more overlap among these identities, should be more susceptible to the negative emotional and behavioral effects of strain. This assertion was tested through a vignette study of undergraduates. Results indicate that those who are lower in SC are more likely to intend to assault another person and drink heavily than those who are higher in SC. The findings suggest that SC should be included among traditional conditioning variables explicated in GST.

Comparing longitudinal assessments of quality of life by patient and parent in newly diagnosed children with cancer: the value of both raters’ perspectives

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) information from children facing rare and/or life-threatening disease serves important clinical functions. Longitudinal HRQoL ratings from 222 child-parent dyads collected at four time points during the first 16weeks of cancer treatment are presented. Patient and parent HRQoL reports at the domain level, based on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales, were compared over time, and variation in child/parent agreement by age, treatment intensity, and time on treatment was explored. Analyses included consideration of missingness, differences between child and parent group mean domain scores averaged over assessments, agreement between individual child and parent, compared to group averages, and within-subject changes between assessments. Children consistently reported higher functioning than their parents with differences varying by child age and HRQoL domain and diminishing over time. No differences were found by intensity of treatment. The between-subject correlation ranged from 0.61 (social functioning) to 0.86 (physical functioning) across time. Agreement within groups, defined by age, treatment intensity, and time were generally similar. Results indicate moderate-to-good child/parent agreement with variability by domain of HRQoL. Findings underscore the complexity of self- and proxy-based report and support the use of information from both raters.

Cartilage and Bone Extracellular Matrix

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex of self assembled macromolecules. It is composed predominantly of collagens, non-collagenous glycoproteins, hyaluronan and proteoglycans. ECM is not only a scaffold for the cells; it serves also as a reservoir for growth factors and cytokines and modulates the cell activation status and turnover. ECM should be considered a dynamic network of molecules secreted by cells that in turn regulate cell behavior by modulating their proliferation and differentiation. The ECM provides structural strength to tissues, maintaining a complex architecture around the cells and the shape of organs. Various cell types secrete different matrix molecules and the nature and the amount of these molecules change during developmental age. Cartilage ECM is composed mainly of two components defining its mechano-physical properties: the collagenous network, responsible for the tensile strength of the cartilage matrix, and the proteoglycans (mainly aggrecan), responsible for the osmotic swelling and the elastic properties of the cartilage tissue. The conversion of cartilage into bone requires several processes that directly involve the different ECM components. Homeostasis of cartilage and bone is maintained by complex mechanisms controlling turnover and remodeling of ECM. In bone, as well as in cartilage, the ECM resident cells produce local factors, inflammatory mediators, and matrix-degrading enzymes. Turnover and degradation of normal and pathological matrices are dependent on the responses of the local cell to auto and paracrine anabolic and catabolic pathway.

An exploration of self‐complexity in individuals experiencing auditory hallucinations

Linville's self-complexity (SC) theory suggests that reduced SC exacerbates the effects of stress, thereby creating a vulnerability to psychopathology. This exploratory study investigated SC in individuals experiencing auditory hallucinations. Twenty-two clinical participants experiencing auditory hallucinations were recruited from inpatient and outpatient services. Twenty-two control participants, matched on age and gender, were recruited from non-clinical settings. All participants completed a card sort task relating to the self, and questionnaires of affect, self-esteem and recent stress. Although groups did not differ in unitary SC, clinical participants displayed significantly reduced positive SC (pos-SC) compared with controls. Pos-SC was positively correlated with increased psychological well-being, while negative SC was inversely related, across both groups. No stress-buffering effects for SC were found. Findings are discussed with respect to previous literature, and clinical and research implications of the study are addressed, particularly in relation to the therapeutic potential for increasing pos-SC in patients distressed by auditory hallucinations.

The Complexity of Self–Complexity: An Associated Systems Theory Approach

The current work proposed a new measurement of self–complexity based on Carlston's (1994) Associated Systems Theory (AST). AST is a systematic approach to classifying the cognitive representations of social entities and, as such, it provides a rich and theoretically based framework for examining self–concept representation in ways that existent approaches cannot. In the current study, an AST–based measure of self–complexity showed evidence of the buffering effect (i.e., when facing greater stress in their lives, those greater in self–complexity reported greater well–being in terms of fewer physical illnesses and less depression). However, this buffering effect was achieved only when an AST process–based scoring method (i.e., distance in AST space) was used and not when the traditional scoring method (i.e., H) was used. Implications of these results for understanding self–concept representation, AST, and their consequences are discussed.

Reconsideration of self-complexity as a buffer against depression

Self-complexity (SC) theory proposes that a highly differentiated self-concept protects against the depressogenic impact of negative life events. Linville's influential prospective study appeared to support this proposition (P. W. Linville, 1987). Subsequent reports have raised questions about the construct validity of Linville's operationalization of self-complexity (defined by the degree to which self-reported personality descriptors are dispersed across self-aspects), as well as the robustness of a buffering effect of self-complexity. In the present replication, Linville's SC measure was again found to moderate the impact of stress on depressive symptoms. However, contrary to SC theory, the form of the Stress × SC interaction was not clearly consistent with stress protection. Also contrary to SC theory, the interaction of stress and SC was entirely explained by the number of self-descriptive personality traits endorsed in the SC task. Both of these findings suggest that with regard to depressive symptoms, reports of a stress-buffering effect for self-complexity are premature.

Self-Complexity and Well-Being: A Review and Research Synthesis

We reviewed the extant literature examining Linville's (1985, 1987) self-complexity (SC) model. SC is a structural feature of people's self-knowledge. Linville (1987) proposed that SC serves as a cognitive buffer against extreme affective reactions to life events. We report results of two procedures: a classic meta-analysis and a more primitive vote-counting procedure. Overall, SC was negatively, but weakly, related to well-being, a relationship qualified by strong heterogeneity among studies. We found little support for SC as a stress buffer, but more support as a moderator of uplifting events. Several methodological and substantive variables (e.g., the type of well-being studied, the valence of SC, and characteristics of the samples and designs used) were associated with effect magnitude. We discuss implications for competing theories of self-structure and comment on the use of information theory in studying the self.

Attribution retraining with sexually abused children: review of techniques.

Clinicians increasingly use empirically based cognitive-behavioral techniques in their treatment of child victims of sexual abuse. Attribution retraining is often a primary component of this work, and it involves various techniques aimed at decreasing abuse-related self-blame and encouraging the child to attribute responsibility for the abuse to the perpetrator This article reviews literature that highlights the complexity of self and other blame for sexually abused children in terms of developmental status, the multifaceted nature and interrelationships of abuse-specific attributions, and the psychological effects of self-blame and perpetrator blame. A review of written attribution retraining techniques developed by diverse authors for use with sexually abused children and their nonoffending parents is provided, including written and verbal techniques and techniques using games and the arts. The relative utility of different approaches with children of various stages of development is discussed, along with the need for empirical research regarding the effectiveness of these techniques.

The meaning and measurement of self-complexity

The self-complexity (SC) theory is a structural model of self-knowledge that suggests individual differences in the complexity of knowledge about the self are predictive of emotional stability and reactivity to stress. Various studies have identified problems concerning the consistency, reliability and validity of the often used measure of SC, the dimensionality statistic (H; Scott, 1969). Addressing these issues, the present study proposes 2 alternative measures of the components of SC and examines psychometric properties of these measures. Results of this study indicate a lack of a general factor underlying the dimensionality statistic. In addition, they offer support for the benefit of distinguishing between 2 components of self-complexity: quantity of self-aspects and overlap among them.

A study in cognitive complexity of the self: an evaluation of the Linville's index

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate H statistic, proposed by Linville (1985, 1987), as an index for cognitive complexity of the self. Linville asserted that high self-complexity would act as a buffer against life stress or depression. One hundred and eighty-seven undergraduates sorted 40 personality-trait adjectives into as many categories as necessary in order to describe themselves. In addition, 126 participants filled out several scales including self-consciousness and esteem. Main findings were as follows: (a) H statistic was not significantly associated with any variable related to the self-ratings, and showed no stress-buffering effect. (b) On the other hand, participants who had high cognitive complexity for the negative aspects of the self, as operationalized by Woolfolk, Novalany, Gara, Allen, and Polino (1995), were low in self-esteem and high in public self-consciousness. The results suggest that cognitive complexity of the negative self may indicate a predisposition for depression or neurosis. (c) Also, women scored significantly higher than men on cognitive complexity of the negative self.

Initiation of autoimmunity to the p53 tumor suppressor protein by complexes of p53 and SV40 large T antigen.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) reactive with a limited spectrum of nuclear antigens are characteristic of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other collagen vascular diseases, and are also associated with certain viral infections. The factors that initiate ANA production and determine ANA specificity are not well understood. In this study, high titer ANAs specific for the p53 tumor suppressor protein were induced in mice immunized with purified complexes of murine p53 and the Simian virus 40 large T antigen (SVT), but not in mice immunized with either protein separately. The autoantibodies to p53 in these mice were primarily of the IgG1 isotype, were not cross-reactive with SVT, and were produced at titers up to 1:25,000, without the appearance of other autoantibodies. The high levels of autoantibodies to p53 in mice immunized with p53/SVT complexes were transient, but low levels of the autoantibodies persisted. The latter may have been maintained by self antigen, since the anti-p53, but not the SVT, response in these mice could be boosted by immunizing with murine p53. Thus, once autoimmunity to p53 was established by immunizing with p53/SVT complexes, it could be maintained without a requirement for SVT. These data may be explained in at least two ways. First, altered antigen processing resulting from the formation of p53/SVT complexes might activate autoreactive T helper cells specific for cryptic epitopes of murine p53, driving anti-p53 autoantibody production. Alternatively, SVT-responsive T cells may provide intermolecular-intrastructural help to B cells specific for murine p53. In a second stage, these activated B cells might themselves process self p53, generating p53-responsive autoreactive T cells. The induction of autoantibodies during the course of an immune response directed against this naturally occurring complex of self and nonself antigens may be relevant to the generation of specific autoantibodies in viral infections, and may also have implications for understanding the pathogenesis of ANAs in SLE. In particular, our results imply that autoimmunity can be initiated by a "hit and run" mechanism in which the binding of a viral antigen to a self protein triggers an immune response that subsequently can be perpetuated by self antigen.

Self-Complexity and Reactions to a Relationship Breakup

Our major hypothesis was that college students' distress over a recent breakup of a romantic relationship would be positively related to the proportion of their self-complexity (SC) that involved their relationship self-aspect (i.e., relationship impact quotient; RIQ). The rationale for this hypothesis comes from Linville's (1985) spill over model for SC applied to a specific self-aspect. As predicted, regression analyses showed that RIQ was a positive predictor of self-rated upset over the breakup and Avoidance responses on the Impact of Event Scale (Horowitz, Wilner, & Alvarez, 1979). In addition, we replicated Linville's (1987) original finding that SC serves as a life stress buffer: The positive relationship between number of negative life events and psychological distress became weaker as SC increased

On the complexity of self.

Self peptides bound to self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules have been implicated both in positive and in negative selection of T cells during intrathymic development. We report here that the novel MHC-restricted monoclonal antibody Y-Ae detects the MHC class II bound form of a major self peptide. Y-Ae binds approximately 12% of the relevant MHC class II molecules on self antigen presenting cells. The peptide detected by Y-Ae is one of several major peptides eluted from the MHC molecule. These data suggest that self peptides presented by self MHC class II molecules at densities sufficient to signal a CD4 T cell are of very limited complexity. Furthermore, as Y-Ae stains antigen presenting cells that mediate negative selection but not thymic cortical epithelial cells that drive positive selection, differential expression of self peptide:self MHC class II complexes may be a key feature of intrathymic selection.