Very little research has studied the common challenge in adulthood of coming to terms with the eventual mortality of one’s parents as they age and experience illness. The present work begins to explore this emotional adjustment and draws on Attachment Theory and the study of how people cope with their own mortality (Terror Management Theory) to develop hypotheses about potential responses of the adult child. Feelings of vigilance and thoughts or behavioural predispositions toward proximity-seeking, disengagement, and control are considered. I hypothesized specific differences in these responses based on the tendency for those high in attachment anxiety to ‘hyperactivate’ attachment-related thoughts and for those high in attachment avoidance to ‘deactivate’ these thoughts. Study 1 used self-report measures in a community sample of adults for whom a parent had experienced a significant illness. Participants high in either attachment anxiety or attachment avoidance were less likely to seek proximity to ill parents than those low on these attachment dimensions. Those high in attachment avoidance were also less likely to experience feelings of vigilance for signs of illness in their parents and to want to assert control over their parents’ health care relative to those who were low in attachment avoidance. These findings were consistent with hypotheses based on attachment avoidance but opposite to hypotheses based on attachment anxiety. Variation in responses to an ill parent was also found depending on the age of participants and their parents, the severity of the parents’ illness and their health care behaviours, and whether the adult served as a caregiver for their parent. Using a word-completion task, Study 2 assessed whether themes of proximity, disengagement, and control were cognitively accessible following imaginal induction of a parents’ mortality, participants’ own mortality, or an experience of physical pain. The pattern of results did not support hypothesized differences in reaction times based on dimensions of attachment anxiety and avoidance. Predicted differences based on which induction was completed were also not found. Self-report responses replicated findings from Study 1 such that participants high in attachment anxiety were less likely to want to seek proximity to ill parents when thinking about their mortality than those low in attachment anxiety, and that those high in attachment avoidance were less likely to feel vigilant and to want to seek proximity or to assert control over their parent relative to those who scored low on measures of attachment avoidance. The manner in which adults respond to being confronted with their parents’ mortality has significant implications for their own emotional well-being as well as for the emotional and physical well-being of their parent. Given that adults often become caregivers for their ill and aging parents, this area of study warrants further research.

Orientador: Lígia Ebner Melchiori / Banca: Gimol Benzaquen Perosa / Banca: Carmen Maria Bueno Neme / Resumo: A teoria do apego, elaborada por John Bowlby, baseia-se na premissa de que os seres humanos, assim como outros animais, apresentam uma inclinação natural para construir e para manter vínculos com os outros que, ao longo do tempo, podem tornar-se insubistituíveis. Em suas pesquisas, desenvolvidas principalmente no período marcado pela Segunda Guerra Mundial, Bowlby descreveu os efeitos da separação de pessoas significativas na tenra infância, procurando especificar quais experiências afetivas seriam essenciais para a criança desenvolver habilidades para lidar com os desafios que a vida coloca a cada ser humano. No decorrer de praticamente meio século, a Teoria do Apego tornou-se um importante modelo psicológico que, na atualidade, possibilita elucidar tanto o desenvolvimento normal quanto condições psicopatológicas. Nesse contexto de transformações paulatinas, a dimensão emocional presente nos vínculos de apego constitui hoje, um componente fundamental de um quadro teórico bem mais extenso e diversificado. Em vista disso, o presente trabalho objetivou identificar os avanços da Teoria do Apego na Psicologia contemporânea, por meio de análise de material bibliográfico publicado no período de 2005 a 2010, na modalidade de resumos de artigos científicos e no formato de textos completos indexados nas bases de dados PsycInfo, Eric, Lilacs e Scielo. Foram encontrados 194 trabalhos, com maior volume de produção no ano de 2007. Nesse contexto, a pesquisadora chilena Maria Pía Santelices destacou-se como a autora com maior frequencia de publicações na atualidade. O inglês foi o idioma mais utilizado nos artigos encontrados, sendo que os Estados Unidos constituiu no país com maior volume de publicações. Observou-se um predomínio de estudos teóricos e, no caso dos estudos empíricos... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby, is based on the premise that humans, like other animals, have a natural inclination to build and maintain links with others who, over time, may become irreplaceable. In this research, developed mainly in the period market by World War II. Bowlby described the effects of separation from significant others in early childhood, seeking to specify which affective experiences would be essential for the child develop skills to cope the challenges that life poses to every human being. During nearly half a century, the Attachment. Theory has become an important psychological model that currently enables elucidate both normal development and psychopathological conditions. In this context of gradual changes, the emotional dimension of attachment bonds is now a key component of a theoretical framework much more extensive and diversified. Taking this into account, the present study aimed to identify the progress of the Attachment Theory in the Contemporary Psychology, through analysis of papers published in the period 2005 to 2010, in the form of abstracts of scientific articles and in full text format indexed in databases PsyInfo, Eric, Lilacs and Scielo. The research found 194 studies and revealed a higher volume of production in 2007. In this context, the Chilean researcher Maria Pia Santelices stood out a the author of publications more frequently nowadays. Enghish was the language most used in the articles found, and the United States was the country with the greatest volume of publications. There was predominate of theoretical works and, in the case of empirical research, a greater number of studies investigating attachment in adulthood was detected. Studies on human development prevailed. Psychology was the field of knowledge that received the most... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

van de Rijt-Plooij & Plooij (1992) have found periods of 'regressive behaviour' (Regression Periods), which accompany developmental transitions in infancy. In fullterm normal infants these periods occur at specific ages. The present study had two central aims. Firstly, to see if the Plooijs' finding of Regression Periods at 12, 17 and 26 weeks postpartum could be replicated. Secondly, to investigate the relationship between the length of Regression Periods for a control group of participants and a group of participants at heightened risk of developing insecure mother-infant attachment: mothers presenting with symptoms of post-natal depression. Forty-five mother-infant dyads participated in this prospective, longitudinal study. After seeing mothers at home, they were interviewed weekly, for approximately 15 weeks, about specific infant behaviours and their reactions to their infant. Following two types of manipulation of the data, Regression Periods for control group participants were detected at weeks 12, 16,20 and 24, whereas for participants in the post-natal depression group, Regression Periods were detected at weeks 14, 17 and 25, supporting the Plooijs' findings. Regression Periods were longer in the post-natal depression group. Depressed mothers were also less flexible in their mothering style, measured on the Facilitators & Regulators questionnaire. Based on the findings of this study, the development of insecure attachment is discussed. A clinical implication of this work is that information about Regression Periods could be made available to new-mothers, using Regression Period knowledge to focus on the prevention of insecure attachment.

Inledning: Relationen mellan chef och medarbetare, samt relationens funktion, har under senare år fått en allt större betydelse inom ledarskapsforskning. Hur kan anknytningsteorin användas för att öka kunskapen om chefers sätt att förhålla sig till sitt ledarskap i vår del av världen? Syftet med denna studie är att under svenska förhållanden undersöka hur anknytningsstilar fördelar sig inom en grupp chefer inom hälso- och sjukvård, samt om det finns samband mellan chefens anknytningsstil och hur chefen upplever olika relationella parametrar i ledarskapet. Frågeställningar: Hur fördelar sig anknytningsstilar inom en grupp första linjens chefer inom en svensk hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation? Finns det samband mellan anknytningsstil och hur chefen upplever olika relationella parametrar i ledarskapet? Metod: Första linjens chefer (N=40) från tio förvaltningar inom Västra Götalandsregionen fick besvara Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) och ett formulär avsett att mäta olika aspekter av deras trygghet som ledare. Resultat: Samtliga enkätsvar, 37 st. (92,5%), inkluderades i studien. Den helt dominerande anknytningsstilen var trygg anknytning (86,5%), medan fem personer (13,5%) kategoriserades som otryggt undvikande. Det fanns ett statistiskt signifikant positivt samband mellan anknytningsvariabeln Trygg och Ledarskapstrygghet, samt ett negativt signifikant samband mellan variabeln Otrygg rädd och Ledarskapstrygghet samt med delskalan Delaktighet. Chefer med otrygg undvikande anknytningsstil tenderade att uppleva en något lägre känsla av trygghet i ledarskapet än chefer med trygg anknytningsstil. Diskussion: En klar majoritet av cheferna i studien kategoriserade sig som tryggt anknutna, vilket överensstämmer med tidigare forskning. Anknytningsvariablerna Trygg jämte Otrygg rädd var de variabler som tenderade att ha de starkaste sambanden, framför allt med Ledarskapstrygghet och med delskalan Delaktighet. Resultaten får betraktas med viss försiktighet utifrån studiepopulationens storlek, homogenitet och mätinstrumentens validitet och reliabilitet. / Introduction: The relationship between leaders and employees, as well as the function of this relationship, has gained increasing importance in leadership research in recent years. How can attachment theory be used to increase knowledge of leaders' way of relating to leadership in our part of the world? The aim of this study is, under Swedish conditions, to investigate attachment styles within a group of leaders in a health care organization, and whether there are correlations between leaders’ attachment styles and how various relational parameters in leadership are experienced. Research question: How do attachment styles differ in a group of first-line managers within a Swedish health care organization? Are there correlations between attachment styles and how managers experience different relational parameters in his or her leadership? Method: First-line managers (N = 40) from ten administrations in Region Västra Götaland were asked to answer the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) and a questionnaire designed to measure sense of leadership security. Results: All survey responses, 37 pcs. (92.5%) were included in the study. The dominant attachment style was secure (86.5%), while five people (13.5%) were categorized as dismissing. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the attachment variable Secure and Leadership Security, and a negative significant relationship between the variable Fearful and Leadership Security, as well as with the subscale Participation. Leaders with dismissing attachment style tended to experience a slightly lower sense of security in his or her leadership than managers with secure attachment style. Discussion/Conclusion: A clear majority of leaders in the study categorized themselves as securely attached, consistent with previous research. Attachment variables Secure and Fearful tended to have the strongest correlations, particularly with Leadership Security and with the subscale Participation. The results must be regarded with some caution, based on the size and the homogeneity of the population studied and on validity and reliability of the questionnaires.

The personal characteristics of the therapist are strongly associated with therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome. Since treatment techniques are often shown to be equally effective, differential outcomes may be attributed to the therapist's early experiences and personality features. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of childhood relational trauma in predicting specific components of mentalizing skills (i.e., affect consciousness, psychological mindedness, mindfulness, cognitive empathy and theory of mind) among therapists. Participants were 121 clinical psychology doctoral and master's in mental health counseling students (20 males, 101 females) aged 22 to 53 years old (M = 27.26, SD = 5.25). Measures included the Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (CATS), Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), Psychological Mindedness Scale (PMS), Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test-revised (RMET), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI-PT/IRI-EC), Relationship Structures Questionnaire (RSQ) and a questionnaire assessing demographic information, graduate training and interests, personal therapy, objective childhood familial trauma and adult and peer support. Linear regression and hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses (HMLR) were conducted to assess the relationship between childhood relational trauma (CATS) and the various components of mentalization. HMLR was also used to determine whether relational style (anxious/avoidance) as measured through the RSQ moderated between childhood relational trauma and the mentalizing components. Finally, emotional empathy (IRI-EC) was examined as a potential mediator between childhood relational trauma and the mentalizing components using Andrew Hayes' SPSS macro. Post hoc analysis explored associations between the mentalization variables and demographic questionnaire items related to objective childhood familial trauma and support. Results revealed that childhood relational trauma significantly predicted lower levels of affect consciousness, psychological mindedness and mindfulness among therapists. Relational style was not found to be a significant moderator and emotional empathy was not found to be a significant mediator. Growing up with a parent who had a disability or physical illness was significantly associated with higher levels of emotional empathy in therapists. The implications of these results for the training and supervision of graduate level therapists are discussed.

No description available.

Magister Artium - MA (Psychology) / The state of postgraduate studies in South Africa has come under renewed enquiry in recent years as concern is placed on the inconsistency between postgraduate enrolment and graduation rates. The discrepancy between the enrolment and completion rates is attributable to a range of factors. Literature identified the supervisory relationship as an important and significant factor in predicting completion. The establishment of a good working alliance in the beginning of the thesis process has been identified as a crucial task. As a result, it is useful to gain insight into how students set about establishing working relationships with new supervisors and how they rate the quality thereof. The present study was conducted with Psychology Masters students who were in their first semester of the first enrolment in the Community and Health Sciences faculty at the University of the Western Cape. Attachment theory provided the theoretical framework for the study as it posits that the quality of current relationships are a function of early relationship experiences. Thus students were thought to draw on earlier experiences when setting about establishing new relationships such as the supervisory relationship. The study was exploratory and descriptive in nature. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven eligible participants who have been selected purposively. Transcriptions have been subjected to a Thematic Analysis. Ethics clearance has been requested from and granted by the Senate Research Committee and all relevant ethics principles such as, confidentiality, anonymity, voluntary participation and informed consent, have been adhered to. Findings indicated that supervision was a central component for graduate completion, underscoring the importance of early supervisory sessions to form a strong working alliance. Furthermore, the findings indicated that the supervisor's role in providing the expertise and support largely contributed to the success of establishing strong and productive supervisory relationships. Participants perceived strong supervisory relationships as necessary to foster completion of higher degree requirements. The development of a new supervisory relationship activated relational patterns for students that underscored the importance of recognizing the supervisory relationship as a relationship.

Wound-related pain is complex, integrating the experience of noncyclic acute wound pain, cyclic acute wound pain, and chronic wound pain (Krasner 1995). More than 80% of chronic wound patients report pain during wound dressing change. A constellation of physical and psychological factors may be involved in the mediation of pain during wound dressing change. A burgeoning body of evidence suggests the intricate relationship between anxiety and pain. In this study, the attachment framework was examined to determine how personal views of self (attachment anxiety) and others (attachment avoidance) may affect pain during dressing change. Attachment styles are systematic patterns of expectations, emotional reactivity, strategies for distress management and social behaviour that are based on an individual’s belief about the self and others. Internal working models are cognitive-affective schemas that guide the attachment patterns. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of attachment style and pain during dressing change in an older population. In particular the study focussed on the role that anxiety, anticipatory self reported pain, and behavioural expression of pain play in this relationships. Method: A questionnaire was used in this cross-sectional study to classify 96 older subjects into four different categories of attachment styles. Subjects were asked to rate their levels of anticipatory pain and actual pain levels at different times during wound care using a numerical rating scale. Results: The results indicated that subjects experienced more pain during dressing change than at baseline. Secure subjects reported less pain and anxiety than subjects with other attachment styles. Results of regression analysis indicated that anxiety mediated the relationship between attachment and pain. Conclusion: The results of this study also support the role that attachment plays in the experience of pain in older adults. Clinicians must be cognizant of the impact of personality, anxiety, and anticipation of pain on the actual pain experience.

Wound-related pain is complex, integrating the experience of noncyclic acute wound pain, cyclic acute wound pain, and chronic wound pain (Krasner 1995). More than 80% of chronic wound patients report pain during wound dressing change. A constellation of physical and psychological factors may be involved in the mediation of pain during wound dressing change. A burgeoning body of evidence suggests the intricate relationship between anxiety and pain. In this study, the attachment framework was examined to determine how personal views of self (attachment anxiety) and others (attachment avoidance) may affect pain during dressing change. Attachment styles are systematic patterns of expectations, emotional reactivity, strategies for distress management and social behaviour that are based on an individual’s belief about the self and others. Internal working models are cognitive-affective schemas that guide the attachment patterns. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of attachment style and pain during dressing change in an older population. In particular the study focussed on the role that anxiety, anticipatory self reported pain, and behavioural expression of pain play in this relationships. Method: A questionnaire was used in this cross-sectional study to classify 96 older subjects into four different categories of attachment styles. Subjects were asked to rate their levels of anticipatory pain and actual pain levels at different times during wound care using a numerical rating scale. Results: The results indicated that subjects experienced more pain during dressing change than at baseline. Secure subjects reported less pain and anxiety than subjects with other attachment styles. Results of regression analysis indicated that anxiety mediated the relationship between attachment and pain. Conclusion: The results of this study also support the role that attachment plays in the experience of pain in older adults. Clinicians must be cognizant of the impact of personality, anxiety, and anticipation of pain on the actual pain experience.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-03-30Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:16:57Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 gomes_aa_me_bauru.pdf: 1351547 bytes, checksum: cec8e0d89dc0cc29f7588e1ad48f7887 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A teoria do apego, elaborada por John Bowlby, baseia-se na premissa de que os seres humanos, assim como outros animais, apresentam uma inclinação natural para construir e para manter vínculos com os outros que, ao longo do tempo, podem tornar-se insubistituíveis. Em suas pesquisas, desenvolvidas principalmente no período marcado pela Segunda Guerra Mundial, Bowlby descreveu os efeitos da separação de pessoas significativas na tenra infância, procurando especificar quais experiências afetivas seriam essenciais para a criança desenvolver habilidades para lidar com os desafios que a vida coloca a cada ser humano. No decorrer de praticamente meio século, a Teoria do Apego tornou-se um importante modelo psicológico que, na atualidade, possibilita elucidar tanto o desenvolvimento normal quanto condições psicopatológicas. Nesse contexto de transformações paulatinas, a dimensão emocional presente nos vínculos de apego constitui hoje, um componente fundamental de um quadro teórico bem mais extenso e diversificado. Em vista disso, o presente trabalho objetivou identificar os avanços da Teoria do Apego na Psicologia contemporânea, por meio de análise de material bibliográfico publicado no período de 2005 a 2010, na modalidade de resumos de artigos científicos e no formato de textos completos indexados nas bases de dados PsycInfo, Eric, Lilacs e Scielo. Foram encontrados 194 trabalhos, com maior volume de produção no ano de 2007. Nesse contexto, a pesquisadora chilena Maria Pía Santelices destacou-se como a autora com maior frequencia de publicações na atualidade. O inglês foi o idioma mais utilizado nos artigos encontrados, sendo que os Estados Unidos constituiu no país com maior volume de publicações. Observou-se um predomínio de estudos teóricos e, no caso dos estudos empíricos... / The attachment theory, developed by John Bowlby, is based on the premise that humans, like other animals, have a natural inclination to build and maintain links with others who, over time, may become irreplaceable. In this research, developed mainly in the period market by World War II. Bowlby described the effects of separation from significant others in early childhood, seeking to specify which affective experiences would be essential for the child develop skills to cope the challenges that life poses to every human being. During nearly half a century, the Attachment. Theory has become an important psychological model that currently enables elucidate both normal development and psychopathological conditions. In this context of gradual changes, the emotional dimension of attachment bonds is now a key component of a theoretical framework much more extensive and diversified. Taking this into account, the present study aimed to identify the progress of the Attachment Theory in the Contemporary Psychology, through analysis of papers published in the period 2005 to 2010, in the form of abstracts of scientific articles and in full text format indexed in databases PsyInfo, Eric, Lilacs and Scielo. The research found 194 studies and revealed a higher volume of production in 2007. In this context, the Chilean researcher Maria Pia Santelices stood out a the author of publications more frequently nowadays. Enghish was the language most used in the articles found, and the United States was the country with the greatest volume of publications. There was predominate of theoretical works and, in the case of empirical research, a greater number of studies investigating attachment in adulthood was detected. Studies on human development prevailed. Psychology was the field of knowledge that received the most... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)