<p> This phenomenological study sought to answer, "What is the lived experience of anxiously attached, heterosexual women while in relationships?" The lived experiences of 10 participants ranging in age from 32 to 59 were elicited through interviews. The Moustakas transcendental phenomenological reduction methodology, using the modified Van Kaam method (1994) was used to analyze the data. Five main structures emerged. First, relation to self reflected feeling unlovable, defective, and embarrassed to be single. Second, relation to other had six sub-themes. Participants selected partners who were incompatible and non-committal. They had beliefs of idealized relationships, a struggle, and had a fear of being left. Positive feelings at the outset of relationships turned into ongoing upset. Relationship behaviors included trying to relate effectively, having a major focus on their partner, and reinforcing partners' negative behaviors. Relationship termination occurred with reluctance, there were missed cues, anxiety, and ongoing grief and yearning for the partner. They had current insights of unviable relationships that resulted in ongoing upset feelings that should have terminated sooner. The third structure of causality revealed poor relationship role-modeling and parental treatment of the participants that impacted their view of self, others, and relationships. Fourth, bodily concerns reflected a use of sexuality to connect, and sexual dissatisfaction. Fifth, participants were aware of time in and between relationships. Two conclusions relating to the structure of causality and a lack of insight about relationships are discussed. Future qualitative studies were recommended to provide more understanding of anxious and dismissive avoidant attachment styles.</p>

<p> Is exposure to death the formula to accept one&acute;s own demise? The present research tested terror management theory among groups with varying degrees and types of exposures to death from Varanasi to find an answer. Study 1 included 120 funerary workers and 120 farmers. Participants were reminded of their death or a control topic and then reported their level of cultural worldview defense operationalized as attachment and glorification of India and pro-India bias. Farmers increased their worldview defense following death reminders. This increase brought farmers to the same high level of worldview defense displayed, independently from the condition, by funerary workers. This was interpreted as support for the idea that chronic exposure to death leads to a chronic use of cultural worldview defense. Study 2 tested whether a more experiential form of exposure to death involved in going through a terminal illness is the silver bullet to accept death. A group of 30 terminal cancer patients and 30 farmers with no major health concerns from Varanasi completed similar measures as in Study 1. Death reminders increased attachment to India in both groups. These findings suggest that daily exposure to death - at least to dead bodies and illness symptoms - or a Hindu cyclical view of life and death do not lead to death acceptance. Alternative types of exposure to death are offered in the discussion as possible roads to reach death acceptance. </p>

<p> The role of fathers in the workplace and in the home has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. The typical American family has two full-time working parents in a household, rather than one full-time worker and one full-time stay-at-home parent. Additionally, the ways in which fathers are expected to contribute to a child's caretaking and development has changed dramatically during this timeframe. The benefits in the workplace for fathers in the United States have not changed to reflect these dynamics however. While equal pay, time off work and other benefits have been increasing for mothers in the workplace, there is a noticeable absence of paternity leave available for fathers in the United States. Moreover, fathers in the United States typically take less time off following the birth of their first-child than fathers in other countries, reducing the amount of bonding time available with their newborn child. Understanding how these experiences impact first-time fathers in the United States who were forced to take unpaid time off to bond with their child formed the research question and focus of this qualitative study: What is the lived experience of first-time fathers in the United States as they attempt to manage the work-life balance without government mandated paid paternal leave? Heuristic research methodology was utilized to discover the meaning and essence of the experiences of becoming a first-time father while managing their work and home life responsibilities while taking unpaid time off work. Eight first-time fathers who were forced to take this unpaid leave during the past five years were interviewed, gathering their experiences on managing their dual roles, finances and the transition to becoming a parent. The personal experience of the researcher is also included in this process. The aim of this qualitative study is to provide additional insight into the current body of knowledge and add to the experiences of becoming a first-time father for working fathers in the United States, where paid paternal leave is not a government sponsored benefit.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to identify meaningful personality differences (and/or personality disorders) between convicted sexual offenders and convicted Internet sex offenders. For the purpose of this study, convicted sexual offenders will include only rapists and child molesters, referred to as Hands-On Adult Victims (HOAV) and Hands-On Child Victims (HOCV), respectively. </p><p> Nine of the 24 MCMI-III clinical scales were used to examine potential meaningful differences: schizoid, avoidant, depressive, dependent, histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial, compulsive, and negativistic scales. Archival data consisting of MCMI-III scores of 75 convicted sex offenders from the three groups were analyzed. Significant differences were found in two of the nine MCMI-III scales: schizoid and narcissistic. Internet offenders displayed higher elevations on the schizoid scale when compared to the HOAV and HOCV offenders; no differences were found between the HOAV and HOCV offenders in this scale. On the narcissistic scale, HOCV and HOAV offenders scored similarly to each other but both had elevated scores compared to the Internet offenders. The general lack of differences in personality profiles among the three offender groups suggests that treatment interventions could usefully focus on dynamic risk factors rather than on personality factors.</p>

<p> We know that development is greatly influenced by early parenting experiences (Gauthier, 2003; Koestner, Franz, &amp; Weinberger, 1990). Sibling violence has been shown to have long lasting effects into adulthood, including a range of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, low self-worth, and aggression (Graham-Bermann, Cutler, Litzenberger, &amp; Schwartz, 1994). What is less known is the combined impact of sibling violence and parental physical aggression on subsequent adult intimate partner relationships. A study was conducted with 93 participants to examine the relationship of sibling violence while controlling for the experience of parental physical aggression in childhood on conflict resolution styles experienced in adulthood. Four hierarchical regressions were conducted to determine the relative influence of parental and sibling violence as well as the severity of each type of violence on four conflict resolution styles. Participants were recruited from the internet and completed the Conflict Resolution Style Inventory (CRSI) (Kurdek, 1994) measuring current conflict resolution styles, the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 (CTS2) measuring sibling violence, and the Conflict Tactics Scales: Parent/Child Version (CTSPC) (Straus, Hamby, &amp; Warren, 2003) measuring parental use of physical aggression. It was found that familial violence was related to three of the conflict resolution styles: Conflict Engagement, Withdrawal, and Compliance. Social learning theory could account for these findings, as what we learn in the family environment we tend to later emulate in other relationships.</p>

<p> This hermeneutic study starts with a critical review of three formal approaches to group visioning: future search, appreciative inquiry (AI), and scenario planning. It then establishes a foundation for an archetypal psychological approach to such visioning. The research reviews future search, AI, and scenario planning from a depth psychological perspective and against two sets of vital considerations. The first set considers the participants' psychological relationship to the future and the second their psychological relationship to their groups. </p><p> Future search and AI arose in the field of organizational development; scenario planning first as a military strategy. All three currently appear as interventions for both organizations and communities. However, only future search and scenario planning explicitly recognize the unconscious, and none account for the participants' temporal biases. Zimbardo and Boyd (2008) would describe these approaches as made by futures for futures. They work best when participants already have a future orientation. Furthermore, the approaches vary in the ways they account for Bion's (1961) observation that humans are group animals who are not only in conflict with the group, but also with themselves for being group animals. </p><p> The second part of this study establishes a foundation for an approach to group visioning based on archetypal psychology. The approach begins by identifying the group's dominant archetypes, the archetypes' goals, and the archetypal field present in the external environment. It then links the group's vision to the aims of the group's dominant archetypes. </p><p> This study contributes to the fields of depth psychology, liberation psychology, and organizational and community development. Despite Freud's (1922/1955) and Jung's (1935/1966) negative opinions of groups and organizations, individuals are always involved with a group. This research addresses this fact and its relationship to liberation psychology, which aims to empower the excluded voices on the social margins (Watkins &amp; Shulman, 2008). Some organizational researchers already view organizations from a depth psychological perspective (Corlett &amp; Pearson, 2003). However, none ties the archetypes to the vision of the organization. This work clearly identifies and examines this vital link.</p>

<p> The intention of this exploratory research is to shed light on the psychological impact of interactions with digital technology, which is increasingly pervasive in our culture. This dissertation asks what psychological phenomena are generated by human interactions with digital technology, in general, and with complex recommendation systems, in particular. Nondigital technology is contrasted with digital technology, which achieves new levels of interactivity through its artificial and virtual capabilities. It is proposed that the degree of increased interactivity made possible by digital technology crosses a threshold impacting the psyche in new ways. </p><p> A theoretical framework for understanding human-digital technology interactions is introduced and developed. The psyche is conceptualized as evolutionarily and biologically based, functioning symbolically and emotionally both consciously and unconsciously. Ramifications of this conceptualization are explored in the context of interactions with digital/algorithmic technology, using recommendation systems as illustrations. </p><p> The theoretical investigation concludes that psyche-digital technology interactions are new phenomena. Psychic processes&mdash;by nature evolutionarily and biologically symbolic and largely unconscious&mdash;interact with nonbiological digital/algorithmic technology. Because of the incongruence of value systems between biological phenomena and digital/algorithmic logic, unconscious psychic processes resulting from interactions between <i> the biological feeling psyche and nonbiological digital technology</i> are likely to significantly impact both psychic development of individuals, in the short term, and quite possibly the human species at large, in the long term. </p><p> The method of exploratory research is interpretive and theoretically oriented, while employing a depth psychological lens. Contemporary depth psychology is described as an integrative field that is receptive to insights from all other fields; it considers unconscious phenomena as vital to human psychological makeup. This study brings together depth psychological and neurobiological theory; and is grounded in the work of depth psychologist Erich Neumann, who describes biological-evolutionary-symbolic unconscious and conscious dynamics of the psyche. </p><p> As background, social psychology's discoveries of unconscious social behaviors triggered by interacting with new media are highlighted as fundamental in interactions with computing technology. From a depth psychological point of view, conscious and unconscious relationships to and with technology are explored historically as precursors to interactions with digital technology. </p><p> Keywords: human-computer interactions, depth psychology, big data, recommendation systems, digital technology, emotions, affect, feeling, neurobiology, Carl Jung, Erich Neumann.</p>

<p> Mass shootings that end in suicide at public venues such as schools have become shockingly frequent. In many cases the attackers have left communications indicating envy and bullying as the source of their rage. With healthcare becoming more universally available and the U.S. Surgeon General&rsquo;s focus on bullying as a national healthcare issue, the mental health community would be remiss in failing to adequately address bullying behavior and its effects at this time. Relational aggression is a particular type of bullying that relies on surreptitious gossip and the willingness of participants to accept roles of victim or bully. Using hermeneutic phenomenology, this thesis creates a depth psychological model for exploring the intrapersonal and interpersonal bully&ndash;victim dynamics in relational aggression through the use of the stories of Cinderella and Arachne. The findings demonstrated how archetypal defenses maintain the bully&ndash;victim dynamic and the difficulties in and importance of perspective taking in its resolution.</p>

<p> This 3-month intensive single case study of Rey (pseudonym), a 16-year-old male client and his family highlights the impact of the local wraparound program in Santa Cruz County (WRAP) on a participating probation youth of immigrant background. A holistic lens helped understand the interactive spheres that made up Rey's world. The theoretical considerations reviewed&mdash;both individual and systems orientations&mdash;suggested a more complete view of the complex interrelated factors that made up the participant's reality. The literature review covered social ecology; community psychology; wraparound; the local cultural, historical, and ethnographical background; attachment; complex trauma; emotion regulation; interconnectedness; family therapy; and coherence. There is a session-by-session synopsis of Rey's interactions with the program, followed by an analysis of the sessions as they related to his defense, receiving support, connectedness, participation, exploration, and emotion regulation. The holistic model offered detailed insight into Rey's experiences during his work with WRAP. Although the results are individualized, the focus on the single participant allowed for sensitization and increased awareness regarding WRAP's impact on Rey's world. The use of the holistic model and the themes that emerged should be examined in further research with different populations and diverse sociocultural surroundings.</p>

<p> Past research has shown that entrainment facilitates social bonding in intimates and strangers. The current study investigated if synchronicity in romantic couples is disrupted by relationship discord. Rocking chair movements were used as an objective measure of synchronicity. Couples rocked together for 3 minutes to assess their baseline synchronicity, and again for 3 minutes after inducing a threat to the relationship in one member of each couple. It was hypothesized that satisfied couples would be more entrained than dissatisfied couples at baseline, as well as after inducing a relationship threat. Results indicated no significant difference in rocking between satisfied and dissatisfied couples at baseline. However, results supported that synchronicity was significantly disrupted in dissatisfied couples, but not satisfied couples, after the threat was induced. These results suggest that relationship satisfaction acts as a buffer to relationship threats and/or that satisfied couples are more likely to remain entrained even in the face of hardship.</p>