Extensive computer use is creating a society where its citizens are communicating outside the norm of real life. These diversions from real life communication behavior have been named the Online Disinhibition Effect (ODE). The effect is a psychological model that is structured with different types of elements which can be triggered by different communication mediums. There are two sides of the effect; a benign, where compassion and a reveal of emotions are more likely, and a toxic, where anger, frustration and threats are in focus. In the online video game industry, ODE is active, but as the medium is different than regular internet use the effects are different as well. This paper looks at how online video games are affected by ODE. By using the most current disinhibition model made by Suler and looking at modern cyberpsychology in online games, this paper found eight features that have the possibility to decrease disinhibition amongst users. This paper concludes with a warning that games are becoming more immersive and without the proper authority features, games will increase their disinhibition effect amongst its users.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T16:34:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcia Chicareli Costa.pdf: 725351 bytes, checksum: 89f0653c50e3e337c911d6a7e5d08908 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-08-11 / This paper aimed at investigating aspects of the intrapsychic dynamics of mothers whose children live in shelters due to court order and identifying the protective resources used by these mothers. To meet these purposes, a clinical investigation studying three cases of sheltered children s mothers was done. Two instruments were used: a) Interview Script Theme scripts to be covered during one or more non-directive interviews of clinical scope, inorder to help investigate the psychodynamics of these mothers. b) Drawings and Storytelling Procedure Projective technique which associates the use of drawings to stories as a mean of exploring the contents of personality freely and dynamically. This technique allows the study of formal and structural characteristics of the personality, as it has the singularity of facilitating the expression of unconscious aspects related to present anguishes points, differing focus, and emerging disorders. These procedures were used inside the institution (shelter) in which the children lived. The main results common to the three cases were: Ambiguity and Development Impendings - the first interviewed mother attacks at the same time the mother that left her (the biological mother and the adoptive mother), in search of na idealized mother. This ambiguity impedes her development. The same attempt of idealisation was observed on the second interviewed mother. She shows embarassement in accepting her life and can´t realize that the approaching of her mother is because of an acquired disease and not for continence. The third and last interviewed mother shows persecutive contents when facing the sheltering of her children and embarassement to feel greatful. The prevailing mechanisms that appear on the three cases are: Idealization and regression to primitive stages. Depression, difficulty to elaborate the depressive position are also observed. These mothers can´t continuously experience the psychic reality that would imply on the elaboration of depressive position, since they can´t do it, though they attempt to compare between the internal and external worlds, this would lead them to a better understanding of the similarities and differences, so the parents figure (mainly the mother's) becomes divided between terrifying and idealised, but the prevailing mechanisms are their fantasies that provide idealisation; massive projective identification. The persecution and guilty seem to indicate at the same time the depression that can be so strong that leads to the enhancement of these feelings. There´s the presence of envy that also enhances the persecution anguishes, requiring defense mechanisms that violates the psychic functions.(AU) / Este estudo teve como objetivos investigar aspectos da dinâmica intrapsíquica de mães de crianças institucionalizadas em abrigo por ordem judicial, e identificar recursos defensivos utilizados por essas mães. Para atingir estes objetivos, realizou-se uma investigação clínica com estudo de três casos de mães de crianças abrigadas. Foram utilizados dois instrumentos: a) Roteiro de Entrevista roteiro de temas a serem abordados em uma ou mais entrevistas não diretivas de cunho clínico, a fim de auxiliar na investigação da psicodinâmica destas mães. b) Procedimento de Desenho Estória com Tema técnica projetiva que associa o uso de desenhos com estórias, como forma de explorar livre e dinamicamente os conteúdos da personalidade. A técnica permite o estudo das características formais e estruturais da personalidade, pois tem a particularidade de facilitar a expressão de aspectos inconscientes relacionados a pontos de angústias presentes, focos conflituosos e perturbações emergentes. Estes procedimentos foram realizados nas dependências da instituição (abrigo) onde as crianças estavam hospedadas. Os principais resultados comuns aos três casos foram: Ambigüidade e os Impeditivos de Crescimento a primeira mãe entrevistada ao mesmo tempo ataca a mãe que a abandona (mãe biológica e a mãe adotiva), em busca de uma mãe idealizada. Essa ambigüidade a impede de crescer. Nota-se a mesma tentativa de idealização na segunda mãe estudada que demonstra dificuldade em aceitar a atual situação em que vive e não consegue perceber que a aproximação de sua mãe é por causa da doença que ela adquiriu e não por continência. A terceira e última mãe entrevistada demonstra conteúdos persecutórios diante do abrigamento dos filhos e dificuldade de sentir gratidão. Os mecanismos predominantes que aparecem nos três casos são os de: idealização e regressão a estágios primitivos. Nota-se ainda, depressão, dificuldade de elaboração da posição depressiva. Estas mães não conseguem vivenciar continuamente a realidade psíquica, que implicaria na elaboração da posição depressiva, pois não conseguem fazer, ainda que tentem, uma comparação entre os mundos interno e externo, o que as levariam à uma melhor compreensão das semelhanças e diferenças. De modo que, a figura dos pais (principalmente da mãe) fica cindida entre aterrorizante e idealizada, porém os mecanismos predominantes são suas fantasias que propiciam idealização; identificação projetiva maciça. A persecutoriedade e a culpa, ao mesmo tempo parecem indicar a depressão que pode ser tão forte que levam à intensificação destes sentimentos. Há a presença da inveja que também intensifica as angústias persecutórias, requerendo mecanismos de defesa que violentam as funções psíquicas.(AU)

[pt] Desde que o conceito de luto foi tomado como objeto de estudo pela psicanálise, há uma tendência a pensá-lo somente enquanto capacidade de vivenciar e superar as perdas por que se passa durante a vida. No entanto, ampliações teóricas nos permitem conceber também o seu importante papel no processo de desenvolvimento desde os primeiros momentos da vida de um indivíduo. Partindo do conceito de luto fundamental e de sua vivência na primeira infância, promovemos uma reflexão psicanalítica sobre as perdas e o processo de luto, abordando ainda sua inter-relação com a possibilidade de elaborar os lutos por perdas na vida adulta. A partir de Freud e sua metáfora da sombra em Luto e Melancolia, propomos um entendimento de como o objeto perdido pode tanto sufocar o ego com sua sombra ou enriquecê-lo com sua luz. Para isso, retomamos os conceitos de introjeção e incorporação, diferenciando-os, e mostramos que, enquanto os processos introjetivos estão ligados à elaboração satisfatória do luto, a incorporação estaria mais ligada a processos menos saudáveis. Por fim, discute-se a questão do acting out no caso de pacientes graves que podem fazer uma escolha inconsciente por compartilhar do mesmo destino do objeto perdido diante da impossibilidade de elaboração de uma perda. Tal escolha pode se traduzir no engajamento em comportamentos compulsivos, situações de risco e/ou autodestrutivas, além de formas diretas e indiretas de suicídio. Neste sentido, são apresentados fragmentos de casos clínicos – as histórias de vida e de morte – para ilustrar algumas dessas situações. / [en] Since the concept of mourning has been taken as the object of study by psychoanalysis, there is a tendency to think as only as a capacity to experience and overcome the losses that occur during life. However, theoretical extensions allow us to also conceive of its important role in the development process from the earliest moments of an individual s life. Starting from the concept of fundamental mourning and its experience in early childhood, we promote a psychoanalytic reflection on the losses and the process of mourning, also addressing its interrelationship with the possibility of elaborating the mourning for losses in adult life. From Freud and his metaphor of the shadow in Mourning and Melancholy, we propose an understanding of how the lost object can either suffocate the ego with its shadow or enrich it with its light. In order to do so, we return to the concepts of introjection and incorporation, differentiating them, and we show that while the introjective processes are linked to the satisfactory elaboration of mourning, the incorporation would be more related to less healthy processes. Finally, the issue of acting out is discussed in the case of severe patients who may make an unconscious choice by sharing the same fate of the lost object in the face of the impossibility of drawing a loss. Such choice can be translated into engaging in compulsive behaviors, risky and or self-destructive situations, as well as direct and indirect forms of suicide. In this sense, fragments of clinical cases – the life and death stories – are presented to illustrate some of these situations.

La présente thèse aborde le phénomène de la dépression d'une perspective dimensionnelle et s'intéresse à l'étude des symptômes individuels. Afin de tester le modèle clinique de la dépression de Sydney Blatt (1974, 2004) deux études ont été réalisées. La première a consisté à la validation transculturelle de l'Echelle multidimensionnelle de la dépression (EMD; Multiscore Depression Inventory; Berndt, Petzel, & Berndt, 1980). Il s'agit d'un questionnaire pour mesurer la sévérité de la dépression ainsi que 10 symptômes individuels par 10 sous-échelles. Une version française de l'instrument a été développée et des analyses statistiques ont été réalisées afin de déterminer les propriétés psychométriques de l'instrument en ce qui réfère à l'équivalence linguistique ainsi que la validité et la fidélité de la forme globale et de la forme abrégée. L'équivalence linguistique a été démontrée en se servant d'un échantillon d'étudiants bilingues du premier cycle de l'Université Laval (N=30). La validité de construit a confirmé la structure multifactorielle de la forme globale (N=278) et de la forme abrégée (N=305). L'analyse de fidélité a déterminé la consistance interne et la stabilité temporelle pour l'échelle globale et ses sous-échelles dans la forme globale, ainsi que la consistance interne pour la forme abrégée. Deux sous-échelles de la forme abrégée ont échoué de prouver une stabilité temporelle. Une fois l'EMD validé, une deuxième étude a été réalisée afin de tester le modèle clinique de dépression de Blatt. Cette étude analyse la relation entre les deux formes dépressives proposées par Blatt : la forme anaclitique et la forme introjective, et trois variables fondamentales du modèle : les symptômes dépressifs, les représentations d'objet et les représentations de soi. Les participants étaient 30 femmes et 14 hommes présentant un diagnostic de dépression ou bien des symptômes dépressifs cliniquement significatifs. Les résultats apportent un appui à l'hypothèse de la spécificité symptomatique pour la forme introjective, qui se révèle plus étroitement associée que la forme anaclitique aux symptômes d'irritabilité, faible estime de soi et sentiments de culpabilité. Par contre, la forme anaclitique a été associée à un seul symptôme : difficultés cognitives. Nos résultats supportent très faiblement l'association entre les formes dépressives et les représentations d'objet et de soi. Pour la dépression anaclitique, aucun résultat significatif n'a été trouvé et pour la dépression introjective, une représentation malveillante du conjoint, ainsi qu'une faible qualité relationnelle ont été les seuls prédicteurs significatifs. Les résultats sont discutés en lien avec la théorie et la recherche existantes.

This explorative qualitative research investigates whether there is a difference in the symbolic meanings between the bulimic’s behaviour of purposefully expelling food versus the anorexic’s deprivation of food by administering the Thematic Apperceptive Test, as well as, conducting in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews with two bulimic women, two anorexic women of the restrictive sub-type and one anorexic woman of the binge-eating/ purging sub-type, whose ages ranged from twenty-one to thirty-five years of age. Both the conscious and unconscious themes that emerge from their stated relationship with food and their TAT responses are explored, with particular interest being focused on whether the symbolic meaning of food is in essence a “symbolic equation” for an object, specifically the mother and parental couple. The concept of “symbolic equation” is explored analytically from a Kleinian perspective to ascertain whether it is not food, per se that the anorexic is depriving herself of or that the bulimic suddenly and uncontrollably ingests, but then rapidly and violently expels. On the contrary, it appears that the refusal to introject or the ambivalent battle between introjection and expulsion of food is used as a disguise for the underlying conflictual object relation/s. The modified version of the Bellak Scoring System (1986) was used to analyse their TAT responses in order to elicit the themes that represent their internal worlds and object relations. Individual thematic content analysis was conducted on each interview transcript separately, and then a comparative analysis performed to explore commonalities and differences across the transcripts and TAT responses amongst the three anorexic women as a group and the bulimic women as a separate group. After which, the two different eating disorder groups were compared to explore both their differences and similarities. The findings suggest that a variety of conscious and unconscious motives might best be understood within the historical context of each participant’s early development and family dynamics. It appears that the anorexic is unconsciously motivated, at least partly, by her desire to repudiate any experience of dependency, separateness, loss, frustration, envy, fear, guilt and helplessness. Conversely, the bulimic appears to be motivated, at least partly, by the repetitive magical quest to restore a ‘good’ self-object bond and to stifle her destructiveness. Nonetheless, underlying both the anorexic’s and the bulimic’s illness is an ambivalent struggle with internalising a gainful and durable link to an object, which can in some way be permitted to be ‘good’. This appears to have its origin in the mother-daughter relationship, father-daughter relationship, parental couple, as well as, the triangular space between the mother-daughter-father link. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

[pt] O presente trabalho teve como objetivo introduzir o pensamento de Nicolas Abraham e Maria Torok a partir de três eixos principais de sua conceitualização: o símbolo, a cripta e o fantasma. Através da abordagem desses conceitos, pretendeu-se investigar a compreensão dos autores sobre as ressonâncias do trauma na vida do sujeito e através das sucessivas gerações. / [en] The present study aimed to introduce the work of Nicolas Abraham and Maria Torok through three main ideas of their conceptualization: the symbol, the crypt and the phantom. By presenting these concepts, this paper tried to investigate the way those authors understood the effects of traumatic experiences on the individual s life and through generations.

Den här uppsatsen undersöker MMORPG-spelares uppfattningar och erfarenheter av toxiskt beteende. Huvudsyftet med uppsatsen är att ge bredare perspektiv om deskriptiva normativa uppfattningar kring toxiska beteenden bland MMORPG-spelare, hur detta påverkar spelarnas beteenden samt hur det påverkar spelarbasen. Studien utförs med en intervju-orienterad kvalitativ undersökningsmetod. Utgångspunkten för studien är de teoretiska ramverken om deskriptiva normativa uppfattningar och online-hämningslöshetseffekten som utgör grunden för rekrytering av deltagarna samt intervjufrågorna. Studiens resultat påvisar att det finns indikationer på att det finns ytterligare faktorer som påverkar normaliseringen av toxiska beteenden hos individer än de som är direkt relaterade till spelandet. Studien visar att spelare anser att belöningar är en bättre lösning än bestraffningar för att förbättra deras beteenden. Deltagarnas egna beteenden förändrades i relation till deras egna uppfattningar huruvida spelsamhällets norm är att vara toxisk eller inte. Denna innebär en direkt påverkan av det normaliserade beteendet i den sociala miljön. Slutligen konstaterades att deltagarnas motivation att fortsätta spela minskade när de kommit i kontakt med toxiska beteenden. / This essay examines MMORPG players’ normative perceptions of toxic behavior. The primary purpose of this essay is to provide additional perspectives on normative perceptions about toxic behaviors among MMORPG players, how this affects player behaviors, and how it affects the player base. The study utilizes a qualitative research method with a theoretically essentially latent approach. The starting point for the study is the theoretical frameworks theory of normative beliefs and online disinhibition effect, which is the basis for recruitment of the participants and the interview questions. The results demonstrate additional aspects which affect the normalization of toxic behaviour other than gaming-related factors. Further, players believe that rewards are a better solution than penalties for improving their behavior. The participants’ behavior changed concerning their perceptions of whether the game’s norm is to be toxic or not. The players’ behavior is thus directly affected by the normalized behavior in the social environment. Finally, players describe motivation to continue playing decreased when they came in contact with toxic behaviour.

Text in Afrikaans / The utilization value of the paradoxical theory of change in Gestalt Play Therapy with adolescents Adolescents undergo significant changes on physical, emotional, and cognitive levels during this development stage. These changes have a great influence on their self-awareness. Most adolescents experience great problems with who they are and who they should be according to the expectations of others. This causes a never-ending process of efforts to change. Change can only take place if the adolescent is who he is, but not if he tries to be what he is not. The consequence hereof is that change cannot take place in the adolescent, because he should first become aware of who he is. The awareness of who he is leads to change. The paradoxical theory of change is all about being who one is and not about trying to be what others expect one to be. The adolescent should be accompanied to become aware of who he is, by utilization of the paradoxical theory, in order to be able grow and change. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the utilization value of the paradoxical theory of change in Gestalt Play Therapy with adolescents. In order to achieve this goal, the research process was directed by qualitative research, and triangulation was utilized as a technique for gathering information. Out of the processing and integration of conclusions drawn during the empirical investigation, data could contribute to exploration and description of the assessment of the paradoxical theory of change in Gestalt play therapy with adolescents. The aim of the investigation was therefore achieved, namely the exploration and description of the utilization value of the paradoxical theory of change in Gestalt Play Therapy with adolescents. / Play thearapy / M.Diac.

The aim with this research is to present children with autism an alternative method through animal assisted therapy to communicate and socialize. Since children with autism cannot be guided to mastery of full maturity by means of the ordinary education system, separate provision of highly specialized fomative and formal education is essential. Autism prevents a child from reaching out to the world and other people. Autism implies a lack of communication with others and entails a disturbed dialogue with the world. This is revealed by the strange and odd behaviour of the child with autism. The aim of this research is to use animal assited therapy to bridge the gap between numerous problems experienced by the child with autism ascribed to his inadequate affective life, inablitity to form relationships with others, his language, speech and communication problems and poor sensory integration. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)

The Apartheid Philosophy resulted in creating a heterogenous society in South Africa, with each group having its own distinctive culture and value-orientation. Organizational values, influenced by personal value-orientation employed by White managers, could be challenged by appointing members of this heterogenous society into positions previously held by White managers, thereby emphasizing the need for congruence between organizational and personal value-orientation. The literature study revealed not only the existence of both Individualism and Collectivism, but the co-existence thereof in individual value-orientation and the existence of Ubuntuism as another form of collectivism - the latter being analogous to humanism. Through this empirical study the value-orientations of managers from either Black or White cultural backgrounds, were assessed, using a value-orientation questionnaire. The findings of the present study, although inconclusive, demonstrated that Black and White managers do not differ significantly in terms of their value-orientation at work. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)