bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Concurrent Validity of a Crime-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale for Women within the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised
Authors: Arata Catalina M. , Saunders Benjamin E. , Kilpatrick Dean G.
Published: September 2018

Using a structured interview to obtain a lifetime history of criminal victimization, a community sample of 266 adult women who had experienced at least one incident of victimization was identified. These women were administered the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised, the Impact of Event Scale, and a structured clinical interview was used to identify Crime-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CR-PTSD). A recently derived scale based on responses to items on the SCL-90-R was compared to the IES for predicting current diagnosis of Crime-Related Post-Traumatic Disorder. Both the scale and the IES were found to improve prediction of CR-PTSD above base rates and to perform in a similar manner. The utility of each of these scales as a screening measure is discussed.
Therapists’ Perceptions of Severity in Cases of Family Violence
Authors: Hansen Marsali , Harway Michele , Cervantes Nancyann
Published: September 2018

The incidence of relationship violence is a topic of increased concern (Koss, 1990). Family therapy theorists have been criticized for emphasizing shared responsibility and obscuring the seriousness of the violence (Bograd, 1989; Pressman, 1989). The current study surveyed 362 members of a national family therapy organization. Respondents were asked to conceptualize and provide interventions for one of two actual cases that involved family violence. Results indicate the therapists surveyed did not attend to the seriousness of the violence if they attended to the violence at all. Interventions frequently failed to address the crisis and the need for protection of the wife.
Effects of Battered Women’s Early Responses on Later Abuse Patterns
Authors: Follingstad Diane R. , Hause Elizabeth S. , Rutledge Larry L. , Polek Darlene S.
Published: September 2018

Abused women (N = 234) were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to determine whether violence increases during the course of an abusive relationship. Comparisons were made between women with short-term violence and long-term abusive relationships to assess whether strategies used by victims during early incidents affected the duration of the violence. Women out of the relationship were also contrasted with women still in the relationship. The data supported the picture of increasing abuse for 18 months with a relatively stable rate from then on. The number of forms of abuse and the severity of them tended to quickly increase over early events. Women with short-term violence were more likely to make plans following early incidents, typically involving changing the marital situation. Whether experiencing short-term or long-term abuse, battered women perceived their own sanctions on the abusers as responsible for the cessation of the violence. Continued investigation is necessary to replicate these findings and to identify strategies for reducing violence while women are in the relationship.
The Impact of Professional Football Games Upon Violent Assaults on Women
Authors: White Garland F. , Katz Janet , Scarborough Kathryn E.
Published: September 2018

The relationship between the timing and outcomes of the Washington Redskins’ football games and the frequency of admissions to hospital emergency rooms in northern Virginia is investigated. An OLS time series analysis is conducted, controlling for days of the week, months, years and special holidays for 1988-1989. The results indicate that the frequency of admissions of women victims of gun shots, stabbings, assaults, falls, lacerations and being struck by objects increases when the team wins. We hypothesize that many of these injuries are the result of battering and that having a favorite team win may act as a trigger for assault in some males. We suggest that viewing the successful use of violent acts may give the identifying fan a sense of license to dominate his surroundings.
Coping Capacity Among Women with Abusive Partners
Authors: Nurius Paula S. , Furrey Jacqueline , Berliner Lucy
Published: September 2018

Coping capacity, although increasingly implicated as a mediating force in how individuals respond to personal threat, is an underrecognized factor in work with women of abusive partners. To explore the utility of coping capacity as a multivariable set to guide intervention with women of abusive partners, findings are reported comparing four groups of women: those whose partners do not engage in abuse, are abusive toward them, are sex offenders of children for whom the woman is a parent, or are offenders of children for whom the woman is not a parent. Three variable sets were included: vulnerability factors that may negatively influence appraisals of threat and ability to cope with abuse; coping responses that include cognitive, emotional, and behavioral reactions to the abuse; and coping resources expected to mediate effects of vulnerability factors and to influence the mobilization (of lack thereof) of coping responses. There were significant differences in coping capacity profiles across the four groups. These appeared to be a continuum of coping capacity, with women who were most directly threatened showing the lowest and women who were least directly threatened showing the highest levels of coping capacity. In order from the lowest to the highest levels of coping capacity were (1) battered women, (2) women whose partners are offenders against their children, (3) women whose partners are offenders against children of whom they are not the parent, and (4) control group women. The paper ends with a conceptual interpretation of the mediating functions of coping resources and implications for intervention and further study.
After the Crisis: A Needs Assessment of Women Leaving a Domestic Violence Shelter
Authors: Sullivan Cris M. , Basta Joanna , Tan Cheribeth , Davidson William S.
Published: September 2018

The current study presents the results of a needs assessment of 141 women exiting an emergency shelter for women with abusive partners. Extensive in-person interviews were conducted. Results indicate that battered women need numerous community resources upon their shelter exit, including legal assistance, employment, and housing. Race, age, and whether a woman was returning to her assailant influenced which resources she reported needing at shelter exit. Most of the women had experienced severe abuse and injuries, and required physical protection. Implications of these findings as they relate to program development and integration of social services are discussed.
Relationships Among Marital Investment, Marital Satisfaction, and Marital Commitment in Domestically Victimized and Nonvictimized Wives
Authors: Bauserman Sue Ann K. , Arias Ileana
Published: September 2018

The present investigation examined the association between marital investment, marital satisfaction, and commitment to marriage among physically abused women. We applied an investment model and a social learning model to understanding victimized wives’ satisfaction and commitment to stay married. Thirty wives who reported physical abuse and 58 nonabused wives completed measures of marital stability, investment in marital problem solving, and dyadic adjustment. Investment in marital problem solving was assessed by having subjects indicate how much energy that they have put into solving 34 common marital problems and whether their efforts were successful or not successful. Consistent with a social learning model but counter to an investment perspective, correlational and multiple regression analyses for each group revealed that failed investment was significantly related to lower, not greater, commitment. Group differences also emerged. Whereas nonabused wives’ commitment was related to their dyadic adjustment abused wives’ commitment was related to their level of failed investment. Results are consistent with the notion that women may remain in abusive relationships because of psychological entrapment.
A Comparison of Adaptive Strategies and Patterns of Victimization Among Homeless Adolescents and Adults
Authors: Whitbeck Les B. , Simons Ronald L.
Published: September 2018

One hundred and fifty-six homeless adolescents and 319 homeless adults interviewed directly on the streets and in shelters were compared for backgrounds of abuse, adaptations to life on the streets, and rates of criminal victimization when on the streets. Homeless adolescents were more likely to be from abusive family backgrounds, more likely to rely on deviant survival strategies, and more likely to be criminally victimized. A social learning model of adaptation and victimization on the streets was hypothesized. Although the model was supported for both homeless adults and adolescents, it was more strongly supported for adolescents than adults, and for males than females regardless of age.
Methodological Issues in Cross-Cultural Large-Survey Research on Violence
Authors: Gartner Rosemary
Published: September 2018

Researchers concur on the importance of a cross-cultural perspective for understanding and preventing violence, but not on the particular analytic strategy that should inform such a perspective. This paper examines the actual and potential contributions of one of the dominant analytic strategies in cross-cultural research on violence: research based on large-survey data. I review the major sources of large-survey data, and evaluate these data and the research based on them. I then suggest directions for future work that could compensate for limitations of existing data and research. In particular, I argue for two innovations: (1) development of new sources of cross-cultural survey data on violence based on sub-national sampling units, and (2) multilevel strategies that would balance within-society and between-society analyses and examine intervening mechanisms linking macro-social factors with violent outcomes.
I Am the NRA: An Analysis of a National Random Sample of Gun Owners
Authors: Weil Douglas S. , Hemenway David
Published: September 2018

Data from a national random sample of gun owners (N = 605) were used to determine whether members of the National Rifle Association (NRA) are a representative sample of all gun owners and how well the NRA's lobbying positions on gun control reflect the views of its membership and of nonmember gun owners. No obvious demographic distinctions were identified between member and nonmember gun owners, but handgun owners (odds ratio [OR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19to 2.39) and individuals who owned six or more guns as opposed to just one gun (OR, 1.95; 95% C1, 1.22 to 3.10) were more likely to belong to the NRA. Nonmembers were more supportive of specific proposals to regulate gun ownership (OR, 1.82; 95% C1, 1.14 to 2.91), but a majority of both member and nonmember gun owners favored a waiting period for the purcbase of a handgun (77% and 89%, respectively) and mandatory registration of handguns (59% and 75%).
A Response to Kleck
Authors: Weil Douglas S. , Hemenway David
Published: September 2018

Gary Kleck makes four major claims about our article: that we have deliberately omitted responses to questions from our analysis; that our interpretation of the responses is mistaken; that the survey itself is fatally flawed; and that our conclusions are unimportant and uninteresting. Kleck's arguments are completely without merit.
Women’s Fear of Crime and Abuse in College and University Dating Relationships
Authors: Kelly Katharine D. , DeKeseredy Walter S.
Published: September 2018

Several government-sponsored victimization surveys have found women’s fear of crime to be much higher than that of men even though their probability of being victimized is much lower than men’s. On the basis of these results, several criminologists contend that women’s fear is subjectively based. However, government surveys have not adequately examined the consequences of the physical, sexual, and psychological abuse of women by male intimates. Feminist researchers contend that these assaults greatly contribute to a generalized fear of crime that is objectively based. Using data from a national survey on female abuse in Canadian college/university dating relationships, this study tested and failed to support the feminist hypothesis that violence by male intimates results in higher levels of fear. However, an examination of an ex post facto hypothesis assessing the relationship between fear in private places (the home) and abuse by male dating partners found positive correlations. Women who had been psychologically or sexually victimized by male dating partners felt more insecure in their own homes than other women. These increased feelings of fear were linked to experiences of sexual coercion, unwanted sexual touching, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. The results suggest that women reassess their feelings of fear when victimized by male intimates. In particular, places generally viewed as safe by women, their own homes, are seen as more threatening than they had been in the past.
Structural and Cultural Determinants of Child Homicide: A Cross-National Analysis
Authors: Briggs Carl M. , Cutright Phillips
Published: September 2018

Models of structural characteristics that may influence national infant and child homicide victim rates are derived from prior research. Expected effects of structural characteristics from a “social control” perspective are compared with expected effects from a “guardians, suitable target” perspective. Gartner’s (1991) claim that structural factors influence victim rates only in nations with low social insurance expenditures is also evaluated. Statistical analysis of three infant and child age groups with homicide rates from 1965-1969, 1970-1974 ... 1985-1988 fails to support the claim that high and low social insurance expenditure strata differ. Further, no independent effects of Gartner’s (1991) three measures of family structure are found. Indicators of family stress/resources, female status, the culture of violence, and a proxy for unmeasured variables and measurement error all contribute to produce high levels of explained variance in each age group.
Counseling Heterosexual Women Arrested for Domestic Violence: Implications for Theory and Practice
Authors: Hamberger L. Kevin , Potente Theresa
Published: September 2018

With increasing emphasis in recent years on mandatory arrest for partner violence, there has been a concomitant increase in the number of females arrested for assaulting their partners. The present paper describes the process one community experienced to understand and appropriately intervene with women who had been arrested for domestic violence and referred to court-mandated treatment. Issues related to conceptualization of the problem, identifying intervention goals and defining the intervention targets were discussed. Research with the community sample of domestically violent indicated most were motivated by a need to defend themselves from their partner’s assaults, or are retaliating for previous batterings. As such, the intervention focused on issues of victimization and oppression. It is further suggested that intervention programs for domestically violent women must take place in the context of a broader community intervention which involves training and interaction with law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to determine criteria for arrest and prosecution of battered women when they fight back to protect themselves.
Lesbian Battering: The Relationship Between Personality and the Perpetration of Violence
Authors: Coleman Vallerie E.
Published: September 2018

The occurrence of violence in lesbian relationships challenges societal stereotypes of women and traditional, sociopolitical theories of domestic violence. This article proposes that a multidimensional theory of partner abuse, which incorporates an emphasis on individual personality dynamics, is needed to more fully understand the heterogeneity of batterers. The relationship between psychopathology, sociocultural factors, and battering in lesbian relationships is examined and dynamics related to the borderline and narcissistic disorders are highlighted. In order to improve our understanding of domestic violence and provide effective treatment, we must continue to pursue critical thinking and research regarding the role of personality dynamics, and the relationship between these dynamics and other variables.
Patriarchy and Wife Assault: The Ecological Fallacy
Authors: Dutton Donald G.
Published: September 2018

A critical review is made of feminist analyses of wife assault postulating that patriarchy is a direct cause of wife assault. Data are reviewed from a variety of studies indicating that (a) lesbian battering is more frequent than heterosexual battering, (b) no direct relationship exists between power and violence within couples, and (c) no direct relationship exists between structural patriarchy and wife assault It is concluded that patriarchy must interact with psychological variables in order to account for the great variation in power-violence data. It is suggested that some forms of psychopathology may lead to some men adopting patriarchal ideology to justify and rationalize their own pathology.
Gay and Bisexual Male Domestic Violence Victimization: Challenges to Feminist Theory and Responses to Violence
Authors: Letellier Patrick
Published: September 2018

This article demonstrates how same-sex male battering challenges contemporary feminist domestic violence theory. The author shows current theory to be heterosexist and therefore insufficient to explain the phenomenon of battering among gay/bisexual men. Domestic violence theories that integrate a sociopolitical and a psychological analysis of battering are presented as more inclusive of same-sex domestic violence. Differences between battered gay/bisexual men and battered women are illustrated, focusing on how these men conceptualize and respond to violence against them. The author also examines the social context of homophobia in which same-sex battering occurs; the impact of AIDS on gay/bisexual men as it pertains to battering; the misconception of “mutual combat”; and the difficulty of seeking help. The article highlights the need for empirical research on same-sex male battering.
Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Revictimization With Women of Color
Authors: Urquiza Anthony J. , Goodlin-Jones Beth L.
Published: September 2018

Clinical researchers examining the long-term consequences of child molestation have reported that female survivors of child sexual abuse experience a higher risk of sexual assault as adults. However, very little literature has focused on the child and/or adult sexual victimization of women from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. In examining the long-term consequences of child sexual abuse, this investigation examined the rates of sexual revictimization of women of color. A multiethnic (white, African-American, Latina, and Asian-American) sample of 243 women, recruited and randomly selected from a pool of volunteers from two community colleges, were administered extensive clinical interviews. Nearly two thirds of the women who reported rape as an adult had a history of child sexual abuse, while approximately one third of the nonvictimized women had a child sexual abuse history. Additionally, an examination of the rates of adult rape within each ethnic group revealed differences between the women with and without a history of child sexual abuse. Significant differences (i.e., higher rates of rape associated with a prior history of child sexual abuse) were found for white women, African-American women, and Latinas, but not for Asian-American women. The results of this investigation highlight the relationship between child sexual abuse and adult rape and suggest the need for researchers to take a broader cultural context in which to view sexual victimization.
The Reliability and Factor Structure of the Index of Spouse Abuse With African-American Women
Authors: Campbell Doris W. , Campbell Jacquelyn , King Christine , Parker Barbara , Ryan Josephine
Published: September 2018

This study investigated the reliability and validity of the Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA) when used with a sample of 504 African-American women. The initial factor validity analysis for the ISA (Hudson & McIntosh, 1981) resulted in two subscales: a physical abuse scale (ISA-P) and a nonphysical abuse scale (ISA-NP). Factor analysis with this sample of African-American women revealed three factors instead of two. Coefficient alpha estimates of reliability were over .90 for the original ISA subscales and with the African-American sample. The discussion compares and contrasts the factor structure observed with the sample of African-American women with the factor structure reported in the original validation studies. The study demonstrates the need to critically evaluate the extent to which instruments developed to measure spouse or partner abuse are valid and reliable when used with diverse groups that may not have been represented in the samples used for initial instrument development and validation work.
Turkish Version of the Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse: Preliminary Psychometrics in College Students
Authors: Demirtaş Ezgi Toplu , Sümer Zeynep Hatipoğlu , Murphy Christopher M.
Published: September 2018

The aim of the current study was to investigate the basic psychometrics of the Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse (MMEA; Murphy & Hoover, 1999) in a Turkish sample. Two hundred and fifty-four college students participated and completed the Turkish version of the MMEA (MMEA-TR) along with the Physical Assault of Conflict Tactics Scale—Revised, Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, Relationship Assessment Scale, and Social Desirability Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure of the MMEA-TR for both victimization and perpetration reports. This factor structure was cross-validated with an independent older sample of 328 dating college students for perpetration reports. Satisfactory criterion validity and internal consistency reliability results were obtained as well. Based on the preliminary investigation, the MMEA-TR appears to be a psychometrically sound measure of psychological dating aggression perpetration and victimization among college students in Turkey. The results, limitations, and recommendations for future studies were discussed.
Relationships Between Shame, Restrictiveness, Authoritativeness, and Coercive Control in Men Mandated to a Domestic Violence Offenders Program
Authors: Kaplenko Hannah , Loveland Jennifer E. , Raghavan Chitra
Published: September 2018

Coercive control, a key element of intimate partner violence (IPV), is defined as an abuse dynamic that intends to strip the target of autonomy and liberty. While coercive control is gaining popularity in the research world, little is known about its correlates and causes. This study sought to examine how shame and men’s need for dominance, measured by two trait indexes of dominance, restrictiveness and the need for authority, influence coercive control. The present study used a diverse sample of men (n= 134) who were mandated to attend a domestic violence offenders program. Findings suggest that shame plays a role in the commission of coercively controlling behavior both directly and partially through its influence on authority but not through restrictiveness. Implications for understanding IPV in a domestic violence offenders program are discussed.
Self-Compassion and Psychological Flexibility in a Treatment-Seeking Sample of Women Survivors of Interpersonal Violence
Authors: McLean Caitlin L. , Fiorillo Devika , Follette Victoria M.
Published: September 2018

Interpersonal violence is pervasive and is related to numerous negative psychological outcomes. This study examines self-compassion and psychological flexibility as potential protective factors for the range of diverse problems associated with interpersonal trauma. A community sample of 27 women (mean age = 37.74, SD = 16.16) participated in a larger pilot intervention study for psychological distress related to interpersonal violence. In this treatment-seeking sample, self-compassion was positively associated with psychological flexibility and negatively linked to higher levels of trauma-related distress, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as well as problems related to the self and relations with others. The results suggest that self-compassion and psychological flexibility may function as protective factors in the development of problems in survivors of interpersonal violence.
Intimate Partner Violence in the Workplace: Exploring Gender Differences in Current Health-Related Quality of Life
Authors: Kulkarni Shanti J. , Mennicke Annelise M. , Woods Stephanie J.
Published: September 2018

Workplace restraint and interference (WRI) behaviors represent a distinct form of intimate partner violence (IPV) that undermines survivors’ employment. This study explored relationships between WRI, gender, and health-related quality of life. Eight linear regressions tested the relationship between WRI and health-related quality of life measures within a large corporate sample. Overall, female employees reported poorer outcomes on all health-related quality of life domains compared with males. WRI experiences uniquely contributed to female employees’ anxious moods, sleep disruptions, and reduced vitality, as well as male employee pain, beyond other factors. Helping employees, supervisors, and co-workers to understand WRI as IPV increases opportunities to enhance employee safety, health, and well-being. Future research, including WRI measurement development, can deepen our understanding WRI experiences on specific health outcomes.
Women’s Use of Aggression and Their Depressive Symptoms: The Mediating Effect of Aggression-Related Shame and Avoidance Coping Among Women Experiencing Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Overstreet Nicole M. , Weiss Nicole H. , Swan Suzanne C. , Sullivan Tami P.
Published: September 2018

Research is scarce on the consequences of women’s use of aggression on their depressive symptoms, particularly in relationships where women use and are victimized by intimate partner violence (IPV). Further, research has yet to identify factors that may mediate the aggression-depressive symptoms link among women who experience bidirectional IPV. The present study examined the potential mediating roles of shame and avoidance coping in the relationship between women’s use of intimate partner aggression and their depressive symptoms. Participants were a community sample of 369 women who used and were victimized by physical aggression with a current male partner in the previous 6 months. A serial multiple mediator model was used to examine the mediating roles of aggression-related shame and avoidance coping on the relation between women’s use of aggression and depressive symptoms. Results showed a significant indirect effect of women's use of aggression on their depressive symptoms through both aggression-related shame and avoidance coping; indirect effects were not significant through each mediator separately. After controlling for women’s IPV victimization, we found a positive association between women’s use of aggression and aggression-related shame, which in turn was related to greater avoidance coping, and subsequently, greater depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of examining shame and avoidance coping as consequences of women’s use of aggression and its effects on poorer mental health outcomes among women who use and are victimized by IPV.
For Every Malady a Sovereign Cure: Optimism Training
Authors: Riskind John H. , Sarampote Christopher S. , Mercier Mary A.
Published: September 2018

Standard cognitive-behavioral therapy gives most of its emphasis to the targeting of negative cognitions for reduction. Yet there may be cases when simply reducingnegative cognitions may not be enough. In the present article, we present several “optimism training” techniques that may be particularly useful for helping patients by increasingthe frequency of positive cognitions and self-statements that foster optimism and motivate adaptive behavior. Specific case examples for clinical use of the optimism techniques are provided. Results of a preliminary outcome study of optimism training are also provided.
Is Humor Only Fun, An Alternative Cure or Magic? The Cognitive Therapeutic Potential of Humor
Authors: Gelkopf Marc , Kreitler Shulamith
Published: September 2018

The paper deals with the therapeutic potential of humor, emphasizing in particular its properties as a tool of cognitive therapy. The variety, commonness and pervasiveness of the claims about the beneficial effects of humor justify the need to examine these effects in view of modern findings. The first part is devoted to reviewing studies describing the contributions of humor to physical well-being, such as reducing pain, decreasing proneness to heart disease and enhancing immunological responses. The effects are positive but weak and may be considered as belonging to the background factors promoting physical health. The second part is devoted to reviewing studies describing the contributions of humor to psychological well-being, mainly its emotional effects, such as reducing tension and aggression or enhancing social feelings, and its cognitive effects, such as mental flexibility, shifting, playfulness, optimism and distancing. The next sections deal with reviewing the presumed clinical effects of humor, focusing on the processes through which it has been claimed to contribute to facilitating individual and group psychotherapy. The clinical effects depend upon integrating humor into the overall therapy. In the last section an attempt is made to present a cognitive model which, by showing how humor coalesces the emotional and cognitive effects, may account for the diverse curative effects of humor.
It’s the Thought That Counts: The Role of Intentions and Meta-Awareness in Cognitive Therapy
Authors: Moore Richard G.
Published: September 2018

It is usually assumed that cognitive therapy helps patients to reassess the validity of the content of their thinking, resulting in thoughts which are more realistic and less negative, thereby alleviating emotional distress. This paper proposes that negative cognitions may be dysfunctional, not only in terms of inaccurate propositional content, but also through fostering unhelpful or maladaptive intentions. Some benefits of cognitive therapy may result from helping patients to give up unhelpful intentions or adopt novel intentions in situations where they are experiencing distress. The process of adopting new intentions is facilitated by development of awareness of thoughts as mental events, here called meta-awareness. The effects of different components of cognitive therapy on intentions and on meta-awareness are described. Making intentional effects explicit clarifies the process of action of cognitive therapy, and may facilitate clinical practice, empirical investigation and training.
Maimonides and the Origins of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Authors: Pies Ronald W.
Published: September 2018

The philosophical roots of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) have usually been traced to the rationalist and stoic philosophers, but not to the 12th century physician-theologian, Maimonides. This paper argues that CBT has startling affinities with Maimonides’s clinical methods of dealing with emotional disturbances, and that both Maimonides and practitioners of CBT drew inspiration from similar philosophical traditions. While CBT did not evolve directly from Maimonides, many of its tenets were prefigured in his writing. By comparing the specific methods of CBT with the teachings of Maimonides, a nexus between the two is established. The more theocentric aspects of Maimonides’s views, though not directly transferable to CBT, open a path toward the fusion of cognitive-behavioral and existential therapies.
Developments in Psycho-Oncology and Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Cancer
Authors: Kidman Antony D. , Edelman Sarah
Published: September 2018

Psycho-oncology is a relatively new scientific discipline which combines the study of the biological and psychological aspects associated with cancer. Factors which have influenced the development of interest in this field are discussed. One area of investigation in psycho-oncology has focused on identifying a possible relationship between psychosocial factors and the etiology or progress of cancer. To date, the evidence for such a relationship is contradictory, and methodological problems abound. We are seeking to shed some further light on this area by conducting a carefully controlled psychological intervention study with metastatic breast cancer patients (in progress). A description of the trial and treatment program is provided.
Cognitive Psychotherapy and Postmodernism: Emerging Themes and Challenges
Authors: Lyddon William J. , Weill Robin
Published: September 2018

Implications of postmodern thought for the theory and practice of cognitive psychotherapy are examined in light of three postmodern influences—social constructionism, feminism, and multiculturalism. It is suggested that these influences challenge cognitive psychotherapists to (a) develop a greater appreciation for the ways in which human realities are socially negotiated, (b) provide more contextualized accounts of psychological problems, particularly with regard to the dimensions of gender, culture, and economic class, and (c) incorporate client empowerment strategies into their models of change.
Adlerian Psychotherapy and Cognitive Therapy: An Adlerian Perspective
Authors: Sperry Len
Published: September 2018

This paper seeks to delineate common themes between Adlerian psychotherapy and Cognitive Therapy and suggest ways that the two theories may learn from one another.
Countertransference and the Therapeutic Relationship: A Cognitive Perspective
Authors: Rudd M. David , Joiner Thomas
Published: September 2018

The current article discusses the potentially inappropriate application of psychodynamic constructs regarding the therapeutic relationship (i.e., transference-countertransference) to cognitive therapy, offering a discussion of the fundamental principles of cognitive therapy that are violated. The therapeutic belief system is defined and offered as an alternative conceptual framework for addressing therapeutic relationship variables in cognitive therapy and the ways in which it is more consistent with the fundamental principles of cognitive therapy are identified and discussed. Finally, application of the therapeutic belief system to the treatment of suicidal patients is provided as a clinical example. Potential implications for treatment and research are noted.
The Child and Adolescent Scale of Irrationality: Validation Data and Mental Health Correlates
Authors: Bernard Michael E. , Cronan Felicity
Published: September 2018

A revised Child and Adolescent Scale of Irrationality (Bernard & Laws, 1988) was administered to 567 children and adolescents to determine the construct validity of Albert Ellis’s theory of rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) as applied to childhood irrational thought. Participants also completed Spielberger’s Trait Anxiety, Anger and Curiosity scales in order to be able to examine the relationships among childhood irrational thought, emotionality and to establish convergent/divergent validity. Teachers rated each participating student on the dimensions of emotional problems, low effort (in school work), and behavior problems. A principal components analysis with varimax rotation produced a four-factor solution (“Self-downing,” “Intolerance of Frustrating Rules,” “Intolerance of Work Frustration,” and “Demands for Fairness”). Significant correlations were obtained among Total Irrationality and the four irrational subscales with trait anxiety, anger, as well as with teacher ratings of students. Aspects of Ellis’s theory were confirmed while the emergence of two forms of low frustration tolerance and the primacy of self-downing may require a reconceptualization of the nature of irrational thought in the childhood period.
The Temple—Wisconsin Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression Project: Conceptual Background, Design, and Methods
Authors: Alloy Lauren B. , Abramson Lyn Y.
Published: September 2018

The Temple-Wisconsin Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression (CVD) project is a two-site, prospective longitudinal study designed to test the etiological hypotheses of two cognitive theories of depression: Hopelessness theory (Abramson, Metalsky, & Alloy, 1989; Alloy, Kelly, Mineka, & Clements, 1990) and Beck’s theory (Beck, 1967, 1987). In this article, we provide an overview of the CVD project, including the conceptual background, goals, rationale, and design of the project, as well as a description of the project sample and assessment methods. Separate articles will present empirical findings from the project.
Strategic Self-Limitation
Authors: Leahy Robert L.
Published: September 2018

Traditionally, cognitive therapy has viewed psychopathology as a consequence of dysfunctional information processing and maladaptive assumptions or imperatives. However, one may also view dysfunctional behavior and cognition as purposive and as setting desired limits on individual change. Change always implies some risk and uncertainty and individuals may manage this risk and uncertainty by creating barriers to change or to self-evaluation. The resistant patient is viewed as invested in avoiding evaluation of the self under “optimal” conditions by obscuring attributional processes regarding the self. Self-handicapping strategies of resistance include noncompliance with homework, personal attacks on the therapist, distancing and volatility in emotions, waiting for readiness to change, and insistence on hopelessness. Therapeutic interventions include direct identification of self-handicapping as a strategy, examining the negative implications of achieving goals, investment in self-idealization rather than self-acceptance, and experimentation with success.
A Cognitive Approach to the Treatment of Primary Inferences in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Authors: O’Connor Kieron , Robillard Sophie
Published: September 2018

In this article, it is argued that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with overt compulsions, where there is overvalued ideation, is primarily a disorder of the imagination and hence, by implication, psychological therapy should principally address the client’s imagination, rather than other cognitive processes. According to this model, the OCD client imagines a state of affairs which is then taken ‘as if it were a reality and does so because of the persuasive influence of an imaginary narrative fiction. This narrative is replayed, often in condensed form, in the OCD context and leads the client into a chain of maladaptive inferences about a possible state of affairs. The client then acts in accordance with what might be present rather than what is actually present.

An inference-based approach (IBA) which directly addresses and challenges the imaginary narrative of the client is outlined, with clinical illustrations. The IBA approach complements other cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and can be used in conjunction with existing CBT methods which focus more on modifying the interpretations and secondary appraisals subsequent to primary inferences.
The Prevention of Depression in At-Risk Adolescents: Current and Future Directions
Authors: Gladstone Tracy R. G. , Beardslee William R.
Published: September 2018

Beardslee’s (1990) innovative research on preventive intervention for youth depression will be introduced. Beardslee and colleagues have focused their work on families with parental affective disorder, with the goal of preventing the onset of disorder in nonsymptomatic early adolescents aged 8 to 15 years. In a longitudinal study of 100 families, Beardslee and colleagues have developed, implemented, and evaluated two preventive intervention protocols (clinician-facilitated and lecture) designed to promote resilient traits and to modify the risk factors associated with parental affective illness. These protocols are outlined, initial results are reported, and implications for the prevention of disorder in at-risk youth will be discussed. In addition, research directions we are currently pursuing, and future directions for research, are introduced.
Treatment of PTSD Using Cognitive and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies
Authors: Falsetti Sherry A. , Resnick Heidi S.
Published: September 2018

This article reviews the assessment and cognitive behavioral treatment of patients with civilian trauma related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and presents a case example to illustrate the use of cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD. Areas of importance for assessment include thorough trauma history, PTSD symptomatology, comorbid disorders, coping skills, distorted cognitions, and level of behavioral avoidance. There are now several cognitive behavioral therapies available for the treatment of PTSD that have been empirically validated. These treatments will be briefly described and the extant treatment outcome literature will be reviewed. A case example, highlighting cognitive strategies within cognitive behavioral therapy, is presented.
Cognitions in Anorexia Nervosa: Changes at Discharge From a Cognitive Therapy Milieu Inpatient Treatment Program
Authors: Bowers Wayne A. , Ansher Lynn S.
Published: September 2018

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been effective in the treatment of various disorders including bulimia nervosa. However, little is known about the effectiveness of CBT on treatment of anorexia nervosa. Thirty-two patients were treated for anorexia nervosa on an inpatient unit. They were evaluated before and after treatment by three measures assessing negative cognitions. The unit milieu was designed to use cognitive therapy principles with CBT being administered primarily in groups, supplemented with individual sessions. At discharge all patients had displayed significant cognitive change in their disorder. Also, at time of discharge, this group of patients had significant changes in their schemas and cognitive distortions consistent with a cognitive therapy perspective. Future research is needed to identify the effect of CBT on anorexia nervosa within a wide variety of treatment settings.
The Relationship of Sociotropy and Autonomy to Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety
Authors: Fresco David M. , Sampson William S. , Craighead Linda W. , Koons Ashton N.
Published: September 2018

Beck (1983) hypothesized that excessive interpersonal (sociotropy) and achievement (autonomy) concerns represent vulnerabilities to depression when congruent negative life events occur and that these personality constructs relate differentially to specific depressive symptoms. Recent research suggests that sociotropy relates to both depression and anxiety symptoms while autonomy may be specifically related to depression symptoms. This study employed a longitudinal, prospective design with a sample of 78 undergraduates to test aspects of Beck’s (1983) hypotheses. Sociotropy correlated with anxiety symptoms while autonomy correlated with depression symptoms. Additionally, sociotropy moderated the relationship of life stress to depression symptoms for both negative interpersonal and achievement stress while autonomy moderated the relationship of life stress to depression symptoms for negative interpersonal events only. Finally, sociotropy and autonomy also moderated the relationship between life stress and anxiety symptoms in a pattern that was different from the pattern with depression symptoms. Findings from the present study add to a growing body of empirical evidence that sociotropy and autonomy relate to depression and introduce evidence indicating how these constructs may relate to anxiety.
The Impact of Depressive Illness on Spouses of Depressed Patients
Authors: Dudek Dominika , Zieba Andrzej , Jawor Miroslawa , Szymaczek Maria , Opila Janusz , Dattilio Frank M.
Published: September 2018

This study examines the impact of major depressive illness on spouses of depressed patients. The aim of the study was to attempt to conceptualize the gender differences in the manner in which spouses experience their partnera’s disorder. Forty-eight spouses of depressed patients (22 females and 26 males) and 48 married couples with no mental health diagnosis were selected to participate in this study. The occurrence of depressive symptoms was assessed through the use of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Thinking styles were assessed using the Rosenberg Scale (RS), Hopelessness Scale (HS), and the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ). Perception of the marital relationships was evaluated with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS)

Results indicate more depressive symptomatology and distorted thinking patterns with the female spouses of depressed patients. The perceived quality of marital relationships by female spouses was rated to be poorer than that of male counterparts and controls.

The results suggest that there exist clear differences in thinking style and perception of marital relationships between female and male spouses who are married to depressed partners.
Depressive Decision Making: Validation of the Portfolio Theory Model
Authors: Leahy Robert L.
Published: September 2018

A multi-dimensional model of decision making, based on modern portfolio theory, is advanced that proposes that individuals consider in making behavioral decisions and contemplating risk. This model is specifically applied to depressive decision making. According to this model, depressed individuals view themselves as having few current and future resources, low predictability and control, less maximization of positives, greater minimization of negatives, less utility for gains, more disutility for losses, higher stop-loss criteria, higher information demands, more regret, and more reliance on waiting as a strategy. Participants were 153 adult psychiatric patients who were tested on a 25-item Decision Questionnaire that assessed 25 dimensions of decision making and these responses were correlated with the Beck Depression Inventory. The results substantially supported the assumptions of a general portfolio theory of risk. Risk aversion and depression were related to most of the dimensions and depression was related to risk aversion. Less depression was related to maximizing positives as a goal, but was unrelated to minimizing negatives. Four factors accounted for most of the variance: General efficacy, discouragement, unpredictability, and risk aversion.
The Relationship Between Therapist Competency in Cognitive Therapy and General Therapy Skill
Authors: Vallis T. Michael , Shaw Brian F. , McCabe Scott B.
Published: September 2018

One recent trend in psychotherapy research involves the increased specification of the treatment variable through the use of therapy manuals and therapists who are trained to criteria. This study is an investigation of the relationship between ratings of therapist competence in one system of psychotherapy (cognitive therapy, CT) and ratings of therapist performance less dependent on modality-specific interventions (i.e., general therapy skills). Experts in cognitive therapy judged the quality with which a group of therapists implemented the CT protocol. The Matarazzo Checklist of Therapist Behaviour (MCTB), a scale less dependent on modality-specific interventions, was used by other, independent judges to rate the same therapy sessions. Results of correlational analyses indicated that subcategories of errors on the MCTB were differentially related to competence in cognitive therapy as measured by the Cognitive Therapy Scale. Highly competent performance was negatively related to errors in therapeutic focus, but was positively related to errors in communication. These data were interpreted to reflect the importance of tying judgments of therapy skill to the specific theoretical and technical model of the therapy system being examined.