Dialectical thinking and coping flexibility: a multimethod approach

The significance of a dialectical approach to enrich health professions education

The Lancet Global Independent Commission has called for a systems-based approach to health professions education. They emphasised the acquisition of collaborative skills, critical reasoning and ethical conduct to prepare students for interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP). Interprofessional education (IPE) has been put forward as a promising strategy. However, despite the global efforts to incorporate IPE in health professions education curricula, the evidence for a positive impact on IPCP is still inconclusive. This may be related to the misalignment between competency-driven IPE programs that focus on end-stage professional competence and the non-linear development of students' competence that is necessary for the dynamical nature of IPCP. Therefore, we argue that health professions education, and IPE in particular, needs to incorporate these dynamical processes including social and organization sensitivity. We present a conceptual framework that integrates the Cultural-Historical Theory, the principles of dialectical thinking and the concept of metastable attunement. While dialectical thinking is the ability to perceive the complexity of a dynamic reality that is in a state of constant transition, metastable attunement refers to the consequent adjustment to it. The subsequent instructional design employs a dialectical approach to teaching and learning, based on mediating activities and dialectical inquiry. To reach the full potential of this approach, the mediating activities should ensure a continuum of learning across the curriculum. In addition, faculty development needs to focus on the principles of dialectical inquiry as a pedagogy to optimally guide students. Further research into the extent to which healthcare professionals and students think dialectically may inform improvements to the proposed instructional design, the structure of the learning continuum and the essential requirements for faculty development.

Peer assumption: an illusory consensus hidden in the criminal responsibility of juvenile offender-evidence from psychology

Introduction

There is a consensus hidden in the criminal legislation of many countries that the criminal responsibility capacity of juvenile offenders is not significantly different from that of their peers. The purpose of this paper was to test this hypothesis. The research objects of this paper were 187 juvenile offenders in J Province, China, who are under detention measures, and 2,449 students from junior high school, senior high school and university in S Province as comparison objects. We subjected the gathered materials to independent-samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results

(1) The self-control ability (109.30, 123.59) and empathy ability (63.86, 72.45) of juvenile offenders were significantly different from those of ordinary minors, but the difference of dialectical thinking ability was not statistically significant; (2) Except for the influence of mother's education level and family income on dialectical thinking ability, the other variables had no statistical significance on the three kinds of ability. Therefore, it was suggested that the correction plan and means for juvenile offenders should focus on the improvement of self-control ability and empathy ability.

Coping strategy-situation fit vs. present control: relations with perceived stress in U.S. college students

BACKGROUND

According to the strategy-situation fit hypothesis, it is adaptive to match coping strategies to the controllability of stressors. Although early research generally supported this hypothesis, recent findings have been inconsistent. The goals of this study were to test the strategy-situation fit hypothesis, addressing limitations of past research, and compare it to an alternative hypothesis from the temporal model of control (i.e., to focus on what one can control rather than matching coping strategies to control appraisals).

DESIGN AND METHODS

College students (n = 159) completed measures assessing their stressors, coping strategies, stressor controllability, perceived control over present aspects of stressors, and perceived stress. Data were collected via online surveys in Fall 2020.

RESULTS

Consistent with the strategy-situation fit hypothesis, using a higher ratio of problem-solving coping for more controllable stressors was associated with less stress. However, using more emotion-focused coping for less controllable stressors was not associated with less stress. In addition, focusing on what one could control in the present was associated with less stress, above and beyond strategy-situation fit.

CONCLUSIONS

It may be more adaptive to focus on what one can control in the present than to match coping styles to stressor controllability.

Eco-civilization: A complementary pathway rooted in theory and practice for global sustainable development

Eco-civilization, as a civilizational discourse led by China, implies the next stage of civilization after industrial civilization, the essence of which is to respect, conform to, and protect nature. Although the international community is paying more attention to eco-civilization, the existing literature still lacks a systematic discussion of which theories and practices underpin the construction of eco-civilization. Due to the ambiguity of eco-civilization, some even criticize it as being a form of purely partisan politics in China. By systematically reviewing its theoretical pillars, practical actions, and major achievements, this perspective paper argues that China's eco-civilization is not a partisan politics, but rather a legitimate, imperative pathway to global sustainable development rooted in complementary theory and practice, i.e., theories guide practices, and practices enrich theories. We highlight that the theoretical basis and practical actions of eco-civilization constitute a continual improvement process that permits diverse viewpoints and understanding, and any action exploring how to achieve a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature is consistent with the values of eco-civilization.

How does social complexity facilitate coping flexibility? The mediating role of dialectical thinking

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Past research has shown that worldviews can influence coping strategies but coping is often regarded as a stable person-based behavioral characteristic. The present research aims to examine how one component of worldviews - social complexity - influences the flexibility of coping strategies across situations.

DESIGN

In two cross-sectional studies and one prospective study, we tested a mediation model in which the perceived complexity of the social world (i.e., social complexity) predicted coping flexibility through dialectical thinking.

RESULTS

Across three studies, social complexity consistently facilitated dialectical thinking, which in turn fostered the cross-situational flexibility of coping strategies at a single time point and over 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Believing in complex causes of phenomena and multiple solutions to problems facilitates a cognitive style of viewing issues from multiple perspectives and tolerating contradictions, which are conducive to the flexible evaluation and implementation of effective strategies to cope with problems. Theoretical and practical implications of the present research are discussed.

Evaluating Optimism, Hope, Resilience, Coping Flexibility, Secure Attachment, and PERMA as a Well-Being Model for College Life Adjustment of Student Veterans: A Hierarchical Regression Analysis

The purpose of this study is to examine (a) to what extent demographic covariates, foundational and emerging positive psychology traits (FEPPTs), and PERMA uniquely predict college life adjustment, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and life satisfaction of student military veterans; (b) PERMA as a happiness and well-being model for college life adjustment, HRQOL, and life satisfaction among student veterans; and (c) FEPPTs as predictors of PERMA. In addition, we tested whether total PERMA scores mediate the relationship between service-connected disability and college adjustment. A total of 205 student veterans responded to an online survey. Results revealed that demographic covariates (e.g., service-connected disability), FEPPTs (e.g., optimism), and PERMA (e.g., positive emotion) significantly accounted for college life adjustment, HRQOL, and life satisfaction of student veterans. In addition, a mediation analysis revealed that PERMA partially mediated the relationship between service-connected disability and college life adjustment of student veterans. The results of this study provide empirical supports for the use of PERMA as a comprehensive well-being model of college life adjustment for student veterans.

The Informative Process Model as a New Intervention for Attitude Change in Intractable Conflicts: Theory and Empirical Evidence

Peacemaking is especially challenging in situations of intractable conflict. Collective narratives in this context contribute to coping with challenges societies face, but also fuel conflict continuation. We introduce the Informative Process Model (IPM), proposing that informing individuals about the socio-psychological processes through which conflict-supporting narratives develop, and suggesting that they can change via comparison to similar conflicts resolved peacefully, can facilitate unfreezing and change in attitudes. Study 1 established associations between awareness of conflict costs and conflict-supporting narratives, belief in the possibility of resolving the conflict peacefully and support for pursuing peace among Israeli-Jews and Palestinians. Studies 2 and 3 found that exposure to IPM-based original videos (vs. control) led Israeli-Jews to deliberation of the information presented, predicting acceptance of the IPM-based message, which, in turn, predicted support for negotiations. Study 3 also found similar effects across IPM-based messages focusing on different conflict-supporting themes. We discuss the implications to attitude change in intractable conflicts.

(Just Thinking of) Uncertainty Increases Intolerance of Uncertainty

Abstract. Intolerance of uncertainty is a far-reaching – yet not widely examined – construct with clinical and nonclinical associations. The current study implemented a brief reflection on uncertainty hypothesized to increase tolerance of uncertainty. The group who engaged in the reflection ( n = 50) was compared to an active control condition ( n = 50). Results demonstrated the opposite of the primary hypothesis: simply reflecting on uncertainty significantly increased intolerance of uncertainty (vs. tolerance of uncertainty). Results also demonstrated that those higher in mindfulness were higher in tolerance of uncertainty, with the “nonreactivity” factor of mindfulness contributing unique variance. These findings suggest multiple factors that might contribute to both tolerance and intolerance of uncertainty. This study indicates that investigations of interventions that include training in mindfulness and its component of nonreactivity might be particularly warranted.

Associations of experiential avoidance with burnout, wellbeing, and productivity loss among police officers: The mediating role of negative and positive affect

OBJECTIVES

The current study aims to investigate the indirect associations between experiential avoidance (EA) and burnout, wellbeing, and productivity loss (PL) via the mediating role of positive and negative emotions among police officers.

METHODS

Data were collected on 187 officers (84% male) aged 21-64 years between 2019 and 2020. Participants completed online self-report measures.

RESULTS

EA was indirectly associated with burnout via positive and negative affect. EA was indirectly associated with wellbeing through positive affect, positive affect and burnout, and negative affect and burnout. Finally, EA was indirectly associated with PL via positive affect and burnout, and negative affect and burnout.

CONCLUSION

Results provide support for the role of EA in officers' wellbeing and job performance via increasing negative affect and decreasing positive affect. This highlights the importance of interventions, such as acceptance and commitment therapy that target acceptance and psychological flexibility.

Dialectical Thinking Is Linked With Smaller Left Nucleus Accumbens and Right Amygdala

Our current work examined the interface between thinking style and emotional experience at both the behavioral and neuropsychological levels. Thirty-nine Chinese participants completed the triad task, and we calculated the rate of individually selected relationship pairings to overall selections to represent their holistic thinking tendencies. In addition, participants in the top one-third of the ratio score were classified into the high holistic thinking group, while those in the bottom one-third of the ratio score were classified into the low holistic thinking group. We used the sensitivity to punishment and sensitivity to reward questionnaire (SPSRQ) to examine how people elicit positive and negative affective behaviors. Additionally, we examined the volume of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens and their functional connectivity in the resting-state. We found that high holistic thinkers were much less sensitive to rewards than low holistic thinkers. In other words, individuals with high holistic thinking are less likely to pursue behaviors that have positive emotional outcomes. Furthermore, their bilateral nucleus accumbens and right amygdala volumes were smaller than those of low holistic thinkers. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that holistic thinking tendency can negatively predict the volume of the left nucleus accumbens and right amygdala. Finally, resting-state functional connectivity results showed increased functional connectivity FC between left nucleus accumbens and bilateral amygdala in high holistic thinkers. These findings provide emotion-related manifestations of thinking styles at the behavioral and neural levels.

Psychometric Challenges in the Measurement of Constructs Underlying Criminal Responsibility in Children and Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

At present, many countries have lowered the minimum age of criminal responsibility to deal with the trend of juvenile crime. In practical terms, whether countries advocate for lowering the age of criminal responsibility along with early puberty, or regulating the minimum age of juvenile criminal responsibility through their policies, their deep-rooted hypothesis is that age is tied to adolescents' psychological growth, and, with the rise in age, the capacity for dialectical thinking, self-control, and empathy gradually improves. With this study, we aimed to test whether this hypothesis is valid. The participants were 3,208 students from junior high school, senior high school, and freshman in the S province of the People's Republic of China (PRC). We subjected the gathered materials to independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), linear regression analysis, and Bonferroni post hoc test. The influence of the age variable upon dialectical thinking, self-control, and empathy was significant (p = 0.002, p = 0.000, p = 0.072), but only empathy was positively correlated with age variable (B = 0.032); dialectical thinking ability (B = -0.057), and self-control ability (B = -0.212) were negatively correlated with the age variable. Bonferroni post hoc test confirmed these findings. Therefore, we concluded the following: (1) Juvenile criminal responsibility, based on the capacity for dialectical thinking, self-control, and empathy, is not positively correlated with age. (2) Age is not the only basis on which to judge a juvenile's criminal responsibility. (3) More research that directly links age differences in brain structure and function to age differences in legally relevant capacities and capabilities(e.g., dialectical thinking, self-control, and empathy) is needed. (4) Political countries should appropriately raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility and adopt the doli incapax principle in the judicial process.

Coping Flexibility and Alcohol-Related Outcomes: Examining Coping Motives as Mediators

Background: Coping has been implicated in the etiology and treatment of problem drinking. Traditional, static measurement of coping styles (e.g., approach, avoidance, social support) may fail to capture how adaptive a given coping style may be. Coping flexibility is an emerging construct, associated with psychological health, and one that may shed light on coping's role in drinking risk. Coping flexibility includes (1) discontinuation of an ineffective coping strategy ("Discontinuation") and (2) production of an alternative strategy ("Implementation"). This study is the first to our knowledge to examine its association to drinking outcomes. Further, because coping deficits are theorized to lead to drinking through coping motives, we also examined mediated pathways from coping flexibility to alcohol outcomes via coping motives. Methods: College students (N = 528) completed an online assessment. Data were analyzed using path analysis. Control variables included sex and coping styles. Results: In path analytic models, Implementation was negatively associated with alcohol use and, indirectly via coping motives, negatively associated with alcohol consequences. The direct effect on alcohol use remained when controlling for coping styles and sex, but the mediational pathway was no longer significant. Conclusions: This study provides some evidence for the protective role of coping flexibility in alcohol use behavior, which may have implications for how best to address coping skills in alcohol interventions. The direct effect of Implementation on drinking suggests that there may be utility in teaching clients a flexible approach to coping in treatment. Replication, particularly with longitudinal designs, is needed.

Relationship between social anxiety and coping profile in adults who stutter

INTRODUCTION

Stuttering is a condition that can be severely disabling in the workplace and socially. Although many stuttering cases resolve, some adults who stutter (AWS) continue to be affected not only by dysfluent speech, but also by other social and psychological conditions that may develop as a result of stuttering. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between severity of stuttering, severity of social anxiety, and coping profile.

METHODS

We objectively assessed adults who stutter (n = 44; mean age = 27.5 years) and age-matched non-stuttering control subjects on four variables: stuttering frequency, communication attitude, social anxiety, and coping profile. Stuttering frequency was calculated as the percentage stuttered morae in the Kitsuon-kensa-ho test. All subjects were assessed on the Japanese versions of the Modified Erickson's Communication Attitude Scale (S-24-J), Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-J), and the Brief Scale for Coping Profile (BSCP).

RESULTS

Compared to the non-stuttering group, the stuttering group had a higher average score on the S-24-J and LSAS-J, and tended to "avoid and suppress" instead of "seek help for resolution" on the BSCP. Comparison of individual stutterers' S-24-J scores whose LSAS-J scores were above or below the LSAS-J cutoff score revealed that their the S-24-J scores tended to be higher. Also, BSCP participants tended to engage in "proactive resolution" and "emotional venting involving others," not "seeking help for resolution." The stuttering group (vs. the non-stuttering group) and the high social-anxiety group (vs. the low social-anxiety group) adopted non-adaptive coping strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

This suggests that the coping profile of AWS may contribute to the cycle of social anxiety and stuttering to a greater or lesser extent. Thus, therapy that reduces anxiety and helps AWS to adopt more adaptive coping strategies may improve stuttering.

The role of dialecticism in objective and subjective attitudinal ambivalence

Although attitudes are often considered positive or negative evaluations, people often have both positive and negative associations with a target object or issue, and when people are ambivalent, they are typically presumed to find the experience aversive because they are motivated to hold clear, univalent attitudes. Cross-cultural research, however, has shown cultural variation in the propensity for dialectical thinking, which is characterized by a tolerance for contradiction. Two studies examined the role of dialectical thinking tendencies in the occurrence of attitudinal ambivalence and how much people subjectively experience their state of ambivalence. Study 1 measured individual differences in dialectical thinking within a culture, and Study 2 compared participants across two cultures (United States and Taiwan) that differ in dialecticism. Across studies, greater dialectical thinking was associated with holding both positive and negative evaluations of the same topic (objective ambivalence) and weaker correlations between objective ambivalence and subjective reports of being conflicted (subjective ambivalence).

Cultural Differences in People's Psychological Response to COVID-19

The present research studied Chinese and Euro-Canadian students during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on their affect, optimism, well-being, and meaning in life. The results revealed both differences and similarities across cultures. As predicted, Chinese participants reported more positive affect and less negative affect, higher optimism, higher state psychological well-being, and higher meaning presence, compared to Euro-Canadian participants. The findings were replicated after a week's delay. Analyses on longitudinal data showed that state optimism, state well-being, and meaning presence influenced one another over time. These variables also mediated the cultural differences in one another. These results are consistent with cultural work on naïve dialecticism and non-linear lay theory of change. Results also demonstrate underlying relationships among the constructs that are common to both cultural groups. Broadly, the present research highlights the impact of culture on people's response to challenging life situations and the mechanisms underlying these cultural differences.

Adjustment to a "New Normal:" Coping Flexibility and Mental Health Issues During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented health crisis in terms of the scope of its impact on well-being. The sudden need to navigate this "new normal" has compromised the mental health of many people. Coping flexibility, defined as the astute deployment of coping strategies to meet specific situational demands, is proposed as an adaptive quality during this period of upheaval. The present study investigated the associations between coping flexibility and two common mental health problems: COVID-19 anxiety and depression. The respondents were 481 Hong Kong adults (41% men; mean age = 45.09) who took part in a population-based telephone survey conducted from April to May 2020. Self-report data were assessed with the Coping Flexibility Interview Schedule, COVID-19-Related Perception and Anxiety Scale, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Slightly more than half (52%) of the sample met the criteria for probable depression. Four types of COVID-19 anxiety were identified: anxiety over personal health, others' reactions, societal health, and economic problems. The results consistently revealed coping flexibility to be inversely associated with depression and all four types of COVID-19 anxiety. More importantly, there was a significant interaction between perceived likelihood of COVID-19 infection and coping flexibility on COVID-19 anxiety over personal health. These findings shed light on the beneficial role of coping flexibility in adjusting to the "new normal" amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social Capital-Accrual, Escape-From-Self, and Time-Displacement Effects of Internet Use During the COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Period: Prospective, Quantitative Survey Study

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has spread like wildfire across the globe, prompting many governments to impose unprecedented stay-at-home orders to limit its transmission. During an extended stay-at-home period, individuals may engage in more online leisure activities. Internet use is a double-edged sword that may have both desirable and undesirable effects on psychological well-being, and this study sought to disentangle adaptive from maladaptive internet use amidst this unusual health crisis.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of probable depression during the COVID-19 stay-at-home period and to test three hypothesized risk reduction or risk elevation mechanisms, namely social capital-accrual, escape-from-self, and time-displacement effects.

METHODS

This study took place from March to May 2020 at the early stage of the pandemic. The study adopted a prospective design, with an online survey administered to 573 UK and 474 US adult residents at two assessment points 2 months apart.

RESULTS

The prevalence of moderate to severe depression was 36% (bootstrap bias-corrected and accelerated [BCa] 95% CI 33%-39%) at Time 1 (ie, initial time point) and 27% (bootstrap BCa 95% CI 25%-30%) at Time 2 (ie, follow-up time point). The results supported the social capital-accrual hypothesis by showing that the approach coping style was inversely associated with Time 2 depression through its positive associations with both social networking and perceived family support. The results also supported the escape-from-self hypothesis by revealing that the avoidant coping style was positively associated with Time 2 depression through its positive associations with both gaming and cyberbullying victimization, but the serial mediation model was no longer significant after Time 1 depression and some demographic risk factors had been controlled for. Finally, the results supported the time-displacement hypothesis by showing that gaming was positively associated with Time 2 depression through its inverse associations with social networking and perceived family support.

CONCLUSIONS

During the extended stay-at-home period in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of probable depression during the 2-month study period was high among the UK and US residents. Individuals with distinct coping styles may engage in different types of online leisure activities and perceive varying levels of social support, which are associated with risks of probable depression.

An Exploration of the Relationship Between Culture and Resilience Capacity in Trauma Survivors

Resilience capacity has been found to be associated with individuals’ flexibility and adaptability when dealing with adversity-related stress. Previous research suggested that resilience capacity may play an important role in moderating the relationships between exposure to traumatic events and severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and cultural factors may be associated with that process. However, adequate research of the mechanisms on how culture may relate to the relationship between resilience and PTSD is still lacking. The present study attempted to explore potential mediators associated with the relationship between culture and resilience capacity among trauma survivors and focused on the potential mediating associations of cultural variables (independent/interdependent self-construal, dialectical thinking, and familism). Levels of culture-related variables among three cultural regions (America, Hong Kong, and Mainland China) were assessed and analyzed. The results of a bootstrapping analysis indicated that independent self-construal and dialectical thinking each significantly mediated the relationship between culture and resilience capacity. Cultural and clinical implications of these findings and suggestions for future research were explored.

Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on career development: Insights from cultural psychology

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant global crisis that requires individuals, organizations and nations to take necessary steps to cope. To develop a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on individuals' career development and possible coping strategies, we adopt a cultural psychological perspective to analyze: (1) how internalized cultural orientations (e.g., values, thinking styles, regulatory focus) may shape individual responses and coping strategies to COVID-19 pandemic; (2) how national culture influences the collective actions and norms during COVID-19 pandemic; (3) how to integrate insights from cultural psychology to enrich research on career management strategies in response to a fast changing environment. While this paper primarily focuses on the role of national culture (i.e., the shared meanings and practices in a nation), these discussions can largely be applied to other cultural settings. Practical implications are also discussed.

Self-Compassion Buffers the Adverse Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19-Related Threats: Results From a Cross-Sectional Survey at the First Peak of Hong Kong's Outbreak

COVID-19 has brought tremendous and abrupt threats to various aspects of our daily lives, from school and work to interpersonal relationships. Self-compassion is put forth as a salutogenic perspective on oneself that buffers the adverse mental health impacts of these threats. During the peak of a local outbreak in Hong Kong in Spring 2020, 761 participants completed questionnaires on self-compassion, perceived threats, as well as perceived benefits and psychological distress. Controlling for demographic variables, negative indicators of self-compassion (aka self-coldness) was found to intensify the impacts of threats on psychological distress. The positive indicators of self-compassion also moderated the link between threats and perceived benefits, such that perceived benefits tend to be less related to threats in participants with higher self-compassion. Our findings highlight the impacts of both positive and negative indicators of self-compassion on the adjustment to such unprecedented challenges, and point to the possibility of enhancing people's resilience through fostering self-compassion and alleviating self-coldness.

Designing a Scale to Assess Dialectical Thinking: Link to ECERS-R Items

Dialectical thinking is gaining wide circulation as part of personal and social preschool child development in modern society, which makes all the more urgent the task of designing a tool to evaluate the extent to which the educational environment in a pre-school establishment supports the development of dialectical thinking in preschoolers. To implement this task, the researchers analyzed the ECERS-R as a means for assessing the quality of preschool education and concluded that this tool fails to focus on rating the environment in terms of the development of dialectical thinking. N.Ye. Veraksa and E.V. Sviridova designed a tool for assessing how well the educational environment supports dialectical thinking in preschoolers (the scale of dialectical thinking support (DTS scale). The research into the use of the DTS scale was conducted in 18 preparatory groups of three educational complexes in Moscow in February-April 2019. The comparison of the results on the DTS scale and those on the ECERS-R scale made it possible to conclude that the ECERS-R scale does not differentiate between the stimulation of dialectical thinking and formally logical thinking in preschool age children. The use of the newly designed tool was justified statistically. It is noted that the teacher activity in line with the ECERS-R scale scores of "Stimulating Communication with Children", "Books and Illustrations", "Using Speech to Develop Cognitive Skills" may be associated with decreased levels of support for children's dialectical thinking in preschool educational institutions. In addition, a positive relationship was found to exist between the ECERS-R score of "Care-Giver and Children Interaction" and DTS scale. The results obtained make it possible to hypothesize that there are interrelations between the development of dialectic thinking in children, on the one hand, and voluntariness and the emotional sphere, on the other.

Do dialectical self-beliefs moderate the indirect effect of betrayal traumas on posttraumatic stress through self-compassion?

BACKGROUND

Traumatic events experienced in childhood, particularly those that are perpetrated by someone whom the child trusts or depends upon (i.e., high betrayal traumas [HBTs], such as abuse by a parent) can lead to long-term negative consequences, including a tendency to see oneself in a negative light, low self-compassion, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Although negative psychological consequences of HBTs are well-documented in the literature, little is known surrounding the protective factors that may reduce the effects of HBTs on individuals' functioning. The present study focused on one potential protective factor, dialectical self-beliefs, that may moderate the negative effects of HBTs experienced in childhood on self-compassion, and hence reduce posttraumatic stress (PTS).

OBJECTIVE

The present study is aimed at determining whether dialectical self-beliefs moderate the indirect effect of HBTs on PTS via self-compassion.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data of the present study were collected from 747 college students attending a university in the Northeast region of the United States.

METHOD

Using a correlational study design, the data of this study were collected from college students through an online survey.

RESULTS

The results of a moderated mediation analysis indicated that the hypothesized model explained 25% of the variance in PTS. After controlling for low betrayal traumas, the indirect effect of HBTs on PTS through self-compassion was moderated by dialectical self-beliefs. These findings provide support for our hypotheses and suggest that having a dialectical self-view may enhance the adjustment of individuals with a history of HBTs by reducing the negative effect of HBTs on self-compassion.

Exploring the East-West Divide in Prevalence of Affective Disorder: A Case for Cultural Differences in Coping With Negative Emotion

Lifetime rates of clinical depression and anxiety in the West tend to be approximately 4 to 10 times greater than rates in Asia. In this review, we explore one possible reason for this cross-cultural difference, that Asian cultures think differently about emotion than do Western cultures and that these different systems of thought help explain why negative affect does not escalate into clinical disorder at the same rate. We review research from multiple disciplines-including cross-cultural psychology, social cognition, clinical psychology, and psychiatry-to make the case that the Eastern holistic principles of contradiction (each experience is associated with its opposite), change (the world exists in a state of constant flux), and context (the interconnectedness of all things) fundamentally shape people's experience of emotions in different cultures. We then review evidence for how these cultural differences influence how successfully people use common emotion regulation strategies such as rumination and suppression.

Deficits in recognizing disgust facial expressions and Internet addiction: Perceived stress as a mediator

Studies have examined social maladjustment among individuals with Internet addiction, but little is known about their deficits in specific social skills and the underlying psychological mechanisms. The present study filled these gaps by (a) establishing a relationship between deficits in facial expression recognition and Internet addiction, and (b) examining the mediating role of perceived stress that explains this hypothesized relationship. Ninety-seven participants completed validated questionnaires that assessed their levels of Internet addiction and perceived stress, and performed a computer-based task that measured their facial expression recognition. The results revealed a positive relationship between deficits in recognizing disgust facial expression and Internet addiction, and this relationship was mediated by perceived stress. However, the same findings did not apply to other facial expressions. Ad hoc analyses showed that recognizing disgust was more difficult than recognizing other facial expressions, reflecting that the former task assesses a social skill that requires cognitive astuteness. The present findings contribute to the literature by identifying a specific social skill deficit related to Internet addiction and by unveiling a psychological mechanism that explains this relationship, thus providing more concrete guidelines for practitioners to strengthen specific social skills that mitigate both perceived stress and Internet addiction.

Coping as a Mediator Between Losing Face and Depressive and Social Anxiety Symptoms Among Asian Americans

Applying the proximal–distal framework, we were interested in whether the relationship between loss of face (LOF) concerns to depression and social anxiety were mediated by coping among 154 Asian Americans (AA). Utilizing a convenience sample from an online survey of AA, we ran ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions to examine whether direct and indirect coping explained the relationship between LOF concerns, depression, and social anxiety. LOF was positively associated with both direct and indirect coping. LOF also was positively associated with depression and social anxiety. The relationship between LOF and depression was significantly mediated by indirect coping but not direct coping. Higher levels of indirect coping explained the relationship between LOF and depression. In addition, the relationship between LOF and social anxiety was significantly mediated by indirect coping and direct coping. The relationship between LOF and social anxiety was partially explained by lower levels of direct coping and higher levels of indirect coping. LOF, however, continued to significantly predict social anxiety even after accounting for coping strategies. These results suggest that the LOF has a distal relationship to depression and social anxiety. Coping has a more proximal relationship to depression and social anxiety. By identifying proximal factors to depression and social anxiety, it is possible to reduce symptoms of depression and social anxiety among AA without mitigating the endorsement of traditional cultural values.

Coping Profiles Differentiate Psychological Adjustment in Chinese Women Newly Diagnosed With Breast Cancer

Objective. The study aimed to explore latent profiles of coping in Chinese women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and examine the differences of psychological distress, demographic, and medical characteristics across profiles. Methods. Latent profile analysis was used to identify 3 classes of copers based on data from 618 Chinese women newly diagnosed with breast cancer who completed questionnaires assessing their coping strategies and psychological distress. Results. “Adaptive coper,” reporting most use of adaptive cognitive coping strategies, behaviors of acceptance and shifting attention, and least use of maladaptive cognitive coping strategies, had the best psychological adjustment. “Negative coper,” characterized by most use of maladaptive cognitive coping strategies, least use of adaptive cognitive coping strategies except “putting in perspective,” and median levels of medical coping behaviors, had the worst psychological adjustment. “Inconsistent coper,” with great use of all cognitive coping strategies, and most behaviors of fighting against the disease, and fewest behaviors of attention shift, had relatively high levels of psychological distress. Younger age, less education, shorter time since diagnosis, widowed, living in rural areas, and undergoing chemotherapy are possible markers for patients with less adaptive coping patterns. Conclusions. Interventions should be developed according to the different coping profiles of patients, and the key group to target is “negative copers,” who may benefit from cognitive behavioral approaches that combine emotion, cognition and behavior, which could help them more effectively appraise and cope with stressful events.

Serendipity in Relationship: A Tentative Theory of the Cognitive Process of Yuanfen and Its Psychological Constructs in Chinese Cultural Societies

The main purpose of this article is to combine three important themes in Chinese cultural societies: serendipity in relationship (yuanfen), relational interactions, and psychological adaptation through self-cultivation. People who live in Chinese cultural societies are deeply affected by relationalism and tend to be very different from their Western counterparts, who adopt individualistic methods when dealing with interpersonal problems. They are highly likely to access the perspective of yuanfen as part of their cultural wisdom to convert negative feelings, awkwardness, or setbacks caused by interpersonal relationship incidents, into a type of cognitive belief that can be used to combat anxiety and actuate coping actions. Based on this, this article proposes the tentative theory of a dialectical model which comprises elements of the philosophies of Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism, to analyze the cognitive operation process regarding yuanfen and to explain and predict how people in Chinese cultural societies differ from most Western people in terms of psychological adjustment and coping actions when dealing with interpersonal problems. Canonical correlation analysis was used in the empirical study to describe this model and resulted in two statistically significant canonical factor pairs. The hypothesized model has been partially verified. It is hoped that this framework can serve as a pilot perspective for future studies, and at the same time provide the Western academic world with a reference for understanding the concept and substantive effects of serendipity in relationship. Further suggestions for future research direction are offered.

Socioeconomic health disparities revisited: coping flexibility enhances health-related quality of life for individuals low in socioeconomic status

BACKGROUND

Previous research has generally indicated that disadvantaged socioeconomic groups tend to experience poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). In an effort to extend the literature, this study proposes that coping flexibility is a stress buffer that mitigates the adverse effects of low socioeconomic status (SES).

METHODS

The participants comprised 150 Indians (53 % women; mean age = 36.38 years) from high, medium and low socioeconomic groups. Their levels of perceived stress, coping flexibility, subjective SES and HRQoL were assessed individually through household interviews.

RESULTS

The findings provide support for the hypothesised moderating role of coping flexibility between subjective SES and HRQoL (p < 0.001). In the low SES group, participants higher in coping flexibility reported significantly better HRQoL than those lower in coping flexibility. Moreover, coping flexibility moderated the association between perceived stress and HRQoL (p = 0.001). Of the participants who experienced higher levels of stress, those higher in coping flexibility reported better HRQoL than those lower in coping flexibility.

CONCLUSIONS

This study enriches the literature by revealing the beneficial role of coping flexibility on HRQoL among individuals low in SES. These new findings highlight the potential importance of psychological interventions that strengthen the flexible coping skills of socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

Relationship Harmony, Dialectical Coping, and Nonattachment

Our study aims to examine the salutary effects and interactions of three Chinese indigenous well-being (CIWB) constructs, namely relationship harmony (advocated by Confucianism), dialectical coping (derived from Taoism), and nonattachment (based on Buddhism) on mental health. Participants were 262 Taiwanese college students. Results revealed that the three CIWB constructs showed distinct associations with mental health. Relationship harmony was related negatively to psychological distress and positively to meaning in life and happiness. Dialectical coping predicted higher levels of positive affect and meaning in life, whereas nonattachment was the only and strongest protective factor against negative affect and psychological distress. Overall, nonattachment demonstrated the most adaptive effects on mental health. Additionally, moderation effects between dialectical coping and nonattachment on self-esteem, psychological distress, and happiness were observed. These findings underscore the importance of simultaneously investigating CIWB constructs to capture their unique and interactive contribution to psychological adjustment. Practical and research implications are discussed.

Cultural Differences in Revaluative Attributions

Culture can impact cognitive processes, including effects on causal attributions. This study examined cultural differences in revaluative attributions when two potential causes of an outcome are initially present, but new relevant causal information is later available, suggesting potential adjustments could be made with respect to the original judgment. Study 1 ( N = 206) found that both Chinese and American participants showed revaluative attributions regarding the target cause when a nontarget cause was decreased in its validity during a subsequent phase. That is, the target cause was later judged as more valid when a nontarget cause was decreased in validity (the deflation effect). However, only American participants exhibited a significant decrease in the perceived validity of a target cause when the nontarget cause was increased in its validity (the inflation effect). Study 2 ( N = 189) replicated these findings and also showed that dialectical thinking was a mediator of this cultural difference in revaluative attributions. The present study shows that culturally shaped cognitive processing can influence multicausal inferences.

Does language affect personality perception? A functional approach to testing the Whorfian hypothesis

Whether language shapes cognition has long been a controversial issue. The present research adopts a functional approach to examining the effects of language use on personality perception and dialectical thinking. We propose that language use activates corresponding cultural mindsets, which in turn influence social perception, thinking, and behavior. Four studies recruited Chinese-English bilinguals (N = 129 in Study 1, 229 in Study 2, 68 in Study 3, 106 in Study 4) and used within-subjects and between-subjects design, written and behavioral reports, and self- and other perceptions. The four studies converged to show that Chinese-English bilinguals exhibit higher dialectical thinking and more variations in self- and observer ratings of personality when using the Chinese language than when using English. Furthermore, dialectical thinking predicted more self- and other-perceived variations in personality and behavior across bilingual contexts. These results highlight the important role of culture in understanding the relations between language and cognition, and attest to the malleability of personality perception and dialectical thinking within and across individuals in response to culture-related linguistic cues.

A Model of Socioemotional Flexibility at Three Time Scales

The construct of flexibility has been a focus for research and theory for over 100 years. However, flexibility has not been consistently or adequately defined, leading to obstacles in the interpretation of past research and progress toward enhanced theory. We present a model of socioemotional flexibility—and its counterpart rigidity—at three time scales using dynamic systems modeling. At the real-time scale (micro), moment-to-moment fluctuations in affect are identified as dynamic flexibility. At the next higher meso-time scale, adaptive adjustments to changes in context are characterized as reactive flexibility. At the macro scale is flexibility that occurs across months or years, reflecting flexibility due to developmental or life transitions. Implications of the model and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Culturally-Competent Treatments for Asian Americans: The Relevance of Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Psychotherapies

The development of effective treatments for Asian Americans is important because treatment disparities continue to exist for this population. Because of their theoretical grounding in East Asian philosophies, mindfulness and acceptance-based psychotherapies appear to constitute promising ways to provide culturally responsive mental health care to Asian Americans. However, in practice these approaches often reflect conceptions of mental health that are more consistent with Western world views. We review points of intersection and divergence between Western-based mindfulness and acceptance psychotherapies and Asian American cultural values. We then propose a culturally syntonic approach that accentuates certain components of mindfulness and acceptance psychotherapies and adapts other components of these approaches to be more consistent with Asian American cultural values.

Coping flexibility in young adults: comparison between subjects with and without schizotypal personality features

The current study examined characteristics of coping patterns adopted by college students in mainland China. In particular, it examined the coping strategies adopted by subjects with schizotypal personality (SPD) features compared to those without SPD features, and compared the relative effectiveness of their coping. Four types of coping flexibility were identified among the college sample (n=427), including active-inflexible, passive-inflexible, active-inconsistent, and passive-inconsistent styles. The passive-inconsistent style was related to the worst outcomes. When comparing subjects with SPD features with those without SPD features, subjects with SPD features endorsed significantly more emotion-focused strategies in uncontrollable situations than those without SPD features. The SPD group experienced higher levels of trait anxiety, depression, paranoid ideation and general health problems. The SPD group also generally perceived more, less controllable stress than the non-SPD group and randomly used all four categories of coping strategies.

Unpacking Cultural Differences in Interpersonal Flexibility: Role of Culture-Related Personality and Situational Factors

This research aimed to unpack cultural differences in interpersonal flexibility by examining the impact of culture on interpersonal flexibility via self-construal. In Study 1, a cross-cultural comparison in levels of interpersonal flexibility was performed and the hypothesized mediating role of an interdependent self-construal was tested. Participants included 92 Chinese and 87 Caucasian American university students. Results showed that Chinese participants generally reported greater interpersonal flexibility than their Caucasian American counterparts. Interdependent self-construal accounted for country differences in interpersonal flexibility. Study 2 adopted a cultural-priming paradigm to determine the causal role of culture in context-dependent information processing and interpersonal flexibility. In the experiment, 120 Chinese participants were presented with Chinese cultural, American cultural, or control primes. The dependent measures were context dependency and flexible responses across different negotiation tasks. Compared with participants presented with American primes, those presented with Chinese primes reported more context-dependent thoughts and displayed greater discriminative responses across interpersonal situations.

Cultural Differences in Expectations of Change and Tolerance for Contradiction: A Decade of Empirical Research

Since the publication of Peng and Nisbett’s seminal paper on dialectical thinking, a substantial amount of empirical research has replicated and expanded on the core finding that people differ in the degree to which they view the world as inherently contradictory and in constant flux. Dialectical thinkers (who are more often members of East Asian than Western cultures) show greater expectation of change in tasks related to explanation and prediction and greater tolerance of contradiction in tasks involving the reconciliation of contradictory information. The authors show how these effects are manifested in the domains of the self, emotional experience, psychological well-being, attitudes and evaluations, social categorization and perception, and judgment and decision making. They note important topics in need of further investigation and offer predictions concerning possible cultural differences in unexplored domains as a function of the presence or absence of naïve dialecticism.