Nostalgia and identity in song lyrics.

The content of original song lyrics was manipulated to explore the relationship of nostalgia to identity and social connectedness. A sample of 96 undergraduates rated six attributes of four sets of lyrics and completed measures of identity exploration, styles of maintaining identity, nostalgia for their past, and nostalgia for a general historical past. Lyrical nostalgia was not a function of how happy, sad, meaningful or liked the lyrics were, but was characterized by the irretrievability of the past. More active identity exploration was associated with higher ratings of lyrical nostalgia. The more actively participants were exploring their identity, the more closely they related to and found meaningful lyrics that emphasize the influence of the past on identity. Consistent with the greater social connectedness of individuals prone to personal nostalgia, nostalgia for one's past was related to reliance on the standards of others in defining identity, and higher ratings of liking, meaning, and relevance for other-directed lyrics. By contrast, participants more nostalgic for an historical past rely less heavily on others to define their identity, and they related more closely to the solitary identity lyrics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Importance of social connectedness as a moderator in Korean immigrants' subjective well-being.

Subjective well-being theories of goal approach and value-as-a-moderator were applied to examine the role of importance of social connectedness on the relationship between social connectedness and subjective well-being in a community sample of 204 Korean immigrants. It was hypothesized that social connectedness in ethnic and mainstream society is a stronger predictor of well-being to immigrants who highly value/desire it than to those who do not. The results from hierarchical multiple regression analyses provided partial support for the hypotheses. For immigrants who highly valued connectedness in the ethnic community, positive affect increased with greater connectedness in the ethnic community, whereas, for immigrants who did not value it, connectedness in the ethnic community was not associated with positive affect. Implications for theory, research, and practice were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The overlapping contributions of attachment orientation and social support in predicting life-events distress.

Attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and perceived social support are examined as predictors of life-events distress. Clients at initial intake to an addiction treatment centre and university students in their graduating year were administered measures of attachment orientation, social support, and the experience of distressing life events. Hypotheses were tested across different categories of distressing life events (overall distress, bereavement, relationship dissolution, crime victimization, and severe accidents). We found that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance have varying predictive utility for distress, depending on the type of event. Social support did not account for variance beyond attachment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of a positive social reward upon a verbal avoidance response.

In investigating the effect of reward upon the acquisition and extinction of avoidance response, a word association task was presented to 90 Ss for 8 conditioning and 12 extinction trials. During conditioning, associations to preselected words were punished on Trial 1 and whenever S repeated them. There were 3 acquisition groups: 1 received the above training, the 2nd also received reward for substitute associations, and the 3rd obtained reward during the 2nd ? of acquisition only. Each acquisiton group was divided into 2 extinction subgroups: 1 received neither reward nor punishment while the 2nd was rewarded for avoiding. Results indicated that reward hastened acquisition and delayed extinction of avoidance responses, thus confirming hypotheses regarding the concept of secondary gain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The past makes the present meaningful: Nostalgia as an existential resource.

The present research tested the proposition that nostalgia serves an existential function by bolstering a sense of meaning in life. Study 1 found that nostalgia was positively associated with a sense of meaning in life. Study 2 experimentally demonstrated that nostalgia increases a sense of meaning in life. In both studies, the link between nostalgia and increased meaning in life was mediated by feelings of social connectedness. Study 3 evidenced that threatened meaning increases nostalgia. Study 4 illustrated that nostalgia, in turn, reduces defensiveness following a meaning threat. Finally, Studies 5 and 6 showed that nostalgia disrupts the link between meaning deficits and compromised psychological well-being. Collectively, these findings indicate that the provision of existential meaning is a pivotal function of nostalgia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness, attachment, and the perception and use of social support in university students.

This study examined factors related to family, social, and romantic loneliness in 173 undergraduate students (66 males, 107 females). Participants completed measures of attachment style, perceived availability of social support, use of social support coping, and loneliness. Results indicated that participants with greater attachment security reported lower levels of all types of loneliness compared to those with less attachment security, and this was partially mediated by perceived social support but not the use of social support coping. When examining underlying attachment constructs, a more positive model of others was related to less family and social loneliness, and these associations were mediated by greater perceived social support. Model of others also was associated with less romantic loneliness and model of self was associated with less loneliness in all domains, and these relations were partially mediated by perceived social support. Findings are discussed with respect to possible interventions to increase students' perceptions of available social support and to decrease overall loneliness levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Don't sit so close to me: Unconsciously elicited affect automatically provokes social avoidance.

Behavior may be automatically prompted by cues in our social environment. Previous research has focused on cognitive explanations for such effects. Here we hypothesize that affective processes are susceptible to similar automatic influences. We propose that exposure to groups stereotyped as dangerous or violent may provoke an anxiety response and, thus, a tendency to move away. In the present experiment, we subliminally exposed participants to images of such a group, and found that they displayed greater avoidance in a subsequent interaction. Critically, this effect was explained by their increased sensitivity to threat-related information. These findings demonstrate an affective mechanism responsible for nonconscious priming effects on interpersonal behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Don't hide your happiness! Positive emotion dissociation, social connectedness, and psychological functioning.

It is now clear that positive emotion leads to enhanced psychological functioning. What is less clear, however, is just why this is so. Drawing on a social-functional perspective, we argue that positive emotional behavior that accurately signals to others the individual's internal state will enhance social connectedness. Positive emotional behavior that does not accurately signal a person's experience—such as a smile that is not felt—may impede social connectedness and, in turn, psychological functioning. This perspective suggests that (a) the degree to which experience and behavior are dissociated during positive emotional episodes, over and above level of positive behavior, should predict worse psychological functioning and (b) the effect of dissociation should be mediated by social connectedness. To test these hypotheses, we conducted a short-term prospective longitudinal study, with a baseline assessment of depressive symptoms and well-being at Time 1. Six months later, at Time 2, we used a novel within-individual laboratory paradigm to measure the degree to which positive emotional behavior was dissociated from (vs. coherent with) a participant's positive emotional experience. We also assessed level of positive behavior and experience. Then, another 6 months later, we assessed social connectedness as a mediator and depressive symptoms and well-being as outcomes at Time 3. Even when controlling for baseline functioning and for level of positive emotion behavior and experience, we found that greater positive experience–behavior dissociation at Time 2 predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower levels of well-being at Time 3. As predicted, these associations were mediated by social connectedness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social connectedness, dysfunctional interpersonal behaviors, and psychological distress: Testing a mediator model.

The study examined the relationship among social connectedness, dysfunctional interpersonal behaviors, and psychological distress. The authors specifically hypothesized that the direct negative effect of social connectedness on psychological distress would be mediated by dysfunctional interpersonal behaviors. Prior to testing the hypothesis, the authors revised the original Social Connectedness Scale (SCS; R. A Lee and S. B. Robbins, 1995). Studies 1 and 2 describe the revision and validation of the SCS on separate samples of college students. In Study 3, the authors surveyed 194 college students and found support for the mediation hypothesis on general psychological distress. The importance of assessing social connectedness and tailoring counseling interventions for people with low connectedness and dysfunctional interpersonal behaviors is addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alone in the crowd: The structure and spread of loneliness in a large social network.

The discrepancy between an individual’s loneliness and the number of connections in a social network is well documented, yet little is known about the placement of loneliness within, or the spread of loneliness through, social networks. The authors use network linkage data from the population-based Framingham Heart Study to trace the topography of loneliness in people’s social networks and the path through which loneliness spreads through these networks. Results indicated that loneliness occurs in clusters, extends up to 3 degrees of separation, is disproportionately represented at the periphery of social networks, and spreads through a contagious process. The spread of loneliness was found to be stronger than the spread of perceived social connections, stronger for friends than family members, and stronger for women than for men. The results advance understanding of the broad social forces that drive loneliness and suggest that efforts to reduce loneliness in society may benefit by aggressively targeting the people in the periphery to help repair their social networks and to create a protective barrier against loneliness that can keep the whole network from unraveling. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Posttraumatic intrusion, avoidance, and social functioning: A 20-year longitudinal study.

The study assesses posttraumatic intrusion, avoidance, and social functioning among 214 Israeli combat veterans from the first Lebanon War with and without combat stress reaction (CSR) 1, 2, 3, and 20 years after the war. CSR veterans reported higher intrusion and avoidance than did non-CSR veterans. With time, there was a decline in these symptoms. In addition, intrusion and avoidance were associated with problems in social functioning on a given year, and they longitudinally predicted social dysfunction 2, 3, and 20 years after the war. CSR veterans presented stronger temporal covariations between intrusion-avoidance and social functioning. The findings suggest that CSR is a marker for future psychopathology and point to the role of avoidance in social dysfunction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment in individuals with social anxiety disorder: The relationship among adult attachment styles, social anxiety, and depression.

Despite their apparent implications for social functioning, adult attachment styles have never been specifically explored among persons with social anxiety disorder. In the current study, a cluster analysis of the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (N. L. Collins, 1996) revealed that 118 patients with social anxiety (58.6% males and 41.4% females, mean age 32.43 yrs) were best represented by anxious and secure attachment style clusters. Members of the anxious attachment cluster exhibited more severe social anxiety and avoidance, greater depression, greater impairment, and lower life satisfaction than members of the secure attachment cluster. This pattern was replicated in a separate sample of 56 patients and compared with the pattern found in 36 control participants. Social anxiety mediated the association between attachment insecurity and depression. Findings are discussed in the context of their relevance to the etiology, maintenance, and cognitive-behavioral treatment of social anxiety disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acquisition of avoidance dispositions by social learning.

In line with the experiments on social learning in animals by imitation, this experiment sought to determine whether rats could learn to respond to the non-behavioral cues of other rats. The "cue" was to hear the squeal of another rat in a painful (shock) situation. When the squeal of the rat was paired with shocking the S a CR could be elicited; not so without shock. Rats also responded differentially to the cue whether in a black or white alley, or whether they were or were not permitted to escape. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4EK12M. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Childhood physical abuse, attachment, and adult social support: Test of a mediational model.

This study examined the mediating role of attachment on the relationship between childhood physical abuse and perceived social support in adulthood. The 2 underlying dimensions of attachment, view of self and view of other, were both hypothesized to be potential mediators. Young adults, with and without a history of childhood physical abuse, completed a series of questionnaires inquiring about past abuse experiences and current levels of attachment and social support. Results indicated a robust mediational effect. Namely, both attachment variables were significant mediators in the relationship between childhood physical abuse and social support. In addition, the mediation occurred across all sources of social support, that is, social support from family/close friends, peers, and authority figures. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of a measure of experiential avoidance: The Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire.

Experiential avoidance (EA) has been conceptualized as the tendency to avoid negative internal experiences and is an important concept in numerous conceptualizations of psychopathology as well as theories of psychotherapy. Existing measures of EA have either been narrowly defined or demonstrated unsatisfactory internal consistency and/or evidence of poor discriminant validity vis-à-vis neuroticism. To help address these problems, we developed a reliable self-report questionnaire assessing a broad range of EA content that was distinguishable from higher order personality traits. An initial pool of 170 items was administered to a sample of undergraduates (N = 312) to help evaluate individual items and establish a structure via exploratory factor analyses. A revised set of items was then administered to another sample of undergraduates (N = 314) and a sample of psychiatric outpatients (N = 201). A 2nd round of item evaluation was performed, resulting in a final 62-item measure consisting of 6 subscales. Cross-validation data were gathered in 3 new, independent samples (students, N = 363; patients, N = 265; community adults, N = 215). The resulting measure (the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire, or MEAQ) exhibited good internal consistency, was substantially associated with other measures of avoidance, and demonstrated greater discrimination vis-à-vis neuroticism relative to preexisting measures of EA. Furthermore, the MEAQ was broadly associated with psychopathology and quality of life, even after controlling for the effects of neuroticism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The mother-offspring relationship as a template in social development: Reconciliation in captive brown capuchins (Cebus apella).

Mother-offspring (MO) relationship quality was investigated to determine its influence on the development of reconciliation--affiliation between opponents shortly after a fight--because it influences what distressed youngsters learn about calming down. Data were longitudinal and cross-sectional observational samples of 38 MO pairs of monkeys across 24 months. An MO relationship quality index (RQI) classified each pair as secure or insecure. Reconciliation emerged in infancy. Secure youngsters had an appeasing conciliatory style, and insecure youngsters had an agitated conciliatory style. Conclusions are that reconciliation develops from the attachment behavior system and MO RQI is related to the particular conciliatory style youngsters develop by affecting how aroused they are by conflict and the subsequent socializing they seek to calm down. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment as moderator of treatment outcome in major depression: A randomized control trial of interpersonal psychotherapy versus cognitive behavior therapy.

Anxiety and avoidance dimensions of adult attachment insecurity were tested as moderators of treatment outcome for interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) and cognitive- behavioral therapy (CBT). Fifty-six participants with major depression were randomly assigned to these treatment conditions. Beck Depression Inventory-II, Six-Item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores, and remission status served as outcome measures. Patients higher on attachment avoidance showed significantly greater reduction in depression severity and greater likelihood of symptom remission with CBT as compared with IPT, even after controlling for obsessive-compulsive and avoidant personality disorder symptoms. Results were replicated across treatment completers and intent-to-treat samples. These results suggest that it is important to consider the interaction between attachment insecurity and treatment type when comparing efficacy of treatments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The avoidance of threatening material in imaginative behavior.

"The S's in three different studies were asked to write or tell imaginative stories about series of ambiguous pictures under two conditions. The first condition provided no intentional suggestion (low cue) as to what the content of the stories should be. The second condition, for the same Ss, focused their attention on a particular event (high cue) which might be threatening to some of them. One of the studies presented war catastrophe as the potentially threatening event; the other two studies focused on competition with a standard of excellence." 21 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adult Attachment, Social Self-Efficacy, Self-Disclosure, Loneliness, and Subsequent Depression for Freshman College Students: A Longitudinal Study.

This longitudinal study examined whether social self-efficacy and self-disclosure serve as mediators between attachment and feelings of loneliness and subsequent depression. Participants were 308 freshmen at a large Midwestern university. Results indicated that social self-efficacy mediated the association between attachment anxiety and feelings of loneliness and subsequent depression, whereas self-disclosure mediated the association between attachment avoidance and feelings of loneliness and subsequent depression. These relationships were found after controlling for the initial level of depression. A total of 55% of the variance in loneliness was explained by attachment anxiety, social self-efficacy, and self-disclosure, whereas 42% of the variance in subsequent depression was explained by the initial level of loneliness and depression. Implications of the findings for enhancing freshman adjustment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)