Unraveling the role of forgiveness in family relationships.

Testing the idea that the process of forgiveness is intrinsically different across diverse relationships, this study examined the role of forgiveness in different family relationships. In 2 laboratory sessions 1 year apart, 114 families (each including 2 parents and 1 child) completed a new measure of family forgiveness and many individual-level, relationship-level, and family-level variables that have been previously linked with forgiveness. After validating the measure of family forgiveness in cross-sectional analyses, investigators performed longitudinal analyses to examine the role of forgiveness in each family relationship over the 1-year interval. Results indicated many important positive consequences of forgiveness on individual traits, aspects of each family relationship, and general family environment. However, there were also important asymmetries in associates of forgiveness across parent-child and parent-parent relationships, demonstrating the relationship-bound nature of forgiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of aggressive personality and family relationships in explaining family conflict.

This study investigated whether genetic and environmental influences on global family conflict are explained by parents' personality, marital quality, and negative parenting. The sample comprised 876 same-sex pairs of twins, their spouses, and one adolescent child per twin from the Twin and Offspring Study in Sweden. Genetic influences on aggressive personality were correlated with genetic influences on global family conflict. Nonshared environmental influences on marital quality and negative parenting were correlated with nonshared environmental influences on global family conflict. Results suggest that parents' personality and unique experiences within their family relationships are important for understanding genetic and environmental influences on global conflict in the home. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The adaptive design of the human psyche.

Reviews the book, The adaptive design of the human psyche by Malcolm Owen Slavin and Daniel Kriegman (see record 1992-98703-000). The adaptive design of the human psyche offers an evolutionary perspective on the mind. Reasoning from natural selection, it holds that over the estimated 50 million years or 10 million generations since man parted company from the chimpanzee, deep psychological structures evolved that enhanced man's chances for survival and procreation. These structures are considered in the context of current psychoanalytic theoretical models, which the authors see as being organized around two divergent paradigms: the classical and relational models. After identifying the deep structures and their implications for both models, the authors attempt a synthesis compatible with the deep structures. The authors make a novel contribution to psychoanalytic thought, and their arguments should serve as a corrective for elements of both the classical and relational theories. In their enthusiasm, however, they appear to be earned away when they discuss certain clinical concepts and reach conclusions that are quite incongruent with clinical experience. In summary, The adaptive design of the human psyche makes an important contribution as a corrective for certain extreme tenets of existing theories and presents valuable perspectives on the phenomena of altruism and parent-offspring conflict. The work is hurt, however, by the authors' failure to acknowledge the nature of real psychopathology in pressing their conceptualization of an evolved adaptive design of the psyche. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Fathers who fail: Shame and psychopathology in the family system.

Reviews the book, Fathers who fail: Shame and psychopathology in the family system by Melvin R. Lansky (see record 1992-98607-000). Melvin Lansky's riveting book is about fathers who cannot find their way in the world of either love or work, but are driven to self-destructive bonds with others by problems with their "paternal imago." This book addresses the central role of the affect of shame, and the defenses against experiencing it, leading to varieties of "impulsive" symptom formation, disturbing the capacity for sustaining work or love relationships and constantly threatening breakdown of fragile self-esteem. Symptoms are viewed as failed efforts to escape shame through rage and to rigidly regulate optimal distance in family relationships. The attempt throughout is to meld a variety of psychoanalytic perspectives with family systems perspectives. The book is organized into several sections, beginning with an overview entitled Symptom, System and Personality in Fathers Who Fail, followed by The Paternal Imago. Next comes Defenses Against Shame: Narcissistic Equilibrium in the Family System, and then a section on shame and symptom formation. A section entitled Treatment Difficulties completes the book. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The future of an applied evolutionary psychology for human partnerships.

There has been significant recent progress in our understanding of human mate choice. We outline several frontiers of rapid cultural change which may increasingly directly affect individual self-evaluation in the mating market, formation and maintenance of long-term partnerships, and potentially reproductive outcome and child health. Specifically, we review evidence for the effects of (1) increasing exposure to mass media, (2) the advent of novel ways to meet potential partners, and (3) cultural influences which may disrupt or alter the expression of evolved mate preferences. We comment on the potential for these effects to influence self-perception and partner-perception, with downstream effects on relationship satisfaction and stability. A common theme emerges, which is that these effects may contribute to relationship dissatisfaction and dissolution, with negative implications for societal change. We then address how we envisage evolutionary psychology research may focus on and offer informed approaches to ameliorate these effects in the future. We picture the development of a field of applied evolutionary psychology, and we suggest that this will increasingly become a central focus for many researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The state of the art and the progression of science in family therapy research.

Review of books: (1) Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change, (3rd Ed.), New York: Wiley, 1986, S. L. Garfield and A. E. Bergin (Eds.); (2) Patterns of Change: Intensive Analysis of Psychotherapy Process, New York: Guilford, 1984, L. N. Rice and L. S. Greenberg (Eds.); (3) The Psychotherapeutic Process: A Research Handbook, New York: Guilford, 1986, L. S. Greenberg and W. M. Pinsof (Eds.); (4) Integrating Research and Clinical Practice, 1985, Rockville, MD: Aspen Systems, L. L. Andreozzi (Ed.); and (5) The State of the Art in Family Therapy Research: Controversies and Recommendations, 1988, New York: Family Process Press, L. C. Wynne (Ed.). Reviewed by Varda Shoham-Salomon and Deborah Bice-Broussard. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of family relationship quality and testosterone levels in adolescents' peer experiences: A biosocial analysis.

Grounded in a biosocial model, this study examines the interaction between adolescents' testosterone levels and qualities of the parent-adolescent and sibling-adolescent relationship in adolescents' peer experiences and contributes to empirical research on the role of biological factors and family socialization processes in adolescents' peer competence and involvement. Participants included 331 adolescents (M=14.68 years of age, SD=1.53) and their mothers and fathers in 173 families. During home visits, data were collected from family members regarding adolescents' family relationships, peer relationships, and psychosocial adjustment; daily time-use data were gathered during a series of 7 nightly phone interviews; and testosterone levels were assessed through saliva samples. Hierarchical regression results revealed that when boys had close relationships with mothers and sisters, testosterone was positively associated with their peer competence and involvement. Discussion focuses on the value of exploring biosocial interactions and highlights the particular importance of boys' relationships with opposite-sex family members in efforts to understand their peer experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Causal Role of Consciousness: A Conceptual Addendum to Human Evolutionary Psychology.

By concentrating on the unconscious processes driving evolutionary mechanisms, evolutionary psychology has neglected the role of consciousness in generating human adaptations. The authors argue that there exist several "Darwinian algorithms" that are grounded in a novel representational system. Among such adaptations are information-retention homicide, the killing of others who are believed to possess information about the self that has the potential to jeopardize inclusive fitness, and those generating suicide, which may necessitate the capacity for self-referential emotions such as shame. The authors offer these examples to support their argument that human psychology is characterized by a representational system in which conscious motives have inserted themselves at the level of the gene and have fundamentally changed the nature of hominid evolution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Methodological advances in family psychology research: Introduction to the special section.

This article introduces a special section in the Journal of Family Psychology on methodological advances in family psychology research. The need for innovative methodologies to capture the richness and complexity of family relationships and to advance the field is discussed. Articles that address the application of mathematical modeling of couple interactions, methods for analyzing sequential observational data, the application of multivariate analysis of variance and confirmatory factor analysis, the application of hierarchical linear modeling, and the use of experimental methods for the study of family process are included in the special section. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The self in the family system: Expanding the limits of family therapy.

Reviews the book, The self in the family system: Expanding the limits of family therapy by Michael P. Nichols (see record 1987-98398-000). The authors' major thesis is that having recognized the importance of family dynamics (the "system") on the behavior of the individuals within it, systems theory has neglected both the individual self as well as the influence of the self on the system. Nichols demonstrates this by quoting the more influential family systems theorists and by the use of numerous clinical vignettes, and then he sets about to remedy the situation. In so doing he effectively integrates and synthesizes current psychodynamic theories with current systems theory. The result is a powerful argument for the absolute necessity of expanding existing limits of family therapy and attending to the unique feelings, perspectives, motivations, and personal responsibility of the individuals comprising the system. This broadened perspective of the family therapist's role necessarily requires knowledge of and expertise with both systems theory and current psychodynamic theory and practice. Nichols does not advocate individual therapy within a family context. Rather he emphasizes the need for the family therapist to effectively and flexibly shift from a focus on the family dynamics to the individual dynamics depending on the relatively greater therapeutic usefulness of either perspective at any given point in treatment. For those family therapists who have not reached Nichols's conclusions, this book deserves to be read critically, carefully, and with ruthless honesty. Finally, any practicing psychotherapist, student, or teacher will find this book to be an essential addition to his or her personal library. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The moderating effect of work-linked couple relationships and work–family integration on the spouse instrumental support-emotional exhaustion relationship.

Based on boundary theory and conservation of resources theory, we argue that employees with a spouse in the same occupation or workplace (referred to as work-linked couples) enhance the effectiveness of spousal instrumental support in reducing emotional exhaustion. In the first study of nurses (n = 103), we found that work-linked couples have more highly integrated work and family roles than participants whose spouses did not share an occupation or workplace. In a second study of working adults (n = 484), we found that work-linked couples have a stronger relationship between spouse instrumental support and the reduction of emotional exhaustion; this moderated relationship was mediated by their work–family integration. We discuss the implications of these findings for the study of work and family roles, social support, and emotional exhaustion, and provide suggestions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Finishing well: Aging and reparation in the intergenerational family.

Reviews the book, Finishing well: Aging and reparation in the intergenerational family by Terry D. Hargrave and William T. Anderson (see record 1992-98532-000). The purpose of this book is to help older people and their families complete life in a more satisfactory way through contextual family therapy. The essence of the contextual approach is to resolve family relationships by building trust and commitment in the family through redressing the imbalance of entitlements and obligations within the family. In this review, the dynamics of family relationships are described and the stages of family therapy as detailed in the book are summarized. In the book, the authors focus on the importance of forgiveness and describe the technique by which they promote forgiveness between family members. According to the reviewer, the book is well written because the therapeutic techniques are clearly illustrated with examples from therapy cases. This book can be enthusiastically recommended to all therapists engaged in therapy with older people, and to those doing family therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of the family in the development of psychopathology.

Psychologists generally make the assumption that the experiences to which the individual is exposed over a period of time lead to the development of learned patterns of behavior. From this, psychologists have reasoned that the experiences the individual has in his early life at home, with his family, in general, and his mother, in particular, are major determinants in the learning of the constellation of behaviors subsumed under the rubric, personality, and in particular, the development of psychopathology. A review of the research of the past 40 yr. failed to support this assumption. No factors were found in the parent-child interaction of schizophrenics, neurotics, or those with behavior disorders which could be identified as unique to them or which could distinguish one group from the other, or any of the groups from the families of the controls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attachment and the experience and expression of emotions in romantic relationships: A developmental perspective.

In this longitudinal study, the authors tested a developmental hypothesis derived from attachment theory and recent empirical findings. Target participants were 78 individuals who have been studied intensively from infancy into their mid-20s. When targets were 20-23 years old, the authors tested the way in which interpersonal experiences at 3 pivotal points in each target's earlier social development--infancy/early childhood, early elementary school, and adolescence--predicted the pattern of positive versus negative emotions experienced with his or her romantic partner. A double-mediation model revealed that targets classified as securely attached at 12 months old were rated as more socially competent during early elementary school by their teachers. Targets' social competence, in turn, forecasted their having more secure relationships with close friends at age 16, which in turn predicted more positive daily emotional experiences in their adult romantic relationships (both self- and partner-reported) and less negative affect in conflict resolution and collaborative tasks with their romantic partners (rated by observers). These results are discussed in terms of attachment theory and how antecedent life experiences may indirectly shape events in current relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of positive emotion in the therapeutic process of family therapy.

Historically, the role of positive emotions has been somewhat obscured in family therapy by focus on relational processes, behavioral sequences, and interactional patterns. Despite increasing interest in the role of positive emotions in the field of psychology, little attention has been given to these issues in family therapy. As a result, the specific role of positive emotions is neither theoretically nor clinically well understood. The authors analyze the role of positive emotions in Functional Family Therapy, a model in which positive emotions serve as a key element in the proximal and distal outcomes of the phase-based systematic change process. The authors suggest that the important question is not if but how positive emotions are important. It is apparent that positive emotions play a vital role in family therapy. However, the authors are only beginning to uncover the abundant complexities tied to the therapeutic role of positive emotions within the relational patterns of families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inclusion and belonging in the family rituals of gay and lesbian people.

Survey data collected from 400 non-metropolitan gay men and lesbians were used to examine what factors lead them to attend a family-of-origin ritual and affect their sense of belonging during the event. The present study was inspired by qualitative findings regarding the production of outsider status during rituals. Attendance and belonging were both predicted by type of ritual and the quality of relationships with families of origin. Also, partners were more likely to be invited when the couple relationship was more visible. Residential community climate, age, income, and gender were not significant. The family membership complexities of gay and lesbian people are discussed, and a more nuanced understanding of membership during ritual is encouraged. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Beyond the pleistocene: Using phylogeny and constraint to inform the evolutionary psychology of human mating.

Evolutionary psychologists explore the adaptive function of traits and behaviors that characterize modern Homo sapiens. However, evolutionary psychologists have yet to incorporate the phylogenetic relationship between modern Homo sapiens and humans’ hominid and pongid relatives (both living and extinct) into their theorizing. By considering the specific timing of evolutionary events and the role of evolutionary constraint, researchers using the phylogenetic approach can generate new predictions regarding mating phenomena and derive new explanations for existing evolutionary psychological findings. Especially useful is the concept of the adaptive workaround—an adaptation that manages the maladaptive elements of a pre-existing evolutionary constraint. The current review organizes 7 features of human mating into their phylogenetic context and presents evidence that 2 adaptive workarounds played a critical role as Homo sapiens’s mating psychology evolved. These adaptive workarounds function in part to mute or refocus the effects of older, previously evolved adaptations and highlight the layered nature of humans’ mating psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The efficacy of an online cognitive-behavioral family intervention in improving child behavior and social competence following pediatric brain injury.

Objective: To examine whether an online cognitive-behavioral intervention could improve child adjustment following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants: Thirty-nine families of children with moderate to severe TBI. Intervention: Families were randomly assigned to the online family problem-solving (FPS) group or to the Internet resources comparison (IRC) group. Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes included child behavior problems, social competence, and self-management/compliance. Results: The FPS group reported better child self-management/compliance at follow-up than did the IRC group. The child's age and socioeconomic status (SES) moderated treatment effects, with older children and those of lower SES who received FPS showing greater improvements in self-management and behavior problems, respectively. Conclusions: Findings suggest that an online cognitive- behavioral approach can improve child adjustment after TBI, particularly in older children and children of lower SES. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychology of isolated and confined environments: Understanding human behavior in Antarctica.

Psychosocial adaptation to isolated and confined environments exhibits 4 distinct characteristics. First, it is seasonal: Variations in mood are associated with the altered diurnal cycle and psychological segmentation of the mission. Second, it is situational: Concurrent measures of personality, interpersonal needs, and coping styles are better predictors of mood and performance than are predeployment measures. Third, it is social: Members of expeditions with low social coherence report significantly more depression, anxiety, and anger than individuals belonging to expeditions with high social coherence. Fourth, it is salutogenic: Depressed mood is inversely associated with the severity of the physical environment of the station, and the winter-over experience is associated with reduced subsequent rates of hospital admissions, suggesting positive benefits for individuals seeking challenging experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)