“UNFATHOMABLE CALMNESS”: BETRAYAL TRAUMA, SILENCE AND DISSOCIATION IN THE SECRET AGENT

Author(s): Imen Chemengui / Language(s): English / Issue: XIV/2019

With the rise of trauma theory in late 19th century, researchers have focused on foregrounding the significance of some catastrophic events that pertain mainly to the collective, leaving other forms of trauma and their psychological aftermath on the individual underrepresented. In this paper, I focus on social traumas in Joseph Conrad’s The Secret Agent, which seems to be overlooked by some critics whose insights highlight primarily its political aspect. The events of the novel revolve around the peculiar and traumatic experience of Winnie Verloc whose life is rife with betrayal and violence. Her recurrent exposure to successive shocking events culminates in her dissociation and, consequently, her suicide. To pin down what lies beneath Winnie’s ambiguity, aloofness and silence in the novel, I mainly rely on trauma theory, drawing from studies on PTSD, betrayal and dissociation by several trauma scholars, such as, Cathy Caruth, Shoshana Felman, Jennifer Freyd, and others. Furthermore, this paper examines the inextricability of the past from the present in trauma through the breadth scrutiny of Winnie’s psychological response to her excruciating experience. Hence the way the appalling past returns unbidden to shake Winnie’s present.

4th International Scientific Conference SEC - IASR 2019

4th International Scientific Conference SEC - IASR 2019

Author(s): Simona Marin,Petronel Moisescu / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 2020

4th International Scientific Conference "Sports, Education, Culture - Interdisciplinary Approaches in Scientific Research", SEC-IASR 2019, Galati, Romania, 7th – 8th June, 2019

A Faceted Eye on Intellectual Giftedness: Examining the Personality of Gifted Students Using FFM Domains and Facets

Author(s): Ana Altaras-Dimitrijević / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2012

The study examines the personality profile of gifted vs. average-ability students from the perspective of the FFM. The issue was approached by (1) reviewing the literature for well-established personality characteristics of the gifted, (2) establishing correspondences between these traits and FFM domains/facets, and (3) formulating a domain and a facet-level model which were hypothesized to discriminate significantly between gifted and nongifted students. The domain-level model consisted of Openness and Agreeableness. The facet-level model included 14 traits: Anxiety, Impulsiveness, Gregariousness, Assertiveness, Fantasy, Feelings, Aesthetics, Ideas, Compliance, Modesty, Tendermindedness, Order, Achievement, and Deliberation. The models were tested on three samples (N1 =515 high-school students, 155 gifted; N2 =132 psychology students, 28 gifted; N3 =443 psychology students, 91 gifted). Results indicate that the domain-level model does not discriminate significantly between gifted and nongifted students in each sample, whereas the proposed 14-facet model yields a significant discrimination across all samples. The latter model may be further adjusted by removing facets which proved inconsistent or unsubstantial in distinguishing between the two groups. This yields a 7-facet discriminant function, which is also significant across samples, indicating that gifted students are consistently distinguished by a combination of high Ideas, Fantasy, Aesthetics, and Assertiveness, but low Gregariuosness, Modesty, and Tendermindeness. Educational implications and limitations are discussed.

A General Factor of Personality in a sample of inmates: associations with indicators of life-history strategy and covitality

Author(s): Daliborka Kujačić,Janko Međedović / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2017

This study looked for a General Factor of Personality (GFP) in a sample of male convicts (N=226; mean age 32 years). The GFP was extracted from seven broad personality traits: FFM factors, Amoralism (the negative pole of the lexical Honesty-Humility factor) and Disintegration (operationalization of Schizotypy). Three first-order factors were extracted, labeled Dysfunctionality, Antisociality and Openness, and GFP was found through the hierarchical factor analysis. The nature of the GFP was explored through analysis of its relations with markers of fast Life-History strategy and covitality. The results demonstrated that the GFP is associated with unrestricted sexual behavior, medical problems, mental problems, early involvement in criminal activity and stability of criminal behavior. The evidence shows that the GFP is a meaningful construct on the highest level of personality structure. It may represent a personality indicator of fitness-related characteristics and could be useful in research of personality in an evolutionary context.

A model of attitudinal outcomes of teachers’ psychological capital

Author(s): Mehmet Karakus,Alpay Ersozlu,Selcuk Demir,Muhammet Usak,Helen Wildy / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2019

This study aims to determine the relationship between psychological capital and job satisfaction, organizational commitment, motivation, and the intent to leave. The sample of this study consists of 323 teachers in 25 schools that were selected randomly with clustered sampling method from the schools. The structural equation model that yields the best-fit indices, states that as teachers’ psychological capital levels increase, job satisfaction levels also increase. Psychological capital has a positive effect on teachers’ commitment and motivation through the full mediation effect of job satisfaction. Psychological capital has a negative effect on intent to leave through the full mediation effects of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. It is beneficial for school managers to invest in developing and strengthening the psychological capital of teachers if they want to increase job satisfaction, organizational commitment and motivation levels of teachers and to decrease their intent to leave school

A model of the relationships between the Big Five personality traits and the motivations to deliver word-of-mouth online

Author(s): Bogdan Anastasiei,Nicoleta Dospinescu / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2018

The goal of this research is to establish the relationships between the Big Five personality traits – Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism and Openness – and the motivations to deliver electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in the social media. The research method was based on a survey administered to 262 subjects, mostly students and young professionals. The personality traits that are most related to eWOM are Extraversion (that influences the need for social appreciation and Positive self-enhancement) and Openness to experience (that determines the concern for others and the desire to help good companies). Conscientiousness has a negative relationship with the tendency to Vent negative feelings about a bad buy, while Neuroticism has a slight influence on the motivation to get Social benefits and Self-enhancement. Knowing the prevalent personality traits and motivations of the eWOM transmitters, the company communication strategist can figure out the most proper ways to approach them. This paper is one of the few that throughly investigates the relationship between personality traits and the intrinsic motivations to write online reviews about companies and brands. Key words: big five model, electronic word of mouth, word of mouth communication.

A Polish Adaptation and Validation of the Distress Tolerance Scale

Author(s): Marta Rokosz,Ryszard Poprawa / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2020

Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS; Simons & Gaher, 2005) measures individual differences in experiencing and enduring negative emotional states. It consists of four dimensions: tolerance of perceived distress, assessment and acceptance of emotions, absorption of attention, and emotion regulation. The study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Polish adaptation of the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). A total of 1,210 individuals aged between 18 and 69 participated in the study (45% men, 51% women). After obtaining a Polish translation, we conducted EFA and CFA to examine the validity of the construct. EFA revealed a two-factor structure of the DTS, with Regulation as a separate factor. The original and modified CFA model with Regulation as a separate first-order factor showed an unsatisfactory fit to the data. Better CFA parameters were obtained with the reduced, three-factor version of the DTS. Four- and three-factor versions both show good internal consistency, temporal stability, convergent, and discriminant validity, with the exception of the Regulation subscale. As expected, distress tolerance is positively associated with positive affectivity, satisfaction with life, and self-control ability, but negatively with negative affectivity, perceived stress, and difficulties in emotion regulation. Men declared higher levels of distress tolerance than women. The Regulation subscale showed the weakest validity results; in terms of content, it seems to deviate from the concept of distress tolerance. With all those findings in mind, we recommend the valid and reliable three-factor version to be used in further studies.

A Response to Tomáš Urbánek

Author(s): Petra Anýžová / Language(s): English / Issue: 03/2017

A six-factor model of brand personality and its predictive validity

Author(s): Marko Živanović,Sofija Čerović,Jovana Bjekić / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

The study examines applicability and usefulness of HEXACO-based model in the description of brand personality. Following contemporary theoretical developments in human personality research, Study 1 explored the latent personality structure of 120 brands using descriptors of six personality traits as defined in HEXACO model: Honesty-Humility, Emotionality, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness. The results of exploratory factor analyses have supported HEXACO personality six-factor structure to a large extent. InStudy 2 we addressed the question of predictive validity of HEXACO-based brand personality. Brand personality traits, but predominantly Honesty-Humility, accounted for substantial amount of variance in prediction of important aspects of consumer-brand relationship: attitude toward brand, perceived quality of a brand, and brand loyalty. The implications of applying HEXACO-based brand personality in marketing research are discussed.

A study on the relationship between compulsive exercise, depression and anxiety

Author(s): Aviv Weinstein,Yitzhak Weinstein,Gavriel Maayan / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2015

Exercise and physical activity are beneficial both physically and psychologically but a few individuals use exercise excessively resulting in physical and even psychological damage. There is evidence for bidirectional relationship between exercise with depression and anxiety showing that exercise can reduce anxiety and depression, whereas a lack of exercise is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Methods: This study used questionnaires assessing compulsive exercise, anxiety and depression among 20 professional regular exercisers and 51 recreational regular exercisers. Results: Results showed that ratings of compulsive exercise were associated with ratings of anxiety and depression among individuals who exercise for professional and recreational purpose. Secondly, individuals who exercise for professional purpose were more depressed than individuals who exercise for recreational purpose, but did not exhibit higher trait anxiety ratings. Thirdly, individuals who exercise for recreational purpose showed an association between ratings of compulsive exercise and depression but not with ratings of trait anxiety. Discussion: Individuals who exercise for professional and recreational purpose may use it as a means for alleviating depression and anxiety although this small sample of recreational and professional sportsmen showed clinical levels of anxiety and depression that may require further clinical treatment.

A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS: THE COLLECTION AND FORMALIZATION OF INFORMATION RELATING TO THE NEEDS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Author(s): Mabrouka El Hachani,Omar Larouk / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2017

This article addresses the issue of technical documents and the impact their structuring has on professionals working in the field of disability. A model was developed to accompany users with disabilities when entering information; it was based on the linguistic analysis of an assortment of technical documents (institutional forms). We studied the problems related to technical documents by using a methodological approach which was based on a combination of complementary studies. The first was a terminological study, which aimed to look for relevant themes. It was complemented by a second one, which analyzed the discourse that was transmitted by the texts and which was centered on exploring the logical links between propositions and paragraphs. We completed these two studies with a final one, the logico-cognitive analysis. This which allowed us to look for contextual clues, which were produced by the texts in the documentary environment. It was therefore possible to formalize information and communication operations thanks to the reference discourse’s targeted environment in view of designing an automated information system.

Aberrational Socialization as a New Type of Socialization of an Individual in Modern Information Society

Author(s): Vitalii Kurylo,Sergii Savchenko,Olena Karaman / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2020

The article deals with the substantiation of the notion of “aberrational socialization” as a new type of socialization of an individual in modern information society.Based on the analysis of the main provisions of the classical theory of socialization of individuals and taking into account the peculiarities of modern information and psychological warfare aimed at unleashing military conflicts, affecting people’s mass and individual consciousness that causes transformation of a man’s psychic, change of system of values, attitudes, views, thoughts, opinions, activities and behavior, the authors introduce the notion of “aberrational socialization” which they understand as a negative, distorted, misinterpreted, strained socialization, i.e. a formation of an individual with explicit negative and distorted social characteristics under the influence of external factors and aggravated by a person’s individual features.The authors describe the essential characteristics of aberrational socialization of an individual and work out social and psychological mechanisms that can prevent the development of this negative type of socialization in conditions of modern information society.The conclusion is made about the necessity to work out a social and pedagogical content and technologies of the formation of an individual’s psychological resistance, his information and psychological security which have to become a foundation for the transformation of aberrational socialization into a successful socialization and self-realization of a person.

Abordarea conceptului de fericire în mediul studențesc

Author(s): Ioana Așevschi,Svetlana Rusnac / Language(s): Romanian / Issue: 1-2/2019

This research presents the results of the focus group on views on the concept ofhappiness. The focus group was made on a sample of 45 students from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year ofstudy, which were divided into three groups: 1) Law specialty – 17 persons; 2) ecology andenvironmental protection – 11 persons; 3) International Relations and Economic Sciences – 17persons. Questions addressed in the focus group: discussion and appreciation of ten aphorisms abouthappiness; analyzing and arranging by importance ten words of the social representation ofhappiness, previously researched by the author on a larger sample; defining the notion of happinessetc.

Academic integrity “captured” by a personality-based test

Author(s): Predrag Okanović,Dragana Okanović,Dušanka Mitrović,Nebojša Majstorović / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2013

The main goal of this study was to develop and validate a personality-based academic integrity test which could serve as a predictor of students’ academic dishonesty. A new Academic Integrity Test (AIT), based on methodological principles accepted in the field of work integrity, was created during this study. The test was developed on one student sample (N=350), and then validated on another (N=471). Validation of the AIT confirmed its relations with three dimensions previously found to be consistent correlates of work integrity measures – Conscientiousness, Aggressiveness and Neuroticism, with the addition of Negative Valence. The correlation between the AIT and a cognitive ability measure was not significant, which is in accordance with previous research. The test retained significant relations with the aforementioned personality measures in simulated applicant condition (except with Neuroticism), leading to the conclusion that the AIT maintains construct validity in situations susceptible to self-presentation.

Acculturation Process and Ethnic Identity of Immigrants in Germany

Author(s): Liudmyla Smokova / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

In the present study, we discuss psychological acculturation, by which we mean the internal processes of change that immigrants experience when they come into direct contact with members of the host culture. The model we present builds on research in the areas of social and ethnic identity. Each of these perspectives is discussed in accordance with its relevance to the acculturative processes operating in immigrants. We understand ethnic identity as a dynamic state, that is determined by three components: (1) by the degree of inclusion in the group of one’s cultural origin; (2) the tendency to assimilate to the ethnic group of origin; and (3) the complementary tendency to differentiate from one’s own ethnic group. Social identity conveys belonging of the individual to different social categories and the value as well as emotional significance of this membership. We have sought to explain how the processes of social categorization, inand out-group identification and social comparison predetermine the direction of the acculturation process and hence the intercultural interaction and wellbeing of the youth from immigrant backgrounds in Germany. Results indicated that immigrants who have more identified themselves with dominant society have expressed the strong preference to integration strategies. The immigrants that had a high degree of ethnic identification have expressed the low preference to the integration as well to marginalization and assimilation. In its turn, the powerful feeling of belonging to an ethnic group and attitude towards the group promotes immigrants segregation choice.

Activity matters: Physical exercise and stress coping during the 2020 COVID-19 state of emergency

Author(s): Stanislava Popov,Jelena Sokić,Dušan Stupar / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2021

Recent studies have demonstrated that social isolation during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the mental and physical health of people worldwide. However, it remains unknown whether physical activity can improve mental health in a state of emergency. The present study aimed to examine the importance of physical exercising and stress management mechanisms (problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant) in the context of mental health indicators (depression, anxiety, and nonspecific stress) in conditions of social isolation during COVID-19-induced lockdown in Serbia. The sample consisted of 680 adults (66% female), mean aged 35.91years (SD = 12.45). The results indicated a significant relation between physical exercising and a reduced stress response and confirmed the usefulness of the already well-known problem-focused strategies. Avoidant and emotion-focused coping were associated with poorer mental health outcomes. However, as a moderator, physical activity lowered anxiety levels in individuals prone to emotion-focused coping.

ACTUAL TENDENCY IN INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

Author(s): Andreea Szalontay,Alina Mihaela Pascu,Andreea Teodorescu,Dan Minea,Petru IFTENI / Language(s): English / Issue: 51/2015

Patients with schizophrenia requiring long-term institutionalization represent cases with poor outcome, often leading to high costs for patients and family and constituting a huge economical burden for society if patients are young. The aims of the study were identification of characteristics and predictors of institutionalization in schizophrenia. Retrospective study of all institutionalized patients with schizophrenia in Brasov County, Romania, with a DSM-IV-TR lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia institutionalized between 1995 and 2014. Institutionalized patients between 2005 and 2014 (n=172) had lower age (51.15 vs. 57.08, p<0.05) and lower age at institutionalization compared with patients admitted between 1995 and 2004. Lower education level (8.23 vs. 13.22, p<0.05), only one parent, multiple antipsychotics treatments and suboptimal response under first generation long acting antipsychotics are predictors for institutionalization. Our study showed a tendency to institutionalize patients with schizophrenia at the younger age compared with other periods. Early intervention in psychosis, controlled treatment with SGAs should be solutions to avoid institutionalization of young patients with schizophrenia.

Addressing the psycho-pedagogy of learning difficulties. Implications to the various components of personality

Author(s): Horatiu Catalano / Language(s): English / Issue: 7/2009

Unter Lernschwierigkeiten versteht man folgendes: es treten Probleme auf, die die Kapazität des Gehirns, bei der Rezeption, bei der Lagerung und bei der Aktualisierung der Informationen hindern; diese Lernschwierigkeiten haben nichts mit Intelligenz zu tun, sondern nur mit der mangelhaften Behandlung der Informationen. Diese Mangel werden durch Störungen in der Entwicklung oder durch Probleme auf der Ebene der Aufmerksamkeit, des Gedächtnisses, der Koordination, der Kommunikation, des Lesens, des Schreibens, der Rechtschreibung, der mathematischen Rechnung und der Sozialisation bemerkbar. Wenn man die oben genannten Angaben aufmerksam betrachtet, dann kann man sehr leicht darauf schließen, dass Lernschwierigkeiten durch unzählige Faktoren ausgelöst werden können, und ihre Überwindung und Heilung erfordert sehr vorsichtige psychopödagogische Analysen.

Adı Vasfiye ve Dağınık Yatak filmlerinin Carl Rogers’ın kişilik kuramı bağlamında incelenmesi

Author(s): İrem Onur Akveran,Pelin Erdal Aytekin / Language(s): Turkish / Issue: Sp. Iss/2020

Within the wide area of representation of cinema, woman's personality structure experienced a sharp change in Yeşilçam Cinema and this change was reflected on the culture, art and consequently individual over politics. As an area of art where cultural changes affect large masses in Turkey, Yeşilçam Cinema has distinctive qualities in terms of the representation and formation of woman's personality. While the stereotyped woman reflected in Yeşilçam Cinema before 1980 had a radical nature with being good and bad, being good was represented with passive characteristics, and being bad with negative characteristics such as the display of sexuality and greed. After 1980, woman's identity and personality development turned away from this dilemma into a more realistic representation; this transformation was interpreted as woman's liberation (Onaran, 1995: 15-16). This transformation was seen in the 'women's films' by Atıf Yılmaz in the 1980s. In these films, woman, as in other Yeşilçam films, is in the center of the film and reflects a different representation of a woman, who accepted the roles determined for women depending on the social gender without any condition and who was kept in the house. With the representation of a 'free woman', Müjde Ar consecutively appeared before the audience as similar characters. Hence, Adı Vasfiye (1985) and Dağınık Yatak (1984) by Atıf Yılmaz starring Müjde Ar in the leading role can be seen as the examples of the representation of the woman interpreted as the woman's liberation. Therefore, it was aimed to psychologically discuss the new representation of free woman in Adı Vasfiye and Dağınık Yatak on the basis of Carl Rogers' theory of personality and present it with the interpretive approach. The character represented by Müjde Ar in Adı Vasfiye and Dağınık Yatak was not as free as interpreted in Carl Rogers' theory of personality, where he defined the 'self-actualized', self-made human, and did not fulfill the personality structure of the self-made human characteristics defined by Carl Rogers.

Adolescent psychosocial development in Brno: An ELSPAC Study 2005–2011

Author(s): / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 2011

Our longitudinal findings are in line with published research describing current adolescence as a dynamic stage of life during which an individual‟s personal participation or influence on his or her development sharply increases. This leads, amongst other things, to higher variability of developmental changes and to an erosion of some stereotypes about the psychological and social life of adolescents. The respondents of the Brno longitudinal study (ELSPAC) represent a new generation of Czech adolescents. They were born in the time of turbulent social changes when political, economic and cultural conditions were significantly changing bringing along shifts in lifestyles, social norms and values of all generations including the parents of current adolescents. It can be hypothesised this society-wide change partially moderated the traditional inter generational conflict between adolescents and adults. We can speculate that the adults, not only the adolescents, partially spent the past two decades searching for a new personal and social identity (e.g. career changes, social security decrease, increase in personal freedom and responsibility of own life course). What was appreciated in the beginning of the 1990s as new possibilities – e.g. freedom in opinions and attitudes, opportunity to attain quality education, foreign travel, opportunities for self-actualisation etc. – is perceived as commonplace by today‟s adolescents.