Frontiers in psychology
-
Frontiers in psychology · Jan 2019
Maternal and Child Sexual Abuse History: An Intergenerational Exploration of Children's Adjustment and Maternal Trauma-Reflective Functioning.
Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate associations, unique and interactive, between mothers' and children's histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and children's psychiatric outcomes using an intergenerational perspective. Further, we were particularly interested in examining whether maternal reflective functioning about their own trauma (T-RF) was associated with a lower likelihood of children's abuse exposure (among children of CSA-exposed mothers). Methods: One hundred and eleven children (M age = 9.53 years; 43 sexual abuse victims) and their mothers (M age = 37.99; 63 sexual abuse victims) participated in this study. ⋯ Conclusion: The findings show that the presence of either maternal or child CSA is associated with more child psychological difficulties. Importantly in terms of identifying potential protective factors, maternal T-RF is associated with lower likelihood of CSA exposure in children of CSA-exposed mothers. We discuss these findings in the context of the need for treatments focusing on increasing T-RF in mothers and children in the context of abuse to facilitate adaptation and reduce the intergenerational risk.
-
Frontiers in psychology · Jan 2019
Body Image and Sexual Dissatisfaction: Differences Among Heterosexual, Bisexual, and Lesbian Women.
Gender-based differences in body image dissatisfaction are not conclusive. Women's body experiences and their impact on sexual satisfaction may advance knowledge on how heterosexual, bisexual, and lesbian women internalize heterosexist values. ⋯ No sexual orientation-based differences were observed in body or sexual dissatisfaction; however, body concerns were found to have less influence on sexual dissatisfaction in lesbian women compared to heterosexual and bisexual women. Standards of beauty remain constant among all women, yet removing themselves from the male gaze may be interpreted as a protective factor which shields women from expressing concern about their appearance during sexual activity.
-
The impostor phenomenon is a pervasive psychological experience of perceived intellectual and professional fraudulence. It is not a diagnosable condition yet observed in clinical and normal populations. Increasingly, impostorism research has expanded beyond clinical and into applied settings. ⋯ Of the studies included, four measures of the impostor phenomenon were identified and their psychometric properties assessed against the quality appraisal tool-Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, Harvey Impostor Scale, Perceived Fraudulence Scale, and Leary Impostor Scale. The findings often highlighted that studies did not necessarily report poor psychometric properties; rather an absence of data and stringent assessment criteria resulted in lower methodological ratings. Recommendations for future research are made to address the conceptual clarification of the construct's dimensionality, to improve future study quality and to enable better discrimination between measures.
-
Frontiers in psychology · Jan 2019
Reasons to Write in Grade 6 and Their Association With Writing Quality.
Writing is a particularly complex and demanding task that needs to be mastered to assure students' success at school. In the last decades, the scientific community has been unanimous about the involvement of cognitive and motivational processes in the learning of writing. However, little is still known about some motivation-related processes, such as the reasons why students write. ⋯ Together these findings confirm the key role of motivation in writing and provide validity evidence of the Writing Motivation Questionnaire. This seems a useful tool to better understand the motivational processes involved in learning to write. However, despite the increasing research investment in this area, it is still important to carry out further studies that may contribute to the enrichment of the field of writing motivation.
-
Frontiers in psychology · Jan 2019
Multisystem Resiliency as a Predictor of Physical and Psychological Functioning in Older Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain.
Evidence supports the benefits of resilience among older adults with chronic pain. While numerous factors confer resilience, research has largely examined these measures in isolation, despite evidence of their synergistic effects. Conceptualizing resilience from a multisystem perspective may provide a deeper understanding of adaptive functioning in pain. ⋯ No significant cluster differences emerged in self-reported pain intensity or MEP. These findings signify the presence of resiliency profiles based upon psychological, social, and health-related functioning. Further examination of the additive effects of multiple adaptive behaviors and resources may improve our understanding of resilience in the context of pain, informing novel interventions for older adults.