Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Vol. 22, No. 4 (2009): Brucato & Neimeyer

Epistemology as a Predictor of Psychotherapists' Self-Care and Coping

Authors: Brittany Brucato a; Greg Neimeyer a
Affiliation: a University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530903113805
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 4 October 2009 , pages 269 - 282
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Abstract

The present study examines whether the epistemic leanings of experienced psychotherapists (N = 151; 85 women and 66 men) predicted their self-care and coping strategies in relation to stress. Self-care is seen as a preventative measure against stress, whereas coping is viewed as an individual's adaptive response to stress or difficulties. Results showed a range of evidence that linked stronger constructivist epistemic commitments with higher levels of therapist self-care, but they did not provide strong evidence for the link between epistemic commitments and differential styles of coping. These findings are discussed in relation to the contemporary literature concerning the translation of epistemology into practice, and the limitations and future directions of this work.
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Vol. 22, No. 4 (2009): Mackrill

A Cross-Contextual Construction of Clients' Therapeutic Practice

Author: Thomas Mackrill a
Affiliation: a Copenhagen Division, Aarhus University, Copenhagen, Denmark
DOI: 10.1080/10720530903113839
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 4 October 2009 , pages 283 - 305
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Abstract

This study demonstrates how gathering data from a different context can significantly change how an object of study may be viewed. Data from a qualitative diary study of psychotherapeutic practice were used to construct a cross-contextual view of psychotherapy. Data about clients' everyday lives as well as psychotherapy sessions were analyzed. Examples of how extra-therapeutic factors are significant to client change are presented. Six types of extra-therapeutic information sources that clients use to develop their personal stances while in therapy were identified. The case of one client's abundant use of extra-therapeutic sources of information offers a different construction of how psychotherapy works, emphasizing client activities outside sessions. The implications of the study for psychotherapy research are addressed.
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 2:45 PM 0 comments

Vol. 22, No. 4 (2009): Sermpezis & Winter

Is Trauma the Product of Over- or Under-Elaboration? A Critique of the Personal Construct Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Authors: Christos Sermpezis a; David A. Winter b
Affiliations: a Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
b University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
DOI: 10.1080/10720530903113862
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 4 October 2009 , pages 306 - 327
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Abstract

A clinical sample of people diagnosed with PTSD (n = 36) was tested using repertory grids and questionnaires. The study examined the viability of the personal construct model of PTSD (Sewell et al., 1996). Results did not support the model, and the authors critique the methodology previously used to support it. In contrast to the model's alleged under-elaboration of the traumatic event as a causative factor of PTSD, the present study provided evidence of the exact opposite—namely, that the traumatic event appears as over-elaborated within the construct systems of traumatized individuals. New ways of analysis as well as new technologies are proposed.
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 2:44 PM 0 comments

Vol. 22, No. 4 (2009): Strong & Pyle

Constructing a Conversational “Miracle”: Examining the “Miracle Question” as It Is Used in Therapeutic Dialogue

Authors: Tom Strong a; Nathan R. Pyle a
Affiliation: a University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
DOI: 10.1080/10720530903114001
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 4 October 2009 , pages 328 - 353
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Abstract

Solution-focused counselors use the “miracle question” to elicit problem-free client accounts of experience consistent with the clients' goals for therapy. In this article, we micro-analyzed how miracle questions were asked and answered by therapists and clients engaged in lifestyle consultations conducted for research purposes. Specifically, we examined the conversational practices and linguistic resources they used in introducing and responding to the use of the miracle question as an unscripted part of their consultation. We also invited clients and therapists back to independently review their participation in videotaped passages where they either asked or responded to miracle questions. Our analyses show the extent to which such developments in therapeutic dialogue are negotiated or socially constructed accomplishments between therapist and client. We relate our findings to optimizing the collaborative and resourceful use of miracle questions in therapeutic dialogue.
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Vol. 22, No. 4 (2009): Raskin

Constructivist Therapy, Succinctly

Review of Constructivist Psychotherapy: Distinctive Features (CBT Distinctive Features Series), By Robert A. Neimeyer, London: Routledge, 2009, 150 pp., $90.00 (hardcover)/$17.95 (paperback)

Author: Jonathan D. Raskin a
Affiliation: a State University of New York, New Paltz, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530903114076
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 4 October 2009 , pages 354 - 359
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 2:39 PM 1 comments

Friday, May 22, 2009

Vol. 22, No. 3 (2009): Levitt et al.

The Experience of Depth Curiosity: The Pursuit of Congruence Despite the Danger of Engulfment

Authors: Heidi M. Levitt a;  Daniel C. Williams a;  Ayse Ciftci Uruk a;  Divya Kannan a;  Maki Obana a;  Brandy L. Smith a;  Mei-Chuan Wang a;  Laura W. Plexico a;  Jonathan Camp a;  Heather Hardison a;  Anasa Watts a; Wendy J. Biss a
Affiliation:  a The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530902915093
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 3 July 2009 , pages 187 - 212
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Abstract

This article presents a grounded theory analysis of the experience of sustaining an abiding curiosity. Results emphasize how curiosity became inherently motivating and pleasurable, and led to deeper understandings of interpersonal differences and an enriched sense of identity. Despite the experience of curiosity strengthening, waning, and shifting across time, it was experienced as a longstanding driving force. At the same time, if consuming, curiosity holds risks for participants and could lead to alienation from others and despair. The discussion puts forward a more integrated understanding of a somewhat fragmented literature and highlights the complexities that depth curiosity entails.
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Vol. 22, No. 3 (2009): Harris

Objective and Interpretive Approaches to Equality in Marriage

Author: Scott R. Harris a
Affiliation:  a Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530902915135
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 3 July 2009 , pages 213 - 236
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Abstract

This article differentiates two ways of studying equality in marriage: as an objective entity or as a socially constructed interpretation. Objective and interpretive researchers adopt divergent stances toward defining, measuring, and explaining marital equalities and inequalities. However, they also employ similar terms and methods, as well as exhibit mutual concern over the moral implications of research. Consequently, scholars may study marital equality in somewhat similar ways but produce reports that vary along an objective-interpretive continuum.
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Vol. 22, No. 3 (2009): van Geel & De May

Measuring Proximity Among Affect Profiles in Hermans' Self-Confrontation Method

Authors: Rolf van Geel a; Hubert De Mey b
Affiliations:  a Dutch Open University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
b Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
DOI: 10.1080/10720530902915150
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 3 July 2009 , pages 237 - 252
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Abstract

In the Self-Confrontation Method (SCM), proximity relations among affect profiles of valuations are traditionally represented by means of Pearson's correlation coefficient. In this article, we address a variety of technical and practical problems when using a correlational measure as a means for studying the structure of a person's valuation system. We consider the difference between shape and distance measures of proximity in the context of the SCM and present some numerical examples that illustrate the drawbacks of using correlation. We corroborate these theoretical exercises with an empirical study using real SCM data, and elaborate on the advantages of using a Euclidean distance measure as an alternative to correlation.
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Vol. 22, No. 3 (2009): Adame & Leitner

Reverence and Recovery: Experiential Personal Construct Psychotherapy and Transpersonal Reverence

Authors: Alexandra L. Adame a; Larry M. Leitner a
Affiliation:  a Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530902915168
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 3 July 2009 , pages 253 - 267
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Abstract

The role of the therapeutic relationship in the healing process has been written about extensively in the field of clinical psychology. Experiential Personal Construct Psychotherapy (EPCP) is one approach that regards the therapeutic relationship itself as the conduit of the healing process. According to EPCP, one of the highest levels of psychological functioning is the ability to revere another person in a relationship as well as the capacity for transpersonal reverence, which is reverence for humanity or the world at large. In this article, we will explore how the healing process can continue outside the confines of the therapeutic relationship, specifically in terms of transpersonal reverence.
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Vol. 22, No. 2 (2009): Toomey & Ecker

Competing Visions of the Implications of Neuroscience for Psychotherapy

Authors: Brian Toomey a; Bruce Ecker b
Affiliations:  a Clinical Psychology Department, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
b Private practice in psychotherapy, Oakland, California, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802675748
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 2 April 2009 , pages 95 - 140
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Abstract

In this third and final article of a series on the confluence of neurobiology and psychotherapy, we consider three current, influential interpretations of the implications of neuroscience for psychotherapy: pharmacological treatment, reparative attachment therapy, and the cognitive regulation of emotion and behavior. We critically examine these clinical strategies, reviewing efficacy data, neuroscientific research, and the model of symptom production by coherent implicit memory as articulated in coherence psychology. We argue that according to current knowledge, (a) each of the three clinical interpretations of neuroscience implements only part of the brain's known capabilities for change; (b) those capabilities are more fully utilized and can yield greater clinical effectiveness for the majority of psychotherapy clients through a therapeutic strategy of selective depotentiation of implicit memory, as exemplified by coherence therapy; and (c) the strategy of counteracting an implicit memory, whether cognitively or psychopharmacologically, is only moderately effective, is inherently susceptible to relapse, and entails a range of undesirable collateral effects.
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 7:53 AM 0 comments

Vol. 22, No. 2 (2009): Feixas, Saul, & Avila-espada

Viewing Cognitive Conflicts as Dilemmas: Implications for Mental Health

Authors: Guillem Feixas a;  Luis Angel Sauacutel b; Alejandro Aacutevila-espada c
Affiliations:  a University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
b Universidad Nacional de Educacioacuten a Distancia (UNED), Madrid, Spain
c Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802675755
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 2 April 2009 , pages 141 - 169
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Abstract

The idea that internal conflicts play a significant role in mental health has been extensively addressed in various psychological traditions, including personal construct theory. In the context of the latter, several measures of conflict have been operationalized using the Repertory Grid Technique (RGT). All of them capture the notion that change, although desirable from the viewpoint of a given set of constructs, becomes undesirable from the perspective of other constructs. The goal of this study is to explore the presence of cognitive conflicts in a clinical sample (n = 284) and compare it to a control sample (n = 322). It is also meant to clarify which among the different types of conflict studied provides a greater clinical value and to investigate its relationship to symptom severity (SCL-90-R). Of the types of cognitive conflict studied, implicative dilemmas were the only ones to discriminate between clinical and nonclinical samples. These dilemmas were found in 34% of the nonclinical sample and in 53% of the clinical sample. Participants with implicative dilemmas showed higher symptom severity, and those from the clinical sample displayed a higher frequency of dilemmas than those from the nonclinical sample.
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 7:52 AM 0 comments

Vol. 22, No. 2 (2009): Holland & Neimeyer

The Efficacy of Personal Construct Therapy as a Function of the Type and Severity of the Presenting Problem

Authors: Jason M. Holland a; Robert A. Neimeyer a
Affiliation:  a University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802675904
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 2 April 2009 , pages 170 - 185
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Abstract

A recent quantitative review of the personal construct therapy (PCT) outcome literature revealed reliable but somewhat modest effects for this type of therapy. Examination of moderator variables has shown that the efficacy of PCT might vary as a function of other factors, such as whether or not the treatment was tested with a clinical population. In the present study, these findings were expanded on by exploring the relation between the type and severity of presenting problems and treatment outcome as reported in the controlled PCT outcome literature. Overall, results revealed that the efficacy of PCT did not differ substantially across different types of problems, but effect sizes tended to be significantly smaller when more severe problems were being treated.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Vol. 22, No. 1 (2009): Goncalves, Matos, & Santos

Narrative Therapy and the Nature Of “Innovative Moments” in the Construction of Change
Authors: Miguel M. Goncalves a; Marlene Matos a; Anita Santos a
Affiliation:
a University of Minho, Portugal
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802500748
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 1 January 2009 , pages 1 - 23
Subjects: Psychotherapy; Social Constructionism;
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Abstract
In the narrative metaphor of psychotherapy, clients transform themselves by changing their life stories. According to White and Epston (1990), the construction of change occurs from the expansion of unique outcomes—or innovative moments, as we prefer to call them—that is, the development of episodes outside the problem-saturated narrative. Unique outcomes operate as exceptions to the rule (i.e., to the problem-saturated story) that can be changed to a new rule (i.e., a new narrative). We suggest that some forms of unique outcomes can operate as shadow voices (Gustafson, 1992) of the problem-saturated story, allowing a temporary release from the problem, but facilitating a return to it. In our view, there is a particular type of unique outcome—reconceptualization—that facilitates sustained change. This kind of innovation facilitates the emergence of a meta-level perspective about the change process itself and, in turn, enables the active positioning of the person as an author of the new narrative.
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Vol. 22, No. 1 (2009): Turpin et al.

The Meaning and Impact of Head and Neck Cancer: An Interpretative Phenomenological and Repertory Grid Analysis
Authors: Mel Turpin a; Rudi Dallos a; Ray Owen a; Mike Thomas a
Affiliation:
a University of Plymouth, United Kingdom
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802500789
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 1 January 2009 , pages 24 - 54
Subjects: Psychotherapy; Social Constructionism;
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Abstract
This study explores the personal meaning of head and neck cancer for individuals, with particular reference to the impact on the self. It employs interpretative phenomenological and repertory grid analysis with 10 people, all of whom have undergone surgical treatment for head and ceck cancer. Four themes emerged: namely, destruction of self, altered relations with the body, disenfranchised self, and conservation of self. Repertory grid analysis validated and enriched understanding of these findings. Participants described how head and neck cancer inflicted a fundamental attack on their sense of self. Nonetheless, participants were dynamic in their self-management and detailed an active process to retain a positive sense of self.
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 10:35 AM 0 comments

Vol. 22, No. 1 (2009): Dillen et al.

When Puppets Speak: Dialectical Psychodrama within Developmental Child Psychotherapy
Authors: Let Dillen a; Mariska Siongers a; Denis Helskens a; Leni Verhofstadt-Denve a
Affiliation:
a Ghent University, Belgium
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802500839
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 1 January 2009 , pages 55 - 82
Subjects: Psychotherapy; Social Constructionism;
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Abstract
Rigid relational representations often contribute substantially to children's psychosocial problems. One of the core tasks of any developmental child psychotherapy is therefore to trace and chart these (relational) representations. The present article illustrates how a child-oriented protocol of the action sociogram is a valid candidate for dealing with these representations. It outlines the theoretical basis of the protocol, describes the construction and application of the action sociogram, and reviews the possibilities offered by the protocol.
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Vol. 22, No. 1 (2009): Kahn

Bridging the Gap: Highlighting the Pragmatic in Constructivist Psychotherapies
Review of Studies in Meaning 3: Constructivist Psychologyin the Real World
Author: Jack S. Kahn a
Affiliation:
a Curry College, Miton, MA, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802500888
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 1 January 2009 , pages 83 - 87
Subjects: Psychotherapy; Social Constructionism;
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 10:32 AM 0 comments

Vol. 22, No. 1 (2009): Walko

Innovations in Personal Construct Psychotherapy
Review of Personal Construct Psychotherapy: Advances in Theory, Practice and Research
Author: Stephen J. Walko a
Affiliation:
a State University of New York, New Paltz, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802500904
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 22, Issue 1 January 2009 , pages 88 - 94
Subjects: Psychotherapy; Social Constructionism;
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Abstract
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 10:24 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Vol. 21, No. 4 (2008): Scheer & Burr

Introduction to Construing in the Arts
Authors: Joern Scheer; Viv Burr
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802255194
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 21, Issue 4 October 2008 , pages 271 - 273
Subjects: Psychotherapy; Social Constructionism;
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 10:51 AM 0 comments

Vol. 21, No. 4 (2008): King

What Will Hatch? A Constructivist Autobiographical Account of Writing Poetry
Author: Nigel King
Affiliation:
University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, UK
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802255202
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 21, Issue 4 October 2008 , pages 274 - 287
Subjects: Psychotherapy; Social Constructionism;
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Abstract
In this article I present a constructivist analysis of my own experience of a specific creative experience—writing a poem. An overview of the literature on artistic creativity highlights the relative lack of attention to the examination of the lived experience of artistic production in its social context. Through phenomenological analysis of an autobiographical account of writing the poem, I define three integrative themes that characterize key aspects of my experience: the search for validation, the unseen process, and managing the imagined audience. I argue that constructivist concepts provide an especially effective way of understanding my experience: These include Kelly's creativity cycle, suspension, the existential phenomenological notion of the “prereflective,” anticipation, and the sociality corollary.
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Posted by ABOUT THE JOURNAL at 10:50 AM 0 comments

Vol. 21, No. 4 (2008): Neimeyer

The Poetics of Experience
Author: Robert A. Neimeyer
Affiliation:
University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
DOI: 10.1080/10720530802255236
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: Journal of Constructivist Psychology, Volume 21, Issue 4 October 2008 , pages 288 - 297
Subjects: Psychotherapy; Social Constructionism;
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Abstract
Poetry is a suitably subtle medium for expressing and exploring the vagaries of human experience, echoing themes that resonate through constructivist writing. In this selection of my own poems, I offer a sample of verse that reflects a consistent concern with the quest for meaning in the face of life transitions, coupled with an invitation to readers to co-construct its significance by drawing on their own interpretations and feeling their way into the subjectivities of each work's characters, as well as that of its author.
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