We examined associations between self-reported attachment anxiety and avoidance and re-sponses to... more We examined associations between self-reported attachment anxiety and avoidance and re-sponses to the Rorschach test. Seventy-two, nonpatient Israeli adults participated in a 2-session study. In the first session, they completed a self-report scale tapping the dimensions of attach-ment anxiety and attachment avoidance. In the second session, they completed the Rorschach test. The Rorschach was administered and coded according to Exner’s (2001) Comprehensive System scoring. We found that self-reports of attachment anxiety were associated with Ror-schach scores thought to indicate difficulties in regulating and controlling emotions and self-perceptions of being relatively helpless and unworthy. Self-reports of attachment avoid-ance were associated with Rorschach scores thought to reflect lack of acknowledgment of need states and maintenance of a grandiose self. We discuss the findings in terms of implicit psychodynamic processes inherent in attachment-system functioning. In recent yea...
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Jun 1, 2001
Abstract The present study examines the relationship between mothers' attachment... more Abstract The present study examines the relationship between mothers' attachment style and their immediate psychological reactions to the diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) in their infants. The sample consisted of 151 mothers of newborns, who were divided into three groups according to their infant's health conditions:(a) healthy infants,(b) mild CHD infants, and (c) severe CHD infants. All the mothers answered self-report scales on attachment style, cognitive appraisal of motherhood, perceived support, ways of coping ...
L’article présente les données Rorschach de deux soeurs (F et N) âgées de plus de quarante ans qu... more L’article présente les données Rorschach de deux soeurs (F et N) âgées de plus de quarante ans qui sont les filles d’une survivante de l’Holocauste qui a vécu en captivité dans un camp de concentration pendant plus d’un an. Les données Rorschach mettent en évidence la transmission du traumatisme d’une génération à l’autre de manière directe et indirecte. La soeur aînée y fait face en recourant à des défenses maniaques et en adoptant des rôles actifs dans sa vie. La plus jeune au contraire se retire de tout engagement actif dans le monde. Cette dernière tente d’éviter les affects déplaisants (Adjes = 3, L = 0,80, 2 Blends) et se tient à distance des autres en développant une crainte de la proximité (T = 0). Les deux soeurs présentent quantité de troubles de la pensée. Chez F, le trouble de la pensée sert à tenter d’éviter la confusion et la confusion des émotions (ce qui se manifeste par les Blends Couleur-estompage, les Blends d’estompage, C’ = 6, V = 1, T = 4). Chez la plus jeune, les troubles de la pensée manifestent son incapacité à moduler la pénétration des contenus associés à l’agressivité, la victimization et la tristesse. Les thèmes des réponses confèrent l’impression d’individus qui ont été exposés à un monde d’horreurs et à l’absence d’une figure contenante qui pourrait les apaiser, réguler leurs besoins et leur permettre de ressentir une confiance fondamentale. La soeur aînée est en demande de relations proches (bien qu’elle se soit mariée et qu’elle ait des amis) alors que la plus jeune n’ose pas entrer en relation avec les autres. A travers leurs réponses Rorschach, nous sommes témoins du travail traumatique, dans des contenus négatifs exprimés d’une manière sublimée et intellectualisée. Il semble que les deux soeurs peuvent se permettre un espace plus grand pour négocier ces thèmes. Les réponses Rorschach manifestent aussi leurs difficultés à faire face à l’agressivité: la soeur aînée ne peut admettre que les objets se combattent, tandis que la plus jeune exprime l’agressivité à travers l’évocation d’objets qui ont été eux-mêmes agressés.
The current research aimed at increasing existing knowledge about crying in adulthood. In 2 studi... more The current research aimed at increasing existing knowledge about crying in adulthood. In 2 studies, we examined the contribution of individual differences in attachment orientation to the behavior and experience of adult crying. First, we examined links between attachment dimensions and different aspects of crying behavior. Second, we explored adult’s subjective experience of crying, which was assessed with the Crying Experience Scale (CES), constructed especially for this study, and examined associations between this experience and attachment dimensions. Findings revealed a relationship between attachment style and the way one uses crying and experiences it. Specifically, findings indicated that attachment anxiety was associated with an exaggerated and emotionally ambivalent crying experience, whereas attachment avoidance was associated with a more restricted and negative experience of crying. Results are discussed regarding the value of attachment theory for the study of crying, focusing on developmental and interpersonal dynamics of the crying experience.
The concept of psychological defense has been important to psychology ever since Breuer and Freud... more The concept of psychological defense has been important to psychology ever since Breuer and Freud (1895/1955) first explained how repression works:“The basis for repression... can only be a feeling of unpleasure, the incompatibility between the single idea that is repressed and the dominant mass of ideas constituting the ego”(p. 116). Breuer and Freud went on to say that “when this process occurs for the first time there comes into being a nucleus and center of crystallization for the formation of a psychical group divorced from the ego—a ...
Asia pacific journal of counselling and psychotherapy, Jan 2, 2014
Obesity has become the leading health problem in the Western World. Although a large number of ps... more Obesity has become the leading health problem in the Western World. Although a large number of psychosocial risk factors for the development of obesity have been established this causal relationship is not yet clear. The current study proposes a model that focuses on the psychological mechanisms contributing to the development of obesity. The model shows that girls who did not experience an intact separation process displayed hardship in the process of regulating negative affect. The harm to the emotional regulation processes leads to the girls’ somatic outlet for emotions, in our case emotional eating leading to obesity. Understanding those mechanisms enables proper interventions in preventing and overcoming obesity.
This study is composed of 150 adult nonpatients, all from Israel, who were administered the Rorsc... more This study is composed of 150 adult nonpatients, all from Israel, who were administered the Rorschach. Inclusion/exclusion criteria are described. Senior graduate students from the clinical psychology program at Bar-Ilan University administered the Rorschach and were provided with extensive supervision and ongoing quality control. Interrater reliability statistics at the response level are presented along with scores for the Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 2005).
Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder experienced... more Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder experienced by about 5% of children and about 2.5% of adults in most cultures. ADHD is characterized by a pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Among children, ADHD is associated with low school performance, poor family relations, anxiety, depression, aggression, conduct problems, and adjustment difficulties (APA, 2013; Tarver et al., 2014). Furthermore, several studies have referred to the difficulties in executive functions (EFs) as the core problem of ADHD (Barkley, 2014). EFs The term EFs refers to the cognitive mechanisms that are responsible for self-regulation in cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning including planning, working memory, cognitive shifting, sustaining effort, inhibition, self-monitoring, self-regulation, and initiation (Barkley, 2006; Graziano et al., 2011). EFs difficulties have lifelong implications for behavioral, social, emotional, and adaptive problems, including academic challenges in child
This study examined the contribution of illness severity and attachment style to marital satisfac... more This study examined the contribution of illness severity and attachment style to marital satisfaction among mothers of infants with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) as well as the mediating role of cognitive appraisal and ways of coping with motherhood tasks. Eighty-five mothers of newborns with CHD rated their attachment style 2 weeks after the infant's CHD diagnosis and two physicians rated the severity of the disease. One year later, mothers completed self-reports scales tapping marital satisfaction, appraisal of motherhood tasks, ...
The multiple studies that have examined the transgenerational transmission of Holocaust trauma fr... more The multiple studies that have examined the transgenerational transmission of Holocaust trauma from survivors to their descendants have yielded inconsistent results. These can be attributed to differences in assessment tools and to individual differences between survivors, such as their specific experiences during the Holocaust. This study examined the differences between daughters and granddaughters of female Holocaust survivors (HS) of concentration camps (CCS) versus survivors of other circumstances (ghettos, concealment, etc.; OCCS) in terms of communication about their mothers' or grandmothers' Holocaust trauma (Holocaust communication), their attachment orientations, and their psychological distress. The sample was composed of 79 dyads of daughters of HS and their own daughters, divided into two groups according to the survivors' Holocaust experiences (CCS—47 dyads; OCCS—32 dyads). The findings indicated that daughters of CCS reported a higher number of conversations about the Holocaust with their mothers, perceived their mothers as more distant during Holocaust communication, and reported more guilt feelings than daughters of OCCS. Holocaust communication between daughters and granddaughters was characterized by shorter conversations, and granddaughters perceived their mothers as sadder in the CCS group than in the OCCS group. No difference between groups was found in Holocaust communication between survivors and their granddaughters. No difference was found between groups in their psychological distress. The granddaughters of CCS scored higher on attachment anxiety than the other group. Most of the significant differences between groups were linked to subtle differences in the characteristics of communication and in the inter‐personal sphere.
Asia pacific journal of counselling and psychotherapy, Jun 16, 2017
ABSTRACT This study investigated attachment styles as contributors to dispositional envy and to t... more ABSTRACT This study investigated attachment styles as contributors to dispositional envy and to the negative emotions being elicited when an individual confronts a deficiency-context situation. A total of 124 undergraduates completed self-report assessments of their attachment orientation, self-esteem, tendency towards social comparison and dispositional envy. Participants also underwent a procedure of contextual deficiency priming in which negative feelings towards the self and the other were measured. Results pointed to the contribution of attachment dimensions over and above the contribution of social comparison and self-esteem in explaining the variance of dispositional envy, negative feelings towards the self and the other. The study’s results suggest how to approach insecurely attached clients who harbour envy.
. This manuscript addresses the case study of Ms. B. through the lens of attachment theory. Her R... more . This manuscript addresses the case study of Ms. B. through the lens of attachment theory. Her Rorschach reveals her anxiously attached information. Her attachment anxiety contributes to her suicidal attempt, to problems in affect regulation, and to negative self-esteem. Ms. B. has problems in mentalization and low reality testing while being in emotionally charged situations. She needs mentalization-based psychotherapy.
We examined associations between self-reported attachment anxiety and avoidance and re-sponses to... more We examined associations between self-reported attachment anxiety and avoidance and re-sponses to the Rorschach test. Seventy-two, nonpatient Israeli adults participated in a 2-session study. In the first session, they completed a self-report scale tapping the dimensions of attach-ment anxiety and attachment avoidance. In the second session, they completed the Rorschach test. The Rorschach was administered and coded according to Exner’s (2001) Comprehensive System scoring. We found that self-reports of attachment anxiety were associated with Ror-schach scores thought to indicate difficulties in regulating and controlling emotions and self-perceptions of being relatively helpless and unworthy. Self-reports of attachment avoid-ance were associated with Rorschach scores thought to reflect lack of acknowledgment of need states and maintenance of a grandiose self. We discuss the findings in terms of implicit psychodynamic processes inherent in attachment-system functioning. In recent yea...
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Jun 1, 2001
Abstract The present study examines the relationship between mothers' attachment... more Abstract The present study examines the relationship between mothers' attachment style and their immediate psychological reactions to the diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) in their infants. The sample consisted of 151 mothers of newborns, who were divided into three groups according to their infant's health conditions:(a) healthy infants,(b) mild CHD infants, and (c) severe CHD infants. All the mothers answered self-report scales on attachment style, cognitive appraisal of motherhood, perceived support, ways of coping ...
L’article présente les données Rorschach de deux soeurs (F et N) âgées de plus de quarante ans qu... more L’article présente les données Rorschach de deux soeurs (F et N) âgées de plus de quarante ans qui sont les filles d’une survivante de l’Holocauste qui a vécu en captivité dans un camp de concentration pendant plus d’un an. Les données Rorschach mettent en évidence la transmission du traumatisme d’une génération à l’autre de manière directe et indirecte. La soeur aînée y fait face en recourant à des défenses maniaques et en adoptant des rôles actifs dans sa vie. La plus jeune au contraire se retire de tout engagement actif dans le monde. Cette dernière tente d’éviter les affects déplaisants (Adjes = 3, L = 0,80, 2 Blends) et se tient à distance des autres en développant une crainte de la proximité (T = 0). Les deux soeurs présentent quantité de troubles de la pensée. Chez F, le trouble de la pensée sert à tenter d’éviter la confusion et la confusion des émotions (ce qui se manifeste par les Blends Couleur-estompage, les Blends d’estompage, C’ = 6, V = 1, T = 4). Chez la plus jeune, les troubles de la pensée manifestent son incapacité à moduler la pénétration des contenus associés à l’agressivité, la victimization et la tristesse. Les thèmes des réponses confèrent l’impression d’individus qui ont été exposés à un monde d’horreurs et à l’absence d’une figure contenante qui pourrait les apaiser, réguler leurs besoins et leur permettre de ressentir une confiance fondamentale. La soeur aînée est en demande de relations proches (bien qu’elle se soit mariée et qu’elle ait des amis) alors que la plus jeune n’ose pas entrer en relation avec les autres. A travers leurs réponses Rorschach, nous sommes témoins du travail traumatique, dans des contenus négatifs exprimés d’une manière sublimée et intellectualisée. Il semble que les deux soeurs peuvent se permettre un espace plus grand pour négocier ces thèmes. Les réponses Rorschach manifestent aussi leurs difficultés à faire face à l’agressivité: la soeur aînée ne peut admettre que les objets se combattent, tandis que la plus jeune exprime l’agressivité à travers l’évocation d’objets qui ont été eux-mêmes agressés.
The current research aimed at increasing existing knowledge about crying in adulthood. In 2 studi... more The current research aimed at increasing existing knowledge about crying in adulthood. In 2 studies, we examined the contribution of individual differences in attachment orientation to the behavior and experience of adult crying. First, we examined links between attachment dimensions and different aspects of crying behavior. Second, we explored adult’s subjective experience of crying, which was assessed with the Crying Experience Scale (CES), constructed especially for this study, and examined associations between this experience and attachment dimensions. Findings revealed a relationship between attachment style and the way one uses crying and experiences it. Specifically, findings indicated that attachment anxiety was associated with an exaggerated and emotionally ambivalent crying experience, whereas attachment avoidance was associated with a more restricted and negative experience of crying. Results are discussed regarding the value of attachment theory for the study of crying, focusing on developmental and interpersonal dynamics of the crying experience.
The concept of psychological defense has been important to psychology ever since Breuer and Freud... more The concept of psychological defense has been important to psychology ever since Breuer and Freud (1895/1955) first explained how repression works:“The basis for repression... can only be a feeling of unpleasure, the incompatibility between the single idea that is repressed and the dominant mass of ideas constituting the ego”(p. 116). Breuer and Freud went on to say that “when this process occurs for the first time there comes into being a nucleus and center of crystallization for the formation of a psychical group divorced from the ego—a ...
Asia pacific journal of counselling and psychotherapy, Jan 2, 2014
Obesity has become the leading health problem in the Western World. Although a large number of ps... more Obesity has become the leading health problem in the Western World. Although a large number of psychosocial risk factors for the development of obesity have been established this causal relationship is not yet clear. The current study proposes a model that focuses on the psychological mechanisms contributing to the development of obesity. The model shows that girls who did not experience an intact separation process displayed hardship in the process of regulating negative affect. The harm to the emotional regulation processes leads to the girls’ somatic outlet for emotions, in our case emotional eating leading to obesity. Understanding those mechanisms enables proper interventions in preventing and overcoming obesity.
This study is composed of 150 adult nonpatients, all from Israel, who were administered the Rorsc... more This study is composed of 150 adult nonpatients, all from Israel, who were administered the Rorschach. Inclusion/exclusion criteria are described. Senior graduate students from the clinical psychology program at Bar-Ilan University administered the Rorschach and were provided with extensive supervision and ongoing quality control. Interrater reliability statistics at the response level are presented along with scores for the Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 2005).
Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder experienced... more Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder experienced by about 5% of children and about 2.5% of adults in most cultures. ADHD is characterized by a pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Among children, ADHD is associated with low school performance, poor family relations, anxiety, depression, aggression, conduct problems, and adjustment difficulties (APA, 2013; Tarver et al., 2014). Furthermore, several studies have referred to the difficulties in executive functions (EFs) as the core problem of ADHD (Barkley, 2014). EFs The term EFs refers to the cognitive mechanisms that are responsible for self-regulation in cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning including planning, working memory, cognitive shifting, sustaining effort, inhibition, self-monitoring, self-regulation, and initiation (Barkley, 2006; Graziano et al., 2011). EFs difficulties have lifelong implications for behavioral, social, emotional, and adaptive problems, including academic challenges in child
This study examined the contribution of illness severity and attachment style to marital satisfac... more This study examined the contribution of illness severity and attachment style to marital satisfaction among mothers of infants with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) as well as the mediating role of cognitive appraisal and ways of coping with motherhood tasks. Eighty-five mothers of newborns with CHD rated their attachment style 2 weeks after the infant's CHD diagnosis and two physicians rated the severity of the disease. One year later, mothers completed self-reports scales tapping marital satisfaction, appraisal of motherhood tasks, ...
The multiple studies that have examined the transgenerational transmission of Holocaust trauma fr... more The multiple studies that have examined the transgenerational transmission of Holocaust trauma from survivors to their descendants have yielded inconsistent results. These can be attributed to differences in assessment tools and to individual differences between survivors, such as their specific experiences during the Holocaust. This study examined the differences between daughters and granddaughters of female Holocaust survivors (HS) of concentration camps (CCS) versus survivors of other circumstances (ghettos, concealment, etc.; OCCS) in terms of communication about their mothers' or grandmothers' Holocaust trauma (Holocaust communication), their attachment orientations, and their psychological distress. The sample was composed of 79 dyads of daughters of HS and their own daughters, divided into two groups according to the survivors' Holocaust experiences (CCS—47 dyads; OCCS—32 dyads). The findings indicated that daughters of CCS reported a higher number of conversations about the Holocaust with their mothers, perceived their mothers as more distant during Holocaust communication, and reported more guilt feelings than daughters of OCCS. Holocaust communication between daughters and granddaughters was characterized by shorter conversations, and granddaughters perceived their mothers as sadder in the CCS group than in the OCCS group. No difference between groups was found in Holocaust communication between survivors and their granddaughters. No difference was found between groups in their psychological distress. The granddaughters of CCS scored higher on attachment anxiety than the other group. Most of the significant differences between groups were linked to subtle differences in the characteristics of communication and in the inter‐personal sphere.
Asia pacific journal of counselling and psychotherapy, Jun 16, 2017
ABSTRACT This study investigated attachment styles as contributors to dispositional envy and to t... more ABSTRACT This study investigated attachment styles as contributors to dispositional envy and to the negative emotions being elicited when an individual confronts a deficiency-context situation. A total of 124 undergraduates completed self-report assessments of their attachment orientation, self-esteem, tendency towards social comparison and dispositional envy. Participants also underwent a procedure of contextual deficiency priming in which negative feelings towards the self and the other were measured. Results pointed to the contribution of attachment dimensions over and above the contribution of social comparison and self-esteem in explaining the variance of dispositional envy, negative feelings towards the self and the other. The study’s results suggest how to approach insecurely attached clients who harbour envy.
. This manuscript addresses the case study of Ms. B. through the lens of attachment theory. Her R... more . This manuscript addresses the case study of Ms. B. through the lens of attachment theory. Her Rorschach reveals her anxiously attached information. Her attachment anxiety contributes to her suicidal attempt, to problems in affect regulation, and to negative self-esteem. Ms. B. has problems in mentalization and low reality testing while being in emotionally charged situations. She needs mentalization-based psychotherapy.
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