No abstract

To improve understanding of the development of self-injury, the current study was designed to determine the role that rejecting caregivers may have in conferring risk through development of maladaptive schemas, rumination, and specific motives for various self-destructive behaviors. Data were collected from undergraduates endorsing a history of self-injury who were raised by both parents (n=228). The proposed model hypothesizing parental rejection influencing dual pathways of interpersonal and intrapersonal causes and motivations for self-injury was supported. Perceptions of greater parental rejection were associated with higher levels of both intra and interpersonal maladaptive schemas which, in turn, influenced corresponding intra and interpersonal motivations for self injury. Further, we found support for the expectation that the intrapersonal pathway was associated with greater depressive rumination and greater severity, recency, and variety of self-injury. Results are consistent with developmental models of dysfunctional caregiver relationships which disrupt the formation of healthy self views and adaptive emotional regulation capacities.

No abstract

Social anxiety is theorised to arise from sustained over-activation of a mammalian evolved system for detecting and responding to social threat with corresponding diminished opportunities for attaining the pleasure of safe attachments. Emotional forecasting data from two holidays were used to test the hypothesis that greater social anxiety would be associated with decreased expectations of positive affect (PA) and greater anticipated negative affect (NA) on a holiday marked by group celebration (St. Patrick's Day) while being associated with greater predicted PA for daters on a romantic holiday (Valentine's Day). Participants completed symptom reports, made affective forecasts and provided multiple affect reports throughout each holiday. Higher levels of social anxiety were associated with greater anticipated PA for Valentine's Day daters, but lower experienced PA on the holiday; this was not found for trait anxiety and depression. Alternatively, trait anxiety, depression and social anxiety were associated with less predicted PA for St. Patrick's Day, greater anticipated NA and diminished experienced PA/greater NA during the holiday. Results are discussed in light of perceived hope for rewarding safe emotional contact for those daters in contrast to the greater possibility for social threat associated with group celebration typical of St. Patrick's Day.

Sadomasochistic (SM) sexual interest is reported by a wide range of individuals. Within the sex offender literature, the presence of SM interest is often viewed as a herald of criminal sexual behavior; however, research indicates that SM interests are not predictive of coercive sexual behavior. In the current study, we measured a range of sexual fantasies and behaviors, and then applied cluster analyses to determine (1) if individuals endorsed elevated SM interests also endorsed coercive fantasies and, (2) to explore cluster membership correlates using measures of sensation seeking, externalizing and antisocial behaviors, attitudes toward rape, and empathic capacity. A total of 550 participants were recruited through a variety of on-line discussion areas. A four cluster solution best fit the data with distinct clusters observed for those endorsing SM behaviors and those reporting coercive sexual behavior. Additional analyses revealed greater endorsement of victim blaming attitudes and lower empathic concern among members of the coercive sexual behavior cluster. Elevated sensation seeking and externalizing behaviors were reported by members of clusters marked by SM and coercive sexual behavior. Results provide further support for the differentiation between SM and coercive sexual behaviors as representative of individuals with divergent attitudes, traits, and behaviors.