The role of attachment and dyadic coping in shaping relational intimacy : actor-partner interdependence model

People’s attachment styles play a fundamental role in shaping their intimate relationships. Anxiously attached individuals have a strong need for closeness but a poor ability to obtain the closeness they seek. In contrast, people high in avoidance tend to avoid intimacy in close relationships. Dyadic coping can strengthen the bond between partners, and develop empathy, commitment, sensitivity, and responsiveness to the partner’s needs, which may be the basis of shaping intimacy and closeness. The effects of attachment on relational intimacy were examined, using the actor-partner interdependence model and data from 144 heterosexual couples, aged 26 to 60. Both partners completed measures of attachment, intimacy as a relationship satisfaction dimension, and dyadic coping. The results showed that men’s attachment-related avoidance is related to their own intimacy; also, the avoidant attachment of both spouses is related to each other’s intimacy. The effect of having children on intimacy was significant for men; the effect of financial situation on intimacy was significant for women. Moreover, problem-focused common dyadic coping appeared to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between attachment-related avoidance and intimacy. Adult attachment and dyadic coping significantly contributed to partners’ relational intimacy

Moral education or methods of stimulating moral development of students

Zdecydowana większość rodziców pragnie wychować swoje dzieci na osoby posiadające silny kompas moralny, które w trudnych i krytycznych sytuacjach będą w stanie postępować słusznie i kierować się właściwymi powodami, nawet jeśli będą miały inklinacje do zachowania się w inny sposób (Lapsley, 2008). W badaniach przeprowadzonych przez CBOS w 2009 roku respondenci mieli wskazać jakie cechy chcieliby widzieć u dzieci w przyszłości. Najwięcej ankietowanych (64% wskazań) uznało za szczególnie ważne, aby dzieci kiedy dorosną postępowały moralnie. Uznano to za ważniejsze od umiejętności walki o swoje prawa czy stawiania sobie ambitnych celów życiowych. Formacja moralna dzieci jest również jednym z podstawowych celów formalnej edukacji (Goodlad, 1992; McClellen, 1999). Co więcej, rodzice mają nadzieję, iż szkoła będzie kształtowała w dzieciach postawy moralne. Z badań przeprowadzonych w Stanach Zjednoczonych wynika, iż społeczeństwo oczekuje, że szkoła będzie miejscem wspierającym kształtowanie w dzieciach takich postaw.The aim of this article it to pay attention to a problem of moral education and indicate why it is so important and how teacher and other school staff can stimulate moral development of their students. We describe two main contemporary approaches to moral development: cognitive - developmental approach initiated by J. Piaget and developed by L. Kohlberg and character education inspired by E. Durkheim. Some examples of school programs are given. We also analyze the study results of moral education efficiency

School mediation as a tool of development of students and teachers

Mediacje w ostatnich latach cieszą się coraz większym zainteresowaniem, a co za tym idzie wzrasta liczba szkół i placówek oświatowych, które wdrażają programy związane z mediacjami szkolnymi oraz rówieśniczymi. Postrzegane są one jednak przede wszystkim jako alternatywny sposób rozwiązywania konfliktów czy przeciwdziałania przemocy tymczasem wyniki badań pokazują, iż wprowadzenie do szkoły mediacji może przynieść znacznie więcej pozytywnych efektów - w tym przyczynić się do rozwoju, zarówno uczniów jak i nauczycieli, między innymi w zakresie umiejętności społecznych i poznawczych. Wydaje się, że mediacje mogą zatem służyć nie tylko polubownemu rozwiązywaniu sporów, ale mogą także stanowić istotne narzędzie rozwoju. Nie da się zupełnie wyeliminować konfliktów na terenie szkoły, gdyż są one naturalnym elementem życia społecznego, można jednak wykorzystać te trudne sytuacje do edukowania uczniów. Uświadomienie sobie możliwości uczenia oraz rozwijania pewnych kompetencji za pośrednictwem mediacji może stanowić dodatkową zachętę do ich wprowadzania i praktykowania w środowisku szkolnym.School mediation is primarily perceived as an alternative way to resolve conflicts or to prevent violence meanwhile research show that implement mediation programs in schools can bring much more positive effects. The article describes why we should think about mediation as a tool of development of students and teachers (in social, emotional and moral sphere) and how to start mediation program in school in the most effective way

Edukacja moralna – koncepcje i badania

The article is a review of ways of thinking and concepts available in the literature that are the basis for creating school syllabi of moral education. It describes what axiological and anthropological assumptions and psychological theories those syllabi are based on and analyses selected studies that evaluate their effectiveness and impact on the moral formation of young people.Artykuł ma charakter przeglądu dostępnych w literaturze przedmiotu sposobów myślenia i koncepcji, które są podstawą do tworzenia szkolnych programów moralnej edukacji. Opisuje, na jakich założeniach aksjologicznych i antropologicznych oraz teoriach psychologicznych są one oparte. Analizuje wybrane badania, które ewaluują programy i ich oddziaływanie na kształtowanie moralne młodzieży

Intimate relationship and its significance for eudaimonic well-being in young adults

Background: previous studies indicate that being in a relationship has a beneficial effect on the physical and mental health and also significantly affects the quality of life. One of the essential elements of the relationship is intimacy, which includes sharing experiences, support and mutual understanding, as well as respect and care for the good of the partner. Being in a relationship, the nature of this relationship (marriage vs. informal relationship) as well as the level of intimacy and the assessment of the quality of the relationship may be in relation to the personal sense of well-being. In this research we intended to estimate the significance of these variables for the sense of well-being and analyze which of these variables have the same meaning for the sense of well-being of young women and men. Participants and procedure: the sample consisted of 431 people (217 women and 214 men) aged 23 to 37 years (46% of the study group were people in relationships, and 54% were single). Results: the conducted research confirmed the relationship between the sense of eudaimonic well-being and having a partner, as well as the relationship between sense of intimacy with the partner and the assessment of the quality of the relationship, indicating some differences in this respect between women and men. Conclusions: it seems that an important issue, worth investigating in our research, concerns the reasons why individuals live a single life (voluntary and involuntary singles), and whether or not they are satisfied with this kind of life. Just as in the case of relationships it is not only the fact of being in a relationship that makes a difference but the level of satisfaction with the relationship as well, also in the case of singles satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with living alone may prove to be significant

Problematyka sensu życia u jego kresu

Man assigns a different meaning to events that take place in his life. The meaning of life is defined in many ways but it should be noted that it is individual and private matter for each person. Viennese psychiatrist Viktor Frankl in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, wrote that “find meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man”. The results of many studies showed that there is a positive relationship between meaning of life and quality of life. The issues of meaning of life seems to be particularly important in the context of palliative care, which aims to improve the quality of patients’ life. The feeling of helplessness, anxiety and existential distress in terminally ill patients presents challenges for palliative care providers. The results of Polish studies showed that in case of oncology patients there is a negative correlation between length of being ill and meaning of life. In recent years, experts suggested an introduction of a new clinical diagnosis in palliative care — demoralization syndrome (the state which contains: meaninglessness, purposelessness; hopelessness and helplessness). David Kissane and his co-workers from Monash University proposed a set of diagnostic criteria for diagnosing this syndrome. It can help better recognizing and differentiating palliative care patients’ problems and also designing more adequate therapeutic interventions.Człowiek — jako istota świadoma swojego istnienia — przypisuje różne znaczenia (sens) wydarzeniom, które mają miejsce w jego życiu. Sens życia definiowany jest na wiele sposobów, jednak należy zwrócić uwagę, że jest on dla każdego człowieka sprawą indywidualną i prywatną. Wiedeński psychiatra Viktor Frankl w swojej książce Człowiek w poszukiwaniu sensu pisał, że „dążenie do znalezienia sensu jest u człowieka najpotężniejszą siłą motywującą”. Coraz więcej badań wskazuje na pozytywny związek między posiadaniem sensu życia a jakością życia jednostki i jej dobrostanem. Problematyka sensu życia wydaje się więc szczególnie istotna w kontekście opieki paliatywnej, której celem jest poprawa jakości życia pacjentów. Poczucie bezradności, lęk i egzystencjalne cierpienie, które towarzyszą chorym u schyłku życia, stanowią wyzwanie dla osób sprawujących nad nimi opiekę. Jak pokazują polskie badania prowadzone wśród pacjentów z chorobą nowotworową, czas trwania choroby negatywnie koreluje z poczuciem sensu życia. W ostatnich latach pojawia się coraz więcej głosów postulujących wprowadzenie w opiece paliatywnej nowej klinicznej diagnozy — syndromu demoralizacji — która obejmowałaby właśnie doświadczaną przez pacjentów utratę sensu i celu życia. David Kissane i wsp. z Monash University opracowali szczegółowe kryteria diagnostyczne tego syndromu: mogą one przyczynić się do trafniejszego rozpoznawania i różnicowania problemów pacjentów w opiece paliatywnej, a co za tym idzie projektowania i wdrażania adekwatnych oddziaływań terapeutycznych

Selected predictors of the sense of intimacy in relationships of young adults

The main research objective of this study was seeking the predictive role of closeness to parents, attachment, identity style, identity commitment, type of relationship, and having children in intimacy among young women and men. Many studies indicate differences in the level of engagement, communication, and satisfaction in relationships. The study group comprised 227 people, including 114 women (M = 29.99; SD = 4.36), and 113 men (M = 30.00; SD = 4.33). A total of 40% of the subjects were married, and the remaining 60% subjects were in informal relationships; 101 people had children and the other individuals were childless. The following instruments were used: The Miller Social Intimacy Scale, questionnaires to assess closeness and attachment, and the Identity Style Inventory. The significance of the differences and the stepwise regression analysis were performed. The results of the study demonstrated a higher level of intimacy in a relationship with a partner among women than men. The nature of a relationship does not matter to the sense of intimacy. However, closeness to parents during childhood and adolescence, the model of interpersonal relations, and the identity style are predictors of intimacy in a relationship. The study results can be used in creating preventive and educational programs focused on family life and satisfied relationships

Profile of moral reasoning in persons with bipolar affective disorder

Aim: The subject of the research presented in this paper was to analyze the relationships between bipolar disorder (BD) and the profile of moral reasoning according to the concept of James Rest. Material and methods: 86 persons took part in the research, including 43 bipolar patients and 43 healthy individuals. To measure the severity of depression and mania symptoms the following scales were used: Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), Montgomery- Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and Young Rating Scale for Mania (YMRS). Profile of moral reasoning was defined on the basis of the results obtained in the Defining Issue Test (DIT) by James Rest. Results: Statistical analysis showed that there is a relationship between bipolar disorder (and its phases) and the profile of moral reasoning: bipolar patients significantly less often than healthy individuals chose answers indicating the postconventional thinking (p=0,000) – and more often – answers indicating stage 3 and those belonging to the anti-institutional thinking index (p=0,000). There was also a relationship shown between the development of moral reasoning and the phase of bipolar disorder: patients in mania less often than persons in euthymia chose answers indicating the final stage of moral thinking (p=0,050). There were no significant differences between the results of patients with a depressive episode and the results of patients in mania and between the results of patients with a depressive episode and the results of patients in euthymia. Conclusions: The results suggest that the psychological state of the individual may have an impact on the process of moral reasoning – bipolar disorder may to some extent influence the way of thinking about moral dilemmas. The collected data also seem to emphasize the specificity of the manic phase which is especially worth exploration when conducting further studies

Rozwój moralny i emocje moralne w kontekście zaburzeń psychicznych

The aim of this article is presentation of the relationship between moral development, moral emotions and mental disorders. Psychological conceptions of moral reasoning development, moral emotions and their links with other constructs such as theory of mind or empathy are described. The authors present also the results of previous studies among patients with mental disorders, drawing attention to the need for more detailed research in this area.Celem niniejszego artykułu jest analiza problemu rozwoju moralnego i emocji moralnych w kontekście zaburzeń psychicznych. Przedstawiono w nim psychologiczne koncepcje rozwoju rozumowania moralnego i emocji moralnych oraz ich związki z takimi zjawiskami jak teoria umysłu czy empatia. Autorzy prezentują wyniki dotychczasowych badań z udziałem osób cierpiących na zaburzenia psychiczne, zwracając uwagę na potrzebę bardziej szczegółowych badań w tym zakresie

Posttraumatic growth and spirituality in mothers of children with pediatric cancer

A child’s cancer, as a life-threatening illness, is classified as a traumatic event both for the child him-/herself and for his/her relatives. Struggling with a traumatic experience can bring positive consequences for an individual, which is referred to as posttraumatic growth. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between posttraumatic growth and spirituality understood as a personal resource in mothers of children with pediatric cancer. In total, 55 mothers whose children were in the phase of treatment and who had been staying with them in the hospital filled in a Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Self-description Questionnaire of Spirituality, and the author’s short questionnaire on demographic variables and information on the child and his/her disease. A high level of posttraumatic development, especially in the area of life appreciation, was observed in the examined mothers. Spirituality was positively related to the emergence of positive change, in two particular components, ethical sensitivity and harmony. It seems that taking into account the area of spirituality when planning interventions and providing support in this group could foster coping with the situation and emergence of posttraumatic growth