Psychological processes in adversarial growth

This thesis set out to investigate some of the variables associated with, and the processes and mechanisms of, positive change following trauma and adversity, or adversarial growth, in diverse populations. A systematic and comprehensive review of the literature (Chapter 2) identified the state of knowledge, and pointed to a number of salient directions for future research. Some of these directions were pursued in the subsequent empirical chapters. Five empirical chapters (Chapters 3 –7) examined a range of variables and processes in adversarial growth, using a variety of populations. Using two large student samples, it was found that emotion-focused coping mediated the association between subjective distress and adversarial growth, and that emotional intelligence was a potentially key variable in the role of emotions in adversarial growth (Chapter 3). A longitudinal study of people who had been severely traumatised and were suffering chronic psychological distress revealed that the experience of positive change predicted lower psychological distress and negative change six months later (Chapter 4). Vicarious processes in adversarial growth were investigated in therapists, and it was shown that the working alliance may be a core channel through which the process of vicarious growth operates (Chapter 5). Extending this focus on vicarious processes, in two samples of disaster workers, and funeral directors, it was shown that psychosocial variables were more salient in their associations with adversarial growth than professional experience variables. Specifically, the role of cognitive processing was emphasised, together with an exploration of the novel area of death attitudes (Chapter 6). A more explicitly existential focus, using three samples of churchgoers, members of the general population, and funeral directors, addressed the role of Yalom’s ultimate existential concerns and adversarial growth. Negative death attitudes were shown to be consistently associated with more negative changes and fewer positive changes, but the associations with negative changes were mediated, in some instances, by the presence of meaning in life and satisfying close relationships, consistent with theoretical predictions. Further, aspects of the organismic valuing theory of growth through adversity were tested, and broadly supported (Chapter 7). The concluding chapter (Chapter 8) reviewed the main findings from the thesis, identified ongoing questions from the literature, and indicated salient directions for research, including an emphasis on the clinical applications of adversarial growth

A social-cognitive model of trait and state levels of gratitude.

Three studies tested a new model of gratitude, which specified the generative mechanisms linking individual differences (trait gratitude) and objective situations with the amount of gratitude people experience after receiving aid (state gratitude). In Study 1, all participants (N = 253) read identical vignettes describing a situation in which they received help. People higher in trait gratitude made more positive beneficial appraisals (seeing the help as more valuable, more costly to provide, and more altruistically intended), which fully mediated the relationship between trait and state levels of gratitude. Study 2 (N = 113) replicated the findings using a daily process study in which participants reported on real events each day for up to14 days. In Study 3, participants (N = 200) read vignettes experimentally manipulating objective situations to be either high or low in benefit. Benefit appraisals were shown to have a causal effect on state gratitude and to mediate the relationship between different prosocial situations and state gratitude. The 3 studies demonstrate the critical role of benefit appraisals in linking state gratitude with trait gratitude and the objective situation

Coaching Research: who? what? where? when? why?

The remarkable growth of coaching to date has not, so far, been matched by a similar growth in the research corpus that underpins it. There may be several explanations for this, including the pace of growth relative to the pace of research; coaching’s location at the juxtaposition of business consultancy and applied psychology; and competing imperatives that leave coaches themselves torn between being coaches and being researchers. Drawing from a model of these competing imperatives of research and practice in occupational psychology, this article outlines some of the core issues that coaches might face when thinking about research. It suggests some possible answers to the questions of who, what, where, when and why of coaching research, and concludes by identifying the critical questions that will likely shape the future evolution of coaching

Psychological processes in adversarial growth

This thesis set out to investigate some of the variables associated with, and the processes and mechanisms of, positive change following trauma and adversity, or adversarial growth, in diverse populations. A systematic and comprehensive review of the literature (Chapter 2) identified the state of knowledge, and pointed to a number of salient directions for future research. Some of these directions were pursued in the subsequent empirical chapters. Five empirical chapters (Chapters 3 –7) examined a range of variables and processes in adversarial growth, using a variety of populations. Using two large student samples, it was found that emotion-focused coping mediated the association between subjective distress and adversarial growth, and that emotional intelligence was a potentially key variable in the role of emotions in adversarial growth (Chapter 3). A longitudinal study of people who had been severely traumatised and were suffering chronic psychological distress revealed that the experience of positive change predicted lower psychological distress and negative change six months later (Chapter 4). Vicarious processes in adversarial growth were investigated in therapists, and it was shown that the working alliance may be a core channel through which the process of vicarious growth operates (Chapter 5). Extending this focus on vicarious processes, in two samples of disaster workers, and funeral directors, it was shown that psychosocial variables were more salient in their associations with adversarial growth than professional experience variables. Specifically, the role of cognitive processing was emphasised, together with an exploration of the novel area of death attitudes (Chapter 6). A more explicitly existential focus, using three samples of churchgoers, members of the general population, and funeral directors, addressed the role of Yalom’s ultimate existential concerns and adversarial growth. Negative death attitudes were shown to be consistently associated with more negative changes and fewer positive changes, but the associations with negative changes were mediated, in some instances, by the presence of meaning in life and satisfying close relationships, consistent with theoretical predictions. Further, aspects of the organismic valuing theory of growth through adversity were tested, and broadly supported (Chapter 7). The concluding chapter (Chapter 8) reviewed the main findings from the thesis, identified ongoing questions from the literature, and indicated salient directions for research, including an emphasis on the clinical applications of adversarial growth.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceUniversity of WarwickGBUnited Kingdo

Pregabalin silences oxaliplatin-activated sensory neurons to relieve cold allodynia

Oxaliplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent that causes cold and mechanical allodynia in up to 90% of patients. Silent Nav1.8-positive nociceptive cold sensors have been shown to be unmasked by oxaliplatin, and this event has been causally linked to the development of cold allodynia. We examined the effects of pregabalin on oxaliplatin-evoked unmasking of cold sensitive neurons using mice expressing GCaMP-3 in all sensory neurons. Intravenous injection of pregabalin significantly ameliorates cold allodynia, while decreasing the number of cold sensitive neurons by altering their excitability and temperature thresholds. The silenced neurons are predominantly medium/large mechano-cold sensitive neurons, corresponding to the 'silent' cold sensors activated during neuropathy. Deletion of α2δ1 subunits abolished the effects of pregabalin on both cold allodynia and the silencing of sensory neurons. Thus, these results define a novel, peripheral inhibitory effect of pregabalin on the excitability of 'silent' cold-sensing neurons in a model of oxaliplatin-dependent cold allodynia.Significance StatementPregabalin is an analgesic drug in the clinic, that is supposed to act by blocking neurotransmitter release. Here we show that silent nociceptors that are activated by chemotherapeutic insults like oxaliplatin are silenced by pregabalin, which blocks the associated pain. This mode of action suggests that peripheral acting pregabalin-like drugs could be very useful for pain during chemotherapy, as they would have no CNS side effects - a problem for many patients with pregabalin. This novel effect of pregabalin is mediated by its interaction with the α2δ1 calcium channel subunit, but how this works is not yet understood

A self-determination perspective of strengths use at work: Examining its determinant and performance implications

We investigate the role of strengths use in the workplace by drawing on self-determination theory (SDT) to propose that strengths use at work can yield performance benefits in terms of task performance and discretionary helping, and that the social context, in the form of leader autonomy support, can promote employees’ strengths use. Further, consistent with an interactional psychology perspective, we contend that the relationship between autonomy support and strengths use will be stronger among individuals with strong independent self-construal. We tested the model using matched data from 194 employees and their supervisors and found evidence for the relevance of strengths use at work, even after accounting for the role of intrinsic motivation. In addition to providing practical implications on developing employee strengths use and how to do so, this study advances theory and research on workplace strength use, SDT, and positive organizational behavior

Personality predictors of levels of forgiveness two and a half years after the transgression

The aim of the present study was to explore whether the domains and facets of the five-factor model of personality predicted motivational states for avoidance and revenge following a transgression at a second temporal point distant from the original transgression. A sample of 438 university students, who reported experiencing a serious transgression against them, completed measures of avoidance and revenge motivations around the transgression and five-factor personality domains and facets at time 1, and measures of avoidance and revenge motivations two and a half years later. The findings suggest that neuroticism, and specifically anger hostility, predicts revenge and avoidance motivation

Prefrontal Pathways Provide Top-Down Control of Memory for Sequences of Events

We remember our lives as sequences of events, but it is unclear how these memories are controlled during retrieval. In rats, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is positioned to influence sequence memory through extensive top-down inputs to regions heavily interconnected with the hippocampus, notably the nucleus reuniens of the thalamus (RE) and perirhinal cortex (PER). Here, we used an hM4Di synaptic-silencing approach to test our hypothesis that specific mPFC→RE and mPFC→PER projections regulate sequence memory retrieval. First, we found non-overlapping populations of mPFC cells project to RE and PER. Second, suppressing mPFC activity impaired sequence memory. Third, inhibiting mPFC→RE and mPFC→PER pathways effectively abolished sequence memory. Finally, a sequential lag analysis showed that the mPFC→RE pathway contributes to a working memory retrieval strategy, whereas the mPFC→PER pathway supports a temporal context memory retrieval strategy. These findings demonstrate that mPFC→RE and mPFC→PER pathways serve as top-down mechanisms that control distinct sequence memory retrieval strategies

Characterization of potential biomarkers of reactogenicity of licensed antiviral vaccines: randomized controlled clinical trials conducted by the BIOVACSAFE consortium

Funding text The authors are grateful for the vital contributions of the participating study volunteers, clinicians, nurses, and laboratory technicians at the Surrey study site. The work by Roberto Leone, laboratory technician at Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, is gratefully acknowledged. Finally, they thank Ellen Oe (GSK) for scientific writing assistance. The research leading to these results has received support from the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement n°115308, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) and EFPIA companies’ in-kind contribution. The contribution of the European Commission to the Advanced Immunization Technologies (ADITEC) project (grant agreement n° 280873) is also gratefully acknowledged. Publisher Copyright: © 2019, The Author(s).Biomarkers predictive of inflammatory events post-vaccination could accelerate vaccine development. Within the BIOVACSAFE framework, we conducted three identically designed, placebo-controlled inpatient/outpatient clinical studies (NCT01765413/NCT01771354/NCT01771367). Six antiviral vaccination strategies were evaluated to generate training data-sets of pre-/post-vaccination vital signs, blood changes and whole-blood gene transcripts, and to identify putative biomarkers of early inflammation/reactogenicity that could guide the design of subsequent focused confirmatory studies. Healthy adults (N = 123; 20–21/group) received one immunization at Day (D)0. Alum-adjuvanted hepatitis B vaccine elicited vital signs and inflammatory (CRP/innate cells) responses that were similar between primed/naive vaccinees, and low-level gene responses. MF59-adjuvanted trivalent influenza vaccine (ATIV) induced distinct physiological (temperature/heart rate/reactogenicity) response-patterns not seen with non-adjuvanted TIV or with the other vaccines. ATIV also elicited robust early (D1) activation of IFN-related genes (associated with serum IP-10 levels) and innate-cell-related genes, and changes in monocyte/neutrophil/lymphocyte counts, while TIV elicited similar but lower responses. Due to viral replication kinetics, innate gene activation by live yellow-fever or varicella-zoster virus (YFV/VZV) vaccines was more suspended, with early IFN-associated responses in naïve YFV-vaccine recipients but not in primed VZV-vaccine recipients. Inflammatory responses (physiological/serum markers, innate-signaling transcripts) are therefore a function of the vaccine type/composition and presence/absence of immune memory. The data reported here have guided the design of confirmatory Phase IV trials using ATIV to provide tools to identify inflammatory or reactogenicity biomarkers.Peer reviewe