Harmony of transitions in assessing interpersonal motivations in transcripts analysis can discriminate between Adult Attachment Interview secure and disorganized individuals

SUMMARY. Aim. Assessing Interpersonal Motivations in Transcripts (AIMIT) is a validated coding system to assess the activation of interpersonal motivational systems (IMS) in the transcripts of psychotherapy sessions. The Transition Index (TI) is an AIMIT measure that reflects the levels of organisation, synchronisation and harmony amongst two or more IMS when they are rapidly shifting or simultaneously in the clinical dialogue. It is supposed to be a measure of integration and coherence of the patient’s state of mind within the psychotherapeutic sessions. It has also been hypothesized that low TI could be a marker for disorganization of attachment of the patient leading to difficulties in the therapeutic relationships and ruptures in the therapeutic alliance. In order to assess this hypothesis we tested its capability to discriminate between Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) organized and disorganized individuals. Methods. Two groups of 15 transcriptions of AAI matched for age and sex, one classified as free-autonomous and one as disorganized, were analysed by the AIMIT method. Results. Compared to organized individuals, disorganized patients at AAI reported lower TI scores (3.7±0.63 vs 3.0±0.53; F=2.98, p=0.005). Furthermore, TI showed a good discriminant capability (Wilks’ Lambda=0.77, p=0.004). Discussion and Conclusion. This result seems to confirm the usefulness and reliability of AIMIT analysis in evaluating the interpersonal difficulties which often characterize the therapeutic relationship with disorganized attachment patient

Simultaneous amplification of multiple human immunodeficiency virus type 1 DNA sequences from clinical specimens by using nested-primer polymerase chain reaction

A sensitive and specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol with nested primers was developed for simultaneous amplification of three independent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) DNA sequences from clinical specimens. DNA samples were first amplified with gag, pol, and env outer primer pairs and then with the corresponding three inner primer pairs in the same two-step reaction. Detection of the different amplification products was readily accomplished by simple agarose gel electrophoresis of the reaction product, even when starting with a single copy of HIV-1 DNA. Equivalent amounts of the three PCR products were generated, provided that the relative concentrations of the inner primer pairs were optimized. In addition, a beta-globin control primer pair could be conveniently included in the internal amplification step to verify that the DNA sample was suitable for PCR analysis. One nested multiplex PCR test was sufficient to detect HIV-1 DNA in all of 80 HIV-1-seropositive individuals and none of 50 HIV-1-seronegative healthy blood donors. The nested multiplex PCR procedure provides an attractive means for simple, rapid, and cost-effective direct detection of HIV-1 DNA in patient samples

The Social Mentalities Scale: A new measure for assessing the interpersonal motivations underlying social relationships

The evolutionary perspective on human emotions and motivations posits that all interpersonal interactions are shaped by an array of social mentalities, dwelling on our species' bio-behavioral disposition to pursue some evolutionarily valuable social goals (i.e., interpersonal motivational systems). The paucity of valid and reliable measures of such mentalities has limited empirical research into how these processes play out in everyday social exchanges. The Social Mentalities Scale (SMS) was developed to evaluate patterns of cognition, affect and behavior from basic interpersonal motivational systems. Two samples of young adults (18–35 years old) completed distinct instrument packets including the SMS and self-report questionnaires. An exploratory factor analysis (740 participants) revealed a six-factor solution: insecurity, prosociality, agonism, belongingness, sexuality, and playfulness. A confirmatory factor analysis (815 participants) supported the goodness of this factor model. Moreover, the SMS's subscales were correlated to specific dimensions of individual psychological functioning in a theoretically coherent way. These results supported the SMS's validity and reliability in assessing the complex and multifaceted portrait of social mentalities that inform human interactions and personality. The SMS is a user-friendly and easy to complete measure that promises to provide a significant contribution in a potentially wide range of clinical and research contexts

Collaboration and beyond: the micro-processual analysis of the therapeutic relationship

If we look at the therapeutic relationship as a process of reciprocal attunement, and if we define the therapeutic alliance as a sequence of ruptures and repairs in that interpersonal attunement (Safran & Muran 2000), it follows that in order to evaluate the quality this relationship it necessary to observe the so-called “local level” of the interaction (BCPSG, 2010), adopting a single communicative exchange (i.e. turn of speech) as a unit of measurement. The Collaborative Interactions Scales Revised (Colli, Gentile, Condino, & Lingiardi, 2014, 2017) and the Analysis of Interpersonal Motivations in Transcripts (Liotti & Monticelli, 2008) are two tools to be applied in clinical session transcripts, that have been developed within different theoretical frameworks, but that share a common interest in the study of the therapeutic relationship at the micro-process level. Nowadays, few theories claiming that our cognitive processes are oriented by a finite number of psychobiological systems whose goal are innate and set by the evolution of the species, whereas their functioning is shaped by interpersonal experience. Apart from attachment and sexuality, almost all authors also agree on the existence of at least a caregiving system and a ranking-competitive system. According to the evolutionary anthropology, a more recent motivational system appeared in some primates, and it is also visible in infants from the age of nine months, together with a sense of fairness and equity which anticipates the appearing of the morality: that of the peer cooperation. Thank to this motivational system, we are able to share our intentions and goals with other people. It is Giovanni Liotti in particular who placed the peer cooperation system at the centre of his conceptualisation of the therapeutic interaction (Liotti & Monticelli, 2014). Our work is part of a series of studies (Gentile et al, 2009; Colli et al., 2010, 2011; Lingiardi et al., 2014) that have found: (i) a correspondence between the collaborative interventions and the activation of the peer cooperation interpersonal motivational system; and (ii) a correspondence between the rupture markers and the activation of the rank interpersonal motivational system. The present study proposedto deepen the knowledge of the motivational attunement processes underlying the phases of “collaboration” and of “rupture”. Specifically, our aims are to investigate if: (1) the coordinations of the interpersonal motivational systems are predictive ofcollaborative processes; (2) the caregiving/careseeking interpersonal motivational systems are predictive both of collaborative processes and the ruptures processes. Methods: Sample is composed of sixty (n=60) transcript sessions from 30 Caucasians patients (14 men, 16 women; mean age=33.23 years, SD=6.76) in cognitive psychotherapy. All patients received a DSM–5 diagnosis (APA, 2013). A total of 11 patients had at least one PD diagnosis (cluster A=2; cluster B=4; cluster C= 4; not otherwise specified=1). Twelve patients have a clinical syndrome without PD diagnosis (mood disorders=2; anxiety disorders=3; eating disorders=2; adjustment disorder=4; substance use disorder=1). Seven patients have a PD diagnosis and a clinical syndrome in comorbidity. Psychotherapies were administered by 11 psychologists and 4 psychiatrists (mean age=45 years, SD=9), with a mean clinical experience of twelve years (SD=7). Therapists practiced in a private setting and in a mental health institutions. The transcript sessions were analyzed in a double-blind design with the CIS-R and AIMIT. Two group of independent raters evaluated the sessions. The raters were trained psychologists with a good IRR (ICC=.80 for the CIS-R and ICC=.78 for the AIMIT). Measures: (1) the Collaborative Interactions Scale-Revised (CIS-R) to evaluate therapeutic alliance ruptures and collaborative/resolution processes from an observer’ s perspective. The scale is inspired to the Safran and Muran’s model. The CIS-R is divided into two scales, one for the patient (CIS-P) and one for the therapist (CIS-T). The CIS-P is further divided into four subscales: Direct Rupture Markers (DRMs; three items), Indirect Rupture Markers (IRMs; four items), Direct Collaborative Processes (DCPs; three items), and Indirect Collaborative Processes (ICPs; three items). The CIS-T is composed of four subscales: Direct Collaborative Interventions (DCIs; four items), Indirect Collaborative Interventions (ICIs; three items), Rupture Interventions (RIs; five items), and Therapist Interventions (four items): supportive, explicative, explorative, and expressive). (2) the Assessing Interpersonal Motivations in Transcripts (AIMIT) is a validated coding system to assess the activation of interpersonal motivational systems in the transcripts of psychotherapy sessions as well as in any kind of human verbal interaction. According to a multi-motivational approach developed on the basis of attachment theory, the AIMIT include five basic motivational systems: care seeking and care giving systems for attachment relationships, rank system for the definition of dominance or submission, sexual mating and the cooperative system. AIMIT method allows the evaluation of the interpersonalstyles of both the patient and the therapist as well as their interactions in sessions. It is considered a useful instrument for exploring the relational context, especially in the ruptures and repairs of the therapeutic alliance, where AIMIT are typically either improper or not synchronized. The results evidenced that the coordination of the interpersonal motivational systems is predictive ofa better quality of the therapeutic alliance. The collaborative interactions (DCP, ICP, DCI, ICI) are mainly predicted by the cooperative interpersonal motivational system (b=.829, p=.000), whereas ruptures (DRM, IRM, RI) are characterized by competitive exchanges (b=.746, p=.05). However, results suggest that the processes of interpersonal attunement may be more rich and variated than that; as an example, the social rank interpersonal motivational system may be involved in the direct negotiation of goals and tasks of thetherapy (b=.658, p=.000), and the caregiving/careseeking interpersonal motivational systems may appear in both the indirect collaborative processes (b=.547, p=.003) and the indirect ruptures markers (b=.732, p=.025). These results will be discussed in the light of the convergence aspects and of the main theoretical differences between the two instruments and their theoretical perspectives

Is Covid-19 a natural event? Covid-19 pandemic and conspiracy beliefs

In this paper, antecedents and consequences of conspiracy beliefs are investigated in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. 618 individuals residing in different geographical area of Italy participated in the study. We found that perceived mortality rate of COVID-19 is positively associated with adherence to conspiracy beliefs and, in turn, with negative outcomes such as: (a) a reduced support for the measures taken to deal with the pandemic emergency, (b) a weaker feeling of guilt for the violation of anti-COVID-19 government rules, and (c) a stronger utilitarian stance which prioritizes economic over health-related outcomes of lockdown. Also, framing pandemic within the "natural order of things" - fundamental and implicit expectations concerning how life and the world should function - was expected to moderate the relationship between perceived mortality rate and conspiracy beliefs: we found this relationship to be weaker when people believe that pandemic falls into the "natural order of things"