What categorization tells us about food representation

Nous présentons une expérimentation qui vise, en utilisant une tâche de catégorisation, à étudier les représentations d’aliments d’un groupe de jeunes filles souffrant de troubles de conduites alimentaires et d’un groupe témoin. Les participantes (n=173) effectuent une tâche de classification de 27 noms d’aliments en fonction de leurs similarités et différences puis expliquent les critères utilisés pour réaliser cette classification. Les résultats montrent que les propriétés utilisées par les différents groupes de participantes sont différentes. Contrairement au groupe témoin, les patientes souffrant de troubles des conduits alimentaires ne catégorisent pas en fonction de connaissances socialement partagées mais en fonction de leur relation au monde et de leur pathologie. Nous discutons des apports d’une tâche de catégorisation pour mettre en évidence des représentations.This study uses a categorization task to demonstrate representations and beliefs about different types of food by eating disorder subjects and a control group. Participants (n=173) were asked to classify 27 nouns designating foods in terms of similarities and differences, and then to verbally express the criteria used for their classification. We expected to find between-group differences in terms of properties used for classification. The results confirmed this hypothesis. Unlike the control group, the patients did not create categories based on socially shared knowledge; instead, they tended to create categories based on their relationship to the world and their pathology. We discuss the benefits of this task for demonstrating representations

What categorization tells us about food representation

Nous présentons une expérimentation qui vise, en utilisant une tâche de catégorisation, à étudier les représentations d’aliments d’un groupe de jeunes filles souffrant de troubles de conduites alimentaires et d’un groupe témoin. Les participantes (n=173) effectuent une tâche de classification de 27 noms d’aliments en fonction de leurs similarités et différences puis expliquent les critères utilisés pour réaliser cette classification. Les résultats montrent que les propriétés utilisées par les différents groupes de participantes sont différentes. Contrairement au groupe témoin, les patientes souffrant de troubles des conduits alimentaires ne catégorisent pas en fonction de connaissances socialement partagées mais en fonction de leur relation au monde et de leur pathologie. Nous discutons des apports d’une tâche de catégorisation pour mettre en évidence des représentations.This study uses a categorization task to demonstrate representations and beliefs about different types of food by eating disorder subjects and a control group. Participants (n=173) were asked to classify 27 nouns designating foods in terms of similarities and differences, and then to verbally express the criteria used for their classification. We expected to find between-group differences in terms of properties used for classification. The results confirmed this hypothesis. Unlike the control group, the patients did not create categories based on socially shared knowledge; instead, they tended to create categories based on their relationship to the world and their pathology. We discuss the benefits of this task for demonstrating representations

L’écoute de soi ou si j’étais mon meilleur ami

Les professionnels de santé quel qu’ils soient ont un taux de « burn out » parmi les plus élevés. Mieux gérer son stress devient une priorité pour sa santé physique et mentale, ainsi que pour son efficacité personnelle. Chacun d’entre nous a donc intérêt à développer une diversité de stratégies, d’habiletés auxquelles il pourra avoir recours. L’objectif principal est de ramener le stress à un niveau tolérable, moins nocif. Nous vous présentons une démarche d’écoute de soi inspirée des programmes de Mindfulness. L’objectif est de développer en quatre étapes des compétences psychologiques et émotionnelles déjà présentes en vous : l’écoute douce de soi, l’auto-bienveillance, l’auto-compassion, et l’acceptation. Prendre soin de soi est essentiel pour être disponible par la suite au monde qui nous entoure dans un rapport plus ajusté et fonctionnel

Agoraphobie et espace de représentation : une approche comportementale et cognitive

International audiencePatients suffering of agoraphobia with panic attacks are greatly impaired on their own and interpersonal functioning. In this paper, we described a cognitive and behaviour therapy and his follow-up during five years. We would like to describe that an integrative point of view (gazing clinical, cognitive and behaviour an phenomenological aspects) is relevant to conduct psychotherapy.L'agoraphobie associée aux attaques de panique est un trouble invalidant aux multiples conséquences personnelles, familiales et sociales. Nous vous présentons dans cet article le suivi thérapeutique pendant cinq années d'un patient agoraphobe, qui a bénéficié d'une approche thérapeutique comportementale et cognitive. Nous avons souhaité montrer qu'un triple regard sur les changements opérés pendant la thérapie - regards cliniques, comportemental, cognitif et phénoménologique - avait permis d'orienter plus justement la thérapie

Espace phobique et levier thérapeutique

International audienceIntroduction : The spatial experience in phobic disorders needs to be better understood in order to account for the pathogenic effect of a local phobogenic situation on the whole subjective world. Such an understanding could be useful for the treatment of resistant phobias which are hampered by therapeutic blocks that require a global restructuration of the subjective world. Objectives : Three objectives are addressed in this paper: (1) a clarification of the experience of space in phobic disorders; (2) an account of the impact power of the phobogenic situation; (3) an analysis of levers in cognitive psychotherapy that may help to overcome therapeutic blocks in resistant phobias. To tackle these objectives, we bring in the conceptual framework of representational spaces that proposes some tools to describe a subjective world as grounded in the spatial experience. According to the model of phobic disorders that we build up in this framework, the phobogenic situation behaves like a probe that reveals some strains disturbing in depth the subjective representational space. These strains depend on past traumatic situations that have resulted in the development of phobic cores. Thus, the phobogenic situation materializes some dimensions of the representational space that makes it vulnerable to a traumatic agent. In this framework, a therapeutic lever can be defined as a key-situation that favors a global reorganization of the representational space from a local work on it. Three conditions appear to be necessary to the works of such a lever: (1) the key-situation needs to resonate through the representational space with a central phobic core; (2) the patient should actively grasp the processes of the symbolic structuration of his/her space; (3) the therapeutic lever should only be operated at the suitable time of the therapeutic course by taking account of the subjective defences. Patient and method : Our model is exemplified with a case study that describes the behavioral and cognitive therapy of a patient that suffers from a phobic disorder since his adolescence. The technical method notably uses a work on the cognitive schemas that starts from the patient story. Results : The method used to overcome therapeutic blocks reveals some phobic cores that are related to traumatic situations in childhood and adolescence. Therapeutic levers are operated when key-situations relative to the familial story can be addressed and elaborated by an active work of the patient, with a feeling of global restructuration of his psychic space. Conclusions : The conceptual framework of the representational spaces is interesting to clarify the spatial experience in phobic disorders and to explain the impact of the phobogenic situation. Moreover, in complex phobias, this framework offers some useful tools to conceptualize the therapeutic levers that could be efficient to move the whole subjective world. Such levels can only be used during a long-term therapy. Introduction : The spatial experience in phobic disorders needs to be better understood in order to account for the pathogenic effect of a local phobogenic situation on the whole subjective world. Such an understanding could be useful for the treatment of resistant phobias which are hampered by therapeutic blocks that require a global restructuration of the subjective world. Objectives : Three objectives are addressed in this paper: (1) a clarification of the experience of space in phobic disorders; (2) an account of the impact power of the phobogenic situation; (3) an analysis of levers in cognitive psychotherapy that may help to overcome therapeutic blocks in resistant phobias. To tackle these objectives, we bring in the conceptual framework of representational spaces that proposes some tools to describe a subjective world as grounded in the spatial experience. According to the model of phobic disorders that we build up in this framework, the phobogenic situation behaves like a probe that reveals some strains disturbing in depth the subjective representational space. These strains depend on past traumatic situations that have resulted in the development of phobic cores. Thus, the phobogenic situation materializes some dimensions of the representational space that makes it vulnerable to a traumatic agent. In this framework, a therapeutic lever can be defined as a key-situation that favors a global reorganization of the representational space from a local work on it. Three conditions appear to be necessary to the works of such a lever: (1) the key-situation needs to resonate through the representational space with a central phobic core; (2) the patient should actively grasp the processes of the symbolic structuration of his/her space; (3) the therapeutic lever should only be operated at the suitable time of the therapeutic course by taking account of the subjective defences. Patient and method : Our model is exemplified with a case study that describes the behavioral and cognitive therapy of a patient that suffers from a phobic disorder since his adolescence. The technical method notably uses a work on the cognitive schemas that starts from the patient story. Results : The method used to overcome therapeutic blocks reveals some phobic cores that are related to traumatic situations in childhood and adolescence. Therapeutic levers are operated when key-situations relative to the familial story can be addressed and elaborated by an active work of the patient, with a feeling of global restructuration of his psychic space. Conclusions : The conceptual framework of the representational spaces is interesting to clarify the spatial experience in phobic disorders and to explain the impact of the phobogenic situation. Moreover, in complex phobias, this framework offers some useful tools to conceptualize the therapeutic levers that could be efficient to move the whole subjective world. Such levels can only be used during a long-term therapy. Introduction : The spatial experience in phobic disorders needs to be better understood in order to account for the pathogenic effect of a local phobogenic situation on the whole subjective world. Such an understanding could be useful for the treatment of resistant phobias which are hampered by therapeutic blocks that require a global restructuration of the subjective world. Objectives : Three objectives are addressed in this paper: (1) a clarification of the experience of space in phobic disorders; (2) an account of the impact power of the phobogenic situation; (3) an analysis of levers in cognitive psychotherapy that may help to overcome therapeutic blocks in resistant phobias. To tackle these objectives, we bring in the conceptual framework of representational spaces that proposes some tools to describe a subjective world as grounded in the spatial experience. According to the model of phobic disorders that we build up in this framework, the phobogenic situation behaves like a probe that reveals some strains disturbing in depth the subjective representational space. These strains depend on past traumatic situations that have resulted in the development of phobic cores. Thus, the phobogenic situation materializes some dimensions of the representational space that makes it vulnerable to a traumatic agent. In this framework, a therapeutic lever can be defined as a key-situation that favors a global reorganization of the representational space from a local work on it. Three conditions appear to be necessary to the works of such a lever: (1) the key-situation needs to resonate through the representational space with a central phobic core; (2) the patient should actively grasp the processes of the symbolic structuration of his/her space; (3) the therapeutic lever should only be operated at the suitable time of the therapeutic course by taking account of the subjective defences. Patient and method : Our model is exemplified with a case study that describes the behavioral and cognitive therapy of a patient that suffers from a phobic disorder since his adolescence. The technical method notably uses a work on the cognitive schemas that starts from the patient story. Results : The method used to overcome therapeutic blocks reveals some phobic cores that are related to traumatic situations in childhood and adolescence. Therapeutic levers are operated when key-situations relative to the familial story can be addressed and elaborated by an active work of the patient, with a feeling of global restructuration of his psychic space. Conclusions : The conceptual framework of the representational spaces is interesting to clarify the spatial experience in phobic disorders and to explain the impact of the phobogenic situation. Moreover, in complex phobias, this framework offers some useful tools to conceptualize the therapeutic levers that could be efficient to move the whole subjective world. Such levels can only be used during a long-term therapy.Dans cet article, nous visons à éclairer le rôle de l'expérience de l'espace dans les troubles phobiques et à rendre compte de la puissance d'impact de la situation phobogène : malgré son caractère local, celle-ci retentit sur l'ensemble du monde subjectif. À cette fin, nous présentons un cadre conceptuel, celui des espaces de représentation, qui propose des outils pour décrire un monde subjectif en tant que s'enracinant dans l'expérience de l'espace. Nous développons un modèle des troubles phobiques dans ce cadre et nous montrons que la situation phobogène, reflet des tensions issues de l'histoire singulière, matérialise les principales dimensions de vulnérabilité du monde subjectif. Un tel cadre permet notamment d'aborder l'analyse des blocages thérapeutiques dans les phobies résistantes et des leviers qui permettent de surmonter ces blocages dans la perspective des thérapies cognitives. Nous présentons une étude de cas illustrant la pertinence des notions introduites

Schémas dépressogènes et espace subjectif

International audienceThe concept of schema used in cognitive psychotherapy is an heuristic tool that has more a metacognitive value than a psychological value: it doesn't involve directly the cognitive processes and the representations in memory. Therefore, the understanding of the therapeutic action is limited and insufficient for a satisfying account of the complex clinical data observed during the course of treatment of resistant depression. To overcome this problem, we propose a conceptual framework that describes a subjective universe as a representational space that is displayed from memory. From this point of view, depression is equivalent to a retraction of the subjective space. This retraction is primed by the reactivation of some past traumatic events. We show the influence of early painful situations on the Home Image, which is an essential area for the unification of the representational space. This conceptual framework allows us to define the representational structures underlying the cognitive model of learned helplesness of Abramson et al. [1]. Two levels of schemas are specified: (1) the symbolic structures that constitute the "web" of the subjective space and correspond to the schemas of the cognitive psychology; (2) the metaschemas that are the constructs of the therapist. The formation of the depressogenic schemas during the personal story is linked to the development of metaschemas of vulnerability, gratitude, and control. A therapeutic block is defined as a closing of the therapeutic space - that is, the intersubjective world constructed between the patient and the therapist. Such a block indicates the necessity of a global restructuration to release the memory from a depressogenic metaschema. In this case, the therapeutic strategy requires a technical adaptation to mobilize the mass of the subjective space. The therapeutic medium needs to resonate with the core of the depressogenic metaschema that is deeply buried in memory. The patient should also actively grasp the processes of the symbolic structuration of his/her subjective space. This conceptual framework allows us to account of the concept of insight as a spatial feeling of unification and widening that is associated to a restructuration. Thus, a cognitive therapy can be analyzed as a succession of phases that mirrors in reverse order the development of the depressogenic metaschemas. A case study confirms the relevance of this approach and we underline the crucial function of the therapist's creativity to overcome the therapeutic blocks. We insist also on the carefulness that is necessary to approach the early painful situations deeply buried in memory.La notion de schéma utilisée dans les thérapies cognitives est un instrument heuristique mais ne met pas directement en jeu les processus mnésiques, ce qui limite la compréhension de l'action thérapeutique. Afin d'affiner cette compréhension, nous introduisons un cadre conceptuel qui permet de décrire le monde subjectif en tant qu'espace de représentation déployable à partir de la mémoire. La formation des schémas dépressogènes au cours de l'histoire singulière peut alors être précisée. Nous montrons comment redéfinir dans ce cadre les structures de représentation sous-jacentes aux modèles cognitifs de la dépression. Deux niveaux de schémas sont différenciés : 1) les structures symboliques qui forment la trame de l'espace subjectif et correspondent aux schémas de la psychologie cognitive ; 2) les métaschémas qui sont les constructs auxquels le thérapeute se réfère. Ce cadre conceptuel permet de clarifier les notions de blocage thérapeutique, d'insight et de restructuration. Une étude de cas illustre la pertinence de cette approche