The Hyperspatial Self: Henry James and Posthuman Modalities

In the era of computing and ubiquitous media, scholars across disciplines have been developing new models for how humans operate in complex environments. This line of inquiry can be bracketed under the larger term of posthuman thought. This thesis attempts to engage the critical and fictional work of Henry James with several posthumanist texts to challenge the temporal limitations of both. Against the backdrop of posthuman discourse, James emerges not as the cherished father of modernism but rather as a pioneer of distant territories far beyond the ways in which the modernist novel conceptualized the self and its consciousness. James provides useful models for defining modalities of the posthuman before the advance of technology materially manifested the cyborg reality in which we presently live. Juxtaposing James\u27s proto-modern thought with the postmodern sensibilities of the posthumanists results in significant reconfigurations of both. Jamesian narrative and theory find ways to reconcile the absorption of the self into informational pattern with long-cherished notions of individuality and autonomy; because this self exists both in physical space and outside of it, it is essentially hyperspatial--that which can move through space but also transcends the limitations imposed by space through mediation and virtuality. Ultimately, James performs the posthuman in a holistic way that more productively reveals insights about technology and identity than the attendant theory or criticism

Psychosocial interventions for self-harm in adults

Background: Self-harm (SH; intentional self-poisoning or self-injury) is common, often repeated, and associated with suicide. This is an update of a broader Cochrane review first published in 1998, previously updated in 1999, and now split into three separate reviews. This review focuses on psychosocial interventions in adults who engage in self-harm. Objectives: To assess the effects of specific psychosocial treatments versus treatment as usual, enhanced usual care or other forms of psychological therapy, in adults following SH. Search methods: The Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group (CCDAN) trials coordinator searched the CCDAN Clinical Trials Register (to 29 April 2015). This register includes relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) from: the Cochrane Library (all years), MEDLINE (1950 to date), EMBASE (1974 to date), and PsycINFO (1967 to date). Selection criteria: We included RCTs comparing psychosocial treatments with treatment as usual (TAU), enhanced usual care (EUC) or alternative treatments in adults with a recent (within six months) episode of SH resulting in presentation to clinical services. Data collection and analysis: We used Cochrane's standard methodological procedures

An integrative complexity analysis of cognitive behaviour therapy sessions for borderline personality disorder

Objectives. Integrative complexity (IC), a measure of cognitive style, was used to analyse discourse in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) sessions from patients with borderline personality disorder treated in the BOSCOT trial. It was predicted that patients' level of integrative complexity would be positively associated with the outcome of therapy. That is, an increase in patients' level of integrative complexity would be associated with good outcome. We also predicted that therapists would also show an increase in the level of complexity associated with their patient's increase in integrative complexity and good outcome. Design. Ten patients who received CBT were categorized according to the outcome, good (N = 5) and poor (N = 5), using an algorithm that incorporated the number of suicide attempts and magnitude of change in severity of depression during therapy. Method. For each patient and their therapist, an early and a late therapy session were transcribed and coded for integrative complexity (IC) (N = 20 sessions transcribed). IC scores for patients and therapists were compared across early and late therapy sessions and for good and poor outcomes of therapy. Results. The majority of discourse was at the lower levels of IC. Higher levels of IC at baseline were related to depression and anxiety. Good outcome was not associated with a change in the level of IC between earlier and later CBT sessions. Therapists, however, showed an increase in IC when patient's outcome was poor. In addition, an increase in patient's IC was associated with improvement in social functioning. Conclusions. Therapists may overcompensate for patient's poor outcome by giving more complex explanations to patients. Higher complexity does not necessarily lead to better outcome