Are Humans Special? Understanding Primate Social Reward Systems

A poster examining social attachment in primates

Seeking Validation and Healing: Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence Victims in Psychotherapy

The considerable personal and societal costs of domestic violence have prompted legislation regarding mandatory training in screening for the condition by health care providers. However, treatment resources are scarce. The costliest form of domestic violence, intimate partner terrorism (IPT), is characterized by power imbalance in the relationship that is enforced through psychological, emotional, physical, sexual and financial abuse (Stark, 2009). Symptoms of cluster B personality disorders (borderline, narcissistic, antisocial/psychopathic) link to patterns of abuse in perpetrators of IPT. Victims typically enter into the relationship unaware of their partner’s disorder. The onset of abuse is insidious as the perpetrator gradually undermines the victim’s self-confidence and reality testing while isolating him/her from social supports (Leedom, Geislin, & Hartoonian Almas, 2013). The abuse experience leads to anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance use disorders and stress-related physical illness. Although good evidence based therapies exist for these disorders, (cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic, among others) there is little research regarding how the presence of IPT impacts treatment. There is no evidence based therapy that specifically targets the victim syndrome. The first step in designing such a therapy, is to ascertain how and if the needs of victims of IPT are served by current community treatments. Study Objective: The objective of this study was to survey a large number of IPT victims regarding their experiences in psychotherapy in order to determine the relative strengths and weaknesses of current community therapy practices. This study used a mixed methods approach that gathered numerical data and allowed victims to describe their experiences in their own words

The Impact of Psychopathy on the Family

Psychopathy is the amalgamation of personality disorder traits associated with criminal and other antisocial behavior. Although current theory postulates that psychopathic individuals do not form lasting bonds with others, this chapter provides ample evidence that psychopathic individuals are highly social and maintain ties over years. Psychopathic individuals have relationships with friends, co-workers, relatives, siblings, parents, romantic partners, and children. These relationships serve their social and material needs. This chapter presents all available studies to date on the friendship, filial, sibling, partnering, and parenting behavior of psychopathic individuals. The impact of psychopathic individuals on organizational and family functioning is also addressed

Psychopathy: A Behavioral Systems Approach

Why do they do that? is the question theories of psychopathy should answer. Current theories of psychopathy fail to answer this question because they focus on affective and inhibitory deficits rather than on motivation. Antisocial behavior is appetitive and therefore can only be explained with a motivational theory. This chapter presents a motivational theory of psychopathy that draws on the ethological framework. The chapter answers all four questions of ethology as applied to psychopathy

Diagnostic Training in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs: Wrestling with the Identity Dialectic

The term Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) presents a dialectic (or unification of opposing truths) as the word “clinical” embodies diagnosis of illness in patients whereas professional counseling is rooted in developmental models of client issues, a humanistic stance and a wellness focus (Sweeney & Myers, 2005). Present day CMHC counselor educators have the task of creating a curriculum that facilitates students’ development of an identity that incorporates this dialectic. Ideally the CMHC graduate should be grounded in wellness and developmental models, understand the role of culture/environment in individual adaptation, adopt humanistic values and at the same time be prepared to diagnose and treat mental illness. Nearly 30 years ago West and colleagues (1988, p. 223) surveyed 150 mental health agencies regarding the role of counselors in these agencies and concluded that “counselor preparation should be strengthened in 4 areas: knowledge of psychotropic medication, psychopathology, individual assessment, and use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.” The research examines CMHC programs and state licensing requirements in the light of this conclusion. The manner in which CACREP accredited CMHC programs deliver diagnostic and related clinical training in the 2-4 year Master’s degree plan is thoroughly explored. As these programs prepare students to work in jurisdictions supervised by licensing boards, this study also investigated licensing requirements for the 51 boards in the Continental US, Alaska and Hawaii. The following questions guided the research plan: 1. Do most programs offer a diagnostics (or psychopathology) course? 2. Where in the sequence is the diagnostics course situated? 3. Is the diagnostics course a prerequisite for fieldwork (practicum/internship)? 4. Do licensing requirements and credential titles reflect the identity dialectic

Monk Parakeets: Tolerance and Territoriality

The Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is a self-sustaining introduced species of parrot found in Bridgeport and surrounding coastal towns. This species is noteworthy for its elaborate nests that it often shares other species of birds. It is also of interest because of its intelligence, beauty, and complex social life. Because they are non-native Monks are not protected by law, and power companies and others deem them a nuisance due to their noisy vocalizations and tendency to nest on buildings, generators and telephone poles1. Monk numbers are on the decline in our area. In previous studies, kestrels, owls, speckled teals, tree ducks, falconets, cuckoos, white monjita, cowbirds, squirrels, bats, and opossums have been observed in Monk nests.2 We hypothesize, the Monks’ tolerance of other species may expose them to parasites, predation and aggression. This study reports data from our observations of Monk Parakeets living on or near the UB campus

Social Construction of the Abuse Experience: Traumatic Bonding or Co-Dependency?

The purpose of the present study was to explore the social construction of medical knowledge with respect to abusive relationships and co-dependence. We determined how therapists and researchers: Define co-dependence, Make attributions regarding the cause of co-dependence. We then compared the co-dependence construct to other diagnostic constructs and traumatic bonding. We ultimately hope to create educational interventions for therapists that might prevent victim blaming and the distress that accompanies that invalidation

Fascinating Social Displays and Social Structure of Mallard Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

Guana Darbouze's, Colleen Volpe's, and Liane Leedom's poster on the social structure and displays of Mallard Ducks