Sayedra Psychology Blog & Ezgi Ergün https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/rss/author/ezgi-ergun Sayedra Psychology Blog & Ezgi Ergün en Copyright 2022 Sayedra Software & All Rights Reserved. ATTACHMENT THEORY https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/attachment-theory https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/attachment-theory Human is a social entity. He lives a healthy life by connecting with people, interacting and building relationships with his social identity. Our first attachment object, the person we establish a relationship with, is our mother. Although it has not yet been fully proven, it is suggested that the first attachment relationship between mother and baby is established before birth (Bloom 1995). During the prenatal period, the fetus can respond to the mother's emotions. It is reported that in the twenty-sixth week, the fetus has the ability to perceive, react and capture the information it hears (Kaplan et al. 1994, Altuğ and Özkan 1996). The primary caregiver may not always be the biological mother. Whoever gives us regular primary care during infancy usually becomes our attachment object.

Attachment theory is a theory based on understanding individual differences, the existence of people's need to establish close emotional bonds, and the universality of this need (Sümer, 2006; Bowlby, 2012; 2014). It is an approach that explains why people tend to form strong emotional bonds with others who are important to them. Attachment is an enduring emotional bond, defined as the tendency to seek and maintain closeness to a certain figure, especially in stressful situations (Bowlby, 2012). Attachment is a mutual adaptation process and develops as each member of the attachment process leaves a mark on the other (Ruppert, 2011).How the parent adapts to the child's temperament affects the child's attachment quality, and one of the situations that shapes this emotional flow between them is the relationship style between the attachment figure and the baby. This mutual emotional exchange between the mother and the baby determines the attachment dynamics and provides the groundwork for the child's future mental, emotional and social abilities (Linzdey et al., 1989; Zeanah et al., 1993; Lewis, 1995; 1999, cited in Schore, 2000; Ruppert, 2011; Masterson, 2013).

Bolwby emphasized that newborn babies and children need to establish a close relationship with their caregivers. The relationship between mother and baby becomes evident with the search for closeness (Hortaçsu 1991). Bowlby (2012) argues that there are six states of attachment:

1) Proximity protection behavior: The desire to be near the primary attachment figure.

2) Use of the mother as a resource base for exploration: When a child observes that his mother is looking at him and ready to reciprocate whenever he desires closeness to his mother, he is likely to be happy and able to explore long distances.

3) Feeling: Feels safe if the primary attachment figure is unquestionably next to him or within easy reach. 

4) Approach behavior: Approaching the mother and watching her.

5) Exploratory behavior: Focusing especially on the mother figure and the intensity and continuity of paying attention to objects in the environment;

6) Withdrawal (fear) behavior: How it orients itself, especially in relation to the mother figure.

In babies, separation from the attachment figure manifests itself as illness and fatigue in later ages (Goodfriend 1993). The researcher found that in babies who were separated from their mothers immediately after birth for various reasons and taken into special care; He stated that development slowed down or stopped, these babies did not eat, experienced social withdrawal, and constantly had a sad expression on their faces (Boccio et al., 1994). They suggested that in case of separation from the primary attachment object for any reason, the baby's heart rate increases and there are differences in the functioning of neurobiological systems.

Troy (1995) emphasized that the physical bond between mother and baby is very important. Researchers have suggested that a mother's naked embrace of her baby may have a positive relationship with attachment. For this reason, contact with the mother is very important as the baby is awake and receptive in the first 45-60 minutes following birth.

Bowlby argues that the feeling of attachment and trust depends on two factors:

 • Whether the attachment figure responds to calls for support and protection;

• Your self; whether he or she is seen as a person to whom other people, and especially the attachment figure, will respond in a helpful manner. In practice, they influence each other. In other words, it can be said that the attachment figure model and the self model develop by influencing each other (Bowlby, 1973; Bartholomew and Horowitz, 1991; Bowlby, 2014).

In contrast to children's instinctive behaviors such as crying, smiling, and making eye contact, various adult behaviors such as hugging the baby when it cries or speaking shrilly to it create a child's attachment to an adult (Bee and Boyd, 2009). According to attachment theorists, the attachment style, which reflects the relationship with the caregiver in the early stages of life and contains the designs of the self and others in the psychological structure, generally remains the same. It is stated that "Whether a person has established a relationship with another person and whether this relationship has supportive and protective features can be observed in every period of life and in close relationships" (Kesebir, Özdoğan Kavzoğlu and Üstündağ, 2011).

 

It is critical for the baby to establish a secure attachment with the primary caregiver for the later years of his life. Research shows that the attachment style developed by an individual may have a positive or negative impact on all future close relationships, and that it actually shapes the relationships he establishes. An individual's attachment style can greatly affect their romantic identity and social identity. It is suggested that the early attachment relationship is the prototype of future love relationships (Waters et al. 2002). The person reflects the attachment style he/she has built with his/her primary caregiver in his/her behaviors, emotions, and choices in the relationships he/she establishes and reveals his attachment style in his reactions to the events he experiences. Attachment patterns formed in infancy are not immutable throughout life. Since cognitions and behaviors can change, flexibility can also be provided in the structure that activates attachment.

 

SOURCES

 • Arslan, E. and Teze, S. (2016). Attachment theory. In, N. Sargın, S. Avşaroğlu & A. Ünal (Eds.), Reflections from Education and Psychology, (pp.71-90). Konya: Strip Bookstore

• Soysal AŞ., Bodur A., İşeri E., Şenol S. Attachment Process in Infancy: A Review. J Clinical Psy. 2005; 8(2): 88-99.

]]> Sat, 16 Sep 2023 15:57:12 +0300 Ezgi Ergün BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/borderline-personality-disorder https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/borderline-personality-disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a syndrome that begins in young adulthood and is characterized by excessive impulsivity, instability in affect and interpersonal relationships, inadequacy in self-perception, and hypersensitivity to abandonment (APA, 2013; Sargın & Sargın, 2015). Data on its incidence in the population vary between 1.2% and 6% (Grant et al., 2008). 

There is a pervasive and persistent inconsistency in sense of identity, relationships, and affect in BPD. According to this, emotional, cognitive and behavioral features such as depression symptoms, antisocial behaviors, tendency to psychoactive substances, fast life efforts, self-harm, tendency to complain about emptiness and loneliness, and not being able to stand alone are evident, and significant functional impairments are observed in these areas (American Psychiatric Association [ APA], 2013; Crowell, Bauchaine and Linehan, 2009). It is assumed that the emotional dysregulation observed in BPD is caused by a severe sensitivity, especially to negative emotional stimuli, and this emotional dysregulation is characterized by a slow return to the emotional starting point as well as increased emotional intensity (Linehan, 1993). 

Borderline Personality Disorder Diagnostic Criteria 

In order to diagnose BPD according to the DSM 5 classification of APA, the presence of 5 or more of the following 9 criteria, which manifests itself in many contexts from the beginning of early adolescence, is required (APA, 2013): 

1. Frantic efforts to avoid abandonment 

2. Inconsistent and tense interpersonal relationships between extremes of over-magnification and disgrace 

3. Identity confusion 

4. At least two self-harming impulsivity (spending money, sex, substance abuse, unsafe driving, etc.) 

5. Repetitive suicidal behaviors, attempts, or intimidation 

6. Inconsistency in affect 

7. A persistent sense of emptiness 

8. Inappropriate intense anger, difficulty in anger management 

9. Temporary suspicious thoughts or severe dissociation symptoms related to the strain 

The biosocial theory of BPD is among the etiological models that describe this pathology in the most detailed way (Crowell, Bauchaine, Linehan, 2009). According to Linehan, BPD is basically an emotional dysregulation disorder. It occurs in certain individuals as a result of the interaction of biological fragility and certain environmental conditions. individuals with BPD; have increased emotional sensitivity, are unable to regulate intense emotional responses, and return slowly to emotional baseline. 

Individuals suffering from borderline personality disorder may face very serious problems that make daily life difficult due to some of the negative symptoms that this disorder brings. The quality of life of individuals with BPD that is not diagnosed and treated is severely reduced. People with PD often exhibit extreme behaviors such as gambling, having dangerous sexual relationships, overeating, and substance use due to their high impulsivity. Since a clear and harmonious self-awareness is not developed, they may experience great difficulties in basic issues such as values, commitment and career choice. They do not want to be left alone because of their intense fear of abandonment. If abandoned, they may have tantrums, hurt themselves or others, or become depressed (APA, 2013). The case of suicide is also closely related to BPD patients, and one study showed that 7.5% of these patients committed suicide after a period of more than 20 years (Linehan and Heard, 1999). 

Treatment in Borderline Personality Disorder 

Treatments such as individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, art therapy and hypnotherapy are the main approaches to be used in the treatment and therapy of borderline personality disorder. In cases where borderline personality disorder is seen together with other psychiatric disorders, psychopharmacological treatment is absolutely necessary. Antidepressants, antipsychotics or mood stabilizers are used in psychopharmacological treatment. Linehan (1993) recommends "dialectical behavior therapy", which is one of the cognitive behavioral therapy techniques based on changing negative patterns of thought and gaining new behavior and coping skills, especially in order to regulate emotional state and provide impulse control. The main treatment for borderline personality disorder is long-term psychotherapy. The aim of psychotherapy is to remove deep pathology. For this, the interpretation of the relationship between the patient's feelings, thoughts, symptoms and actions and their unconscious meanings must be discovered. Borderline patients are treated as an outpatient or hospitalized. Hospitalization criteria were frequent seizures, self-harm due to impulse control disorder, attempted suicide, random sexual intercourse, and use of addictive substances. However, fluctuations in mood and imbalances in interpersonal relationships of patients in inpatient treatment may adversely affect the treatment process. Individuals with BPD can also be treated on an outpatient basis, and the collaborative relationship of the individual with the therapist carries the treatment to a very good point. 

 

REFERENCES 

• İlk, G. & Bilge, Y. (2020). Borderline personality disorder and difficulty in emotion regulation. Turkish Studies- Social, 15(6), 2991-3012.https://dx.doi.org/10.47356/TurkishStudies.44179 

•Sakarya D, Çevik A. Borderline personality disorder. Turkiye Klinikleri J Int Med Sci 2007;3:40-6. 

• Gunderson, JG, Berkowitz C. A bpd brief: an introduction to borderline personality disorder diagnosis, origins, course, and treatment. New York: National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorders; 2003. 

• Kutlu, M. (2018). Borderline Personality Disorder: A Review. Journal of Civilization Studies, 3(5),11-20. 

]]> Sun, 04 Jun 2023 23:29:28 +0300 Ezgi Ergün ZIEGARNIK EFFECT https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/ziegarnik-effect https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/ziegarnik-effect

                                                   

Have you ever thought of a job that you enthusiastically started and left unfinished last week while you were doing your routine work during the day? If your answer is yes, the reason is clear; your brain is forcing you to complete the work you left unfinished. From another perspective, the unconscious part of your mind is pressing the conscious part to finish the unfinished business. 

An important feature of human memory is the ability to recall previously unresolved problems or tasks, especially when conditions are more favorable for their solution. Bluma Zeigarnik (1927), a Russian Psychologist, is widely recognized for his finding that interrupted tasks are better remembered than completed ones. The Zeigarnik effect in the Gestalt movement can be related to the need for closure. Zeigarnik (1927) states that people remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. The Zeigarnik Effect can be defined as the tendency to remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. Some observations such as waiters remembering unpaid accounts better than paid ones, unfinished love relationships, holidays, negative life events were effective in the emergence of the concept. The need for cognitive closure, on the other hand, is one of the topics that has recently gained importance in behavioral-neuroscience, and the individual's need to reach certain information on a particular subject, instead of confusion and uncertainty, is the desire to make a decision. There is a positive relationship between the need for closure and the Zeigarnik Effect. If a job is left unfinished, the need for cognitive completion kicks in and the person remembers the details of that job better. For example, students who take a break while studying remember the subjects they studied better than students who work without a break. 

It is possible to talk about the Ziegarnik Effect not only in daily life problems but also in human relations. Imagine that in your high school years, the other party suddenly refused to give you an explanation and ended your friendship by displaying a cold attitude. In your friend's eyes, this is an already completed relationship, while in your eyes it is an incomplete friendship. Because of this, you will probably forget this friend more difficult and after a few years, various scenarios will come to your mind about why your relationship ended suddenly. It is possible to talk about a similar situation for romantic relationships. The Ziegarnik Effect has a role in the fact that the problems that you left unresolved with your partner while in a relationship become the subject of discussion in the coming years. To eliminate this effect, partners should be open to each other and no problems should be swept under the carpet. In the long run, as these are remembered, they will cause you to focus on the negative aspects of the relationship. In order to strengthen the relationship, it would be a more correct approach to talk to your partner about the problems you have experienced before a long time. As the problems are resolved, the bond between the partners gets stronger (Gottman, 2012). As we see in the same friendship relationship example, if your partner suddenly terminates your relationship; Since this will be recorded in your memory as an "unfinished love", your mind will remind you of that person and your memories more often with the activation of this effect, and it will be much more difficult to overcome the end of your relationship over time. 

In order to protect our mental health and not to complicate our lives with unfinished relationships, it is important that we do not avoid solving our daily problems, and that we find solutions to our problems even in the long run. In our bilateral relations, at least with this awareness, it would be more correct to discuss our problems in a healthier way and if we want to end the relationship, it would be more accurate to end the relationship by explaining it to the other person in an appropriate way. 

 

 

REFERENCES 

1. Zeigarnik, B (1927). On finished and unfinished tasks. Psychologische Forschung, 9(185), pp. 1 85. 

2. Atak H, Syed M, Çok F (2016). Need for Closure as a New Neuropsychological Concept. Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2016 ;8(3):290-302. 

3. Gottman, J. (2012). What makes love last? How to build trust and avoid betrayal. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster. 

]]> Fri, 12 May 2023 17:09:04 +0300 Ezgi Ergün MALADAPTIVE DAYDREAMING https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/maladaptive-daydreaming https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/maladaptive-daydreaming

What is Maladaptive Daydreaming? 

Maladaptive Daydreaming is a clinical condition in which the individual is excessively immersed in his own inner fantasy world, causing clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functionality (Akyüz, 2022). Although maladaptive daydreaming is not included in the DSM-5 classification book, it has some recurring symptoms that can be added to the cluster of Behavioral Addictions. Maladaptive Daydreaming is distinctly different from the act of daydreaming that will develop each person's creativity at certain times, or from dreams for the future. In the normal act of daydreaming, this does not impair the person's social functionality and hours are not spent on this act. 

The first explanations of maladaptive dreaming were made by Freud. He suggested that maladaptive daydreaming emerges as a result of internal conflict and suppressed wishes. Somer (2002) suggested that the most important function of maladaptive daydreaming is to escape from reality and painful experiences to a protective and comforting fantasy world, and that daydreaming can be explained as an avoidance behavior developed for real life threats. Bigelsen and Schupak (2011) reported that approximately 27% of people with maladaptive daydreams were exposed to physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood. It is also noteworthy that traumatic experiences reported more frequently by individuals suffering from maladaptive daydreaming include emotional neglect and emotional abuse in the family (Ferrante et al., 2022). Schimmenti et al. (2020) suggested that maladaptive daydreamers may use dreams as a tool to cope with embarrassing emotions through a pathological break from reality and retreat into an imaginary seclusion. Studies suggesting that the maladaptive daydreaming state can be characterized as "Behavioral Addiction" have mentioned the existence of a cycle. According to studies, when a person feels intense distress and anxiety, he tries to relax by entering the dream world and getting lost there, but the person gets into more trouble with the embarrassment this situation creates and the thought of wasting his time in vain. 

There is no deterioration in the perception of reality of people who experience this situation. The person is aware that the dreams he dreams come from his own fantasy world and have nothing to do with reality. Studies have shown that people suffering from this condition more often describe it as an addiction. Although people feel more comfortable and safe by escaping to the world of dreams, there is a decrease in their life satisfaction as this situation impairs their social functionality. People defined this situation as an action they couldn't stop when they wanted to stop it, in line with the Addiction criteria (DSM-5). 

Maladaptive Daydreaming Symptoms 

1- The dreams that people have usually progress within a certain fiction, such as a series or a books. 

2- The person can speak in a low voice, whisper or exhibit kinesthetic movements in the act of daydreaming. 

3- A person spends at least four to five hours of his day daydreaming. He may disrupt his important work and break away from social life. 

4- These people are affected by the slightest triggering stimulus they encounter in their daily lives (music, photography, movie or TV series) and they fall into daydreaming. 

5- They may experience sleep disorders because they continue to dream at night. 

6- They feel guilty for taking time to daydream and not being able to control themselves. 

7- Although they are aware that their actions are daydreaming, they have difficulty in leaving the fantasy world and returning to reality. 

8- They have an uncontrollable urge to dream for a long time. 

Psychological Treatment for Maladaptive Daydreaming 

Since Maladaptive Daydreaming has not yet been included in the Diagnosis and Classification Book (DSM-5), there is no standard set of guidelines to be followed in treatment. This does not mean that the condition cannot be treated or that it is difficult to intervene. Experts can create a treatment plan specific to the client based on similar situations. Using the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) method, the client works on how maladaptive dreams arise, the reasons for individuals' excessive daydreaming, their cognition, and how maladaptive daydreaming can be managed. 

REFERENCES 

1. Somer, E., et al., 2017, The Comorbidity of Daydreaming Disorder (Maladaptive Daydreaming), The Journal Nervous and Mental Disease. 

 

2. Akyüz, T. (2022). Examining the daydreaming experiences of maladaptive daydreamers, .Unpublished Master's Thesis). Ibn Haldun University, Graduate Education Institute, Istanbul. 

]]> Mon, 08 May 2023 20:51:29 +0300 Ezgi Ergün BYSTANDER EFFECT https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/bystander-effect https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/bystander-effect Imagine you are walking on a crowded street. Maybe you are catching an important meeting
or you are rushing to meet your friend for coffee at the agreed time. As you race through the
crowd, a woman suddenly falls to the ground and has an epileptic attack. Would you help?

You're right, most people answer, "Yes, I definitely would" as you just gave. This is not the
case at all when certain psychological fluctuating effects come into play. According to the
Bystander Effect, which has an important place in Social Psychology, if there is a situation in
a group that requires urgent help and you need to take action, your probability of helping that
person drops to a great extent when there are countless other people in the group who are
likely to help. The lower the number of people in the group, the faster the sense of
responsibility is activated and people take action for help. If only one person witnesses this
situation and there is no one else around, this is the fastest way to act. We can call it the
"Power of One". In a large group, when a person takes action for help, the new norm of the
group becomes "to help" and other people participate in the event with a ripple effect after
this person.

Researchers discovered this effect as a result of the Kitty Genovese murder in New York City
in March 1964. Kitty Genovese, 28, was stalked, raped, and repeatedly stabbed to death by a
man obsessed with her. This event lasted for half an hour, and Kitty Genovese called for help
from 38 eyewitnesses around her, screaming countless times. None of these people did
anything other than stand by, and at 35 minutes after Kitty was already dead, someone called
the police. After this incident, psychologists John Darley and Bibb Latane wondered why no
one took action, and they began to investigate the situation. They created experimental
environments that required artificial emergency assistance. Studies have revealed the above
group effects. The time taken to action for help varied greatly with the number of people in
the group. The results of the experiment were also similar to the group behavior in the Kitty
Genovese murder.

In addition to this, the concept of "de-identification" was also introduced with experiments.
According to the concept of de-identification, when such a situation occurs, the more people
around, the more people experience the "convenience of concealing their identity" and do not
take action to help. According to the ‘’Distribution of Responsibility Theory’’ , the
individual's sense of personal responsibility decreases and he becomes reluctant to help if
there are other people around. The audience effect also supports this; The person does not take action by saying that no matter how many people there are, someone else will take responsibility.

Finally, when the social experiments conducted as a result of the researches are examined, it
has been revealed that the helping behavior changes according to some cultural norms, and
the gender and dress of the person to be helped, whether it is day or night, may also affect
this situation.

Now that we have information about the Bystander Effect, we should be aware of this in
emergencies that we are under this effect and keep in mind to be that "person" who takes
action.

]]> Sun, 30 Apr 2023 16:22:37 +0300 Ezgi Ergün THE MILESTONE OF PSYCHOANALYSIS : ANNA.O CASE https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/the-milestone-of-psychoanalysis-annao-case https://psikoloji.sayedrablog.net/the-milestone-of-psychoanalysis-annao-case Anna O., real name Bertha Pappenheim, is a 21-year-old smart young woman living in Vienna with her wealthy Orthodox Jewish family. She has one brother and two older sisters. When Anna was only eight years old, her older sister died of tuberculosis. Anna's family has no known mental illness, only distant relatives have had psychosis.

Since women were not allowed to be at the forefront and to participate in business and education life during Anna's life, Anna generally started to spend her time at home by sewing and finding occupations. Meanwhile, when her father's tuberculosis disease emerged, Anna O. took care of her father. Anna became very weak and weakened because she did not sleep until late and did not eat much while she was taking care of her father.

The main symptoms seen in Anna were the inability to eat, fear of drinking water, paralysis in partial areas, sleep disorders, speech problems, hallucinations, and visual disturbances. Anna was also experiencing severe muscle aches and excruciating pain on the left side of her head. He could not move his left arm and had serious difficulties in turning his neck. She began to show symptoms that could not be understood by some of her environment, not only physically, but also psychologically.

Anna O., whose symptoms gradually increased and even began to lose her sight, finally went to Dr. He decided to meet with Breuer. The symptoms in Anna O. were thought to arise as a result of identifying herself with her father. One of the first symptoms to appear in Anna O. is a severe coughing fit and blindness resulting from blurred vision. Breuer, who first examined Anna, thought that these symptoms were caused by an organic disease. Later, he decided that Anna's symptoms had a psychological basis and he diagnosed Anna with "hysteria".

After this decision, Breuer first tried to find a solution to the symptoms with the application of hypnosis, but Breuer gave up on this technique when Anna used incomprehensible sentences containing five different languages during hypnosis. He tried to look for clues about his symptoms by asking Anna to say whatever comes to mind. The method he applied here was the birth of ‘’free association’’, which is one of the basic techniques of psychoanalysis. This method helped Anna to remember many things over time and even relieved her symptoms. Anna herself described this method as “chimney cleaning” and “talking cure”.

One of the symptoms that Breuer observed improved through Free Association was the paralysis of Anna's right arm. One day, Anna saw a snake going towards her father in a dream. She felt that her right arm was holding her back as she went to help her father. Shortly after she had the dream, the symptom on her right arm appeared. Another symptom is strabismus and visual impairment. These symptoms arose because her father asked Anna about the time and Anna was crying and trying to look at the clock very closely. All these symptoms disappeared when Anna told Breuer during free association.

While Freud looked at this case from the sexual side, Breuer thought that although Anna's symptoms at the onset of her illness had a psychic basis, they were often caused by organic causes. According to Freud, Anna developed an intense love for her father during her caregiving process, touching her skin to change or dressing her and touching her genitals aroused sexual desires in Anna. caused it to occur. These ideas of Freud caused him to conflict with Breuer. However, as a result, both Freud and Breuer contributed a lot to psychoanalysis through this case, and the Anna O. Case has taken its place in the literature as one of the most striking cases even today.

]]> Sun, 02 Apr 2023 14:29:03 +0300 Ezgi Ergün