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This paper overviews Bowen family systems theory and its approach to family therapy. It aims to introduce this influential approach and a sample of developments in theory and practice since Bowen's first publications of his research and theory. This paper is the second edition of a 1999 article with the same title (Brown, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 20, 94 and 1999) and, 25 years later, offers new insights from the original author's ongoing research into the theory. This new edition is in collaboration with a second author and Bowen theory scholar, bringing fresh perspectives on the theory's applicability to family therapy practice. The core concepts are presented briefly, and a case example with a parent and symptomatic adolescent demonstrates how theory informs the role of the therapist and the therapeutic work. Examples of criticisms of Bowen theory are also discussed, including the misinterpretation around the idea of emotion in Bowen theory that is communicated in Gottman's training. Differentiation of self is clarified as the integration of emotion and intellect rather than privileging one over another, which affords the opportunity for individuals to avoid being governed by the invisible strings of sensitivities in relationships and instead be themselves in good emotional contact with the other person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates dynamic changes in instrumental (i.e., work‐related) tie‐seeking patterns and the structure of a communication network following a downsizing event—whereby many employees are simultaneously eliminated from a network. Our analysis spans a two‐year period and applies a resource‐ and network‐change approach to examine how survivors develop revised resource‐acquisition strategies while repositioning themselves after a downsizing. Our results demonstrate that two temporary logics of tie formation—a suspension of within‐unit homophily and a preference for seeking ties with long‐tenured employees—help employees acquire betweenness centrality during the disruption period. Specifically, we find that disruption initiates a transitional period after downsizing in which new tie‐making logics are employed, including seeking out ties with long‐tenured employees and employees outside of one's department. We observed post‐disruption, during the stabilization period after downsizing, where logics used for tie‐making in the disruption period were abandoned, pre‐disruption tie‐making logics were resumed, and betweenness centrality remained relatively constant. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of these results and suggest future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generative perspective in therapy understands relations and dialogue as a generative social space where participants can promote innovative resources and possibilities for themselves, and their relations and circumstances, along with new social ecologies. It focuses on the creative dimensions of human relationality. This epistemological and clinical perspective has a heuristic value that allows us to discern and work with micro dialogues—micro processes of creative, generative dialogues—in the ongoing dialogue, mindful of the opportunities for creativity and innovation they provide. The generative perspective promotes creative processes and transformations to help clients build possible and viable futures when faced with problems, conflicts and challenges. It involves the dialogical and relational co‐creation of resources and possibilities, and actions for implementation. The perspective is illustrated with a therapy process involving a 3‐year follow‐up. The paper includes a section where differences and similarities between dialogical perspectives are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental science benefits from a rich tradition of conceptual frameworks, such as Relational Developmental Systems metatheory, that seek to understand the individual ⇔ context relations that promote thriving across the lifespan. However, there are substantive methodological challenges associated with capturing individual‐level and contextual variables, let alone the dynamics between them. These challenges have encouraged the perpetuation of simple models that focus on either individuals or their contexts alone, or as parallel processes with little attention to the dynamics of the relations. In this paper, we engage in cross‐disciplinary dialogue between developmental and personality science (adding to recent work being done by those in personality development) and highlight the benefits that developmental science can reap by adopting several recent advancements in dynamic personality theory and the methods used to test them. In addition, we discuss what personality science might gain from applying a developmental lens to their research questions. Such integration may also help personality scientists better understand how developmental theory can complement their methods for understanding the development of individual differences over time. Ultimately, the two fields can use their similar missions of understanding the development of individual differences in order to support one another in pursuing good science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence supports the effectiveness of cuing people to analyse negative autobiographical experiences from self‐distanced rather than self‐immersed perspectives. However, the evidence on which this expectation resides is limited largely to static snapshots of mean levels of cognitive and emotional factors. Via a pre‐registered, randomised controlled trial (N = 257), we examined the differential effectiveness of self‐distanced relative to self‐immersed reflections on mean levels and within‐person variability of sleep duration and quality as well as psychological well‐being over a 5‐day working week. Except for sleep quality, we found that reflecting from a psychologically distanced perspective, overall, was no more effective for mean levels and within‐person variability of sleep duration, well‐being, and stress‐related factors than when the current self is fully immersed in the experiential reality of the event. We consider several substantive and methodological considerations (e.g., dosage, salience of stressor event) that require interrogation in future research via experimental and longitudinal observational methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrepancies in partners' commitment have been emphasized as a key factor involved in relationship instability. We tested the contributions of multiple types of commitment asymmetry (discrepancies between partners at one time point) and asynchrony (discrepancies in the progression of commitment over time) to relationship satisfaction and break‐up. In three studies (N = 6960 couples) spanning months (Study 1), days (Study 2) and years (Study 3), commitment asymmetry and asynchrony consistently did not predict satisfaction or break‐up when controlling for individuals and their partners' commitment. Only one's own commitment and proportion of downturns in commitment (reporting lower commitment than the previous time point) consistently predicted satisfaction. Women's (but not men's) commitment and proportion of downturns were associated (negatively and positively, respectively) with break‐up. Thus, contrary to some significant previous findings, commitment asymmetry and asynchrony are not indicative of future relationship outcomes. Our findings have important implications for theoretical models of commitment and couples' practical issues in relationships over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Older adults experiencing chronic homelessness (i.e., prolonged homelessness and a disabling condition) have low rates of advance care planning (ACP) despite high rates of morbidity and mortality. Rehousing of homeless‐experienced individuals into permanent supportive housing (PSH) may present an opportunity to introduce ACP; but this is unknown. Therefore, we explored staff and resident perceptions of conducting ACP in PSH. Methods: We conducted semi‐structured interviews with PSH staff (n = 13) and tenants (PSH residents) (n = 26) in San Francisco. We used the capability (C), opportunity (O), motivation (M), behavior (COM‐B) framework within the Behavior Change Wheel model and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to inform interviews, categorize themes, and guide qualitative thematic analysis. Results: The mean age of PSH residents was 67 (SD = 6.1) years and 52% were women. Of staff, 69% were women. Important COM‐B barriers included ACP complexity (C), complicated relationship dynamics (O), resource limitations (O), pessimism (M), variable staff confidence (M), and competing priorities (M). Facilitators included easy‐to‐use documents/videos, including the PREPARE for Your Care program (C), stability with housing (O), exposure to health crises (O), potential for strong relationships (O), and belief that ACP is impactful (M). Recommendations included adapting materials to the PSH setting, providing staff trainings/scripts, and using optional one‐on‐one or group sessions. Conclusions: We identified behavioral determinants related to ACP for formerly chronically homeless older adults in PSH. Future interventions should include using easy‐to‐use ACP materials and developing resources to educate PSH residents, train staff, and model ACP in groups or one‐on‐one sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core idea of the find‐remind‐and‐bind theory articulated by (Algoe, 2012, Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6, 455) is that receiving expressed gratitude facilitates positive attitudes toward the expressor such as increased prosocial behaviour. The current study tries to observe the phenomena in Japan where apologies are sometimes used when people express gratitude. In this experimental study, 671 Japanese participants received expressions of gratitude, apologies, both, or neither (control condition) in exchange for their help. The results showed that expressed gratitude had the most positive effect compared to the control, apology and both conditions; that is, expressed gratitude most strongly facilitated the message receiver's prosocial behaviour, self‐disclosure, predicted outcome values, and social worth. Expressed apologies showed a limited positive effect. A structural equation model further indicated that predicted outcome values and social worth functioned in unique ways to mediate the link between expressed gratitude and prosocial behaviour as well as self‐disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conformity and obedience studies of Asch and Milgram, legitimate authority is defined as a form of power to which subjects submit irrationally. This view assumes a causative process which the subjects' behaviour is said to manifest. Furthermore, this view assumes that there is illegitimate (or malevolent) authority. Carl J. Friedrich's theory of authority as reasoned elaboration offers an alternative perspective, which reveals conceptual differences between authority and such related constructs as power and legitimacy. When these concepts are properly distinguished, a re‐interpretation of the classical studies of conformity and obedience is called forth. Such an exercise produces insights into some of the discipline's most controversial, if not disturbing, results. Specifically, it leads to an understanding of laboratory conformity and obedience in rational terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: While there is evidence for an association of child abuse with suicidality in the course of life, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS) provides a theoretical framework to investigate this relationship. The present study examines how different subtypes of child abuse are related to suicidal ideation and to attempts in the context of the IPTS. Methods: 146 psychiatric inpatients (M = 37.9 years, 62% female) with an acute suicidal crisis (n = 71) or a recent suicide attempt (n = 74) were examined at baseline (T0) and six (T1) months later. We measured emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, the constructs of the IPTS (thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and capability for suicide) and suicidal ideation as well as suicide attempts. Using the statistics program R, a network analysis of all named constructs was conducted. Centrality measures were computed. Results: Emotional abuse was the most central kind of abuse in the network and had a direct relationship with suicide attempts and an indirect relationship with suicidal ideation via perceived burdensomeness. Physical and sexual abuse showed no significant relations with the different constructs of the IPTS. Conclusion: The major limitation of this study was the modest sample size which reduced the number of variables able to be included in the network. Regarding child abuse, the results underline that emotional abuse plays a central role in this network and may be important for suicide risk assessment. Future research should address this topic in a larger sample. Practitioner points: Emotional abuse was the most central kind of abuse in this network analysis.Sexual abuse was the only kind of abuse with a direct relation to suicidal ideation.Capability for suicide had just a marginal position in the network analysis.Early interventions addressing the effects of child abuse are recommended.Replications in larger samples and with more relevant variables are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]