Dependency and self-criticism are vulnerability factors for depression. How these personality factors change with treatment for depression and how they relate to symptom change across different types of treatment require further research. In addition, cultural differences that interact with the dependency/self-criticism-depression relation remain underinvestigated. We randomly assigned 149 adul...

CONTEXT Generalized social phobia (GSP) is characterized by fear/avoidance of social situations. Previous studies have examined the neural responses in GSP to one class of social stimuli, facial expressions. However, studies have not examined the neural response in GSP to another equally important class of social stimuli, the communication of praise or criticism. OBJECTIVE To examine the neur...

Social media is changing the balance of power as well as the dynamics of communication between manufacturers and retailers, their brands, and consumers. In this research we examine the effects of companies’ responses to consumer criticism in social media. Our findings indicate that a vulnerable response leads to more positive behavioral consequences without damaging product quality perceptions ...

Building upon psychological conflict theory, on the one hand, and item-response models, on the other, the present paper develops an integrated methodology that aims at differentiating the various ways of criticizing Israel. An application of this methodology to the Anti-Semitism and Criticism of Israel (ASCI) survey found two ways of criticizing Israel resulting from two different and antipodal...

Typically, Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason has been discussed in the context of epistemology, the study of human knowing. However, one aspect or implication that scholars seem to have missed is the relevance that Kant’s theory has for the field of literary criticism; in particular, its relation to the “Reader-Response” theory.In this paper, we will reexamine the basic claims of the Read...

This study explored the effects of oxytocin on Compassion Focused Imagery (CFI), that is, imagining another "mind" being deeply compassionate to oneself, and the interaction of these effects with self-criticism and feeling socially safe with others. Forty-four healthy participants (29 men and 15 women) completed self-report measures of self-criticism, attachment style, and social safeness befor...