Cross‐Cultural Validity of Bowen Theory in Southern European Countries

Abstract

We present a comparison between Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal to test the cross‐cultural validity of the Differentiation of Self Inventory Revised (DSI‐R) Scales of emotional cut‐off (EC) and emotional reactivity (ER). Our study focuses on the importance of in‐depth analyses of the differentiation of self‐constructs from a cross‐cultural perspective and reflects on the possibility of conceptualising the universality of Bowen theory in southern European countries. The study involved 1,807 healthy individuals. All participants completed the DSI‐R (Skowron & Schmitt, 2003). It was found that the measurement models had a suitable fit for each country group. Nevertheless, in our study, the two DSI‐R subscales, ER and EC, highlighted a weak invariance, specifically demonstrating only the invariance of the pattern factor loadings and the magnitude of factor loadings in the four samples. The empirical and clinical implications of these data are discussed.

Maturation in the Indian Context: An Exploration of Differentiation of Self in Indian Youth

“…For instance, Bowen posited that high levels of differentiation would be associated with better mental health outcomes. The same has been corroborated by many studies in the West (Jankowsky et al, 2013; Lampis et al, 2019;Skowron, 2000). Data also favours the association that exists between low levels of differentiation and psychological distress (Murdock & Gore, 2014;Tuason & Friedlander, 2000).…”

“…These studies have indicated that the terms used are differently understood and interpreted by people from non-Western cultures. The Fusion with Others (FO) subscale has been particularly vulnerable to varying interpretations due to the differing nature of family relationships in various cultures (Chung & Gale, 2006;Kim et al, 2015;Lampis et al, 2019;Lam & Chan-So, 2013). In 2015, Rodriguez-Gonzalez and others conducted a study of Spanish adult participants after translating and back-translating the DSI-R and found that only two of the four subscales (Emotional Reactivity and Emotional Cutoff) were valid.…”

“…Lampis et al (2017) and Işik & Bulduk (2015) adapted the DSI-R to Italian and Turkish languages and found the tool reliable with these populations, though the FO subscale was still problematic in these contexts. Thus, inconclusive and mixed ndings have emerged from several cross-cultural studies, making it di cult to draw de nite conclusions regarding the universality of Bowen's construct of differentiation and the validity of tools used to measure it (Lampis et al, 2019). Such varying ndings prompted Skowron and others (2014) to state that although Bowen's concept has similar aspects across cultures, how it manifests depends on the cultural context in which the individual is embedded.…”

The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion and Cognitive Flexibility in the Relationship Between Differentiation of Self and Subjective Well-Being

“…They can be productive when alone or in relationships (Papero, 2015). Lampis et al (2019) investigated the structures of differentiation of the intercultural self in their study. They stated that more studies are needed between different cultural groups in order to have more detailed information about the concept of differentiation of self.…”

The Shaping of the Self: Patterns and Pathways in Bowlby, Kohut, and Bowen

“…Why Bowlby, Kohut, and Bowen? The most obvious way to answer this question is by pointing to the enormous influence that each of these scholars has had on the theories and practices informing family therapy and other fields in the counselling, therapy, and psychology professions. Moreover, their models of the way in which selves are formed and transformed in relational systems are among the most empirically studied and validated theories in psychology (e.g., Banai, Mikulincer, & Shaver, 2005;Brown, 2020;Jankowski & Hooper, 2012;Kerr, 2019;Lampis et al, 2019;Roisman et al, 2007). But this does not yet answer the more specific question: Why try to link these three influential and well-validated theories?…”