Humor as aggression: Effects of motivation on hostility expressed in humor appreciation.

Journal of Psychotherapy Integration

2013

1,483

143

1,432

Humans have a potential for growth, integration, and well-being, while also being vulnerable to defensiveness, aggression, and ill-being. Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000b) argues that satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness both fosters immediate well being and strengthens inner resources contributing to subsequent resilience, whereas need frustration evokes ill-being and increased vulnerabilities for defensiveness and psychopathology. We briefly review recent research indicating how contextual need support and the experience of need satisfaction promote well-being and different growth manifestations (e.g., intrinsic motivation, internalization), as well as a rapidly growing body of work relating need thwarting and need frustration to ill-being, pursuit of need substitutes, and various forms of maladaptive functioning. Finally, we discuss research on differences in autonomous self-regulation and mindfulness, which serve as factors of resilience.

Section: Autonomy As a Factor In Resiliencementioning

confidence: 99%

On psychological growth and vulnerability: Basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration as a unifying principle.

Vansteenkiste

Journal of Psychotherapy Integration

2013

1,483

143

1,432

“…In other words, parental autonomy thwarting can foster incongruence, and the defensive behaviors it spawns. Indeed, the mere priming of a controlled orientation has been sufficient to elicit defensive responding, as indexed by the use of hostile humor (Weinstein, Hodgins, & Ostvik-White, 2011), the avoidance of negative experiences (Hodgins, Yacko, & Gottlieb, 2006), or avoidance of emotionally distressing information (Weinstein, Deci, et al, 2011;Weinstein & Hodgins, 2009). Across these studies of emotional integration and congruence it seems clear that controlled people show less integrity, whereas autonomy is conducive to more integration in both attitudes and less defensive and more open functioning.…”

Section: Autonomy As An Antecedent Of Emotional Integrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autonomy and Autonomy Disturbances in Self‐Development and Psychopathology: Research on Motivation, Attachment, and Clinical Process

Developmental Psychopathology

Deci

Vansteenkiste³

2016

207

163

Self‐determination theory (SDT) maintains that the adequate support and satisfaction of individuals' psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness promotes the gradual unfolding of individuals' integrative tendencies, as manifested through intrinsic motivation, internalization, identity development, and integrative emotion regulation. At the same time, the thwarting of these same psychological needs and the resultant need frustration is presumed to evoke or amplify a variety of psychopathologies, many of which involve autonomy disturbances. We begin by defining what autonomy involves and how socializing agents, particularly parents, can provide a nurturing (i.e., need‐supportive) environment, and we review research within the SDT literature that has shed light on various integrative tendencies and how caregivers facilitate them. In the second part of this chapter, we detail how many forms of psychopathology involve autonomy disturbances and are associated with a history of psychological need thwarting. We especially focus on internally controlling regulation in internalizing disorders; impairments of internalization in conduct disorders and antisocial behavior; and fragmented self‐functioning in borderline and dissociative disorders. The role of autonomy support as an ameliorative factor in treatment settings is then discussed among other translational issues. Finally we highlight some implications of recognizing the important role of basic psychological needs for both growth‐related and pathology‐related processes.

“…In addition, studies on humor have shown that less integrated and more defensive individuals are more likely to enjoy aggressive humor that derogates others, particularly when they are feeling angry. Presumably, poor integration makes the process of regulating emotion difficult, thus increasing the appeal of hostile humor (Weinstein, Hodgins, & Ostvik-White, 2011). …”

Section: Nondefensivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Integrative Process

Weinstein

Przybylski

2013

Curr Dir Psychol Sci

Self Cite

In everyday life, people are asked to make decisions, express attitudes, and endorse beliefs, all of which can be either internally consistent or at odds with one another. People are also challenged when presented with new experiences, facts, or events that do not fit with their existing self-concepts or worldviews. In short, individuals are ever faced with the problem of how to coordinate and increase the congruence between their behaviors and cognitions, and of how to integrate new experiences within their existing web of self-knowledge. In this article, we review recent research concerning the integrative processes involved in unified self-functioning. We suggest that integrative processing of experience is conducive to wellness and effective functioning, and we contrast integrative processing with defensive and compartmentalized processing, which has many costs. More specifically, we review recent research highlighting the critical and synergistic roles of awareness, ownership, and nondefensiveness in the process of integration. AbstractRecent research has provided new insights into the integrative process, which allows for unified self-functioning. In this article, we review recent work that has used a variety of behavioral, physiological, dual-process, and survey techniques to examine personality integration. On the basis of theoretical considerations and the growing body of findings, we highlight three subprocesses-namely, awareness, ownership/autonomy, and nondefensiveness-and summarize evidence linking these facets of integration to energy, wellness, and relational benefits. Finally, we review contextual factors, such as autonomy support and unconditional regard, that have been shown to be conducive to integration, and we suggest tools that may be used in future research on integration.