International Journal of Psychological Studies, Issue: Vol.18, No.3

Fracture, Forgiveness, and the Developmental Ceiling: A Theoretical Integration for High-Performance Contexts

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 03:55:10 +0000

This conceptual paper proposes a theoretical integration of three established psychological frameworks — constructive-developmental theory, narrative identity theory, and forgiveness science — to explain the motivational architecture of high performers and the mechanism by which that architecture can be transformed. Using an integrative conceptual review method, the paper advances four claims. First, developmental fracture — early experience of conditional worth rooted in insecure attachment — installs a self-story organized around disproving inadequacy through achievement. Second, this compensatory self-story imposes a predictable psychological ceiling through three well-evidenced mechanisms: rumination, narrative fixation, and physiological depletion. Third, forgiveness functions not as a moral or sentimental act but as a structural developmental capacity: it reduces the affective charge binding identity to its compensatory narrative, enabling the subject–object shift required for genuine motivational transformation. Fourth, the analysis carries direct implications for psychotherapy integration and executive coaching with high-performance populations, including a hypothesized sequencing of intervention. The framework's central propositions are presented explicitly as testable hypotheses rather than established findings. Alternative accounts of achievement motivation — temperament, self-determination, achievement goal orientation, passion, and cultural values — are considered, and cross-cultural boundary conditions, limitations, and specific directions for empirical research are discussed.

The Effects of Gesture and Age on Mock Jurors’ Perceptions of Child Witnesses

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 01:26:37 +0000

Jurors’ perceptions of child witnesses can have significant influence in judicial outcomes, particularly in cases where children’s testimony is central. The role of gesture in shaping jurors’ perceptions is underexplored. Gesture enhances memory recall and reduces cognitive load, making it an important component of effective communication. The present research consists of two experiments that examined whether child witnesses’ use of gesture during recall of an alleged crime affected jurors’ perceptions of child witness credibility and defendant guilt. In Study 1 (N = 187), all participants read one of two scenarios describing a 4-or-8-year-old child witness who gestured. They then responded to questions regarding the child’s credibility and the defendant’s guilt. Study 1 results indicated that when the child gestured, there were no significant age differences in child credibility nor continuous and dichotomous guilt judgments. Women rated the child witness who gestured as more credible than did men, regardless of the child’s age. Study 2 (N = 114) experimentally manipulated gesture use (gesture vs. no gesture) across scenarios while holding child age (4 years) constant. Again, gesture did not significantly affect ratings of child credibility, continuous guilt judgments, or categorical verdicts. Across studies, these findings suggest that in some samples women are more sensitive to child witnesses who gesture than men and that gesture might possibly equalize age differences. However, when a gesture condition was compared to a no-gesture condition, gesture did not improve mock jurors’ perceptions of 4-year-olds. Implications for forensic interviewing are discussed.

Communication Barriers in Digital Mental Health Screening: Implications for Access to Care among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Individuals

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 05:33:27 +0000

Digital mental health screening systems are used to identify psychological needs, guide referrals, and determine access to behavioral health services. As their use continues to expand, these systems are typically designed around standardized language-based communication that may not align with the communication modalities of Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) individuals. This paper, informed by the authors’ prior qualitative research as well as interdisciplinary literature, proposes a stage-based framework for understanding how communication barriers may influence assessment validity throughout digital mental health screening. The framework identifies three communication-dependent processes that shape assessment outcomes: interpretation of screening prompts, construction of responses, and comprehension of system-generated feedback. Rather than viewing digital screening technologies as neutral instruments, the proposed framework conceptualizes them as structured assessment environments in which communication conditions directly influence psychological assessment. This perspective extends existing work on accessibility and clinical assessment by providing a process-oriented framework for examining how communication accessibility may affect interpretation accuracy, clinical decision-making, and access to mental health services among DHH individuals.

Pirouettes and Perfection: A Narrative Review on Eating Disorders among Ballet Dancers---Risk Factors, Prevalence, and Prevention

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 23:53:17 +0000

While eating disorders disorders remain remain a serious mental and physical health concern that afflicts millions worldwide, they are particularly prevalent in performance-based disciplines that demand physical perfection. Ballet is one of the highest risk activities due to its aesthetic ideal of thinness, precision, and gracefulness. This narrative review examines the contribution of ballet’s historical evolution in shaping body dissatisfaction, which is a potential driver of the development of eating disorders;, how the prevalence of eating disorders within the dancer group varies;, and the dancer-tailored interventions aimed at mitigating these effects. George Balanchine was underscored as the primary historical figure who idealized the modern thin body standards in ballet. Adolescent, professional, female, and white dancers were observed to have a higher risk of developing eating disorders or have exhibited more intensified dissatisfaction towards their bodies, indicating the role that specific ballet identity plays in the general overarching prevalence of eating disorders among this population. Yet with distinct patterns patterns identified identified regarding the prevalence, little to no interventions have displayed long-lasting effects in treating the issue. Hence, future research should focus on on establishing establishing a promising intervention that both addresses and respects the influences brought by the discipline itself.

Preparing Clinical Psychology Doctoral Students for Chronic Pain Care: Integrating Pain Neuroscience Education into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Training

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:46:14 +0000

Chronic pain is among the most prevalent and disabling health conditions worldwide and is associated with substantial psychological distress, functional impairment, and reduced quality of life. Although clinical psychologists play a central role in the assessment and behavioral treatment of chronic pain, many doctoral training programs provide limited formal instruction in pain-specific competencies beyond traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Pain neuroscience education (PNE), an evidence-based educational approach commonly incorporated into physical therapy, provides patients with explanations of the biological and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying persistent pain and may complement psychologists' delivery of CBT for chronic pain (CBT-CP). The present study evaluated the integration of a six-session PNE seminar series into a doctoral clinical psychology training program. Nine psychology trainees completed a retrospective pretest-posttest evaluation assessing perceived knowledge, confidence, and preparedness for chronic pain treatment following participation in the interdisciplinary seminar series. Participants reported significant improvements in understanding pain neuroscience concepts, confidence explaining pain mechanisms to patients, preparedness to deliver behavioral interventions for chronic pain, and integration of pain-related knowledge into clinical practice. Trainees also rated the seminar content as highly relevant to their clinical work. Findings suggest that incorporating PNE into doctoral psychology curricula may strengthen trainee knowledge, confidence, and perceived preparedness for chronic pain treatment. More broadly, this interdisciplinary training model illustrates how concepts from rehabilitation science can be integrated into clinical psychology education to enhance biopsychosocial understanding and prepare trainees for collaborative behavioral health practice.

Emotional Differentiation in Structured Self-Guided Practices: A Conceptual Analysis of Non-Clinical Emotional Work

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 03:55:29 +0000

Structured approaches to emotional work are increasingly used outside formal clinical treatment, yet their mechanisms and evidential status remain unclear. This conceptual review examines emotional differentiation in guided and self-guided emotional practices, using the GSR system as a case of an emerging non-clinical methodology. We integrate research on emotional differentiation, emotion regulation, affect labelling, symbolic externalisation, cognitive reappraisal and guided versus unguided psychological work, while distinguishing conceptual plausibility from direct evidence for specific methods. Available GSR materials describe specialist-guided sessions, self-sessions and diagnostic sessions addressing a client's non-conscious attitudes towards personally significant focuses, figures and processes. The method is protected in Russia by Patent No. 2857977 for a “method for correction of a person's psycho-emotional state”. Two preliminary reports examine physiological responses during a GSR session and emotional reactivity in long-term practitioners. These reports indicate that GSR can be studied with physiological and subjective measures, but do not establish clinical efficacy, causality or emotional differentiation as a mechanism. Together, the evidence supports further preregistered, controlled and independently replicated studies of structured emotional practices, while underscoring the need to distinguish non-clinical emotional work from clinical assessment and treatment.

Collective Grief, Meaning-Making, and Moral Identity as Mechanisms of Psychological Transformation Extending DeSteno's Social Technology Framework through Ashura Rituals

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 03:03:08 +0000

Collective rituals can strengthen social cohesion and promote prosocial behavior. Building on DeSteno’s Social Technology Framework, which conceptualizes ritual as a mechanism for cultivating moral emotions and cooperation, this study examines the psychological processes through which participation in the Shia Muslim commemoration of Ashura facilitates enduring psychological transformation. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 active participants in Ashura rituals. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, combining inductive exploration of lived experiences with deductive interpretation informed by contemporary theories of ritual psychology, meaning-making, emotional synchronization, moral identity, and psychological well-being.

Sixteen initial themes were integrated into a six-stage model of psychological transformation. The process begins with collective historical memory of Karbala, which provides the symbolic and moral foundation of the ritual. Through synchronized mourning, recitation, and communal participation, individuals experience emotional synchronization that strengthens social connectedness and collective identity. Participants described integrating the moral narrative of Karbala into their own experiences through “narrative bridging,” whereby collective memory becomes a framework for meaning-making, cognitive reframing of suffering, resilience, gratitude, and moral identity development. Repeated participation was associated with enduring outcomes, including greater purpose, emotional regulation, spiritual growth, compassion, justice orientation, and psychological well-being.

The findings support DeSteno’s proposition that rituals function as social technologies while extending the framework by identifying a complementary psychological technology. The proposed model suggests that transformation is fundamentally narrative-mediated, as historical memory, embodied ritual practice, and emotional synchronization interact to produce lasting changes in cognition, identity, meaning-making, and well-being.