There is a wider myth such as all child sex abusers are paedophiles, which is not true. Based on the motivation of the abuser, these offenders can be divided into ‘preferential offenders’ and ‘situational offenders’. Preferential offenders have a mental predisposition for sexual interaction with children. But situational offenders do not have any such preferences…
Loneliness has become common among the people in developed societies. As per the US data published in 2018, approximately 50 million people suffer from loneliness and which was 43 million in 2010. A British campaign in 2016 found that 84% people in Britain experience loneliness. In 2022, an Indian study revealed the presence of loneliness…
Repression is a defense mechanism in which the person is unable to remember or to be cognitively aware of disturbing wishes, feelings, thoughts, or experiences (American Psychological Association, 1987, p.394). According to George E. Vaillant’s (1992) classification, it is one of the neurotic defense mechanisms, because they “do not individually demonstrate strong relationships to symptoms…
In 1950s Solomon Asch, a Polish-American psychologist conducted a series of experiments among some college students. He showed the participants in common, three cards with three lines in differing length and asked them to say which of them had similar lengths. In the first three trials all of them made the correct judgments as ‘they…
Suppression is a defense mechanism in which the person avoids intentionally thinking about disturbing problems, desires, feelings, or experiences. It is considered as a mature form of defense mechanism, since these attempts to cope up with the situation are more conscious. But, is this a healthy way of living anger? Studies suggest that suppression has…
Acting-out is a defense mechanism in which the person acts without reflection or apparent regard for its negative consequences (DSM III, 1987 p.394). George E. Vaillant (1992) explains that it “involves the expression of feelings, wishes, or impulses in uncontrolled behaviour with apparent disregard for personal or social consequences” (p.253). Therefore it is the mode…
Mask has been a popular word for last three years. During the Covid-19 pandemic years, Hebrew Language Academy published an explanation regarding the root of this word. They connect it with a biblical text from the book of Leviticus verse 13, 45. “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair…
Some emotions are closer to each other at their experiential level. They share some commonalities, perhaps in expressions, in physiological activities, in the nature of antecedents or in the appraisal process. Therefore, they naturally form a ‘family of feelings’ (Ekman, 1992, p. 172) or a ‘cluster of emotions’. Shame, embarrassment, shyness and doubt form such…
Etymologically ‘guilt’ denotes the violation of a rule, causing a debt or penalty. In Judeo-Christian tradition it was considered to be a result of sin. In both cases, the focus is on the act. Psychology has shifted its focus from act to feelings towards oneself (Banmen, 1988, p. 79). Psychologically it is an emotional response…
At the mourning dawn of Mr. Innocent, a leading actor in Malayalam Cinema; I happened to watch one of his interviews. In which, he was mentioning about some of the non-innocent questions that he had to face from his guests after he was survived of the cancer. Though the original intentions of such visits were…