Academic literature on the topic 'Integrated Theoretical Model of the Development and Maintenance of Self-Injury'

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an emerging health problem among adolescents. Although previous studies have shown that deviant peer affiliation is an important risk factor for this behavior, the reasons for this relationship are unclear. Based on the integrated theoretical model of the development and maintenance of NSSI and the social development model of delinquency prevention, this study tested whether depression mediated the relationship between deviant peer affiliation and NSSI and whether this mediating effect was moderated by sensation seeking. A sample of 854 Chinese adolescents (31.50% male; Mage = 16.35; SD = 1.15) anonymously completed questionnaires on the study variables. Results of regression-based analyses showed that depression mediated the association between deviant peer affiliation and NSSI, and this effect was stronger among adolescents who reported high sensation seeking. The results demonstrate the role of individual differences in the link between affiliation with deviant peers and NSSI, and have implications for preventing and treating this risky behavior.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of many fitness centers and has significantly affected the behavioral intentions of gym-goers. This study aimed to determine factors affecting the behavioral intentions of gym-goers regarding fitness centers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines by utilizing the Physical Activity Maintenance Theory within the framework of Social Cognitive Theory. A total of 1048 gym-goers voluntarily answered an online, self-administered survey comprising 68 questions. Structural Equation Modeling indicated that physical activity maintenance through understanding COVID-19 and self-motivation had the highest significant effect on behavioral intentions. Interestingly, life stress was found to have a significant negative direct effect on physical activity maintenance. The current study is one of the first to have analyzed factors affecting the behavioral intentions of gym-goers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the application of Physical Activity Maintenance Theory and Social Cognitive Theory in this study provided accurate predictors of behavioral intention. As a result, this integrated model could serve as a theoretical foundation that could be applied and extended to assess behavioral intentions among gym-goers during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide.

Pain and substance use are highly prevalent and co-occurring conditions that continue to garner increasing clinical and empirical interest. Although nicotine and tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis each confer acute analgesic effects, frequent or heavy use may contribute to the development and progression of chronic pain, and pain may be heightened during abstinence. Additionally, pain can be a potent motivator of substance self-administration, and it may contribute to escalating use and poorer substance-related treatment outcomes. We integrated converging lines of evidence to propose a reciprocal model in which pain and substance use are hypothesized to interact in the manner of a positive feedback loop, resulting in the exacerbation and maintenance of both conditions over time. Theoretical mechanisms in bidirectional pain–substance use relations are reviewed, including negative reinforcement, social cognitive processes, and allostatic load in overlapping neural circuitry. Finally, candidate transdiagnostic factors are identified, and we conclude with a discussion of clinical implications and future research directions.

One of the perplexing features of pain is the wide variability in patients' responses to ostensibly the same extent of physical pathology. A range of cognitive, affective and behavioural factors are related to the perception of pain, maintenance of pain and disability, exacerbation of pain and response to treatment. Moreover, there is some evidence that individual differences and prior learning history also have a significant influence on the experience of pain and related disability. The role of these psychological factors in the maintenance of disability following traumas such as motor vehicle accidents and work-related injuries has generated considerable interest. This paper provides a brief overview of a set of predisposing factors, cognitive processes and behavioural principles that appear to be particularly important in the maintenance of disability following trauma. In particular, anxiety sensitivity, anticipation and avoidance of fear or harm, catastrophizing ideation, causal attributions for symptoms, self-efficacy and operant conditioning are discussed. Each of these factors is integrated in a diathesis-stress model that emphasizes the interaction of predisposing factors with a trauma, setting in motion a cascade of interpretive cognitive processes and reinforcement contingencies that maintain disability following the trauma. This model proposes a sequential process to explain the variation observed among people following a relatively minor trauma. The model is intended to be heuristic. It may be a useful conceptualization that can serve to guide prevention efforts and the development of treatment interventions.

Introduction. In the conditions of complexity, uncertainty, and diversity of contemporary Russian reality, the task of personal self-determination for the future teacher, understood as a mechanism of self-regulation, becomes a priority. In this regard, it is appropriate to consider teaching practice not only in the context of professional self-determination, but including personal selfdetermination. The “activity-based” interpretation of personal self-determination provides the prospects for finding an integrative pedagogical mechanism, which mediates the process of future teachers’ personal self-determination. The aim of the present research is the conceptualisation of ideas about pedagogical support as a mechanism and form of mediating personal selfdetermination, theoretical substantiation of the model for pedagogical support of students’ personal self-determination during the period of teaching practice. Methodology and research methods. To achieve the goal of the research, a reliable theoretical and methodological base has been defined: cultural-historical theory, psychological theory of activity, subject-activity approach, modern interpretation of the existential approach in psychology, environmental approach, and hermeneutic approach in pedagogy. The following methods of theoretical level are used: analysis of the main tendencies of modern pedagogical education development; analysis of basic theories and approaches; conceptualisation of pedagogical support ideas; hypothesis, modelling, extrapolation; generalization of research results. The materials of the research are: the sources of scientific information recognised in the scientific community (47 sources), included in the RSCI citation base, in the international citation systems Web of Science, Web of Science (RSCI), Scopus; well-known models of psychological and pedagogical support of a person in the educational process; local experience of testing the author’s model for supporting students’ personal self-determination during the period of teaching practice. Results. A developed theoretical model for supporting students’ personal self-determination during the period of teaching practice includes: design of the individual trajectory for development as the main means of support; justification of the interaction between tutors and students as the main mode of pedagogical support; disclosure of meaningful dominants of support at the main stages of personal interaction with the social and educational environment; general characterisation of the proposed methods and means of pedagogical support. The strategy of pedagogical support is proposed, taking into account the essential properties of personal self-determination (an activity of externally and internally mediated process) and the objective possibilities of teaching practice as a “space of self-determination”, which consists in ensuring the movement of the individual from external to internal, from unconscious to conscious, from passive to intentional, from spontaneous to a controlled process of selfdetermination. Scientific novelty. For the first time, pedagogical support is justified as a mechanism for mediating the personal self-determination of a future teacher. The model of pedagogical support as a mediating activity of a teacher is theoretically substantiated. The novelty of the model lies in the restructuring of the relations of its main elements: the support stages are isomorphic to the stages of selfdetermination; the “prolonged” means of support is an individual development path that integrates other means and methods. Special attention is focused on the role of the tutor’s personality and his or her interaction with students. Practical significance. The model of pedagogical support is presented as the basis for the prospective design and practical implementation of the maintenance procedure, designing and testing its methods and means, comprehending and “enriching” its content. Thus, the demonstrated model is designed to contribute to the formation of pedagogical support for the personal self-determination of future teachers as a real and in-demand educational practice in the current conditions of educational practice.

The paper deals with theoretical and experimental studies for the development of a self-powered structural health monitoring (SHM) system using macro-fiber composite (MFC) patches. The basic idea is to integrate the actuation, sensing, and energy harvesting capabilities of the MFC patches in a SHM system operating in different regimes. As an example, during flight, under the effects of normal structural vibrations, the patches can work as energy harvesters by maintaining or restoring the battery charge of the stand-by SHM electronic board; on the other hand, if relevant/abnormal loadings are applied, or if local faults produce a noticeable stiffness variation of the monitored component, the patches can act as sensors for the power-up SHM board. During maintenance, the patches can then work as actuators, to stress the structure with pre-defined load profiles, as well as sensors, to monitor the structural response. In this paper, the investigation, based on the electromechanical impedance technique, is carried out on a system prototype made of a cantilevered composite laminate with six MFC patches. A high-fidelity nonlinear model of the system, including the piezoelectric hysteresis of the patches and three vibration modes of the laminate beam, is presented and validated with experiments. The results support the potential feasibility of the system, pointing out that the energy storage can be used for recharging a 3V-65mAh Li-ion battery, suitable for low-power electronic boards. The model is finally used to characterize a condition-monitoring algorithm in terms of false alarms rejection and vulnerability to dormant faults, by simulating built-in tests to be performed during maintenance.

Purpose The understanding of the motives for consumers’ support of business underdogs is generally limited. The purpose of this paper is to help address this important research topic by conceptualizing underdog affection as a theoretical construct capturing the emotional attachment held by some consumers toward underdog business entities and advances two perspectives (self- and other-oriented) to unravel its motivational underpinnings. Design/methodology/approach To test the conceptual model, a survey study was conducted involving 365 respondents drawn from an electronic alumni association list from a medium-sized Midwestern university in the USA. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analyses were used to validate the scales, and the structural equations modeling method was used to test the hypothesized effects. Findings The data support most of the hypotheses (eight out of nine). Under the self-oriented perspective, commerce underdog affection is positively influenced by underdog orientation, need for uniqueness, nostalgia proneness, and hope, and is negatively impacted by their materialism level. Only hope did not impact consumer underdog affection. Under the other-oriented perspective, balance maintenance, top dog antipathy, and empathic concern positively influence underdog affection. The other-oriented factors, especially top dog antipathy and balance maintenance, show stronger effects on commerce underdog affection than self-oriented factors. Research limitations/implications The sample was geographically restrictive in the sense that it measured only one group of respondents in the USA. The conceptual model is limited in terms of its coverage of the consequences of underdog affection. While discriminant validity is established in the scale development phase of the study, relatively close relationships do exist among some of these theoretical constructs. Practical implications Given the significant evidence linking consumers’ underdog affection to underdog support in commerce, small locally owned businesses could use underdog positioning advertising to differentiate themselves against national retailers. Due to their tendency to display higher underdog affection in commerce, people with higher levels of balance maintenance, top dog antipathy, underdog orientation, emphatic concern, and nostalgia proneness, and lower levels of materialism can be segmented for marketing purposes. Social implications This research indicates that there are ways in which small business entities and non-profits alike can operate in a business setting that is increasingly more competitive and challenging for underdog entities. Originality/value This study integrates the various underdog studies across contexts to examine motives to underdog affection, a construct not yet operationalized in business studies. In addition, hypotheses linking eight specific antecedents to commerce underdog affection, via two theoretical perspectives, are empirically examined to assess relative as well as absolute effects.

Several biological risk factors for suicidal and self-har­ming behaviour have now been identified. The differen­ces relate to changes in key neurotransmitter systems (serotonergic, polyamine stress response, glutamatergic and GABAergic systems), inflammatory response, astro­glial dysfunction, neuronal plasticity factor, confirming the need to differentiate between those motivated to com­mit suicide and those prone to non-suicidal self-harming behaviour from total suicide attempts. Non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour (self-injurious thoughts and behaviours or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)) is defined as repeated, deliberate, direct da­mage to the body without suicidal intent, which is not socially acceptable. An integrated theoretical model of NSSI development and support suggests that this type of behaviour functions as a method of regulating emo­tional experience and social interaction when a stressful event occurs. NSSI is currently included in Section 3 of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Men­tal Disorders, Fifth Edition) and is listed as a condition recommended for further study. The American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Revision (DSM-IV-TR) and the International Classification of Di­seases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) code NSSI as a symptom of borderline personality disorder. Recent studies have shown that 59.6% of individuals with NSSI show signs of substance abuse. There are concerns that rates of suicide and suicidal be­haviour may increase during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose To provide a keener understanding of consumers’ decision-making processes and motivations regarding deliberate counterfeit consumption, this paper aims to integrate insights from several theoretical perspectives and the relevant literature. It proposes an overlooked yet important goal-directed interactionist perspective and identifies and tests a novel construct called consumers’ perceived counterfeit detection (PCD) in a proposed model. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a comprehensive review of the literature to justify its proposed perspective, PCD construct and model, followed by in-depth interviews and survey data to test its proposed model and hypotheses. Findings Besides the theoretical insights derived from the proposed goal-directed interactionist perspective, empirical results demonstrate the important role that PCD plays in counterfeit consumption. In fact, PCD not only negatively and directly affects consumers’ intentions to deliberately purchase counterfeits but also weakens the positive effect consumers’ attitudes have on their purchase intentions. Research limitations/implications This research makes several theoretical contributions. First and foremost, differing from other approaches (e.g. personal, economic and ethical), this research justifies an overlooked yet important goal-directed interactionist perspective and develops a refined and substantive framework including its proposed PCD construct. This framework provides opportunities to investigate behavior as an interpretative and dynamic process, vitalizing the domain of counterfeit-consumption behavior studies in particular and ethical behavior research in general. Second, at the construct level, the proposed hypothetical construct of PCD comprises the building blocks for knowledge advancement. Finally, rather than testing theories incrementally (such as the theory of planned behavior and the theory of reasoned action), this research fosters the development of new ideas regarding our proposed goal-directed interactionist perspective and PCD construct, which can be applied to other contexts and constructs that share the same or similar mechanisms and features. Practical implications According to the proposed goal-directed interactionist perspective, this research offers insights regarding why understanding consumers’ different goals (e.g. social-adjustive vs value-expressive; attainment vs maintenance) is important for marketers; how consumers’ goals interplay with their choices through their actions and consumption (e.g. compete vs substitute); and why, how and when their goals interact with their actions, choices and situations during their goal-setting, goal-striving and goal-realization stages that may lead to unethical behavior. At the construct level, the better marketers understand PCD, the more effectively they can use it. At the level of relationships and procedures, this research can offer important insights for businesses that look for “best practices” in the fight against deliberate counterfeit consumption. Originality/value First, by integrating insights from goal-directed behavior, self-regulatory theories and interactionist theory, this paper proposes its own goal-directed interactionist perspective. It then develops and tests a refined and substantive model of counterfeit decision-making in which PCD stands as a novel construct. The paper’s proposed perspective and model provide opportunities to investigate behavior as an interpretative and dynamic process, taking the domain of ethical behavior research (e.g. counterfeit-consumption behavior) from descriptive frameworks to testable theories.

Eating disorders (EDs) can be viewed as “embodied acts” that help to cope with internal and external demands that are perceived as overwhelming. The maintenance of EDs affects the entire identity of the person; the lack of a defined; or valid sense of self is expressed in terms of both physical body and personal identity. According to attachment theory, primary relationships characterized by insecurity, traumatic experiences, poor mirroring, and emotional attunement lead to the development of dysfunctional regulatory strategies. Although the literature shows an association between attachment style or states of mind, trauma, behavioral strategies, and various EDs, the debate is still ongoing and the results are still conflicting. Therefore, we believe it is important to examine and treat EDs by understanding which narrative trajectory intercepts distress in relation to narrative and embodied self-concept. Drawing on clinical observation and a narrative review of the literature, we focus on the construction and organization of bodily and narrative identity. Because bodily representations are the primary tools for generating meaning, organizing experience, and shaping social identity from the earliest stages of life, we focus on the role that bodily interactions and sensorimotor and proprioceptive patterns have played in the development of EDs. We consider the role that lack of attunement, insecure attachment, and relational trauma play in mentalizing, affecting self-representation and emotion regulation strategies. The paper also considers a semantic mode of trauma in EDs that involves a top-down pathway through beliefs and narratives about oneself based on lack of amiability, on devaluation, and on humiliation memories. Finally, we would like to highlight the proposal of an integrated model with multiple access model to psychotherapy that takes into account the complexity of ED patients in whom aspects related to dysregulation, body image disintegration, and post-traumatic symptoms are associated with a suffering sense of self and a retraumatizing narrative.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is a maladaptive behavior and it is defined as "the deliberate, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue without suicidal intent and for purposes not socially sanctioned". Although under-reported, NSSI is often revealed in community samples, and a recurring comorbidity was found with suicide, which highlights the gravity of NSSI itself, as it may lead to serious injury or even mortality. It may occur in all phases of life, but individuals appear to start such behavior very early in their life, especially in adolescence and young adulthood, with possible incidence rates that considerably vary among studies (i.e., approximately from 5% to 38%). This dissertation aims to thoroughly explore the NSSI topic. Firstly, the behavior was investigated from a psychological and experimental perspective, through observational data. After, two different approaches applying Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) were introduced to study the role of diverse factors affecting NSSI. Two main theoretical models were considered to better understand NSSI behavior, and as a background for the implementation of the numerical model. Particularly, the Experiential Avoidance Model claims NSSI is a negatively reinforced strategy for terminating unwanted emotional arousal. On the other hand, the Integrated Theoretical Model of the Development and Maintenance of Self-Injury focused on the description of the functions of NSSI (i.e., interpersonal and intrapersonal functions), and it introduces how distal factors may increase an intrapersonal and interpersonal vulnerability, and how specific factors may lead to engage in NSSI to cope with stress. Hence, the latter was suitable to thoroughly identify the complexity of factors involved in NSSI. Besides literature has showed the presence of several factors that affects NSSI, previous studies have not investigated the specific role of diverse factors in affecting NSSI. Particularly, several studies were more focused on the individual-related risk factors, omitting to adequately analyze interpersonal factors or other similar psychosocial dimensions, such as adolescent dynamics and risk behaviors in virtual social networks. To fill this gap, a few preliminary studies were conducted: we have analyzed the online social dynamics of adolescents, and the role of interpersonal and family relationships in their life, to detect possible risk factors. For what concerns the numerical modeling, we have focused on the NSSI dynamics in adolescence, through the Agent-Based Modeling (ABM). As a first approach, main NSSI risk factors (i.e., Inner Factor, Outer Factor, Media Factor) were selected from literature, assuming them as increasing the probability of self-injury. Moreover, three network topologies (i.e., Uniform, Gaussian, Exponential) and a probability to experience stressful events were settled as fixed parameters. As a dynamical parameter, the Peer Factor was introduced as the density of self-injurers in the network. The mathematical model was described, and the numerical simulations conducted were introduced, first considering the effect of each risk factor singularly, then contemplating the combined effect of all risk factors. As a second approach, a preliminary validation of the mathematical model was conducted. Risk factors were parametrized through real data collected in three secondary schools, and numerical simulations were started comparing results with those obtained through the survey. Moreover, the network was finally divided in two subclusters presenting a different density of self-injurers. Hence, the propagation of self-injurers from a subcluster to another was analyzed, as well as the number of connections between subclusters increased along numerical simulations. Results revealed a relevant effect of both risk factors and the dynamical parameter Peer Factor on NSSI dynamics, considering both results from the non-parametrized model and results from the parametrized model. On the contrary, topology displayed little or none effect on the probability of self-injury. Moreover, the model appears to adequately reproduce NSSI real trends, obtaining similar results than real data, confirming its good effectiveness in describing NSSI dynamics. Such findings highlighted interesting implications about the complex dynamics of the phenomenon, and might represent a starting point to implement an integrated model reproducing similar maladaptive behaviors (e.g., gamble).

Abstract Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is conceptualized as an emotion-avoidant behavior similar to other co-occurring maladaptive behaviors such as substance abuse, disordered eating, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Although all these behaviors are motivated by emotion avoidance resulting in short-term benefits, a variety of cognitive processes are vital to understanding the onset and maintenance of these behaviors. This chapter overviews current research on the cognitive processes and related neurobiological features believed to increase vulnerability to NSSI. The chapter provides an integrative summary proposing that NSSI originates from a cognitive control dysfunction, rumination, and attentional biases toward negative emotions that result in the use of NSSI or other maladaptive regulation strategies. Continued use of the behavior leads to a cyclical pattern of reward that increases positive expectancies, attentional biases, development of rule-governed behavior, and cognitive inflexibility, and reliance on NSSI for coping is exacerbated. The integrated cycle of cognitive processes discussed in this chapter complements recent transdiagnostic models of emotion-avoidant disorders and helps to expand current emotion-focused theoretical understandings of NSSI.