DOCSLIB.ORG

Recognition and Management of the Overly Affectionate Patient

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Recognition and Management of the Overly Affectionate Patient Recognition and Management of the Overly Affectionate Patient Barry L. Hainer, MD Charleston, South Carolina Physicians should be aware that patients who offer excessive admiration, signs of affection, and flattery are exhibiting a form of seductive behavior. To understand and manage this behavior, the physician must recognize his or her susceptibil­ ity to the feelings of omnipotence it engenders. Setting realistic expectations, challenging these patients to be less dependent upon the physician, and recognizing the need for referral in certain situations is necessary in managing such patients. A mature physician strives toward developing self-reliance and independence in patients. Difficult patients have been defined as those stimulate a sense of self-importance in their who in some manner upset their physician.1 Ex­ physicians. Later these patients may exhaust their cessively affectionate and adoring patients are dif­ physician’s ability to cope with them. The early ficult without being upsetting. Characteristically sense of omnipotence is then replaced by feelings these patients offer physicians undue amounts of of weariness and aversion. praise, compliments, and gifts. Such behavior is seduction by flattery. Although this may be less Case Report threatening to a physician than other forms of se­ ductive behavior, seduction by flattery can de­ Mrs. W. is an 83-year-old white woman, di­ velop insidiously and be difficult to manage. Levin vorced since 1942 with two living children, currently has noted that “physicians are vulnerable in vary­ living by herself. I first encountered Mrs. W. dur­ ing degrees to different types of seduction. Some ing residency training and saw her from 1977 through may find erotic seduction not particularly trou­ 1979 on nine occasions for a variety of problems: blesome, but are hard put to cope with the patient osteoarthritis, mild depression, complaints of diz­ who plays upon their wish to be omnipotent, ziness, and treatment of a basal cell carcinoma of famous, admired or loveable.” 2 the nose, as well as for routine health mainte­ Overly affectionate patients are a subtype of a nance. Mrs. W.’s affection for me grew with each group that Groves has referred to as “ dependent visit. Gifts of food and compliments about my dingers.”3 Their need for explanation, affection, great fund of knowledge, my handsome appearance, medication, and other forms of attention exceed and my ward manner were increasingly offered. good medical care and often the tolerance of many As many elderly patients do, Mrs. W. sought physicians. Early interactions with such patients physical contact. She grasped my hand, embraced me, and kissed me on the cheek. As visits pro­ gressed, she even declared her love for me. These From the Department of Family Medicine, Medical Univer­ efforts at physical contact were either ambiva­ sity of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. Re­ quests for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Barry L. lently supported or ineffectually resisted. Consulting Hainer, Department of Family Medicine, Medical University physicians often made remarks about her worship­ of South Carolina, 171 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425. ful attitude toward me. As many of my needs were 0094-3509/82 !47-03$00.75 1982 Appleton-Century-Crofts THE JOURNAL OF FAMILY PRACTICE, VOL. 14, NO. 1: 47-49, 1982 47 THE OVERL Y AFFECTION A TE PA T/ENT being met by this relationship, I took such com­ Discussion ments by my colleagues good naturedly. In August 1978, a Pap smear taken during a Overly affectionate patients usually have an un­ routine health maintenance visit revealed moder­ conscious need for control or recognition.4 They ate cervical dysplasia. Gynecologic consultation attempt to control the patient-physician interac­ led to a cervical biopsy. Examination under anes­ tion by playing upon the physician’s wishes to be thesia revealed a stage IIB carcinoma of the ovary. admired. The susceptible physician often feels After uneventful recovery from surgery, Mrs. W. guilty when he or she is unable to meet such pa­ received 12 months of chemotherapy, which she tients’ needs or demands. Recognition of these tolerated well. The patient was convinced that I feelings and their origin may help the physician had “ saved her from cancer.” When Mrs. W. said appreciate the weakly disguised feelings of loneli­ her gynecologist was annoyed that she gave most ness, depression, or even hostility often found in of the credit for her recovery to me, I felt a mix­ these patients.5 When the needs of overly affec­ ture of chagrin, embarassment, and enjoyment. tionate patients go unmet or unrecognized, anger, Despite her poor vision and limited income, aggression, and rejection can quickly replace hero Mrs. W. continued to contact me after I entered worship, flattery, and affection.6 into private practice in another state. She wrote Physicians may label as difficult those patients frequent letters and made occasional long distance who fail to respond to therapeutic efforts. It is telephone calls to my home. According to Mrs. clear there are certain features of physicians that W., it was nothing short of an “ act of God” that I may contribute to these difficulties.7 A physician’s later returned to my residency program as a faculty encouragement of overly affectionate behavior member. At the request of Mrs. W. and her new may be as unconscious as a patient’s motivations physician, I again became her family physician. for exhibiting this type of behavior. All physicians A presentation of my relationship with Mrs. W., derive some satisfaction from patient encounters was the subject of a departmental Grand Rounds. because they meet to some degree the “need to be Through the preparation and presentation of this needed.” It is acceptable for a physician to wish conference, I gained new insights into my relation­ that patients develop confidence in him, but it is ship with Mrs. W. Further awareness resulted unacceptable for the physician to wish that pa­ from self-reflection, reading, and especially the tients see him as all-powerful. Curry reminds us, comments of my colleagues. “If one has omnipotent feelings he should reflect On subsequent visits I listened to Mrs. W. and upon the rapidity with which patients find other reassured her that I was as available to patients medical services when a physician leaves the who did not bring gifts as to those who did. She community or dies.”8 continued to bring gifts, but not so often. When It is true that physicians are most successful she telephoned me at home, I told her I would with patients who admire them. When a physician accept calls at home only if she felt her problem to receives an exaggerated compliment, there is be a true emergency. I explained that I needed probably no harm in accepting it with reserva­ private time, away from patient responsibility. Af­ tions, but it should not be swallowed whole. terward she rarely called except when lonely and Surely part of the credit belongs to someone else emotionally upset. and has been offered to the physician through dis­ I told Mrs. W. that I was not doing a very good placement.9 job if she felt she could not get along without me. I Patients often transfer some part of their own told her my goal was for her to be able to function past experience with powerful figures to their re­ well without having to depend on me. I think she lationships with their physicians. Transference is a believed me. I felt better about our relationship as two-way street. Both patient and physician bring a result of these changes. An office visit every six displaced feelings, passions, and attitudes from to eight weeks seemed sufficient to provide the former emotional attachments into their relation­ recognition and contact Mrs. W. needed during ships. The identification and exploration of these this lonely, frightening period of her life. I was transferred feelings has become the basis of many careful to reschedule visits independent of flatter­ forms of psychotherapy. In family medicine these ing praise or gift giving. phenomena are rarely explored formally, but 48 THE JOURNAL OF FAMILY PRACTICE, VOL. 14, NO. 1, 1982 THE OVERL Y AFFECTION A TE PA TIENT much frustration can be avoided when it is recog­ flattering remarks and may help to reduce rein­ nized that they are taking place. forcement of this behavior. Finally, if the physician’s feelings, whether positive or negative, are interfering with his ability to serve the patient optimally, it is time to consider consultation or referral to a trusted colleague. Recognition and Management Seduction by flattery must be recognized for what it is as it is occurring. The physician should be alert to feelings of omnipotence and a desire for self-importance. Acknowledging these feelings Conclusion will help the physician to understand why certain It is important for the family physician to rec­ patients are special for him or her and others are ognize and correctly manage the seductive behav­ not.10 This self-awareness will also help alert the ior of overly affectionate patients. An awareness physician to overly affectionate behavior and his that excessive flattery and guilt engendering be­ or her vulnerability to such behavior. havior are forms of seductive behavior is essential. When a physician leaves a patient encounter The physician needs to recognize a susceptibility and feels the patient has been let down, he should to feelings of omnipotence and a vulnerability to consider that he may be encountering overly af­ seduction by flattery. Clarification, challenge fectionate behavior in a seductive patient. This techniques, limit setting, and consultation can be physician should examine his guilt feelings to see if used in dealing with overly affectionate behavior.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Emotion, Seduction and Intimacy: Alternative Perspectives on Human Behaviour RIDLEY-DUFF, R
    Emotion, seduction and intimacy: alternative perspectives on human behaviour RIDLEY-DUFF, R. J. Available from Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/2619/ This document is the author deposited version. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it. Published version RIDLEY-DUFF, R. J. (2010). Emotion, seduction and intimacy: alternative perspectives on human behaviour. Silent Revolution Series . Seattle, Libertary Editions. Repository use policy Copyright © and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in SHURA to facilitate their private study or for non- commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain. Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive http://shura.shu.ac.uk Silent Revolution Series Emotion Seduction & Intimacy Alternative Perspectives on Human Behaviour Third Edition © Dr Rory Ridley-Duff, 2010 Edited by Dr Poonam Thapa Libertary Editions Seattle © Dr Rory Ridley‐Duff, 2010 Rory Ridley‐Duff has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Acts 1988. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution‐Noncommercial‐No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
    [Show full text]
  • Victimology Exploring the Experience of Victimization Distribute Or John Sutcliff’S Entire Adult Life Has Been Devoted to the Sexual Seduction of Teenage Boys
    CHAPTER 3 Victimology Exploring the Experience of Victimization distribute or John Sutcliff’s entire adult life has been devoted to the sexual seduction of teenage boys. At the age of 33 he was arrested and sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy who was a member of his “Big Brother’s Club.” By his own admission he had sexually molested over 200 “members” of his club. John’s favorite activity with these boys was giving and receiving enemas. John became involved with the fetish while enrolled in a residential boy’s school where many of the boys were subjected to enemas administered in front of the entire dormitory. After his release from prison, John became much more “scientific” in his efforts to procure victims. A “theoretical” paper he wrote indicated that father-absent boys werepost, “ripe” for seduction, and he would entice them with his friendly ways and with a houseful of electronic equipment he would teach the boys to repair and operate. He weeded out boys with a father in the home and would spend at least 6 weeks grooming each victim. He used systematic desensitization techniques, starting with simply getting the boys to agree to type in answers to innocuous questions and escalating to having them view pornographic homosexual pictures and giving them “pretend” enemas, actual enemas, and enemas accompanied by sexual activity. With each successive approximation toward John’s goal the boys were reinforced by material and nonmaterial rewards (friendship, attention, praise) that made the final events seem almost natural. copy, John’s activities came to light when U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Prison Victimization: High-Risk Characteristics and Prevention
    PRISON VICTIMIZATION: HIGH-RISK CHARACTERISTICS AND PREVENTION A thesis submitted to Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts by Leslie A. Swales August, 2008 Thesis written by Leslie A. Swales B.A., Kent State University, 2006 M.A., Kent State University, 2008 Approved by Shelley Listwan, Ph.D. , Advisor Marc Colvin, Ph.D. , Chair, Department of Justice Studies John Stalvey, Ph.D. , Dean, College of Arts and Sciences ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES………….………………………….………………………………….v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS…………..................................................................................vi INTRODUCTION…...........................................................................................................1 Prison Victimization…………..……………..……………………………………6 Importation vs. Deprivation……….………………………………………6 Prison Inmate-on-Inmate Victimization……………….……………………...…13 Physical Victimization…………………..….……..….………….………14 Psychological Victimization……………...……………….…….……….16 Sexual Victimization………………………...……………..…………….18 Risk Factors and Characteristics………………...……………………….22 Impact of Victimization…………………………...…..…………………………29 Psychological Consequences…………...….…………………………….29 METHODS…………………………….………………………………………………..33 Sample…………………..………………...……………………………………...33 Data Collection………………….…………...…………………………………..35 Variables…………………..…………………..…………………………………36 Analysis………………………..………………..………………………………..39 RESULTS………………………………………………..………………………………40 Demographic Information…………………..……………………………………40 Prior Record………………………………….…………………………………..42
    [Show full text]
  • PSYCHOPATHY in ADOLESCENCE: CAUSES, TRAITS and RISK BEHAVIOURS Maria Vincenza Minò Brindisi, Italy
    Psychiatria Danubina, 2019; Vol. 31, Suppl. 3, pp 443-446 Conference paper © Medicinska naklada - Zagreb, Croatia PSYCHOPATHY IN ADOLESCENCE: CAUSES, TRAITS AND RISK BEHAVIOURS Maria Vincenza Minò Brindisi, Italy SUMMARY Psychopathy is a personality disorder defined by a specific set of behaviours and personality traits evaluated as negative and socially harmful. The modern conception of Psychopathy was introduced by Clerckley in "Mask of Sanity" (1941), and refined by Hare with the construction of the PCL (1980, 1991), a gold standard instrument for the evaluation of the disorder. Manipulation, deception, grandeur, emotional superficiality, lack of empathy and remorse, impulsive and irresponsible lifestyle, persistent violation of social norms and expectations (Cleckley 1976, Hare 2003) are some behavioural aspects that characterize psychopathic subjects. With this work we intend to study in depth the causes, the traits, in particular the so-called callous-unemotional and risk factors that lead a teenager to become a psychopathic subject. The diagnostic tools useful for the assessment and for the possibilities of intervention that can be put into practice will also be described. Key words: psychopathy - adolescence - DSM-5 - traits - assessment * * * * * INTRODUCTION Secondary psychopaths The word psychopathy literally means "mental Secondary psychopaths, on the other hand, have illness" (from psyche, "mind" and pathos "suffering"). severe emotional problems; their delinquency is attri- According to Cleckley (1976) and Hare (1991, 1993), buted to the social isolation that characterizes them a psychopath is an individual who presents antisocial (Bartol 1995). Although the primary psychopath is the behaviour, but at an interpersonal level he is at the true psychopath, it is the secondary psychopaths that same time engaging and emotionally detached, cen- are most frequently in contact with the law.
    [Show full text]
  • Reactions to Flattery As a Function of Self- Esteem
    Br. I. soc. din. Psychol. (1978), 17, 25-29 Printed in Great Britain 25 Reactions to flattery as a function of self-esteem: Self-enhancement and cognitive consistency theories Andrew M. Colman and Kevin R. Olver Male subjects who had previously scored either very high or very low on a self-esteem scale were interviewed about personal characteristics, biographical details, social activities, etc. They then received, via closed-circuit television, flattering or neutral character assessments which were apparently based on their performance in the interviews. A highly significant interaction (P< 0.(01) showed that whereas the subjects of high self-esteem responded with far greater liking for the evaluator in the flattery than in the neutral condition, those of low self-esteem somewhat preferred the neutral evaluator. These findings provide clear-cut support for the cognitive consistency theory regarding reactions to flattery, but do not rule out a concomitant though weaker self-enhancement effect. One of the most well-established techniques of ingratiation encountered in everyday social interaction is flattery, or what Edward Jones (1964), in his influential monograph, calls 'complimentary other-enhancement'. An admonition given great prominence in Dale Carnegie's best-selling manual, How to Win Friends and Influence People (Carnegie, 1936), is to 'dole out praise lavishly', and there is now a considerable body of empirical evidence indicating that people do indeed typically increase their liking for someone who expresses approval of them (e.g. Backman & Secord, 1959; Jones, Gergen & Davis, 1962). From a common-sense point of view these findings are not surprising, although as Jones has pointed out, one might expect excessive flattery to backfire in certain circumstances.
    [Show full text]
  • Insincere Flattery Actually Works: a Dual Attitudes Perspective
    ELAINE CHAN and JAIDEEP SENGUPTA This research uses a dual attitudes perspective to offer new insights into flattery and its consequences. The authors show that even when flat- tery by marketingagentsis accompanied by an obvious ulterior motive that leads targets to discount the proffered compliments, the initial favor- able reaction (the implicit attitude) continues to coexist with the dis- counted evaluation (the explicit attitude). Furthermore, the implicit attitude has more influential consequences than the explicit attitude, highlighting the possible subtle impact of flattery even when a person has consciously corrected for it. The authors also clarify the underlyingprocess by show- inghow and why the discrepancy between the implicit and explicit atti- tudes induced by flattery may be reduced. Collectively, the findings from this investigation provide implications for both flattery research and the dual attitudes literature. Keywords: flattery, implicit attitudes, dual attitudes, persuasion, long-term consequences Insincere Flattery Actually Works: A Dual Attitudes Perspective Flattery—the art of offering pleasing compliments—is In cases such as these, in which the prospective con- one of the oldest and most commonly used of persuasion sumer is aware of a clear ulterior motive underlying the methods. Research in this area provides a reason for the compliment, both research (e.g., Campbell and Kirmani popularity of this tactic. Put simply, flattery works. Various 2000; Vonk 1998) and intuition suggest that recipients will studies have shown that the target of the flattery evaluates discount the flattering comments and correct their other- the flatterer positively because human beings have a basic wise favorable reactions. Though in partial agreement with desire to believe in good things about themselves (Fogg this premise, the current investigation proposes that despite and Nass 1997; Gordon 1996; Vonk 2002).
    [Show full text]
  • DISSERTATION: a Systems Approach To
    A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO WORKPLACE BULLYING IN THE K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL SETTING A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION OF AURORA UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION BY BETH PLACHETKA MARCH 17, 2014 2 College of Education Aurora University Ed.D. Program Aurora University Accepted by the faculty of the College of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Education in the College of Education, Aurora University. Doctoral Committee Faith Wilson Ed.D Chair Fred McKenzie, Ph.D Member Ronald Banaszak, Ph. D Member Maribeth Juraska, Ed.D Member March 17, 2014 Date iii ABSTRACT A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO WORKPLACE BULLYING IN THE K-12 PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL SETTING By BETH PLACHETKA Committee Members: Faith Wilson, Ed.D, Chair Fred McKenzie, Ph.D, committee member Ronald Banaszak, Ed.D, committee member Maribeth Juraska, Ed.D, committee member This qualitative study investigates and describes the lived experience of and meaning applied to the phenomenon of workplace bullying in the K-12 educational setting using system theory as the framework. Descriptors of the participants: bully, target and witness, are operationalized as well as the mental, emotional, physical, social and financial impact and the impact on teacher performance. Twelve self-identified targets or witnesses were chosen from a pool of 57 respondents who completed an online survey delineating the characteristics and impact of workplace bullying. Scenarios of the participants’ experiences offer insight into the emotional experience of the participant while participant interviews reveal the reality of workplace bullying in the K-12 public educational setting as well as the characteristics of targets, bullying behaviors, reality of the personal and professional impact on the individuals and the educational system.
    [Show full text]
  • Child Sexual Abuse
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications, Department of Psychology Psychology, Department of December 2007 Child Sexual Abuse Andrea R. Perry University of Nebraska-Lincoln David K. DiLillo University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/psychfacpub Part of the Psychiatry and Psychology Commons Perry, Andrea R. and DiLillo, David K., "Child Sexual Abuse" (2007). Faculty Publications, Department of Psychology. 301. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/psychfacpub/301 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Psychology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications, Department of Psychology by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Published in Th e Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence, Nicky Ali Jackson, editor. New York & London: Routledge, 2007. Pages 147–156. Copyright © 2007 Taylor & Francis Group LLC. Used by permission. Child Sexual Abuse Historical Perspective opposite-sex parent (Bolen 2001; Olafson et al. 1993; Th ar- inger 1990). In one explanation of Freud’s “suppression,” Child sexual abuse (CSA), a social problem of endemic Bolen (2001) highlighted the Victorian social and political proportions, has existed in all historical eras and societ- atmosphere which encased Freud and con cluded that he “ef- ies (Conte 1994; Fergusson and Mullen 1999; Wekerle and fectively colluded with a society that wished to deny the ex- Wolfe 1996; Wolfe 1999). Since antiquity, anecdotal records istence of child sexual abuse” (p. 20). (e.g., legal, artistic, philosophical, and literary accounts) have Th is cycle of “recognition and suppression” re garding documented activities that would today be classifi ed as CSA the sexual abuse of children was disrupted in part by two (deMause 1974; Kahr 1991; Olafson, Corwin, and Sum- events more associated with the physical abuse of children.
    [Show full text]
  • Aesthetic Violence: the Victimisation of Women in the Quebec Novel
    AESTHETIC VIOLENCE: THE VICTIMISATION OF WOMEN IN THE QUEBEC NOVEL by JANE LUCINDA TILLEY B.A.(Hons), The University of Southampton, U.K., 1987 M.A., The University of British Columbia, 1989 A THESIS SUBMITI’ED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Department of French) We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA June 1995 Jane Lucinda Tilley, 1995 ___________ In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Bntish Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. (Signature) Department of The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Date 22 ‘( (c/s_ DE-6 (2188) 11 Abstract The latent (androcentric) eroticism of rape has been exploited in Western culture, from mythology through to a contemporary entertainment industry founded on a cultural predilection for the representation of violence against women. In literature the figure of Woman as Victim has evolved according to shifting fashions and (male) desires until, in contemporary avant-garde writings, themes of sexual violence perform an intrinsic role in sophisticated textual praxis, Woman’s body becoming the playground for male artistic expression and textual experimentation.
    [Show full text]
  • Backhanded Compliments: How Negative Comparisons Undermine Flattery
    Backhanded Compliments: How Negative Comparisons Undermine Flattery Ovul Sezer Alison Wood Brooks Michael I. Norton Working Paper 18-082 Backhanded Compliments: How Negative Comparisons Undermine Flattery Ovul Sezer University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Alison Wood Brooks Harvard Business School Michael I. Norton Harvard Business School Working Paper 18-082 Copyright © 2018 by Ovul Sezer, Alison Wood Brooks, and Michael I. Norton Working papers are in draft form. This working paper is distributed for purposes of comment and discussion only. It may not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. Copies of working papers are available from the author. Backhanded Compliments 1 Backhanded Compliments: How Negative Comparisons Undermine Flattery Ovul Sezera,* Kenan-Flagler Business School University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Alison Wood Brooksb Michael I. Nortonb Harvard Business School *Corresponding author. Ovul Sezer ([email protected]), Phone: +1 16179595721 a Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 3490, McColl Building, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 USA b Soldiers Field Road, Harvard Business School, Boston, MA 02163 USA Backhanded Compliments 2 Abstract Seven studies (N = 2352) examine backhanded compliments—seeming praise that draws a comparison with a negative standard—a distinct self-presentation strategy with two simultaneous goals: eliciting liking (“Your speech was good…”) and conveying status (“…for a woman”). Backhanded compliments are common, from delivering feedback in work settings to communicating in casual conversation, and take several distinct forms (Studies 1a-b). Backhanded compliments have mixed effectiveness, as people who deliver backhanded compliments erroneously believe that they will both convey high status and elicit liking (Studies 2a-2b) but recipients and third-party evaluators grant them neither (Study 3a-3b); however, backhanded compliments are successful in reducing recipients’ motivation (Study 3c).
    [Show full text]
  • The Dirty Dozen: a Concise Measure of the Dark Triad
    Psychological Assessment © 2010 American Psychological Association 2010, Vol. 22, No. 2, 420–432 1040-3590/10/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0019265 The Dirty Dozen: A Concise Measure of the Dark Triad Peter K. Jonason Gregory D. Webster University of West Florida University of Florida There has been an exponential increase of interest in the dark side of human nature during the last decade. To better understand this dark side, the authors developed and validated a concise, 12-item measure of the Dark Triad: narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism. In 4 studies involving 1,085 participants, they examined its structural reliability, convergent and discriminant validity (Studies 1, 2, and 4), and test–retest reliability (Study 3). Their measure retained the flexibility needed to measure these 3 independent-yet-related constructs while improving its efficiency by reducing its item count by 87% (from 91 to 12 items). The measure retained its core of disagreeableness, short-term mating, and aggressiveness. They call this measure the Dirty Dozen, but it cleanly measures the Dark Triad. Keywords: Dark Triad, narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, measurement The Dark Triad is a term used to describe a constellation of quiring scores on each measure to be standardized (Jonason, Li, three socially undesirable personality traits: narcissism, psychop- Webster, & Schmitt, 2009). athy, and Machiavellianism (Paulhus & Williams, 2002). Research Second, assessing the Dark Triad’s 91 items is inefficient, on the Dark Triad has increased exponentially over the last decade. time-consuming, and may cause response fatigue in some partic- An analysis of Google Scholar hit counts for “Dark Triad” in ipants. When studying the Dark Triad and one or more other scientific works reveals an explosive increase from one in 2002 to measures of interest (e.g., self-esteem, Big Five personality traits), at least 38 in 2009.
    [Show full text]
  • Handbook for the Judiciary on Effective Criminal Justice
    Handbook for the Judiciary on Effective Criminal Justice Responses to Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls Cover photo: ©iStock.com/Berezko UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Vienna Handbook for the Judiciary on Effective Criminal Justice Responses to Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls UNITED NATIONS Vienna, 2019 © United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2019. All rights reserved. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of its frontiers or boundaries. Mention of firm names and com- mercial products does not imply the endorsement of the United Nations. Publishing production: English, Publishing and Library Section, United Nations Office at Vienna. Acknowledgements The Handbook for the Judiciary on Effective Criminal Justice Responses to Gender-based Violence against Women and Girls has been prepared for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) by Eileen Skinnider, Associate, International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy. A first draft of the handbook was reviewed and discussed during an expert meeting held in Vienna from 26 to 30 November 2018. UNODC wishes to acknowledge the valuable suggestions and contri- butions of the following experts who participated in that meeting: Ms. Khatia Ardazishvili, Ms. Linda Michele Bradford-Morgan, Ms. Aditi Choudhary, Ms. Teresa Doherty, Ms. Ivana Hrdličková, Ms. Vivian Lopez Nuñez, Ms. Sarra Ines Mechria, Ms. Suntariya Muanpawong, Ms.
    [Show full text]