Examining the Occurrence of Verbal and Non-Verbal Positive Emotional Expression During Discussion of Interpersonal Trauma in Psychotherapy: a Case Study

Pepperdine University Pepperdine Digital Commons Theses and Dissertations 2011 Examining the occurrence of verbal and non-verbal positive emotional expression during discussion of interpersonal trauma in psychotherapy: a case study Whitney A. Dicterow Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd Recommended Citation Dicterow, Whitney A., "Examining the occurrence of verbal and non-verbal positive emotional expression during discussion of interpersonal trauma in psychotherapy: a case study" (2011). Theses and Dissertations. 156. https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/156 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected] , [email protected]. Running head: POSITIVE EMOTION Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology EXAMINING THE OCCURRENCE OF VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL POSITIVE EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION DURING DISCUSSION OF INTERPSERSONAL TRAUMA IN PSYCHOTHERAPY: A CASE STUDY A clinical dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Psychology by Whitney A. Dicterow June, 2011 Susan Hall, J. D., Ph. D. – Dissertation Chairperson This clinical dissertation, written by Whitney A. Dicterow under the guidance of a Faculty Committee and approved by its members, has been submitted to and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY Doctoral Committee: Susan Hall, J.D., Ph.D., Chairperson Thema Bryant-Davis, Ph.D. Janine Shelby, Ph.D. © Copyright by Whitney A. Dicterow (2011) All Rights Reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………………vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……………………………………………………………………….viii VITA………………………………………………………………………………………………ix ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………...xvi Chapter I. Introduction and Literature Review…………………………………………………….1 Trauma and Positive Psychology…………………………………………………………………..2 Trauma Definitions………………………………………………………………………..2 Posttraumatic Growth……………………………………………………………………..8 Positive Psychology……………………………………………………………………...10 Trauma, Resilience, and Coping………………………………………………………………….13 Resilience………………………………………………………………………………...14 Coping……………………………………………………………………………………17 Problem-focused coping………………………………………………………...19 Emotion-focused coping………………………………………………………...19 Seeking Social Support………………………………………………………….20 Religious Coping………………………………………………………………..20 Meaning-making………………………………………………………………...20 Discussion of Trauma…………………………………………………………………………….21 Discussion of Emotion…………………………………………………………………...22 Discussion of Trauma…………………………………………………………................23 Benefits of Discussing Trauma………………………………………………….25 Disadvantages of Discussing Trauma…………………………………………...26 Positive Emotion………………………………………………………………………………….28 Four Distinct Positive Emotions………………………………………………................31 Happiness/Joy…………………………………………………………………...32 Interest…………………………………………………………………………..32 Hope……………………………………………………………………………..33 Contentment……………………………………………………………………..34 The Broaden and Build Theory…………………………………………………………..34 Benefits of Positive Emotion in the Broaden and Build Theory………………..36 The Undoing Effect……………………………………………………………..39 Measures of Positive Emotions and Emotional Expression……………………………..39 Purpose of the Study and Research Questions…………………………………………................41 Chapter II. Method…………………………………………………………………….………….43 Research Design……………………………………………………………..…………...43 Participant……………………………………………………………………….……….44 Researchers………………………………………………………………………………46 Instrumentation…………………………………………………………………………..48 Determining Experience of Interpersonal Trauma……………………………...48 Determining Verbal Expression of Positive Emotion and Insight………………49 POSITIVE EMOTION v Page Therapeutic Context and Process of Disclosure………………….……………..50 Procedures…………………………………………………………………….………….53 Sampling Procedure…………………………………………….……………….53 Transcription…………………………………………………………….………53 Coding…………………………………………………………………………...54 Human Subjects/Ethical Considerations………………………………………………....57 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………….57 Chapter III. Results……………………………………………………………………………….61 Course of Therapy……………………………………………………………………….61 Session One……………………………………………………………………..63 Session Six………………………………………………………………………65 Session Seven…………………………………………………………………...69 Session Nine…………………………………………………………………….72 Session Twelve………………………………………………………………….75 Session Eighteen………………………………………………………………...78 LIWC Analysis…………………………………………………………………………..80 Childhood Sexual Abuse………………………………………………………..81 Workplace Psychological Harassment…………………………………………..83 Themes Analysis…………………………………………………………………………87 Self-Protection…………………………………………………………………..88 Power and Control………………………………………………………………95 Sense of Self…………………………………………………………………...100 Gender Role Struggles…………………………………………………………104 Emotional Difficulties………………………………………………………….107 Job Dissatisfaction……………………………………………………………..112 Chapter IV. Discussion………………………………………………………………………….117 Case Summary………………………………………………………………………….118 Trauma Experiences…………………………………………………………...119 Processing of Trauma………………………………………………………….127 Codes and Themes Related to Broaden and Build Theory……………………………..132 Positive Emotion Words……………………………………………………….132 Positive Emotion and Exploration/Interest…………………………………….137 Positive Emotion and Psychological Resources……………………………….141 Methodological Limitations…………………………………………………………….143 Future Directions……………………………………………………………………….151 Potential Contributions…………………………………………………………………153 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………….158 APPENDIX A: Client Information Adult Form………………………………………………...177 APPENDIX B: Intake Evaluation Summary……………………………………………………181 APPENDIX C: Telephone Intake Form………………………………………………………...185 POSITIVE EMOTION v Page APPENDIX D: University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) Scale……………..189 APPENDIX E: Outcome Questionnaire 45.2……………………...............................................191 APPENDIX F: Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality………………..192 APPENDIX G: Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support………………………….196 APPENDIX H: Working Alliance Inventory-Client……………………………………………197 APPENDIX I: Working Alliance Inventory-Therapist………………………………………….199 APPENDIX J: Treatment Summary…………………………………………………………….201 APPENDIX K: Client Consent Form…………………………………………………………...203 APPENDIX L: Therapist Consent Form………………………………………………………..209 APPENDIX M: Research Confidentiality Statement-Coder……………………………………213 APPENDIX N: Research Confidentiality Statement-Transcriber………………………………214 APPENDIX O: Data Tracking Sheet……………………………………………………………216 APPENDIX P: LIWC Averages………………………………………………………………...219 APPENDIX Q: Themes Key……………………………………………………………………220 APPENDIX R: Themes Tracking Sheet………………………………………………………...222 APPENDIX S: Co-occurrence of Themes and Positive Emotion Table………………………..225 APPENDIX T: Training and Coding Manual…………………………………………………...227 POSITIVE EMOTION vii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated first and foremost to my mother, who has been my biggest supporter throughout my life, but particularly throughout my long and arduous journey through the doctoral program. Without her love, support, and unwavering belief in me, I would not have made it through this process. This dissertation is also dedicated to my husband who is my source of sanity and comfort. Thank you for your constant patience, love, and acceptance. You inspire me every day and I am so blessed to be able to spend the rest of my life with you. Additionally, I want to dedicate this dissertation to my amazing father, sisters, and brother who have always believed that I can achieve anything I put my mind to. They are my biggest fans, and their empathy and encouragement over the past few months has given me the strength to persevere through this difficult endeavor. POSITIVE EMOTION viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to acknowledge and thank all of those people who have helped contribute to the development and completion of this dissertation. First and foremost, I would like to thank my lab mates, Karina Campos, and Lauren Desjardins for their companionship, support, and humor throughout this process. Your friendship means so much to me, and I wouldn’t have made it this far without you! I also want to extend a special thank you to Dr. Susan Hall, my chairperson. I am touched by her passion and unwavering support and dedication to her students, as well as her tireless efforts to support and encourage me throughout this journey. She is an inspiration, and if I can be half of the mentor to others as she has been to me, then I will have succeeded. I am blessed to have her in my life both as a mentor and friend. Additionally, I would like to thank Drs. Bryant-Davis and Shelby, my committee members, for sharing their knowledge and expertise in the area of trauma. I truly appreciate the time and effort you have dedicated to expanding my conceptualization of this vast topic, as it has added great depth to my dissertation project and to the psychology discipline as a whole. Furthermore, I want to thank the five master’s students who transcribed all videotaped sessions in this research study. Their hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated, and I wish them the best in their future careers in psychology. Finally, I would like to thank my incredible friends. To Tessa, Lisa, Annie, Julie, and

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