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Melinda Pohárnok, Mátyás Naszódi, Balázs Kis, László Nagy, Adrien Bóna, János László
Narrative perspective and the emotion regulation of a narrating person
A linguistic analyzer algorithm was developed to operationalize and identify the approach-avoidance movements in self-narratives. The algorithm deals with the co-occurence of given verbal categories (so-called "relation-verbs") and given nouns – common nouns referring to significant others. The outputs of the analyzer are approach and avoidance codes linked to given text units. Firstly, the reliability of the algorithm was appraised by comparing the output of the algorithm with the former outputs of manual coding. Then the validity of the algorithm was examined in a clinical and also in a normative – without prior psychiatric treatments – sample. In the normative sample the validity test was conducted by comparing the output of the algorithm with the results of personality inquries – Experience in Close Relationships, Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ), Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS) and the Purpose to Life Scale (PLS). We hypothesized that the higher incidence of approach and avoidance movements concurs with higher emotional lability and disturbances in emotional regulation. The results shows that in two kinds of life-events narratives lower scores on Emotional Control, Impulse Control in the BFQ co-occur with higher prevalence of approach and avoidance expressions. Likewise, the lower scores of the Clarity subscale in the TMMS and the lower score of Manageability in the PLS co-occur with a higher prevalence of approach and avoidance expressions. On the basis of these results we can conclude that our presumptions about the relationship between interpersonal movements and relational and emotional regulation seem to be corroborated.
Empirical Text and Culture Research, RAM-Verlag
Volume: 3, 08/2007
Pages: 39-49