The purpose of this article is to summarize methods used to evaluate the 16 Models of Relational Competence Theory (RCT). Methods to verify the validity and usefulness of these Models must take into account how these models are interrelated. This interrelatedness allows to evaluate participants with single and multi-function statically objective self-report, paper-and--pencil tests. Psychological interventions occur dynamically and systematically through workbooks, written, interactive practice exercises, administered to participants at a distance. Workbooks were developed from theory-derived, theory-related, or theory-independent sources and objective tests and measures, thus combining and matching evaluation with intervention in ways that would be diffi cult if not impossible to accomplish verbally in face-to-face psychotherapy.

Attached to… work. An engagement in work as a reflection of the attachment style

The main purpose of this theoretical article was to present the relationships between workaholism and attachment style. Firstly, the status of workaholism, its meaning and place in the international classifications of mental diseases were shortly presented. Then, the assumptions of the classical attachment theory were described.
In the presented article the results of Hazan and Shaver’s (1990) research were shown as an example of the relationship between work engagement and type of attachment style. A brief synthesis presenting workaholic types connected with a given attachment style was also done.

Value structure in late childhood

Recent years witnessed an increasing number of studies on adolescents’ and children’s values and value structures that were conceptually based on Schwartz’s (1992) theoretical model. Because of difficulties with the application of established questionnaires to research values among younger and younger persons, efforts were made to create instruments that are suited to adolescents’ and children’s cognitive-developmental background. In this study, 389 children who were between 7 and 12 years old completed one of these recently developed instruments: the Polish adaptation of the Picture-Based Value Survey for Children (PBVS-C), Döring (Döring, Blauensteiner, Aryus, Drögekamp, Bilsky, in press). We examined the presence of Schwartz’s circular structure of values with a theory-based (weakly-confi rmatory) multidimensional scaling (MDS) approach. To further explore potential developmental differences, we conducted additional analyses in two age groups: (1) younger children aged 7 to 9 years (N = 207, grades 1–3), and (2) older children aged 10 to 12 years (N = 182; grades 4–6).
Differentiated value structures that were organized in Schwartz’s two basic dimensions (selfenhancement versus self-transcendence, and openness to change versus conservation) emerged in the whole sample and in each of the two age groups. Moreover, we found significant differences in structural complexity between both age groups: as compared to the younger children, the older children’s value structures were more differentiated and closer to the theoretical prototype.

The relationship between the development of moral reasoning and the tendency towards aggressive behaviour in difficult situations during adolescence

The focus of this research was to establish the relationship between the development of moral reasoning and the tendency towards aggressive behaviour. Gender differences and the notion of responsibility were also considered in the research and the questions were constructed accordingly.
Three different questionnaires were used in investigations: Defining Issues Test (DIT), Coping in Difficult Social Situations and Sense of Responsibility Scale. 136 subjects, age 15–19 years old (93 girls and 43 boys) participated in the research. 
Results from the study show that moral reasoning is a major infl uencing factor in aggressive behaviour and this can be used to predict potential aggressive behaviour in adolescents. The study also showed that the relationship between development of moral reasoning and aggressive behaviour is moderated by the sense of the responsibility, as the sense of the responsibility clearly limits tendency towards aggressive behaviour. Genders differences also affected both the tendency towards aggressive behaviours, along with the relation between aggressive behaviour and sense of the responsibility. The study showed that sense of responsibility playing a larger role in boys.

Debatably about classification and measurement of attachment patterns

Adult attachment patterns are usually based on two orthogonal dimensions (Bartholomew, Horowitz, 1991; Fraley, Shaver, 2000). This results in creating four qualitatively different types. Also four attachment patterns are educed by means of Adult Attachment Interview (Hesse, 1999). However results of classifying attachment patterns based on those three methods are only partially analogical.
Since it is assumed that attachment patterns are continued throughout development (Bowlby, 2007/1982; Hazan, Shaver, 1987), four adult attachment patterns should relate to four attachment patterns among children (A, B, C – Ainsworth et al., 1971; and D – Main et al., 1985). This is not so (or at least it is questionable).
The author contends with regard to Bowlby (2007/1982), Bartholomew and Horowitz (1991), that child’s experiences of attachment–care are the basis of internal working models of Self–other people relation. Those models should be characterized with three dimensions: trustlack of trust, dependence–independence and activity–passivity. The trust–lack of trust dimension allows to differentiate between secure and insecure attachment patterns (B and nB), whereas two other dimensions are used to classify four insecure attachment patterns. Intersection of dependence–independence dimension with activity–passivity dimension results in four insecure attachment patterns (fearful, dismissive, preoccupied, possessive). These patterns are developed sequentially throughout three stages of child development, analogous to E. Erikson’s. The article also presents „P–Questionnaire”, a method that allows to measure three attachment dimensions based on respondents’ romantic relationship functioning self-description.

Attachment patterns and value preference among young adults

Present research aimed in analysing relations between romantic attachment and value system among young adults (N = 159). Two theories are the background for the presented study: a modified J. Bowlby’s attachment theory and S. Schwartz’s theory of basic human values. I outline a concept that extends attachment theory on grounds of romantic relationships in adulthood (P. Shaver) and a classification of attachment patterns based on three dimensions (Z. Łoś). Further, I present questionnaires that were used to assess chosen variables. This article contains chosen correlational results as well as conclusions of the research. Relations between attachment dimensions and value preference are weak. Nevertheless both variable groups are shown to correlate strongly with Big Five dimensions, which served here as controlled variables. This suggests that Big Five dimensions may be mediators between attachment and other psychological variables.

Life satisfaction among active and inactive people aged over 60 years old

The research was carried out to find if activity is related to higher life satisfaction and if there is an association between life satisfaction and emotional intelligence, optimism and basic hope among the elders. 101 subjects aged over 60 years old took part in the study – 64 was active and 37 was inactive. The fi ndings suggest that there is an association between activity and life satisfaction among men – higher activity associate with higher life satisfaction. Active men were also more satisfi ed than active women. Life satisfaction is positively correlated with emotional intelligence, optimism and basic hope, but these variables are not related to activity.

Sprawozdanie z XIX Ogólnopolskiej Konferencji Psychologii Rozwojowej,
Łódź 14–16 czerwca 2010

RECENZJA: Relational Competence Theory: Research and Mental Health Applications. Luciano L’Abate, Mario Cusinato, Eleonora Maino, Walter Colesso, Claudia Scilletta, Springer, New York 2010, 326 s.