Article archive / December 1, 2012
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 4. Source pages: 11.
I’ve been trying and trying to track someone down to comment on two fascinating articles that wouldn’t let me go. I twisted John Simoneaux’s arm to look at the McNulty article that questions some of what think about relationships – we may be a little too rose-colored. Dr. Simoneaux is perfect to comment on this, since I find him to be one of the wisest people around.
I’m still looking for someone willing to review and read a fascinating article, “Mind-Set Matters.” It is a study on the power, and I mean freakish power, of the placebo mind- set. If you know this area, please give me a holler.
• “When positive processes hurt relationships,” McNulty, J. K. (2010), Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(3), 167-171.
COMMENT: Dr. John Simoneaux, licensed psychologist and trainer, owner of Professional Training Resources in Alexander.
“James McNulty challenges the long-held notion that positive expectation for experiences promote more positive evaluations of those experiences. In other words, if you think some experience is going to be good, you are more likely to think it was good after it occurs.
“In a 2003 study, McNulty and Karney found that spouses who expected to be more satisfied typically were when they were confronted with an upcoming problem-solving discussion. Think again. In this article he reviewed four independent longitudinal studies of newlyweds and found that positive expectancies may even hurt some couples, particularly those who are already distressed. It was concluded that less-positive expectancies, less-positive attributions, more-negative behavior, and less forgiveness were more effective at helping coupled who faced more frequent and more severe problems stay satisfied over time.
“He discussed implications of these findings for treatment, suggesting that therapies that promote more positive thoughts and behaviors may work better for couples who have minor wrangles, but not so well for those who face more severe problems. Interesting. When problems within a dyad (or possibly even a larger group) are complex and interwoven, simply accepting the “Don’t worry, be happy” advice may not be as effective as a realistic, transparent, and honest appraisal of problems allowing true change, and a true healing process to begin.
“It seems that the truth still may serve to set us free.”
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.