Abstract
Drawing on recent neuroscience research, Gilbert (2005, 2009a) suggested that vulnerability and psychopathology could be conceptualized and treated using a tripartite model of affect
regulation which postulates three evolved systems oriented toward threats, resources, and affiliation, and respectively triggering
negative affect (NA), activated positive affect (PA), and social safeness. He additionally proposed that social safeness,
characterized by feelings of warmth and connectedness, plays an especially important role in psychosocial functioning. We
tested various aspects of this theory through a 7-day daily diary study in which 51 male and 51 female students completed
measures of social safeness, NA, PA, perceived social support (PSS), and received social support (RSS) every evening. First,
social safeness emerged as operationally distinct from low NA, PA, and PSS. Second, participants who endorsed higher mean
levels of RSS over the week had higher mean levels of safeness, and social safeness was higher on days when participants reported
higher RSS than their mean. Third, social safeness was more strongly related to numerous indicators of vulnerability and psychopathology
than NA, PA, and PSS, and it predicted these variables controlling for NA, PA, and PSS. Results support the theory that social
safeness is a distinct affective experience that responds to affiliation and offers unique protection from psychosocial suffering.
regulation which postulates three evolved systems oriented toward threats, resources, and affiliation, and respectively triggering
negative affect (NA), activated positive affect (PA), and social safeness. He additionally proposed that social safeness,
characterized by feelings of warmth and connectedness, plays an especially important role in psychosocial functioning. We
tested various aspects of this theory through a 7-day daily diary study in which 51 male and 51 female students completed
measures of social safeness, NA, PA, perceived social support (PSS), and received social support (RSS) every evening. First,
social safeness emerged as operationally distinct from low NA, PA, and PSS. Second, participants who endorsed higher mean
levels of RSS over the week had higher mean levels of safeness, and social safeness was higher on days when participants reported
higher RSS than their mean. Third, social safeness was more strongly related to numerous indicators of vulnerability and psychopathology
than NA, PA, and PSS, and it predicted these variables controlling for NA, PA, and PSS. Results support the theory that social
safeness is a distinct affective experience that responds to affiliation and offers unique protection from psychosocial suffering.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Article
- Pages 1-12
- DOI 10.1007/s10608-011-9432-5
- Authors
- Allison C. Kelly, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON M5G 2C4, Canada
- David C. Zuroff, Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur-Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
- Michelle J. Leybman, Department of Psychology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur-Penfield Avenue, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
- Paul Gilbert, Mental Health Research Unit, Kingsway Hospital, Derby, DE22 3LZ UK
- Journal Cognitive Therapy and Research
- Online ISSN 1573-2819
- Print ISSN 0147-5916