Elif Kurtulus | Bogazici University (original) (raw)

Papers by Elif Kurtulus

Research paper thumbnail of Schadenfreude: Başkasından Talihsizliğinden Duyulan Keyif, Tiffany Watt Smith (Çev. Nüvit Bingöl, Kolektif Kitap, 2021)

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi

Günlük hayatta bireylerin kendi hüsranlarından kurtulabilmek ve kendilerini daha iyi hissedebilme... more Günlük hayatta bireylerin kendi hüsranlarından kurtulabilmek ve kendilerini daha iyi hissedebilmek amacıyla sığındığı durumlardan biri de başka birisinin yaşadığı talihsizliklerdir. Bu durumu ifade eden ve esasında karmaşık olduğu kadar insani oluşuna dikkat çeken Schadenfreude kavramının son yıllarda artan popülerliğine vurgu yapmayı amaçlayan Tiffany Watt Smith, Schadenfreude: The Joy of Another's Misfortune başlıklı kitabıyla bu duyguyu tüm yönleriyle ele almayı amaçlamıştır. Kitap Türkiye’de Kolektif Kitap tarafından 2020 yılında Nüvit Bingöl çevirisi ile Schadenfreude: Başkasının Talihsizliğinden Duyulan Keyif adıyla yayınlanmıştır. Smith, kitabında başkalarının talihsizliğinden duyulan hazzın sinsi olmayan ancak daha iyi bir biçimde açıklanması gereken çok boyutlu bir duygu olduğunun altını çiziyor.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating Factors Related to Health Anxiety in COVID-19 Patients

Plant and Cell Physiology, 2021

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak affects both the physical and mental health of individuals and ... more Background: The COVID-19 outbreak affects both the physical and mental health of individuals and society. This study investigates the factors related to health anxiety in COVID-19 patients and explores their sociodemographic-, disease-, and treatment-related factors, trait anxiety, and characteristics of secure or insecure attachment. Methods: The sample consisted of 420 individuals aged 18-65 years and diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 15 and May 15, 2020. The participants completed a sociodemographic data form and the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI), Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that female gender, presence of chronic physical diseases, presence of mental health problems, and high AAS insecure attachment scores significantly predicted high HAI scores. Moreover, results indicated that the model explained approximately 21% of variance in HAI scores. Conclusions: Factors such as gender, p...

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of very premature birth on the psychological health of mothers

Early human development, Jan 1, 2003

The birth of a very premature infant is a critical event in the life of a family and studies have... more The birth of a very premature infant is a critical event in the life of a family and studies have shown that mothers of these infants are at greater risk of psychological distress than mothers of full-term infants. A total population study of mothers of preterm infants born at less than 32-week gestation at a tertiary referral hospital. Sixty-two mothers of very preterm infants (<32 weeks) participated in the present study which examines correlates of maternal depressive symptomatology at 1 month following very premature birth. Information was obtained from structured questionnaires completed by mothers at 1 month after infant admission to neonatal intensive care. Forty percent of the mothers reported significant depressive symptoms on the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Logistic regression analysis indicated that high maternal stress resulted in an increased likelihood of depressive symptoms (OR 1.15, CI 1.04-1.26, p<0.01). Higher levels of maternal education (p<0.05), and increased perception of support from nursing staff (OR 1.06, CI 0.88-1.00, p<0.05) resulted in decreased likelihood of depressive symptoms. The birth and subsequent hospitalisation of a very premature infant evokes considerable psychological distress in mothers. These results have implications for policy development in order to enhance family centred care in the neonatal intensive care.

Research paper thumbnail of Emotional regulation in the workplace: A new way to conceptualize emotional labor

Journal of occupational health psychology, Jan 1, 2000

The topic of emotions in the workplace is beginning to garner closer attention by researchers and... more The topic of emotions in the workplace is beginning to garner closer attention by researchers and theorists. The study of emotional labor addresses the stress of managing emotions when the work role demands that certain expressions be shown to customers. However, there has been no overarching framework to guide this work, and the previous studies have often disagreed on the definition and operationalization of emotional labor. The purposes of this article are as follows: to review and compare previous perspectives of emotional labor, to provide a definition of emotional labor that integrates these perspectives, to discuss emotion regulation as a guiding theory for understanding the mechanisms of emotional labor, and to present a model of emotional labor that includes individual differences (such as emotional intelligence) and organizational factors (such as supervisor support).

Research paper thumbnail of Emotional regulation of interactions between two-month-olds and their mothers

Social perception in infants, Jan 1, 1985

Research paper thumbnail of Genetics of emotional regulation: the role of the serotonin transporter in neural function

Trends in cognitive sciences, Jan 1, 2006

Identifying biological mechanisms through which genes lead to individual differences in emotional... more Identifying biological mechanisms through which genes lead to individual differences in emotional behavior is paramount to our understanding of how such differences confer risk for neuropsychiatric illness. The emergence of techniques such as in vivo imaging of brain function in humans and genetic engineering in rodents has provided important new insights into the impact of serotonin (5-HT), a key modulator of emotional behavior, on neural systems subserving anxiety and depression. A major finding has been the discovery of genetic variation in a crucial regulatory molecule within the 5-HT system, the 5HT transporter (5-HTT), and its influence on emotional traits. The study of the 5-HTT provides a new foundation for understanding the neurobiological and genetic basis of emotional regulation and affective illness.

Research paper thumbnail of Social functioning and emotional regulation in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder subtypes

Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, Jan 1, 2000

Compared 16 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined type (ADHD-C),... more Compared 16 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined type (ADHD-C), 14 children with ADHD predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-I), and 17 controls on parent and teacher ratings of social status and performance, self-report of social knowledge and performance, and observations of behavior on an emotional regulation task. Analyses revealed distinct patterns of social dysfunction between ADHD subgroups. Children with ADHD-C were rated as showing more aggressive behavior; furthermore, they displayed emotional dysregulation characterized by high intensity and high levels of both positive and negative behavior. In contrast, children with ADHD-I were perceived as displaying social passivity and showed deficits in social knowledge on the self-report measure but did not evidence problems in emotional regulation. Regression analyses revealed that social performance, emotional regulation, and, to a lesser degree, social knowledge, were predictive of social status. The application of these findings to understanding the nature of the social deficits in the ADHD subtypes and directions for future research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of The double-edged sword: Emotional regulation for children at risk

Development and …, Jan 1, 1996

The capacity to manage emotion is based on the growth of self-regulatory capacities in the early ... more The capacity to manage emotion is based on the growth of self-regulatory capacities in the early years, but is also affected by situational demands, influences from other people, and the child's goals for regulating emotion in a particular setting. For most children growing up in supportive contexts, the growth of emotional regulation is associated with enhanced psychosocial wellbeing and socioemotional competence. But for children who are at risk for the development of psychopathology owing to environmental stresses or intrinsic vulnerability (or their interaction), emotional regulation often entails inherent trade-offs that make nonoptimal strategies of managing emotion expectable, perhaps inevitable, in a context of difficult environmental demands and conflicting emotional goals. This analysis discusses how emotional regulation in children at risk may simultaneously foster both resiliency and vulnerability by considering how emotion is managed when children (a) are living with a parent who is depressed, (b) witness or experience domestic violence, or (c) are temperamentally inhibited when encountering novel challenges. In each case, the child,s efforts to manage emotion may simultaneously buffer against certain stresses while also enhancing the child's vulnerability to other risks and demands. This double-edged sword of emotional regulation in conditions of risk for children cautions against using "optimal" emotional regulation as an evaluative standard for such children or assuming that emotional regulation necessarily improves psychosocial well-being. It also suggests how the study of emotional regulation must consider the goals for regulating emotion and the contexts in which those goals are sought.

Research paper thumbnail of Attachment, emotional regulation, and the function of marital violence: Differences between secure, preoccupied, and dismissing violent and nonviolent husbands

Journal of Family …, Jan 1, 2000

The purpose of this study was to investigate behavioral differences among nonviolent, unhappily m... more The purpose of this study was to investigate behavioral differences among nonviolent, unhappily married husbands and violent husbands with different attachment classifications on the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; . Twenty-three Domestically Violent (DV) husbands and 13 maritally distressed but non-violent (DNV) husbands were interviewed using the AAI. Violent husbands (74%) were more likely than the distressed/nonviolent husbands (38%) to be classified into one ofthe insecure categories on the AAI. As predicted, during laboratory arguments with their wives, dismissing husbands were the most controlling and distancing, and preoccupied husbands the least distancing, during marital interactions. Secure husbands were significantly more defensive than the two insecure types. Sequential analyses of reports of violent arguments at home revealed different patterns among different types of batterers. For the preoccupied batterers only, wife withdrawal was a significant predictor of husband violence. For the dismissing batterer only, wife defensiveness was a significant precursor to husband violence. It is theorized that preoccupied batterers' violence and emotional abuse is related to expressive violence in response to abandonment fears; whereas dismissing batterers use instrumental violence to assert their authority and to control their wives. The overlap between this and other typologies of violent men is explored. KEY WORDS: attachment; emotional regulation; function of marital violence.

Research paper thumbnail of Schadenfreude: Başkasından Talihsizliğinden Duyulan Keyif, Tiffany Watt Smith (Çev. Nüvit Bingöl, Kolektif Kitap, 2021)

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi

Günlük hayatta bireylerin kendi hüsranlarından kurtulabilmek ve kendilerini daha iyi hissedebilme... more Günlük hayatta bireylerin kendi hüsranlarından kurtulabilmek ve kendilerini daha iyi hissedebilmek amacıyla sığındığı durumlardan biri de başka birisinin yaşadığı talihsizliklerdir. Bu durumu ifade eden ve esasında karmaşık olduğu kadar insani oluşuna dikkat çeken Schadenfreude kavramının son yıllarda artan popülerliğine vurgu yapmayı amaçlayan Tiffany Watt Smith, Schadenfreude: The Joy of Another's Misfortune başlıklı kitabıyla bu duyguyu tüm yönleriyle ele almayı amaçlamıştır. Kitap Türkiye’de Kolektif Kitap tarafından 2020 yılında Nüvit Bingöl çevirisi ile Schadenfreude: Başkasının Talihsizliğinden Duyulan Keyif adıyla yayınlanmıştır. Smith, kitabında başkalarının talihsizliğinden duyulan hazzın sinsi olmayan ancak daha iyi bir biçimde açıklanması gereken çok boyutlu bir duygu olduğunun altını çiziyor.

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating Factors Related to Health Anxiety in COVID-19 Patients

Plant and Cell Physiology, 2021

Background: The COVID-19 outbreak affects both the physical and mental health of individuals and ... more Background: The COVID-19 outbreak affects both the physical and mental health of individuals and society. This study investigates the factors related to health anxiety in COVID-19 patients and explores their sociodemographic-, disease-, and treatment-related factors, trait anxiety, and characteristics of secure or insecure attachment. Methods: The sample consisted of 420 individuals aged 18-65 years and diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 15 and May 15, 2020. The participants completed a sociodemographic data form and the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI), Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that female gender, presence of chronic physical diseases, presence of mental health problems, and high AAS insecure attachment scores significantly predicted high HAI scores. Moreover, results indicated that the model explained approximately 21% of variance in HAI scores. Conclusions: Factors such as gender, p...

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of very premature birth on the psychological health of mothers

Early human development, Jan 1, 2003

The birth of a very premature infant is a critical event in the life of a family and studies have... more The birth of a very premature infant is a critical event in the life of a family and studies have shown that mothers of these infants are at greater risk of psychological distress than mothers of full-term infants. A total population study of mothers of preterm infants born at less than 32-week gestation at a tertiary referral hospital. Sixty-two mothers of very preterm infants (<32 weeks) participated in the present study which examines correlates of maternal depressive symptomatology at 1 month following very premature birth. Information was obtained from structured questionnaires completed by mothers at 1 month after infant admission to neonatal intensive care. Forty percent of the mothers reported significant depressive symptoms on the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Logistic regression analysis indicated that high maternal stress resulted in an increased likelihood of depressive symptoms (OR 1.15, CI 1.04-1.26, p<0.01). Higher levels of maternal education (p<0.05), and increased perception of support from nursing staff (OR 1.06, CI 0.88-1.00, p<0.05) resulted in decreased likelihood of depressive symptoms. The birth and subsequent hospitalisation of a very premature infant evokes considerable psychological distress in mothers. These results have implications for policy development in order to enhance family centred care in the neonatal intensive care.

Research paper thumbnail of Emotional regulation in the workplace: A new way to conceptualize emotional labor

Journal of occupational health psychology, Jan 1, 2000

The topic of emotions in the workplace is beginning to garner closer attention by researchers and... more The topic of emotions in the workplace is beginning to garner closer attention by researchers and theorists. The study of emotional labor addresses the stress of managing emotions when the work role demands that certain expressions be shown to customers. However, there has been no overarching framework to guide this work, and the previous studies have often disagreed on the definition and operationalization of emotional labor. The purposes of this article are as follows: to review and compare previous perspectives of emotional labor, to provide a definition of emotional labor that integrates these perspectives, to discuss emotion regulation as a guiding theory for understanding the mechanisms of emotional labor, and to present a model of emotional labor that includes individual differences (such as emotional intelligence) and organizational factors (such as supervisor support).

Research paper thumbnail of Emotional regulation of interactions between two-month-olds and their mothers

Social perception in infants, Jan 1, 1985

Research paper thumbnail of Genetics of emotional regulation: the role of the serotonin transporter in neural function

Trends in cognitive sciences, Jan 1, 2006

Identifying biological mechanisms through which genes lead to individual differences in emotional... more Identifying biological mechanisms through which genes lead to individual differences in emotional behavior is paramount to our understanding of how such differences confer risk for neuropsychiatric illness. The emergence of techniques such as in vivo imaging of brain function in humans and genetic engineering in rodents has provided important new insights into the impact of serotonin (5-HT), a key modulator of emotional behavior, on neural systems subserving anxiety and depression. A major finding has been the discovery of genetic variation in a crucial regulatory molecule within the 5-HT system, the 5HT transporter (5-HTT), and its influence on emotional traits. The study of the 5-HTT provides a new foundation for understanding the neurobiological and genetic basis of emotional regulation and affective illness.

Research paper thumbnail of Social functioning and emotional regulation in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder subtypes

Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, Jan 1, 2000

Compared 16 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined type (ADHD-C),... more Compared 16 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined type (ADHD-C), 14 children with ADHD predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-I), and 17 controls on parent and teacher ratings of social status and performance, self-report of social knowledge and performance, and observations of behavior on an emotional regulation task. Analyses revealed distinct patterns of social dysfunction between ADHD subgroups. Children with ADHD-C were rated as showing more aggressive behavior; furthermore, they displayed emotional dysregulation characterized by high intensity and high levels of both positive and negative behavior. In contrast, children with ADHD-I were perceived as displaying social passivity and showed deficits in social knowledge on the self-report measure but did not evidence problems in emotional regulation. Regression analyses revealed that social performance, emotional regulation, and, to a lesser degree, social knowledge, were predictive of social status. The application of these findings to understanding the nature of the social deficits in the ADHD subtypes and directions for future research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of The double-edged sword: Emotional regulation for children at risk

Development and …, Jan 1, 1996

The capacity to manage emotion is based on the growth of self-regulatory capacities in the early ... more The capacity to manage emotion is based on the growth of self-regulatory capacities in the early years, but is also affected by situational demands, influences from other people, and the child's goals for regulating emotion in a particular setting. For most children growing up in supportive contexts, the growth of emotional regulation is associated with enhanced psychosocial wellbeing and socioemotional competence. But for children who are at risk for the development of psychopathology owing to environmental stresses or intrinsic vulnerability (or their interaction), emotional regulation often entails inherent trade-offs that make nonoptimal strategies of managing emotion expectable, perhaps inevitable, in a context of difficult environmental demands and conflicting emotional goals. This analysis discusses how emotional regulation in children at risk may simultaneously foster both resiliency and vulnerability by considering how emotion is managed when children (a) are living with a parent who is depressed, (b) witness or experience domestic violence, or (c) are temperamentally inhibited when encountering novel challenges. In each case, the child,s efforts to manage emotion may simultaneously buffer against certain stresses while also enhancing the child's vulnerability to other risks and demands. This double-edged sword of emotional regulation in conditions of risk for children cautions against using "optimal" emotional regulation as an evaluative standard for such children or assuming that emotional regulation necessarily improves psychosocial well-being. It also suggests how the study of emotional regulation must consider the goals for regulating emotion and the contexts in which those goals are sought.

Research paper thumbnail of Attachment, emotional regulation, and the function of marital violence: Differences between secure, preoccupied, and dismissing violent and nonviolent husbands

Journal of Family …, Jan 1, 2000

The purpose of this study was to investigate behavioral differences among nonviolent, unhappily m... more The purpose of this study was to investigate behavioral differences among nonviolent, unhappily married husbands and violent husbands with different attachment classifications on the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; . Twenty-three Domestically Violent (DV) husbands and 13 maritally distressed but non-violent (DNV) husbands were interviewed using the AAI. Violent husbands (74%) were more likely than the distressed/nonviolent husbands (38%) to be classified into one ofthe insecure categories on the AAI. As predicted, during laboratory arguments with their wives, dismissing husbands were the most controlling and distancing, and preoccupied husbands the least distancing, during marital interactions. Secure husbands were significantly more defensive than the two insecure types. Sequential analyses of reports of violent arguments at home revealed different patterns among different types of batterers. For the preoccupied batterers only, wife withdrawal was a significant predictor of husband violence. For the dismissing batterer only, wife defensiveness was a significant precursor to husband violence. It is theorized that preoccupied batterers' violence and emotional abuse is related to expressive violence in response to abandonment fears; whereas dismissing batterers use instrumental violence to assert their authority and to control their wives. The overlap between this and other typologies of violent men is explored. KEY WORDS: attachment; emotional regulation; function of marital violence.