Általános Lélektani és Módszertani Tanszék
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- ItemOpen AccessA gyógyítók egészsége: a kiégés és a kiégés megelőzése, illetve kezelése(ELTE Eötvös Kiadó, 2012) Mészáros Veronika
- ItemOpen AccessAz empátia és érzelem felismerés mérési lehetőségei(2017) Kovács Dóra Csilla
- ItemOpen AccessAn idiographic approach to Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance attributed to Electromagnetic Fields (IEI-EMF) Part II. Ecological momentary assessment of three individuals with severe IEI-EMF(2022) Szemerszky RenátaIEI-EMF refers to a self-reported sensitivity characterized by attribution of non-specific physical symptoms to exposure to weak EMFs. The majority of empirical results do not support the existence of a causal relationship between EMF and IEI-EMF. However, this conclusion was drawn from environmental and experimental studies that are not without methodological limitations. In the current study, as part of a complex biopsychosocial approach, an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol was applied for the investigation of the temporal relationship between actual radio frequency (RF) EMF exposure and IEI-EMF, at the individual level. Continuous measurement of autonomic variables by holter electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors and the ambient RF EMF by personal dosim eters, as well as repeated (8/day) paper-and-pencil assessments of momentary internal states (symptoms, mood, perceived EMF intensity) and situational factors was conducted for 21 days with the participation of three in dividuals with severe IEI-EMF. Temporal relationships were examined by time series analyses. For two participants, the results did not support the association between the suspected EMF frequency range(s) and symptom reports. Nevertheless, the results revealed a reverse association with respect to another frequency range (GSM900 down link), which contradicts the IEI-EMF condition. Autonomic activation related findings were inconsistent. For the third participant, the claimed association was partly supported, both for symptom reports and autonomic reactions (UMTS downlink, total RF; RMS values). The findings of this study suggest that IEI-EMF does not have a unitary aetiology. For certain individuals, a biophysical background cannot be excluded, whereas no such underlying factor appears to be at work for others. EMA is a useful method for the investigation of the aetiology of IEI-EMF.
- ItemOpen AccessPolluted places or polluted minds?: An experimental sham-exposure study on background psychosocial factors of symptom formation in 'Idiophatic Environmental Intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields'(2010) Szemerszky RenátaIntroduction: 'Idiophatic Environmental Intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields' (IEI-EMF) refers to the perception of subjective symptoms during or following EMF exposure. IEI-EMF has become disproved to be a mostly biologic entity by now, and evidences accumulate to support the role of nocebo effect in the phenomenon. The two aims of this study were to demonstrate the significant role of the nocebo effect in physical symptoms reported at 50Hz frequency of EMF exposure, as well as to explore some psychological factors which may predispose to IEI-EMF. Methods: A total of 40 volunteer university students have completed a battery of psychological questionnaires (expectations; IEI-EMF; state anxiety - STAI-S; dispositional optimism - LOT-R; somatisation - PHQ-15; somatosensory amplification - SSAS) before, and checklists of physical symptoms during sham exposure to "weak" and "strong" EMFs, respectively. Participants were also asked about the extent to which they had perceived the presence of the presumed EMF. Results: Participants with higher IEI-EMF scores expected and experienced more symptoms. Suggestion of stronger EMF exposure resulted in larger symptom scores and enhanced EMF-perception as compared to the presumed weaker exposure. Experienced symptom scores were predicted primarily by somatisation scores, whereas self-rating of IEI-EMF was predicted by somatosensory amplification scores. Conclusion: The results confirm that there is considerable nocebo effect in symptom reports related to 50Hz frequency EMFs. IEI-EMF seems to be formed through a vicious circle of psychosocial factors, such as enhanced perception of risk and expectations, self-monitoring, somatisation and somatosensory amplification, causalization and misattribution.
- ItemOpen AccessModern health worries and idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields are associated with paranoid ideation(2021) Szemerszky RenátaObjective: Paranoid ideation is assumed to characterize worries about possible harmful effects of modern technologies (MHWs) and idiopathic environmental intolerances (IEIs), such as IEI attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF). Empirical evidence on these associations is scarce. Methods: In a cross-sectional on-line survey, participants of a community sample (n = 700; mean age: 28.4 ± 12.0; 434 females) completed the Somatosensory Amplification Scale, the Modern Health Worries Scale, and the Paranoid Ideation scale of the Symptom Checklist 90 Revised. They were considered IEI-EMF if (1) they cate gorized themselves so, (2) they had experienced symptoms that they attributed to the exposure to electromag netic fields, and (3) the condition impacted their everyday functioning. Results: Paranoid ideation was significantly positively associated with MHWs (standardized β = 0.150, p < .001) even after controlling for socio-demographic variables and somatosensory amplification tendency, an indicator of somatic symptom distress. Also, paranoid ideation explained significant variability in IEI-EMF (OR = 1.090, 95% CI: 1.006–1.180, p = .035) even after statistically controlling for socio-demographic variables and somatosensory amplification. Conclusions: Paranoid ideation was found to be associated with MHWs and IEI-EMF. This association appears independent of general somatic symptom distress in both cases. This might partly explain the temporal stability of these constructs.