Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Persuasion Strategies

Persuasion Strategies

Researchers have tested many persuasion strategies, including the foot-in-the door and the door-in-the-face techniques, in a variety of contexts. Ultimately, the principles are effective in selling products and changing people’s attitude, ideas, and behaviors (Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004).

Obedience

Obedience

According to obedience research, we may harm others under the forceful pressures of an authority figure (Milgram, 1974). How about if the inappropriate orders were delivered with less force? The increasing interdependence between nurses and physicians compelled Hofling and his colleagues to explore nurses’ reactions to a potentially harmful medical request made by the perceived authority figure, the doctor (Hofling, Brotzman, Dalrymple, Graves, & Pierce, 1966). In this situation, obedience...

Resistance

Resistance

When a current moves through any conductor, the conductor causes some level of difficulty for the current to flow. The measure of that difficulty is known as the resistance of the material and is represented by R. Every material has its own resistance. In the case of conductors, heat is emitted whenever a current passes through them. Resistance depends on the resistivity of the material. Resistivity is a characteristic of the material used to fabricate electrical components, whereas the...

Hypothesis: Accept or Fail to Reject?

Hypothesis: Accept or Fail to Reject?

The outcome of any hypothesis testing leads to rejecting or not rejecting the null hypothesis. This decision is taken based on the analysis of the data, an appropriate test statistic, an appropriate confidence level, the critical values, and P-values. However, when the evidence suggests that the null hypothesis cannot be rejected, is it right to say, 'Accept' the null hypothesis?
There are two ways to indicate that the null hypothesis is not rejected. 'Accept' the null hypothesis and 'fail to...

Resistivity

Resistivity

When a voltage is applied to a conductor, an electrical field is generated, and charges in the conductor feel the force due to the electrical field. The current density that results depends on the electrical field and the properties of the material. In some materials, including metals at a given temperature, the current density is approximately proportional to the electrical field. In these cases, the current density can be modeled as:

Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance

Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance

Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the anxiety of...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Kaës' Internal Groups and Actual Groups: A Relational Perspective.

The Psychoanalytic quarterly·2024

Same author

Reality Testing and Testing Reality in Group Treatment.

International journal of group psychotherapy·2024

Same author

An Irruptive Response to Dr. Leszcz's Discussion.

International journal of group psychotherapy·2024

Same author

Psychic Nodules and Therapeutic Impasses: Three Case Studies.

International journal of group psychotherapy·2024

Same author

Reality Testing and Testing Reality in Group Treatment Part I: Reality and Reality Testing.

International journal of group psychotherapy·2024

Same author

Attention-Getting Mechanisms (AGMs): A Personal Journey.

International journal of group psychotherapy·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

On refusal.

Richard M Billow¹

¹Adelphi Postdoctoral Programs in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Derner Institute, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA. RMbillow@hotmail.com

International Journal of Group Psychotherapy

|October 17, 2007

Summary

This study differentiates "refusal" from "resistance" in psychotherapy. Refusal involves willful nonparticipation, distinct from resistance

Area of Science:

Psychology
Psychotherapy
Psychoanalysis

Background:

The term "resistance" traditionally encompasses all obstacles in psychotherapeutic work.
A distinction between "resistance" and "refusal" offers a more nuanced understanding of therapeutic dynamics.
Understanding these concepts is crucial for addressing therapeutic impasses.

Purpose of the Study:

To differentiate the concepts of "resistance" and "refusal" in psychotherapy.
To categorize different forms of refusal encountered in clinical practice.
To explore the implications of refusal for therapeutic progress and therapist's approach.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis distinguishing "resistance" from "refusal."
Clinical examples illustrating the manifestation and impact of refusal.

More Related Videos

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats

Published on: June 18, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Extinction Training During the Reconsolidation Window Prevents Recovery of Fear

Published on: August 24, 2012

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats

Published on: June 18, 2018

Categorization of refusal into three types based on cognitive and perceptual engagement.

Main Results:

Resistance involves gradual elaboration of experience, while refusal is willful nonparticipation in symbolized material.
Refusal exists in all communication at varying degrees.
Three categories of refusal identified: refusal to perceive external experience, refusal to think about known information, and refusal to think about unknown information.

Conclusions:

Distinguishing refusal from resistance provides a more precise framework for analyzing therapeutic obstacles.
Therapeutic impasses can arise from therapists' limitations in addressing various forms of refusal.
Recognizing and understanding refusal is key to overcoming therapeutic impasses and enhancing therapist flexibility.