Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
05:03
Social Threat-Safety Test Uncovers Psychosocial Stress-Related Phenotypes
Published on: December 15, 2023
The Psychological and Behavioural Correlates of Workplace Victimization
Amelia Rizzo1, Maria Grazia Maggio2, Martina Barbera3
1Medical Legal Centre of Messina, National Institute of Social Welfare, 98122 Messina, Italy.
Brain Sciences
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Workplace victimization is linked to significant psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Individuals may use specific defense mechanisms to cope with this workplace violence.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Occupational Health
- Mental Health
Background:
- Workplace victimization is defined as repeated psychological violence.
- It significantly impacts mental and physical health, affecting mood, defenses, and personality.
- Understanding its psychological correlates is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychological and behavioral factors associated with workplace victimization.
- To assess personality traits, mood states, and defense mechanisms in victims.
- To identify potential psychological profiles linked to workplace victimization.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 33 workers from diverse professional sectors.
- Utilized multidimensional assessments including standardized measures for personality, mood, and defense mechanisms.
- Included the MMPI-2, POMS, and Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI).
Main Results:
- Elevated MMPI-2 scores indicated somatic symptoms, depression, and paranoia.
- POMS revealed increased tension, depression, anger, and fatigue, with reduced vigor.
- DMI showed a high Reversal score, suggesting use of altruism and idealization as defenses.
Conclusions:
- The study sample exhibited a significant psychological burden from workplace victimization.
- Findings suggest depressive symptoms, somatic concerns, anger, fatigue, and specific defensive patterns.
- Results are preliminary due to study design limitations (small sample, no control group).
Related Concept Videos
02:04Bullying
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is bullying.
01:20Psychological Responses to Stress
Psychological responses to stress encompass the various cognitive and emotional reactions individuals experience when faced with challenging or threatening situations, such as a job loss. Prolonged exposure to stressors can disturb emotional balance, increasing negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and sadness) and diminishing positive emotions (e.g., joy and satisfaction). These persistent emotional shifts are associated with an increased risk of both physical illness and mental health issues, such...
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
01:14Fundamental Attribution Error
According to some social psychologists, people tend to overemphasize internal factors as explanations—or attributions—for the behavior of other people. They tend to assume that the behavior of another person is a trait of that person, and to underestimate the power of the situation on the behavior of others. They tend to fail to recognize when the behavior of another is due to situational variables, and thus to the person’s state. This erroneous assumption is called the fundamental attribution...
01:29Contemporary Psychology
Psychology explores human behavior and mental processes through various lenses, each offering unique insights. This overview examines key subfields, including biopsychology, evolutionary, developmental, personality, and social psychology, highlighting their approaches and contributions to understanding complex human behaviors.
Biopsychology
Biopsychology, also known as biological psychology or behavioral neuroscience, focuses on the biological underpinnings of behavior and mental processes. It...
Biopsychology
Biopsychology, also known as biological psychology or behavioral neuroscience, focuses on the biological underpinnings of behavior and mental processes. It...
02:09Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies
When we hold a stereotype about a person, we have expectations that he or she will fulfill that stereotype. A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation held by a person that alters his or her behavior in a way that tends to make it true. When we hold stereotypes about a person, we tend to treat the person according to our expectations. This treatment can influence the person to act according to our stereotypic expectations, thus confirming our stereotypic beliefs. Research by Rosenthal and...