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Perspectives on Ethical Issues in Psychology: Learn from the Past, Focus on the Present

As part of our ongoing discussion of perspectives on ethical issues in psychology, this month we discuss interacting with people with very different political views.

“We can all identify with hearing someone say things we disagree with.” -Rasul Adams

It may look a lot different this year, but it’s almost time for the holiday season, the most wonderful time of the year. However, 8 months into a pandemic and some 400 years into not dealing with the effects of slavery, this has been one of the most stressful election years of all time. I am sure many of those reading this might understand the feelings of unease that come with going home to see family during these times, even if it has been so long since you’ve been able to see them. Beyond the mandatory testing and quarantines, the most stressful moment might still be the second you sit down for dinner with your family and hear that one family member start to hint at, maybe, possibly, talking politics. As budding psychologists, we want to attempt to address these concerns and help you navigate those conversations without causing too much stress on your end, because nowadays, we are not just “talking politics” anymore but talking differences in morality. In the following perspective pieces, we will discuss the research on talking about politics and morality with others, a clinician’s perspective on treating clients with different views, and tips on how to maintain your own emotional wellness as you navigate these interactions with family and friends over the holiday season.

What Do We Know about Dealing with Other People with Political Differences?

While we all may love our families, it is understandable to get nervous when talking politics just weeks after a divisive election. When we encounter those who hold differing moral views we experience a range of emotions. Research on value violations tells us that when someone else violates our morals, it results in intolerance and anger (Brandt et al., 2014; Wetherell et al., 2013). Similarly, research on moral outrage describes the experience of seeing someone violate a perceived moral norm, and wishing to punish this other person for their violation (Crockett, 2017). Other researchers argue in line with Moral Foundations Theory (Haidt, 2012; Graham et al., 2009), which explains that liberals and conservatives differ in terms of their moral bases. This difference in general sense of morality then leads to failures to empathize with those from the other side, as we cannot begin to understand their stance on the issues (Ditto & Koleva, 2011).

This is all to say that if you think it would be better to avoid discussing politics at dinner for the sake of the holiday, it would be understandable. However, if you choose to discuss politics, how can we effectively communicate and discuss with those who we may disagree with? One strategy involves having intellectual humility, or being willing to admit that we do not fully understand where the other person is coming from in their perspective. Research finds that when we are more intellectually humble in political discussions, it opens us up for trying to understand the other side (Porter & Schumann, 2018). A second approach is to frame one’s point of view in the moral foundations of the other side. Feinberg & Willer (2015) find that by framing a political point in what those from the other party consider as valuable (e.g., avoiding harm and promoting equality for liberals; displaying loyalty, respect for authority, and purity for conservatives), it is a more effective message. Third, attempting to empathize with those who we disagree with is a powerful and effective tool. Research finds that by merely believing that we can increase our empathy towards those who we disagree with (a more malleable mindset of empathy) we will be more likely to extend effort to do so (Schumann et al., 2014). Finally, we must be sure to continue seeing those we are discussing with as human beings, and not merely their political identity. After all, these people are our families that we care about. Remembering this may help us empathize and be more understanding.

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Perspectives on Ethical Issues in Psychology: Learn from the Past, Focus on the Present

As part of our ongoing discussion of perspectives on ethical issues in psychology, this month we discuss interacting with people with very different political views.

Treating Clients with Diverse Viewpoints: A Conversation with Dr. Deborah Gillman
By Stef Sequeira

Dr. Deborah Gillman completed her doctoral training at The City University of NY and lived in Manhattan for most of 40 years. Her clinical background is mixed and her practice is well-integrated in terms of modalities. Her original training was psychodynamic, though she also has experience with cognitive behavioral approaches. She currently works in a medical setting as the Lead Medical Psychologist for the Comprehensive Lung Center and Sleep Medicine Clinic (UPMC), and has been at UPMC since 2010. Dr. Gillman graciously agreed to speak with me about her experiences interacting with people with differing viewpoints as a psychologist in Western PA. Dr. Gillman was a joy to speak with, and I am very grateful for her time and her words.

I begin our discussion: As a clinical psychologist, how do you try to respond when your clients/patients express values or beliefs that don’t align with your own?

Dr. Gillman flashes back to her clinical training: “This is where I assume a stance that has its roots more in a dynamic practice.” She notes, “as therapists, we are there to be present, open, and listening with evenly hovering attention. It’s really about being with somebody; joining someone from a therapeutic position.” This conversation takes me back to class with Dr. Andy Koffmann, our previous clinic director, and his insistence that warmth, active listening, and attention to micro-skills in the therapy room set the foundation for successful treatment. Dr. Gillman reminds me, “When you’re taking in what someone says non-judgmentally, it’s [information on political views or beliefs] not different from other information you’re taking in about them.”

Later in the conversation, Dr. Gillman states, “Our job is to understand their reality.” I think about this for a bit. While it may sometimes feel jarring to hear opinions that differ so much from our own, as therapists we are there to understand the patient or client on their own terms. As Dr. Gillman notes, “they’re not supposed to be us.” Taking in information on political views or beliefs in an open and non-judgmental way can help us see and understand the client for who they are and how they got here.

In a simple statement with great impact, Dr. Gillman reveals that she “values acceptance of individual differences.” We discuss how clinically important and helpful it is to realize how different people are. She notes, “We allow people to be completely unique psychically. We allow them to have different experiences, defense mechanisms, and coping strategies. We rely on that so that our clinical approach is not reductive.” Dr. Gillman remarks how even with similar presenting problems (e.g., depression, anxiety), no two patients or clients look the same, as people’s lives are so varied. I think about my own experiences; even when using a manualized treatment, therapy sessions - and how I act and respond as a therapist - look different for each client I have.

Dr. Gillman continues by discussing how having similar political ideologies as your client does not mean therapy will be easier or more effective. She notes, “Political viewpoints do not coincide with personality structure. Some of my most challenging clients are people who I share political views with; sharing political ideology doesn’t help me clinically. There may be something comforting about sitting with someone who shares your views but that doesn’t help me treat people.”

What strikes me particularly strongly is her next point: “Sometimes [sharing similar political views] has the risk of lulling us into an overly confident position that we know them, and maybe we don’t know them as well as we think.” Sharing political views could thus “lull us into a sense of security” and “could get in the way of asking certain questions.” As a clinical psychology student, I sit with this for a while after the interview ends, reflecting on how having similar viewpoints as my clients might contribute to my making assumptions about them, instead of taking the time to ask more questions and really get to know them as unique individuals.

So, how might this translate to interacting with our own families as we head home (even virtually) for the holidays?

In Dr. Gillman’s words again, “It is harder to encounter differences in perspective in our families than it is in the consultation room.” I hear myself give a resounding “YES!” to this. Dr. Gillman reminds me that just as our clients are not us, our families are us, or at least, extensions of us. Even our geographic and religious communities are more us. Dr. Gillman notes, “These are our safe places, so it makes it harder.”

Dr. Gillman also reminds me that while this may be a unique time in history, we talk about how to manage family stress and conflict leading up to every holiday season. She recalls how she has been talking with her clients about “how we maintain what’s important to us for our self-care when we return to our families of origin” for a long time; this is not a new conversation.

She also reminds me that differences of opinion do not have to equate with conflict, and that the degree to which differences equate with conflict looks different in each family. She notes, “Don’t assume that just because those differences are there, you will have the same conflict.” Similarly, Dr. Gillman wisely remarks that, “even in families with the same political views, there can still be conflict.” She reminds us all to “Ask ourselves – what’s the biggest problem here? Is the problem that we don’t agree or that the fighting is too stressful?” And how can we reassure ourselves that the presence of conflict does not equate to the absence of love or care?

I thank Dr. Gillman for her time and her insight, and hope that her words will spark thought and conversation not only for clinical psychology students but for all of us as we enter the holiday season.

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How to Handle the Physiological Stress of Talking to Someone You Disagree With

For tips on how to navigate stressful holiday conversations, feel free to read this helpful Healthline article. If you’re short on time, here are the highlights:

Things to keep in mind

• Feeling angry or anxious about a dialogue can affect you both mentally and physically.
• Political debate between family and friends is not just about politics. It can become about not feeling understood or heard and when we as humans don’t feel understood and heard, especially by the people we care about most, it hurts us.
• While stressful interpersonal interactions are not new, this holiday season has the potential to be extra stressful given that most of us have been socially isolated for many months. If, midway through a family gathering, you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or exhausted—you probably are! This may not be because your family is stressful, it may be because you are adapting to being with other living, breathing, talking humans for an extended period of time. Be patient with yourself (and them!) and don’t be afraid to take time to be alone.

Tips for maintaining personal wellness

• Set boundaries:
  • “I love you and we need to stop talking about this right now”
  • “I’m happy to have a conversation about this, but not at the dinner table in front of everyone else. Let’s have a cup of coffee tomorrow and hash this out”
  • Telling those in the discussion that you’re overwhelmed and need to take a time out is another approach.
  • Finally, if communicating doesn’t work, going into management mode is needed, which might involve leaving the table during a heated discussion or not attending a family gathering to avoid that person.
• Ask questions:
  • If a discussion veers into political opinions you disagree with, try asking questions and listening rather than trying to “correct” their views yourself.
  • If you are willing to ask questions and listen, you might learn something about the person and gain insight into their core values, and you might realize they are not as different from you as you thought.
  • Or, if you feel that this person needs to be corrected and have their views challenged, taking time to ask questions and listen first will give you time to collect your thoughts and respond mindfully, and it will increase the likelihood that they will listen to you just as you listened to them.

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December and January Events

In case you missed it: Center on Race & Social Problems Fall Institute lectures can be found on their YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpH5lubAtNU0WsSIQjjHgcg

Pitt Office of Diversity and Inclusion Calendar of Events: https://calendar.pitt.edu/office-of-diversity-and- inclusion/calendar

December 1, 2020: World AIDS Day

December 1, 2020, 12:00-1:30pm: Healing Racial Trauma: Racial Socialization as a Clinical Strategy for Black Youth
Dr. Riana Elyse Anderson, Assistant Professor of Health Behavior & Health Education at the School of Public Health, University of Michigan, will discuss her pioneering work on using a clinical racial socialization intervention to support Black families in coping with racial trauma in their lives as part of the Pitt School of Social Work’s Center on Race and Social Problems’ Speaker Series.
More information: https://crsp.pitt.edu/lectures-and-institutes/speaker-series
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PVeMGJR3SOWB9HK1O9EtDg

December 3, 2020: International Day of Disabled Persons

December 10, 2020, 11:00am-12:30pm: Center for Urban Education (CUE) Lunch and Learn: "We Still Here: Pandemic, Policing, Protest, and Possibility."
In this virtual book study, join Marc Lamont Hill, an award-winning journalist and author for a conversation about his book "We Still Here: Pandemic, Policing, Protest, and Possibility." Hill will be in dialogue with T. Elon Dancy, executive director of CUE, Chelsea Jimenez, a CUE graduate student, and Derric Heck, a visiting student fellow from Stanford University. Registration is required.
More information: https://www.cue.pitt.edu/event/lunch-learn-book-study-marc-lamont-hill
Register here: https://pitt.zoom.us/webinar/register/7516052025075/WN_hvNPdOOLRHWmfr1Z5myF9Q

December 10, 2020: International Human Rights Day

January 18, 2021: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

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December Action Items

NIMH is seeking input about research priorities to improve outcomes among racial/ethnic minorities by December 11th
All comments must be submitted via email as text or as an attached electronic document. Your responses should be addressed to: nimhodwd@nih.gov
More information about the Request for Information (RFI): Fostering Innovative Research to Improve Mental Health Outcomes Among Minority and Health Disparities Populations can be found here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/not-mh-20-073.html

Donate Food to your local Little Free Pantry
Have you seen a Little Free Library? Donate your nonperishables to their sister movement, Little Free Pantry! Launched in 2016, LFP is a grassroots movement by neighbors for neighbors. As you will often see painted on pantries made from old boxes, cupboards, and hutches, “Give what you can, Take what you need.” Find a local LFP near you here. Learn how to start your own LFP with your family or community here. Last, register any new pantries you find in your wanderings here.

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Community Research Advisory Board

Want to recruit more diverse samples? Want to get feedback from experts on your study protocol? The Pitt School of Public Health’s Community Research Advisory Board (CRAB) can help!

CRAB was established to advise researchers on how to engage under-represented populations in research and foster collaboration among those populations.

To learn more about this resource, we spoke with Dani Hunter, a graduate student in the developmental psychology program and project coordinator for the Family Income Dynamics Study (FInD) about her experience with CRAB. Dani described the feedback she received from CRAB as “eye-opening.” A number of changes to materials and procedures for FInD were implemented as a direct result of CRAB. She noted that the resulting changes made to the study protocol may have helped with the impressive 95% retention rate for this longitudinal study.

What to expect:

Study materials are sent to CRAB members prior to the meeting for review. Researchers then give a short presentation about their study at the meeting. Following the presentation, there is a 30-minute discussion involving questions and recommendations. In addition to verbal feedback, researchers receive a thorough written feedback form after the meeting.

How can CRAB help:

CRAB members consist of community members, service providers, and academics offering important perspectives for developing recruitment strategies, improving study designs, and identifying community organizations to partner with. As a result of CRAB feedback, Dani said FInD changed the wording and implementation of questionnaires and recruitment materials to be more accessible and they increased privacy measures to promote trust in participants. Dani said the CRAB members provided insight into how questionnaire items may be perceived by the target population and generally helped think about the practical, “on-the-ground” aspects of their study.

How to make the most of CRAB:

Dani suggests bringing a specific question/issue to the meeting to maximize the time. She also suggests going during the planning phase of the study so that there is time to make the recommended changes and get a second round of feedback from CRAB before deployment.

There is a CRAB meeting on the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 12:00-1:00pm. To learn more or to get your study on the agenda, contact Lorna Ann Bray (e: lab47@pitt.edu; p: 412-624-4388) and check out their website here.

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Looking for a Volunteer Opportunity?

Volunteer to pack food boxes, pick up litter in Oakland, and much more!

Search the Volunteer Portal for a specific opportunity or set search criteria to find an opportunity that fits your availability.

Find a volunteer opportunity at volunteer.pitt.edu.