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1
Christodoulou, Vasiliki. "The cognitive-behavioural approach : a closer look at some of its latest developments." Thesis, City, University of London, 2010. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/16329/.
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Objectives: Three studies addressed the effectiveness of a preventative Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) training for university students and university employees. The studies aimed to explore whether changes in participants' psychological well-being would be mediated by the mechanisms of change theorized as central in ACT. Design and Method: The studies adopted an embedded mixed method, repeated-measures randomised controlled trial design. In the first study 65 participants recruited from a university student population were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: 1) a training day (6 hours) based on Acceptance 'and Commitment Therapy (ACT); 2) a waiting-list control group. The intervention was delivered to groups of participants. Participants in both conditions were required to complete outcome and mediation measures at baseline (Time 1), at one month (Time 2) and two months after the training (Time 3). At two months post, participants in the intervention group were also asked to provide written feedback reflecting on the impact of the training. The second and third studies utilised similar methodology. Specifically, in the second study, 71 participants were recruited from a university student population, and in the third study 68 participants were recruited from the university workforce. Assessments were completed at similar time points as in the first study. Results: The first study (students) resulted in significant between-group differences on mental health variables at one month benefiting the intervention group. The second study (students) indicated beneficial improvements in the intervention group's mental health at two months post intervention. There was some evidence of ACT-consistent mediation in these studies. The third study (employees) failed to identify significant improvements for participants in the ACT condition although participants in the waiting list group had evidenced deterioration of their mental health at one-month. Participants across studies described the experienced impact of the intervention and noted barriers of engaging with the training skills. Conclusions: Brief ACT preventative interventions could be of potential value as prophylactic approaches. The study identified a requirement of a longer intervention format to enhance engagement with training skills. The study outlines recommendations for improvements of future preventative ACT projects.
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Strachan, Shaelyn. "An Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Theory Examination of the Role of Identity in Health Behaviour and Behavioural Regulation." Thesis, University of Waterloo, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10012/729.
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The self has been identified as the ?psychological apparatus that allows individuals to think consciously about themselves? (Leary & Price Tangney, 2003, p. 8). Further, the self has been identified as a worthwhile construct of investigation in relation to health behaviour (Contrada & Ashmore, 1999). Two self-related variables that have been useful in the study of health behaviour are identity (e. g. Anderson, Cychosz, & Franke, 1998; Petosa, Suminski & Hortz, 2003; Storer, Cychosz, & Anderson, 1997) and self-efficacy (Maddux, Brawley & Boykin, 1995). Identity Theory posits that individuals regulate their behaviour in a manner that is consistent with their goal identity (Gecas & Burke, 2003). Social Cognitive Theory provides a means of measuring social cognitions that may be important in behavioural regulation relative to identity. Further, self-efficacy beliefs may influence individuals? persistence at aligning their identity and behaviour. Research to date has investigated the link between identity and exercise (e. g. Anderson, Cychosz & Franke, 1998; Petosa, et al. , 2003). Further, researchers are beginning to investigate the link between identity and other health behaviours (e. g. Armitage & Conner, 1999; Kendzierski and Costello, 2004; Storer, Cychosz, & Andersen, 1997). However, research has not utilized the predictive frameworks offered by Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Theory to investigate the relationships between identity, behaviour and behavioural regulation. Study One investigated the role of identity and self-efficacy beliefs in the maintenance of vigorous physical activity. Results were consistent with both Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Theory. Individuals who strongly identified with the runner identity expressed stronger task and self-regulatory efficacy beliefs. They also exercised more frequently and for longer durations than did those who only moderately identified with running.
Study Two further explored the relationship between exercise identity, exercise behaviour and the self-regulatory processes involved in behavioural regulation. Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Theory were used as guiding frameworks for this investigation. High and moderate exercise identity groups were compared in term of their affective and cognitive reactions to a hypothetical behavioural challenge to exercise identity. Consistent with Identity Theory, results indicated that participants appeared to be regulating their behaviour in a manner that was consistent with their exercise identity. Specifically, in response to the behavioural challenge to identity, high exercise identity participants, in contrast to their moderate counterparts, showed (a) less positive and (b) greater negative affect about the challenge, (c) higher self-regulatory efficacy for future exercise under the same challenging conditions, (d) stronger intentions for this future exercise, as well as for (e) using self-regulatory strategies to manage the challenging conditions and (f) intending to exercise more frequently under those conditions.
Study Three investigated whether identity with healthy eating could also be useful in understanding behaviour and behavioural regulation. Similar to Study Two, extreme healthy-eater identity groups? reactions to a hypothetical behavioural challenge to identity were compared. Results were similar to Study Two. Participants responded in a manner that suggested that they would regulate their future behaviour relative to their healthy-eater identity. In response to the behavioural challenge to identity, individuals who highly identified as healthy-eaters expressed less (a) positive affect, greater (b) negative affect, (c) self-regulatory efficacy for managing their healthy eating in the future challenging weeks, (d) intentions to eat a healthy diet, (e) generated more self-regulatory strategies and had (f) stronger intentions to use those strategies in future weeks under the same challenging conditions than did individuals who moderately identified themselves as healthy-eaters. Further, prospective relationships between healthy-eater identity and social cognitive variables, and healthy eating outcomes were examined. As was found in Study One in the context of exercise, healthy-eater identity and social cognitions predicted healthy eating outcomes.
Taken together, the three studies suggest that identity may be important in understanding health behaviours and the regulation of these behaviours. Also, the present findings support the compatible use of Identity Theory and Social Cognitive Theory in the investigation of identity and health behaviour.
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Wong, Chit Yu. "How can a music therapy student facilitate contributions by adolescent clients who have psychiatric disorders in group music therapy? : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music Therapy at New Zealand School of Music, Wellington, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1093.
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This study explored ways in which a music therapy student could modify and improve her own clinical practice in order to facilitate client contribution in group music therapy in an acute adolescent inpatient unit. Through cycles of observation, evaluation, planning, and action, the music therapy student was able to examine her facilitation techniques in detail and modified them accordingly. There were six fortnightly cycles and in each cycle, the research journal, research notes, and video-recording were systematically reviewed by the music therapy student herself, and themes were drawn out to contribute to the planning of the next cycle. The results suggested that while direct questions predominated at the start of study, the music therapy student was able to adopt a variety of other techniques by the end of the research period, including self-disclosure, appropriate eye contact, and the shifting of responsibility. The music therapy student also found that her own anxiety level, which was often caused by periods of silence in music groups, also had an important impact on her ability to facilitate. The discussion addressed other factors that are believed to have contributed to the student?s ability to facilitate in group music therapy.
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Xin, Ren. "Machine Learning Classification of Response to Internet-based Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy using Genome-Wide Association Study Data." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för elektroteknik och datavetenskap (EECS), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-280354.
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Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) data is used to predict clinical outcome of Internet-based Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for patients suffering from depression. The original data has a very small sample size, but a huge number of features. We reduce the number of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) by selecting the ones associated with unipolar depression. We define and train a Convolutional Neural Network model with the new data containing only the selected SNPs. For comparison, we also train a logistic regression model with the new data and train both models with a same size data set containing SNPs randomly chosen from the total set. The results show that the selected SNPs have stronger prediction power than the random SNPs, the trained models with the selected SNPs have better performance than a nondiscriminating classifier; however, the CNN model does not perform better than the logistic regression model. These results are discussed, with suggestions for future improvements, such as means to increase the sample size and to reduce the feature size.Data från Genome-Wide Association (GWAS) används för att förutsäga kliniskt resultat av internetbaserad kognitiv beteendeterapi för patienter som lider av depression. Originaluppgifterna har en mycket liten provstorlek, men ett stort antal funktioner. Vi minskar antalet funktioner, som är enkla nukleotidpolymorfismer (SNP), genom att välja de som är associerade med unipolär depression. Vi definierar och tränar en Convolutional Neural Network-modell med den nya informationen som endast innehåller de valda SNP:erna. Som jämförelse tränar vi också en logistisk regressionsmodell med den nya datan och tränar båda modellerna med samma storlek som innehåller SNP:er som slumpmässigt valt från den totala uppsättningen. Resultaten visar att de valda SNP:erna har starkare förutsägelseskraft än de slumpmässiga SNP:erna, de tränade modellerna med de valda SNP:erna har bättre prestanda än en icke-diskriminerande klassificerare; CNN-modellen presterar emellertid inte bättre än den logistiska regressionsmodellen. Dessa resultat diskuteras med förslag på framtida förbättringar, till exempel medel för att öka provstorleken och minska funktionsstorleken.
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au, mwise@westnet com, and Michael Wise. "Mad Science: Discourses of Schizophrenia and Therapy for Hearing Voices." Murdoch University, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20041221.95451.
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People who are diagnosed with severe mental illness experience some of the most extreme and pervasive prejudice of all groups in Western society. How can this still be so? Although the term mental illness is typically reserved for the most serious of cases, psychiatrys medical model is expanding into increasingly everyday realms. Thus, in concert with efforts to reduce social stigma, mental illness is becoming normal. Nevertheless, abnormality is a requirement of biopsychiatry and its offshoots; professionals require some thing to remedy. How do clinical professionals manage these tensions? And what alternatives are there to the pathologizing of such phenomena?
Such concerns are considered in relation to my main thesis question: How do professionals represent schizophrenia and hearing voices in theoretical texts, and how is that played out in the minutiae of therapy practices? Drawing on discourse analysis and conversation analysis, I critique professional categorizations of what are typically known as schizophrenia, mental illness, patients, clients, and therapists. My case in point is the experience of hearing voices - pathologically known as auditory hallucinations. Delusional beliefs are also considered.
In Part 1, accounts of voices as supernatural or ordinary phenomena, or as a symptom of severe mental illness, are considered. Mainstream psychiatric and psychological texts are analyzed and critical alternatives are summarized.
In Part 2, a selection of studies of interactions involving severe mental illness are reviewed and ongoing analytic/methodological debates are discussed. A cognitivebehavioural therapy group for hearing distressing voices then provides data from clinical talk-in-interaction for analysis. I focus on negotiations of reality (the ordinary versus the psychiatric) and on what I take to be sanist prejudice-in-action.
Part 3 relates findings from Part 2 to the context and findings of Part 1. There is also discussion of the positive implications of a more social and dialogical approach to understanding and otherwise dealing with the phenomena in question; for voice hearers, schizophrenics, and society at large.
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Tarabi, Said Aris. "The experiences of second generation Pakistani Muslim men receiving individual cognitive behavioural therapy : an interpretative phenomenological analysis." Thesis, London Metropolitan University, 2016. http://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/1220/.
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Background/Aims: According to the United Kingdom (UK) census statistics (ONS, 2011), Islam represents the second largest religion after Christianity, and the largest group of Muslims in the UK has a Pakistani heritage. Analysis of the existing research suggests that Pakistani Muslim men with psychological difficulties under-utilise mental health services in the UK. Several studies (mainly quantitative in nature) have reported that CBT can be an appropriate treatment for Pakistani Muslims, but some authors argue that there are fundamental philosophical conflicts between Islam and CBT. However, there has been no research to date on how CBT is actually experienced by Pakistani Muslim men, and the needs of this under-represented group remain unexplored. In response to this dearth of research, particularly in Counselling Psychology, this study investigated the experiences of Pakistani men who had completed CBT treatment within the last 18 months. Design/Method: Verbatim accounts of semi-structured interviews were analysed employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The participants were six Second-Generation Pakistani Muslim men (SGPMM) aged between 20 and 43 who had received individual CBT. Findings: In the process of analysis three superordinate themes were generated: ‘Pre-CBT difficulties’ (which refers to the thoughts, feelings and challenges that the participants had encountered prior to CBT), ‘the process of CBT for Muslim men’ (which discusses what CBT means and how helpful and/or unhelpful the participants found CBT), ‘the interaction between CBT and Islam (which explores the significance of religion, and how CBT and Islam complement and/or clash with each other). Conclusions: The participants emphasised the difficulties and concerns that SGPMM can encounter in therapy as a result of religious and cultural pressures: namely in adhering to collectivist and individualist values, in meeting family and community expectations, and in reconciling differing aspects of Islam and CBT. It is therefore suggested that training programmes and practitioners should consider developing more targeted interventions to better address this group of clients’ religious and cultural needs.
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Silfvernagel, Kristin. "Individually tailored internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for adolescents, young adults and older adults with anxiety." Doctoral thesis, Linköpings universitet, Psykologi, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-135823.
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Anxiety disorders share the feature of excessive fear, anxiety and related behavioural disturbances. Fear is defined as the emotional response to a real or a perceived imminent threat and anxiety is the anticipation of a future threat. The anxiety disorders covered in this thesis are panic disorder with or without agoraphobia, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified. Cognitive behavioural treatment protocols are typically designed to target one specific disorder and falls under the definition of disorder-specific cognitive behavioural therapy. It is however unclear if this is the most optimal approach in regards to the high comorbidity between anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy has in the past generally been disorder-specific and from above mentioned predicament two alternative treatment approaches emerged, the tailored and the transdiagnostic approach that aims to simultaneously treat both principal and comorbid disorders. Previous trials on internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy have targeted adults in general and relatively few target adolescents, young adults and older adults. The aims of this thesis were to further develop and test the effects of tailored internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy on the basis of age, for adolescents, young adults and older adults. Specifically by developing and testing the effects of individually tailored internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for adolescents with anxiety and comorbid depressive symptoms and by adapting and testing the effects of individually tailored internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for young adults and older adults with anxiety and comorbid depressive symptoms. These aims were tested in two pilot effectiveness studies (Paper I and III) and two efficacy randomised controlled trials (Paper II and IV). The results from these four trials showed significant results across all outcome measures with overall moderate to large effect sizes. The tentative conclusion based on these results is that tailoring internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy can be a feasible approach in the treatment of anxiety symptoms and comorbid depressive symptoms for adolescents, young adults and older adults. Despite the positive findings of the studies in this thesis, there is a need for more research examining the acceptability and effectiveness of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for adolescents, young adults and older adults with anxiety and depression before implementation on a larger scale.
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Andersson, Peter. "Implementation of website for cognitive behavioural therapy using the development framework Symfony." Thesis, Linköping University, Department of Computer and Information Science, 2010. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-54722.
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This report follows the process of developing a website for cognitive behavioural therapy using the web development framework Symfony. The purpose was to find out if it is appropriate to use Symfony to ease development and maintenance of a website for therapy. For this to be true the framework had to be able to help create a website that was secure, user-friendly and easy to maintain.
The website was developed using several features of the framework including database abstraction, automatic code generation and URL-rewriting. A plugin was used to enhance the security by adding a complete solution for user authentication. The website was tested by using built-in test functionality of the framework that could run test on functions or emulating a browser visiting the website.
During the development the framework was tested and evaluated. The worst drawback turned out to be Symfonys steep learning curve, its security solution that only worked if the website was installed correctly and its slow loading time. Except those faults the framework performed well and was easy to use ones the initial learning time was over.
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Greville, K. A. "Central auditory processing in children with a history of neonatal jaundice." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/1986.
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An experimental group (Group A) of 22 children around 7 years of age who had normal hearing for pure tones but who had experienced neonatal jaundice with peak bilirubin levels of at least 300 µmol/l was tested on a range of audiological tests selected to assess aspects of their central auditory processing. Children who had not been tested for bilirubin level were selected as control subjects (Group B); they were matched on the variables gender, race, gestational age, birthweight, Apgar scores and occurrence of respiratory problems. A smaller experimental group, Group C (n=7), with peak bilirubin levels between 250 and 299 µmol/l but with perinatal complications was also studied. The experimental groups had higher mean acoustic reflex thresholds and lower mean reflex amplitudes than the control group. Acoustic reflex threshold patterns of abnormality consistent with central dysfunction occurred in two children from the main experimental group and two children in the control group. None of the children from Group C showed abnormal reflex thresholds. Acoustic reflex amplitude patterns of abnormality consistent with central dysfunction were present in six children from Group A and two children from Group C, compared with three children from the control group. Masking level differences were absent in five subjects from Group A and three children from Group C, compared with three control subjects. No group differences were evident for ABR latency or amplitude measures, but poor morphology or repeatability of wave V was observed in ten subjects from Group A and three children from Group C, compared with five children from the control group. A larger number of failures within the experimental groups was found for two of the four speech tests, that is, for interrupted and filtered speech tests, but not speech in noise or competing words tests. Five children from Group A (but none from Group C) performed poorly on the interrupted speech test, compared with two from Group B. The filtered speech test was failed by six children from Group A and two children from Group C, compared with two from Group B. Parental reports of behavioural or learning disorders were distributed equally among the groups and were not associated with particular patterns of test failure. Overall, children in the experimental groups failed significantly more tests of central auditory functioning than did children in the control group (F(2,48)=5.5,p<.01). The results were interpreted as implicating jaundice in long-term central auditory processing abnormalities.
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Hammond, Kay Maree. "A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Women’s Body Image: Comparisons Between Normal Weight, Overweight, Eating Disordered and Body Building Women." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/1987.
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This thesis approaches the area of women's body image with the aim of expanding existing knowledge based on traditional male/female comparisons of how women respond to quantitative measures of body image. It does so by distinguishing between some different body-type groups of women. These were mostly Caucasian women aged eighteen and over who lived in the greater Auckland area. They were grouped as: normal weight (n=43); overweight (n=37); women with eating disturbances (n=27); and body builders (n=17). A pilot study involving ten normal weight women examined the face validity of several established international measures of body image as well as additional ones developed for the main study. The established questionnaires were: the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, the Body Esteem Scale, the Weight Locus of Control Scale, a Figure Rating Scale and a Silhouette Rating scale. The newer measures consisted of modifications made to the Figure Rating Scale and the Silhouette Rating scale. Verbal questions about teasing history were also asked, the intention being to formulate a teasing history questionnaire for the main study. These measures were found to be valid by the women. In part one of the main study quantitative comparisons between the groups revealed some differences, but also some surprising similarities. Desirable body types of normal weight and muscular physique were described positively in physical and personality terms. The undesirable body types of thin and overweight received negative descriptions irrespective of the women's own group membership. The eating disordered women scored the lowest self-esteem while the other groups did not differ. The body builders scored the highest body-esteem while the normal weight and overweight, and overweight and eating disordered groups did not differ. Correlations between self-esteem and body-esteem were significant for all groups except the body builders. The correlation was strong for the eating disordered group and moderate for the normal weight and overweight groups. In the Figure Rating Scale the body builders chose more muscular ideal figures than the other groups and for all groups the ideal and current figures were usually one figure size different. At least half the women in each group felt their body was the same size as they thought it was' Of those remaining who gave different answers to the think versus feel ratings, nearly all in the eating disordered group reported they felt bigger. In the other groups there was an even split between those who felt bigger and those who felt smaller than they thought they were. The women were most united in their selection of the figure they thought men would find most attractive. In approximately a quarter to one third of each group (excluding the body builders due to small numbers) the figure selected as attractive to men was also chosen as the self ideal. Approximately a quarter of each group [excluding body builders) selected the same self ideal and peer ideal, however a considerable percentage of women selected a larger self ideal than peer ideal. All groups reported there should not be an ideal figure at all in society. All groups tended to believe that their weight was under their own control. Most women reported having been teased about their appearance and being affected by this teasing. This was especially noticeable for the eating disordered group, a considerable percentage reporting they still felt adversely affected by it. Part two of the study introduces feminist poststructuralist theory and the Foucaultian concept of power and discourse analysis as ways to explore body image research. The body image literature introduced in part one is then revisited showing how this area of research can be harmful for women. The presentation of the interviews with 28 women follows, seven women from each body type group. A short form of discourse analysis was used for the women's responses to issues in body building, their explanations of the self-esteem, body-esteem, and the results of the correlation of the two. Issues related to the presence of an ideal figure size in society are also discussed. A longer form of discourse analysis was involved for the readings of the women's accounts of having been teased about their appearance. These readings showed many women located their accounts of teasing within a discourse of trivialisation-of-teasing, indicating that the seemingly trivial practice of teasing is a powerful form of social control, resulting in feelings of vulnerability. The study concluded with summaries and conclusions from the literature presented in the introductions of both parts one and two. The quantitative and qualitative research methods were compared to see what both could offer body image research. Finally speculations were made about directions which body image research could take at both the individual and cultural level.
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Mudford, Oliver Charles. "Assessment of the quality of observers' records of behaviour." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/1990.
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The measurement of behaviour by direct observation may be improved when observers have been provided with equipment which enables real-time recording. There are no data available concerning the quality of this type of measurement. Indeed, there is no consensus among researchers as to appropriate methods of quality assessment. In the present series of studies, observers were provided with hand-held computers programmed to act as real-time recorders. The quality of their records was assessed by three "traditional" methods, representative of those which have been used most frequently in previous behavioural research: interobserver agreement, observer/criterion agreement, and relative error. An instrument calibration procedure, the standard method for measurement accuracy analysis in the natural sciences and engineering, was demonstrated for comparison with traditional methods. The traditional methods were found to be unsatisfactory for theoretical and empirical reasons. The calibration procedure was shown to have some considerable potential advantages for applied behaviour analysis. Disadvantages, both statistical and practical, were also discussed.
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Oliver, Pam 1949. "Young people's reactions to nuclear issues : a constructivist analysis." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/1998.
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The 1980s saw an increasing interest amongst psychologists, both as researchers and as practitioners, in the ways in which people react to nuclear weapons issues, especially the perceived threat of nuclear war. Much of the research in relation to "nuclear threat", undertaken either within the United States or by United States psychiatrists in collaboration with European colleagues, and using extensive questionnaire surveys, focused on the fears of children and teenagers. Some researchers concluded that large proportions of young people were at risk of impaired psychological development because of nuclear threat which resulted in a pervasive sense of futurelessness and a distrust of .adults. This research has been widely criticised since because of apparent researcher bias in the methods used, interpretations offered, and general paradigm. I also found much of the research ethically objectionable. My research has involved 52 interviews with young New Zealanders and administration of a questionnaire to more than 2000 others, including ages nine to 18 and three ethnocultural groups, as well as interviews with some teachers. The objectives of these studies were: (1) to produce detailed information about how young New Zealanders react to nuclear weapons issues which might be used by educationalists, mental health professionals, parents, and young people themselves in dealing with those issues; (2) to make specific recommendations about young New Zealanders' apparent needs and preferences for learning about and dealing with nuclear weapons and related issues; (3) to provide a detailed methodological comparison of interview and questionnaire approaches to this research topic, and discuss issues of theory and paradigm; and (4) to comment on ethical and practical issues for both the researcher and the researched in undertaking research on emotive and potentially distressing topics, especially with young people. As a result Chapter 1 of my thesis contains a comprehensive critical review of the international research and theory relating to young people's perceptions of nuclear weapons, examining the problems of method, interpretation and paradigm associated with this area of research. Both interview and survey data are presented in relation to: (a) young people's levels of awareness and sources of information about nuclear issues; (b) their emotional, cognitive and behavioural reactions to nuclear issues, including coping strategies and activism: (c) their perceptions of the future; (d) comparisons across gender, age and ethnocultural group; (e) the role of adults; and (f) differences between New Zealanders and other national groups. The data are discussed in terms of: (i) their patterns, contexts and meanings; (ii) their implications for peace and global issues education; and (iii) their implications for research method, including ethical issues. Recommendations are made for how psychologists and others can help young people and adults in dealing with global and social threats, including how to undertake research which is empowering as well as valid and useful.
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Adams, Peter James. "A Rhetoric of mysticism." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2021.
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Research into mystical experience has to date relied primarily on retrospective self reports of mystical states. Analysis of such reports assumes a direct correspondence between their content and the content of the experiences. But experiencers themselves often express dissatisfaction with the capacity of language to convey these states, and the language they do choose to use is typically vague and ambiguous. The current dissertation argues that vagueness is not an accidental nor an unfortunate feature of mystical communications. Because of difficulties in direct expression, mystical communicators rely on the active and imaginative participation of the listener/reader to complete the expression. A theory of provocative gaps is developed to explain how this operates. A "gap" is conceived of as an open receptacle in linguistic space. It provides a site within a discourse upon which receptive listeners/readers can insert content from their own experience. Gaps can be created by blatant omissions of content, but in written descriptions are more likely to occur in indirect forms by exploiting subtleties in grammar and meaning. A simple diagrammatic system is developed for explaining the gap-provoking potential of several major rhetorical strategies. Three studies were designed to explore whether and at what frequency written testimonials of mystical experience exploit a selection of 31 of these gap-provoking strategies: the first study exposed their high frequency in extracts by well-known published mystics; the second indicated similarly high frequencies for the average person's description; and the third found significantly higher rates in mystical testimonials than in descriptions by the same participants of dream or travel experiences. A similar use of vagueness can be found in the language of hypnotic trance induction, and as an adjunct to the second study, the hypnotic susceptibility of 81 subjects was assessed and results indicated that subjects with mystical inclinations were more susceptible to hypnosis than those without. The general support of the studies for a theory of provocative gaps suggests that the notion of intentional vagueness could have useful application in the study of other types of communication, including: the media, art criticism, teaching, psychotherapy and academic discourse.Whole document restricted, but available by request, use the feedback form to request access.
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Saphira, Miriam Edna. "Children's understanding of sexual orientation." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2043.
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In 1989 New Zealand is considering legislation which will make discrimination against lesbians, transexuals and gay men illegal. To increase children's understanding of sexual orientations educators need to have some knowledge of what children already understand and how children use their information. The three studies address this issue in spite of the difficulties in obtaining permission to ask children about homosexuality. A homophobia questionnaire was administered to 290 first year psychology students. They were also asked to recall their childhood feelings about gay people when they first met a homosexual and first understood the concept of homosexuality. Older women were the least homophobic. A second study was carried out with 5, 7, and 11 year old children in three schools with a family discrimination task. A third of the 11 year olds could label the couples of the same sex as gay, homosexual or lesbian and gave more positive items to the two-parent families. A third study involved 31 children from two-parent families and 32 from lesbian families. Out of the 63 six to ten year olds, 27 could define 'homosexual' and 'gay' and 37 could define lesbian. Twenty could use a strategy to recognise a lesbian. Although social discrimination against non-heterosexual orientations placed some constraints on this research, it yielded preliminary evidence for the emergence of children's understanding of sexual orientations between 7 and 11 years of age.
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McComas, Katherine Joan. "Locomotion experience, age, familiarity, and the use of the social referencing strategy in infancy." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1989. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2050.
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Researchers and theorists have stressed the importance of self-produced locomotion for the development of more distal forms of communication such as social referencing but this notion has not been specifically tested. Social referencing research has also been conducted exclusively in the university laboratory. Three studies examined the influence of self-produced locomotion on the development of social referencing and compared social referencing behaviour in familiar and unfamiliar settings. Social referencing was defined as occurring when, following a novel event, infants looked to a familiar adult and used the information provided by the adult to adjust their behaviour towards the event appropriately. In the first study, forty infants, half locomoting and half non-locomoting, were seen in their own homes at either 7-months (10 crawling, l0 not crawling) or 9-months (10 crawling, l0 not crawling). Testing was repeated on all infants 2 months later. Infants were videotaped in each of three maternal availability conditions (mother available; not available; or not interactive) before a remote control toy car moved toward them. Mothers were instructed to give either a positive or negative facial signal when their infant looked at them during this final phase. The infants were responsive to the availability of the mother on a number of dependent measures. Locomoting infants approached their mothers more, played with the toys less, and differed in some aspects of looking behaviour during the availability phases. During the final social referencing phase neither group consistently used the information provided by the mother to change their behaviour. A second study examined a further ten, 9-month-old infants using an identical procedure. The infants were delayed in the onset of self-produced locomotion due to surgical and immobilization procedures prescribed for club foot. This group did not differ from the normal non-crawling 9-month-olds in the availability phases of the study but did look to their mothers more quickly and vocalized less during the social referencing phase. The third study used a similar procedure and identical novel stimulus to examine 20, 11-month-old infants' social referencing behaviour in a laboratory situation. There was a significant difference between the infants who received a positive versus negative message for the contact with the car measures. When they received a negative message, infants tested in the laboratory were less likely to touch the stimulus car and touched it for a shorter time than infants of the same age and tested at home. Mothers of all infants participating in this study completed the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire. None of the infant characteristics predicted which infants would use the social referencing strategy. It is concluded that social referencing is not a strategy used extensively by 7-and 9-month old infants although social looking is common at these ages in response to new events. Locomotion experience has little effect on social referencing. Infants use information from a variety of sources to assess a new situation and 11-month-old infants are more likely to use social referencing as a strategy in an unfamiliar setting. Theoretical implications of the results are discussed in relation to the cognitive requirements of preverbal and emotional communication and the relative importance of social influences for interpreting novel events.
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Nairn, Raymond George Ross. "Madness, media & mental illness: a social constructionist approach." Thesis, University of Auckland, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2280.
Full textAbstract:
Background Depictions of mental illnesses in the mass media have been analysed and criticised for more than forty years with little improvement, and that has serious implications for the ongoing efforts to destigmatise both mental illnesses and those who suffer from them. Aims To examine media depictions of mental illnesses within a social constructionist framework. To identify why media depictions take the form they do and to indicate ways in which such practices may be more effectively addressed. Method Items chosen from factual media genres were subjected to discourse analysis. This form of analysis attends to the preferred meaning of the items and how that meaning is constructed within the item. Exemplars of such analysis are contrasted with the content analyses more commonly performed on media materials before reporting analyses of items from everyday media reports and of materials that were expected to be less stigmatising. Results Irrespective of the form of analysis it is found that media depictions of mental illnesses are dominated by representations of dangerousness, criminal violence, unpredictability, and social incompetence. The same features were found in a destigmatisation documentary and a series of backgrounders on mental health services, in both of which madness was utilised to create interest and drama. It is argued that these characteristics occur because media personnel, like most laypersons, represent mental illnesses as forms of madness. Conclusions That my social constructionist analysis is able to account for the lack of change in media depictions over forty years. That the preference for a public mental health approach to destigmatisation is misplaced because it is unable to address the fear generated by lay understandings of mental illnesses. That the attempt to avoid conflation of the person with the disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manuals beginning in 1980 was an inadequate step in an appropriate direction in that it sought to remind clinicians that a mental disorder does not make a person non-human. The thesis findings are interpreted as showing that destigmatisation requires a new way of depicting mental illnesses, one that privileges the individual's experience and their ordinary humanness.
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Sperlich, Wolfgang B. 1948. "Namakir: a description of a central Vanuatu language." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2314.
Full textAbstract:
This is a description of the phonology, morphology and syntax of Namakir, a language of the Oceanic subgroup of Austronesian, which is spoken on some six small islands of the Shepherd Islands, central Vanuatu. My perspective on Namakir is that of a person trained in linguistics, who carried out linguistic fieldwork for the purpose of grammatical description. In addition I contributed to ethnographic work as well as compiling data for a dictionary, part of which is appended to the present description. Namakir is a conservative language which retains many features that make Oceanic languages unique. Thus it is a valuable witness for comparative and reconstructive work in Oceanic linguistics. The physical, social and historical setting of Namakir is detailed in the introductory chapter. A section on theoretical issues concerning the descriptive enterprise is included. The chapter on phonology outlines the Namakir consonant and vowel inventories, with due emphasis on the glottal stop which, as a reflex of the Proto-Oceanic glottal stop, is a unique occurence in Vanuatu languages Sections on phonotactics, stress and phonological processes add to the basic description of segments. In the chapter on morphophonemics the dynamics of derivational processes are explored. A major section deals with consonant alternation, a phenomenon widely discussed in Oceanic Linguistics. The major form classes are detailed in the next chapter. Nominals, determiners, adjectives, verbs and adverbs are established as word categories and paradigm tables are provided for comprehensive overviews. The last chapter on Namakir syntax provides a systematic description of noun phrase and verb phrase. Possessive constructions receive special attention as they exhibit a number of unusual features. The verb phrase is discussed within the framework of the Oceanic definition of verb and periphery which include subject markers as well as pronominal objects. The Namakir mood and aspectual system is presented in detail. A major section deals with serial verb constructions in relation to current descriptive theories. The concluding sections discuss selected items regarding complex sentence structures. Negation and question sentences, existential and comparative sentence types are included. Coordination together with direct and indirect speech is noted to use forms of a quotative verb, being especially significant in the organisation of narrative sequences. Relative and temporal clauses share a single overt marker. A morpheme-to-morpheme glossed narrative is appended to demonstrate narrative style. A substantial Namakir-English-Bislama wordlist is added as a repository of data collected during fieldwork.
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Stillman, Jennifer A. "Detection of a signal as a function of interaural differences in the intensity of masking noise." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2481.
Full textAbstract:
A series of experiments was undertaken to explore the effect of interaural differences in the intensity of masking noise upon the detection of a signal. The signal was a 2-kHz sinusoid, and the masker was composed of either one or two 800-Hz wide bands of noise. The centre frequencies of the two bands of noise, one above and one below the signal frequency, were varied. On most occasions both noise bands were used to create a spectral notch surrounding the signal. The following factors were manipulated: (1) The width of the notch: from 0 to 1900 Hz. (2) The location of the lower and upper frequency edges of the notch relative to the signal: either equidistant from the signal, or with one edge 150 Hz nearer to the signal than the other edge. (3) The spectrum level of the noise: either 20, 35 or 50 dB SPL. (4) The degree of interaural disparity in the intensity of some components of the noise: either 0 dB, 10 dB or infinite. (5) The ear to which a particular masking noise was sent. (6) The manner in which the noise was presented: either diotically or dichotically. (7) The manner in which the signal was presented: either diotically or monotically. The results of the first two experiments were interpreted as showing that threshold signal levels in the presence of interaural differences in the intensity of masking noise depended principally on the ear in which the signal-to-masker ratio at the output of the auditory filter was larger. To test this possibility, auditory filter shapes were derived from two listeners. These were then used to predict thresholds when there were interaural differences in the spectral envelope of a masking noise. The results of a comparison between the predicted and obtained thresholds were consistent with the previous interpretation. Thus it appears that the detector following the filter can discriminate the output of the two ears and base detection on the better output. This ability may be useful in normal listening, where both wanted and extraneous sounds are subject to change from moment to moment.
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Haarhoff, Beverly Ann. ""The map, the navigator, and the explorer": evaluating the content and quality of CBT case conceptualization and the role of self-practice/self-reflection as a training intervention : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand." Massey University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1077.
Full textAbstract:
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) leads the way as an evidenced based psychotherapy, and the evaluation of CBT training programs is increasingly seen as important if this position is to be maintained. In this dissertation, CBT case conceptualization, as a core psychotherapeutic competency, acquired in training, is evaluated. Case conceptualization, integrates precipitating, predisposing, maintaining, and protective factors, functioning as an explanatory and prescriptive roadmap for therapy. Gaining self-knowledge through exposure to some form of personal therapy is cited as important in gaining psychotherapeutic competency. Self-practice/ self-reflection, show promise as a form of personal therapy compatible with the principles of CBT. This study evaluates the content and quality of CBT case conceptualizations produced by a sample of 26 participants who have completed the Massey University Post Graduate Diploma, using three case conceptualization rating scales. In addition, the impact of a self-practice/self-reflection manualised training intervention designed to improve the quality of case conceptualization in trainee cognitive behaviour therapists, is explored using thematic analysis. The evaluation of the CBT conceptualizations showed predisposing factors and psychological mechanisms as receiving the most attention from participants. However, the majority of participants failed to pay attention to socio-cultural, biological, protective factors and factors pertaining to the therapeutic relationship. The majority of the participants were able to produce a 'good enough' CBT case conceptualization, however the ‘problem list’ was not well developed, and the conceptually relevant aspects of the therapeutic relationship and protective factors were given less attention. The effect of a self-practice/self-reflection training intervention on the quality of CBT case conceptualizations produced by the intervention group (n = 16) drawn from the main participant sample, was qualitatively evaluated using thematic analysis. Theoretical understanding of the model, self awareness, empathy, conceptualization of the therapeutic relationship, adaptation of clinical interventions, and clinical practice were all subjectively perceived by participants to have increased as a result of the intervention. An inferential analysis compared the performance of the intervention group (n=16) that of a comparison group (n=10), made up of the remainder of the larger sample described in the context of the first question. The comparison group had not been exposed to the manualised intervention. The comparison was both within, and between the two groups. The quality of the intervention group showed an improvement on one of the rating scales, indicating a possible link between the training intervention and case conceptualization competency, however, the improvement was not replicated by the other two rating scales. The findings are discussed in the context of improving CBT training with regard to case conceptualization.
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Hails, Euan. "Development and delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy training in New South Wales, Australia : project undertaken in the spirit of action research." Thesis, Cardiff University, 2012. http://orca.cf.ac.uk/37090/.
Full textAbstract:
This study set out to investigate the understanding of psychological interventions and their place in practice (psychological mindedness) at an Australian mental health service and whether or not it was possible to train clinicians to introduce cognitive behavioural therapy to practice. The study investigated if, after training, clinicians' self-efficacy and readiness to use learnt skills is increased as they begin to deliver cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to patients. To do this a methodological approach was adopted, developed and delivered in the spirit of action research and conducted utilising a practice development model, that employed skills based education and experiential learning methods. A staff scoping survey was conducted to ascertain the psychological mindedness of clinical staff and to gain a picture of the availability of talking therapies across the health service. Following this survey an eight-day CBT training course was developed and delivered. A pre- and post- course questionnaire was applied to gain data on participant’s readiness to use skills and an increase in their self-efficacy pertinent to CBT that they learnt during the course. The results of the scoping survey showed that there was use of talking therapies by clinicians and that these clinicians desired training in CBT. The results of the CBT course questionnaire showed that it is possible to increase clinician’s self-efficacy and readiness to introduce skills to practice post attendance on an eight-day CBT training course. The delivery of focused talking therapy training across a mental health service can over time and with adequate levels of support and supervision, enable the delivery of CBT to service users. Principles of action research, practice development and the use of skills based education and experiential learning methods if implemented and supported actively can increase patient’s access to psychological therapies and train staff in the application of the same.
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Valencia, Hernández María Luisa. "Cognitive behavioural therapy intervention for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders and anxiety : A systematic literature review from 2009 to 2019." Thesis, Högskolan för lärande och kommunikation, Högskolan i Jönköping, HLK, CHILD, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-44315.
Full textAbstract:
Young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are more prone to experience anxiety disorders at a greater level compared to their neurotypical developing counterparts, causing lifelong impairments in family, social, academic and adaptive functioning. Early interventions in childhood have been designed to minimize these stressful events and to optimize children’s developmental outcomes. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is considered a first-line intervention of anxiety. The review aimed to synthesize empirical literature on modified CBT interventions from 2009 until 2019 focusing on reducing anxiety in children and adolescents with ASD. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in five databases. As a result, 10 articles were included to review. Modifications found were: a) audiovisual support and written materials, b) parental partic-ipation, c) sessions length, d) language, e) sensory and motor accommodations, f) emphasis into the behav-ioural component, g) enhancement of individual’s attention and participation, h) facilitating materials to access the content of CBT, and i) participants’ specific interests and worries. The interventions showed significant reductions in youth anxiety levels. Future research should focus on addressing which specific modifications contribute to anxiety reduction since to date, there is no evidence comparing standard CBT to modified CBT interventions. Moreover, there is a lack of anxiety-assessment instruments specially designed for individuals with ASD. In addition, considering the longstanding prevalence of male autistic rates, ASD diagnostic instru-ments should be revised to reduce bias that can mislead to an inattentive ascertainment of females with ASD.
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April, Wilfred Isak. "An exploration of entrepreneurship potential among rural youth in Namibia : the Arandis village." Diss., Lincoln University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/1459.
Full textAbstract:
Background: Entrepreneurship potential amongst rural Nama youth should be considered a courageous idea to enhance the motivation and development of the community. At independence in 1990, Namibia developed its own economic and youth policies which were drafted in alignment with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which address concerns about the role rural young people, can play in their own communities. Theoretical Background: This paper explores the role of indigenous entrepreneurship as it pertains to development amongst rural youth in Namibia. It considers the cultural context within which entrepreneurship takes place. To identify and understand the cultural context, the study draws upon the theoretical frameworks of Geert Hofstede, specifically his continuum of individualism/collectivism. The need to continually incorporate new aspects whilst consciously maintaining the traditional, reflects a key African concept, that of "Ubuntu" (unmuntu ngumutu ngabantu). Methodology: An empirical investigation of rural youth in Arandis village was conducted. To explore the significance of entrepreneurship, culture and the notion of Ubuntu in Africa, a comprehensive study of stakeholder views at both a community and national level was also carried out. These investigations were guided by questionnaires, in-depth interviews (supported by story-telling), playback national radio interviews, a panel discussion and a review of Namibian policy documents. Analysis of data also explored practical initiatives and possible forms of enterprise which could contribute to the creation of opportunity for youth in Arandis and in Namibia. Findings: The major findings of this thesis are that: entrepreneurship in Namibia is defined by participants and stakeholders as the efforts made by an individual in accumulating the necessary resources to benefit the community; rural young people in Arandis are potential entrepreneurs (illustrated, by the strong passion they showed to be role models in their community and their strong sense of cultural identity).
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Couch, Clare Mary. "Balanced parenting with young children : relationship focused parent training within a dialectical framework : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1206.
Full textAbstract:
While traditional behavioural parent training programmes have assisted families with concerns of child behaviour problems, they have not kept abreast with recent conceptualisations of the development of problematic behaviours in the parent-child relationship. Research has indicated that understanding of this relationship needs to go beyond bidirectional explanations and that a dialectical framework better describes the complexity of this relationship, which, in turn, should be reflected in the parent training programmes offered. Therefore, this study provided a parent training programme focused on balance in the parent-child relationship, which encapsulated the complex, dialectical nature of this intimate relationship. A central implication when adopting this notion of balance was that all aspects of the programme were addressed at the parent and child level. In addition, multiple factors were addressed that included mindfulness and acceptance, dealing with emotions, understanding development, and addressing parental attributions. It was only within this overarching concept of balance and relationship factors that behavioural skills were introduced. Mechanisms of change were identified by investigating parental emotional schemas through their narratives about themselves, their child, and the programme. This research involved 23 parents with their 3-4 year-old children in a parent training programme where both the parent and child met weekly with a therapist in group parent training. The groups involved 2-hourly sessions for 5 weeks, modelled on a “coffee morning” where parents met and discussed issues and the children played alongside in the same room. A research assistant was available to play with and tend to basic needs of the children. Measures at pre-, post-treatment, and at follow-up targeted child behaviour problems, how much of a problem these were for the parents, parents’ sense of competence, parental attributions, and what was useful for parents in the programme. Results indicated that at post-treatment parents were able to address and maintain balance in their parent-child relationship and this reflected multiple dimensions of a dialectical understanding that had not been evident prior to the intervention. There was an increased mindfulness of both parent and child’s needs with a strong emphasis on an increased understanding of the child as an individual in their own right. Parents reported an increased recognition of the importance of dealing with emotions, with improved skills to be able to do this, an increased understanding of accommodating development, and an appreciation of needing to address parental attributions. In addition, there was a decrease in parent-reported intensity of child behaviour problems and how problematic these were for the parents, which were corroborated with parental verbal reports of improved child behaviour. Mechanisms of change that were identified included changes in parental attributions, parents being able to share with other parents, accessing “expert” knowledge from the programme facilitator, and gaining parental strategies. Implications for practice were discussed with suggestions for behavioural parent training programmes. In conclusion, limitations of the research and directions for future research were indicated.
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Dutton, Paul. "Does forage enrichment promote increased activity in captive capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella)?" Diss., Lincoln University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10182/779.
Full textAbstract:
In their native habitat of Central and South America, capuchin monkeys (Cebus) spend 45% to 55% of their day foraging and a further 20% travelling. Once these monkeys are introduced into captive environments their diets are selective, seasonal and presented to them by their keepers. The captive environment often leads to various behavioural abnormalities and compensatory behaviours or stereotypies. To address this issue, environmental enrichment can be employed to reduce, cure or prevent such an occurrence. Enrichment can reduce stress, while increasing animal well-being and health in captivity. Despite previous work a better understanding of enrichment, for most neo-tropical primate species, is necessary, in order to improve their captive lifestyles. Feeding of captive primates is more complex than providing a balanced nutritional diet as it must also meet their ethological needs. The manipulation of the presentation of the diet has been shown to significantly decrease the incidence of resting, while significantly increasing the incidence of playing, grooming, foraging and manual manipulation of dietary items. Eleven capuchin monkeys were presented with four different feeding treatments (i.e. cut food presented in bowls, cut food presented around the enclosure, uncut food presented around the enclosure and novel feeding devices presented around the enclosure) from December 2007 until May 2008. At the start of every month one of three feeding treatments was introduced with the cut food in bowls feeding treatment interleaved between the treatments. The different feeding treatments required the monkeys to search for their food, break-up their food into manageable sizes, and obtain food in touch-, tool- and manipulative-dependent methods in order to allow the monkeys an opportunity to display increased activity more in line with their wild conspecifics. The capuchins displayed a period of intense foraging directly following feeding. This period significantly increased (from 44 to 121 min.), along with foraging events and the proportion of time spent foraging, which was more in line with their wild conspecifics. In addition, the frequency of occurrence and the proportion of time spent on locomotion and resting was shown to decrease. Also, abnormal behaviours ceased to occur during the study. Environmental enrichment is a useful tool for providing stimulation, redistributing activity levels more in line with wild conspecifics and to combat abnormal and compensatory behaviours.
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Beavan, Vanessa. "Angels at our tables: New Zealanders' experiences of hearing voices." Thesis, University of Auckland, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/3175.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this study was to explore the experience of hearing voices in the general New Zealand adult population. This included mapping the topography of voices and the impact of the experience on participants’ lives, exploring participants’ explanatory models, investigating coping strategies and support structures, and developing a model of the essence of hearing voices. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of questionnaire (n=154) and interview (n=50) data revealed a great diversity of experiences, both within and among participants. Of all topographical variables significantly related to emotional impact (content, form, duration, intrusiveness and control), voice content was the only significant predictor variable, accurately predicting the emotional response of 93.3% of participants. Overall, participants who valued their voice experiences tended to have spiritual beliefs, a more positive emotional reaction and less contact with mental health services. In contrast, participants who experienced mostly unwanted voices tended to have biological and/or psychological understandings of their voice experiences, a more negative emotional reaction to them, and increased contact with mental health services. Participants reported using a vast array of coping strategies, with varying degrees of success. Individualised techniques were reported to be the most effective, followed by setting aside a time to listen to the voices. In terms of help and support, participants called for a model of intervention that accepted their voice experiences as real, took an holistic approach incorporating contextual, cultural and spiritual factors, and worked with voice-hearers, their families and the public to provide information about voice phenomena and normalise the experience. Using a phenomenological approach, a model of the essential structure of hearing voices is proposed, comprising five components: the content of the voices is personally meaningful to the voice-hearer; the voices have a characterised identity; the person has a relationship with their voices; the experience has a significant impact on the voice-hearer’s life; and the experience has a compelling sense of reality. The implications of this research include validating voice-hearers’ perspectives of the experience, informing clinical work with voice-hearers, and informing the development of local and national-level services, such as a New Zealand Hearing Voices Network.
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Lembke, Swantje (Svan). "The Social Identity of Teams at Work." Thesis, University of Auckland, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2036.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation investigates the management of teams at work. A thorough examination of the literature on small groups, coupled with field research on the implementation of teamwork in the New Zealand operations of a large multinational provides insights about how members of a team think. It is shown that the perception of membership by team members influences their ability to make effective use of resources and make informed decisions, not only within the team, but also with regard to its impact on the organisation. Social identity theory provides a theoretical model for the psychological processes of team membership. The processes of categorisation, self-categorisation and social identification are mapped against the introduction of teamwork over a period of two years to assess whether or not they are relevant. The results from surveys of and interviews with senior staff members support the processes described by social identity theory, where groups can operate as separate cognitive and emotional units as relevant for the management of teams at work. Because of the unique psychological processes, team members at work have to be interacted with (and be given information) differently than individuals in order to behave as a high-performing team. This study develops the implications of social identity theory for the introduction and management of teams at work, leading to high performance for the organisation. Key words: Teamwork, social identity, social cognition
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Sullivan, Vivienne M. "Wasting away: the influences of weight management on jockeys’ physical, psychological and social wellbeing." Thesis, full-text, 2008. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/2029/.
Full textAbstract:
Little research has examined the effects of weight management on jockey’s wellbeing. However, there is a consensus that pervasive weight-loss practices (WLP) in the racing industry negatively impact on jockey’s physical, psychological and social wellbeing. The research reported herein examined the effects of the WLP used by flat-race jockeys on their physical, psychological and social wellbeing. In Study 1, 42 jockeys (10 women and 32 men) completed questionnaires examining eating behaviour, WLP and their physical, psychological and social effects of WLP. In Study 2, six male jockeys completed race day and non-race day assessments of WLP and mood and were interviewed about their experiences. In Study 3, eight jockeys (two women and six men); five family members (three wives and two fathers); and six industry professionals were interviewed about their perceptions and experiences of the lives of jockeys. Together the results of the studies showed that the WLP of jockeys have serious negative effects on their physiological, psychological and social wellbeing. Jockeys experience symptoms of life-threatening heat illness, negative mood, limited social interactions and strained relationships. Disordered eating behaviour was common and many jockeys reported symptoms consistent with DSM IV-TR disorders including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Depression, General Anxiety Disorder and Social Phobia. Weight restriction symbolised a range of other restrictions that characterise jockeys’ lives. The term, Occupational Weight-Loss Disorder (OWLD) was coined to describe and explain the findings. Recommendations to reduce the harms documented included determining minimum weights, increasing time off, professional advice and profession suitability.
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Hauraki, Jennifer. "A model minority?: Chinese youth and mental health services in New Zealand." Thesis, University of Auckland, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/1876.
Full textAbstract:
The 'model minority' label given to Chinese populations in New Zealand and other Western countries have made it difficult to truly comprehend the difficulties faced by some Chinese ethnic minorities. Despite comparable rates and types of mental health problems to their European counterparts, identifiable barriers have led to Chinese ethnic minorities underutilising mental health services. The present study investigated the mental health service utilisation in native- and foreign-born Chinese youth in New Zealand, paying particular attention to barriers to service utilisation and viable solutions for these difficulties. It consisted of three individual projects and explored the views of Chinese community and mental health professionals and Chinese university students, comparing their perspectives to university students of other ethnicities. Findings showed that despite a willingness to seek help from their family and mental health professionals (e.g., psychologists, school counsellors), respondents identified a myriad of obstacles to the help seeking of Chinese youth. These included physical barriers (e.g., financial and transport constraints), personal barriers (e.g., stigma, problems accepting their difficulties), service barriers (e.g., paucity of knowledge regarding mental health problems and available services) and family barriers (e.g., obstruction from family members). Family and service barriers distinguished the difficulties faced by Chinese in comparison to European youth, particularly with regards to the adherence of professionals to stereotypes of Chinese youth, a unique finding of this study. In order to reduce such barriers, the Chinese university students and professionals advocated for greater education regarding mental health problems and services in the Chinese community, education for Chinese parents regarding adolescent issues, an increase in the number of practicing Chinese professionals that is coupled with improved cross-cultural training for non-Chinese professionals, as well as individual assessment and treatment approaches with Chinese youth and their families.Whole document restricted, but available by request, use the feedback form to request access.
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Woodfield, Melanie Joslyn. "Exploring the relationship between family involvement and outcome in residential interventions for children." Thesis, University of Auckland, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/3193.
Full textAbstract:
Family participation in residential interventions for children has been reliably shown to enhance children’s adaptation to the community following discharge. This finding, however, had predominantly been observed in long-term residential programmes in North America. This thesis examines the influence of family involvement on outcome for children in a short-term residential intervention - the Children’s Health Camp, in Auckland, New Zealand. This service offers children and families, who may be experiencing social, emotional, physical and/or behavioural challenges, individualised interventions that often include a five-week residential stay. A ‘high family involvement’ condition, a community-based programme that followed a residential intervention, was compared with a ‘low family involvement’ condition (the traditional residential programme). No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups on parent-report measures of child behaviour and parenting practices, although significant improvements in children’s behaviour (including emotional, social and conduct aspects) for both groups were found. Reasons for the lack of difference between the groups, and the difficulties inherent in conducting outcome research in a residential facility for children are highlighted. Other influences on outcome for children and families, such as residential staff members’ attitudes toward family involvement were also examined. The optimal conditions for successful short-term residential interventions for children are proposed.
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McNair, Nicolas A. "Input-specificity of sensory-induced neural plasticity in humans." Thesis, University of Auckland, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/3285.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the input-specificity of sensory-induced plasticity in humans. This was achieved by varying the characteristics of sine gratings so that they selectively targeted distinct populations of neurons in the visual cortex. In Experiments 1-3, specificity was investigated with electroencephalography using horizontally- and vertically-oriented sine gratings (Experiment 1) or gratings of differing spatial frequency (Experiments 2 & 3). Increases in the N1b potential were observed only for sine gratings that were the same in orientation or spatial frequency as that used as the tetanus, suggesting that the potentiation is specific to the visual pathways stimulated during the induction of the tetanus. However, the increase in the amplitude of the N1b in Experiment 1 was not maintained when tested again at 50 minutes post-tetanus. This may have been due to depotentiation caused by the temporal frequency of stimulus presentation in the first post-tetanus block. To try to circumvent this potential confound, immediate and maintained (tested 30 minutes post-tetanus) spatial-frequency-specific potentiation were tested separately in Experiments 2 and 3, respectively. Experiment 3 demonstrated that the increased N1b was maintained for up to half an hour post-tetanus. In addition, the findings from Experiment 1, as well as the pattern of results from Experiments 2 and 3, indicate that the potentiation must be occurring in the visual cortex rather than further upstream at the lateral geniculate nucleus. In Experiment 4 functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to more accurately localise where these plastic changes were taking place using sine gratings of differing spatial frequency. A small, focal post-tetanic increase in the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response was observed for the tetanised grating in the right temporo-parieto-occipital junction. For the non-tetanised grating, decreases in BOLD were found in the primary visual cortex and bilaterally in the cuneus and pre-cuneus. These decreases may have been due to inhibitory interconnections between neurons tuned to different spatial frequencies. These data indicate that tetanic sensory stimulation selectively targets and potentiates specific populations of neurons in the visual cortex.
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Marshall, Amanda C. "Keep calm and age well : behavioural and electrophysiological investigations into the effects of cumulative stress exposure on ageing cognition." Thesis, University of Essex, 2016. http://repository.essex.ac.uk/15824/.
Full textAbstract:
The research presented in this thesis comprises a body of work dedicated to continuing and enriching past exploration into the impact cumulative life stress exerts on ageing cognition. In order to extend previous work into this topic, behavioural measures were paired with electroencephalographic recordings of the cortical oscillatory activity thought to underlie cognitive operations. In a theoretical sense, work presented in this thesis strengthens past investigations highlighting the adverse effects of life stress on elderly peoples’ working memory abilities by replicating the effect under conditions of increased experimental rigour. It further provides evidence that the detrimental effects of cumulative stress extend to the domains of executive control and spatial memory. Electrophysiological findings obtained during task execution and at rest indicate pronounced changes in the oscillatory activity of aged high stress individuals’ delta, theta, alpha and gamma bands and are thus the first to demonstrate that cumulative stress affects the underlying neural processes related to successful task execution. As such, from a methodological standpoint, the current research strongly advocates the use of neuroscientific tools such as the electroencephalogram to gain an increased understanding of the mechanisms by which increased stress exposure evokes progressive cognitive decline in old age. Combined, the work presented in this thesis demonstrates the negative consequences of leading a highly stressful life for the integrity of multiple cognitive functions in old age and is the first to provide an indication of how cumulative stress affects both cortical and (indirectly) subcortical regions of the brain necessary for successful cognitive functioning.
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Marie, Janet. "Working well : women's experience of managing psychological wellbeing as sex workers : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Aotearoa/New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1181.
Full textAbstract:
Despite evidence to the contrary, policy makers, some researchers and many who provide health and social services to sex workers continue to reflect and reinforce the notion that sex workers are dysfunctional and constitute a threat to public health. This thesis presents the results of a study which explicitly examined how indoor sex workers look after their psychological wellbeing. Twelve participants (who had worked as sex workers for at least 3 years) took part in semi-structured interviews and discussed how they looked after themselves both at work and in their wider social context. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two main themes emerged from the data. The first, “doing sex work”, relates to workplace practices. The second theme, “being a sex worker”, relates to how the women understand their experience of being a sex worker in their social context and how they care for themselves in this arena; also apparent in this theme are aspects related to entry and exit of the industry. All participants took part in the study to increase understanding of and social justice for sex workers. Most of the participants see sex work as having a positive contribution to their personal growth. The findings show that participants are resilient and employ self-care practices that are commonly used by many in occupations that deal with people or who are stigmatised in some way. Major conclusions drawn from the study are that working in a supportive environment, prior understandings of sex work, personal traits and reasons for entering the sex industry are closely related to positive psychological wellbeing.
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Riseley, Rebecca. "Perception of Risk of Depression: The Influence of Optimistic Bias in a Non-Clinical Population of Women." Thesis, Victoria University, 2005. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/462/.
Full textAbstract:
Mental illness including depression has been estimated to account for 11% of the world's disease burden with the expectation that this figure will rise to in excess of 15% by the year 2020 (AIHM, 2002; Australian Health Ministers, 1998). Women have been reported to be twice as likely as men to experience depression, making depression a significant public health issue for women. How individuals perceive themself to be at risk has important implications for understanding help seeking behaviour and in turn, diagnosis and treatment outcomes. A number of factors have been identified in the physical health literature that account for the way perception of risk is conceptualised. The present study was designed to explore perception of risk of depression from the perspective of optimistic bias. The work of Weinstein (1980) and Moore and Rosenthal (1996) identify factors such as perceived seriousness, perceived control, stereotyping, perceived commonness, knowledge of a sufferer, perceived knowledge of the illness and attitude to the illness, as potentially influencing a person's perception of personal risk. Weinstein (1980) developed a model for integrating these factors, called optimistic bias. This model has been studied in relation to perception of risk for cancer, sexually transmitted diseases and other physical illnesses, but not in relation to mental illness. Two conceptualizations of optimistic bias were tested in this study, i) as a series of semi-independent illness specific constructs, and ii) as a global personality construct. The value of the Weinstein model for predicting perception of risk of depression was explored in relation to three physical illnesses (HIV/AIDS, Diabetes and Breast cancer). In addition women's conceptualizations of depression were explored in relation to depressive status and ability to recognize typical symptoms of depression. A non- clinical sample of one hundred and five women over the age of 18 were recruited with each participant required to complete a series of questionnaires that were quantitatively analysed. The model of optimistic bias as a series of semi-independent (state) constructs did significantly predict perception of risk for depression, accounting for 27.8% of the variance. The personality model of optimistic bias was also significant for predicting perception of risk of depression, but significantly less powerful accounting for only 8.2% of the variance. Part of the analysis for this study involved a replication of the work by Moore and Rosenthal (1996) utilising both descriptive and inferential data analyses to determine which variables predicted perception of risk of depression with two factors, perceived control and knowledge about the illness, revealed to be most significant. This study found that the illness specific model was more applicable to depression than to physical illness. Perception of risk was demonstrated by the comparative profiles to be different for each illness with the women in this study able to list a number of categories of stereotypical sufferers. A frequency analysis was also conducted to explore the similarities and differences in conceptualisation of the illnesses. Results indicated that 57% of women within the sample reported levels of clinical depression. Evidence emerged that among those who reported clinical levels of depression a subset were unable to recognise depression. A woman's depressive status and her ability to recognise depression from a scenario appeared to influence perception of risk. These results highlight important theoretical and applied implications for health promotion as well as the treatment and management of depression.
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Erceg, Vicki Heather. "Detection of behavioural and cognitive dysfunction in mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA affected dogs : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Veterinary Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1053.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigated whether behavioural and cognitive dysfunction caused by mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IIIA can be detected early in affected dogs’ lives, and to describe the behaviours of these dogs. No other scientific papers have been published on this topic and the population of dogs examined in this study are the only MPS IIIA affected dog colony available worldwide for study. Three main tests were performed on the population of MPS IIIA affected dogs. Physical behavioural assessment tests were performed at six and eight weeks of age and from twenty weeks of age a cognitive function task was taught and then tested to measure the dogs’ performance. A previously validated questionnaire, the canine behavioural assessment and research questionnaire (C-BARQ), was completed at three, six and twelve months of age. The researchers in these studies were blinded to the MPS IIIA status of the dogs examined. The behaviours shown by the MPS IIIA puppies at six and eight weeks of age were not significantly different from the behaviours of the unaffected puppies. This finding supported the research of other MPS IIIA studies and suggests that clinical behavioural changes do not occur at such a young age. The behaviours shown by the MPS IIIA affected puppies appeared to be normal puppy behaviours similar to those described in previous research on puppies. The C-BARQ measured the behaviours shown by the MPS IIIA affected and unaffected dogs. Most of the MPS IIIA affected dogs’ behaviours were not significantly different from the unaffected dogs’ behaviours, but MPS IIIA affected dogs did retrieve significantly more than unaffected dogs at three months of age, and were less distractible at twelve months of age. It would be worth investigating these findings further to decide whether it suggests a subtle alteration in brain functioning. The cognitive function test showed a significant decrease in the success of the MPS IIIA affected dogs in the final maze test. This is the first study on dogs affected with MPS IIIA to find a decline in cognitive function before the occurrence of cerebellar clinical signs and this new knowledge may lead to future developments measuring therapy response and disease progression. The T-shaped maze testing may be valuable in future research on cognitive function in dogs with other diseases such as epilepsy. Thus this thesis provides valuable information on canine MPS IIIA and provides a foundation for future disease investigations.
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Crowe, Laura Majella. "Social support in later life : the influence of retirement and marital status : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1320.
Full textAbstract:
The study explored the relationship between retirement and marital status and objective and subjective measures of social support. A secondary analysis was conducted on a sample of 6,662 men and women aged 55-70 years of age. Results of a series of 2-way ANOVAs revealed greater interaction with friends amongst retired individuals than those who were employed. Marital status was shown to be associated with interaction with family and levels of perceived social support. An interaction between retirement and marital status was also shown to influence levels of perceived social support. The results reveal that retirement and marital status have an individual and interaction effect on various measures of social support and indicate the importance of considering marital status when researching, educating and working with issues regarding retirement and social support.
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Perseius, Kent-Inge. "Borderline personality disorder : studies of suffering, quality of life and dialectical behavioural therapy." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm, 2006. http://diss.kib.ki.se/2006/91-7140-508-9/.
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Van, Kessel Kirsten. "The Development and efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapy for multiple sclerosis fatigue: a randomised controlled trial." Thesis, University of Auckland, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/3313.
Full textAbstract:
Aim Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), with fatigue being one of the least understood symptoms. Based on a systematic review of the literature, a cognitive behavioural model of MS fatigue was developed and used to design a manualised eight session cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) intervention to treat MS fatigue. The purpose of the randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to investigate the efficacy of CBT compared to relaxation training (RT) to treat fatigue in MS. Methods Seventy-two patients with MS fatigue were randomly assigned to either eight sessions of CBT or eight sessions of RT, designed to control for therapist time and attention. Participants were assessed before and after treatment, and at three and six months follow-up. Primary outcomes included the Fatigue Questionnaire (FQ) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGIS). Secondary outcomes included measures of fatigue related impairment, mood, stress, sleep problems and daytime sleepiness. Seventy of the 72 participants completed all therapy sessions and 69 participants completed all assessments. Results Analyses were carried out by intention-to-heat. There was a significant group by time interaction for fatigue, indicating that the CBT group had significantly greater reductions in fatigue severity than the RT group (p<.02). A-priori contrasts showed that this significant effect was largely accounted for by changes between baseline and end of treatment (P<.00). By six month follow-up improvement in fatigue was equivalent in both groups. The key mechanism of improvement in fatigue severity during CBT was a positive change in schematic beliefs about fatigue. At the end of treatment 88.6% of the CBT group rated themselves as improved compared to 73% of the RT group, but this difference was not significant (p<.09). Both groups improved on almost all secondary outcomes, with the CBT participants improving more significantly on depression, anxiety and stress between baseline and end of treatment (p<.05). Conclusions CBT appears to be an effective treatment for MS fatigue, with CBT participants improving significantly more on fatigue than RT participants between baseline and end of treatment. Obtained effect sizes for fatigue in both CBT and RT were considerably larger than those in previous controlled trials of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Both groups improved on almost all of the secondary outcomes. Findings support the relevance of a cognitive behavioural model for MS fatigue.Whole document restricted, but available by request, use the feedback form to request access.
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Manson, Jennifer Margaret. "Person-job fit and its relationship with work attitudes: a study of Christian missionaries from Australasia : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand." Massey University, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/998.
Full textAbstract:
Do Christian missionaries who exhibit good person-job fit, (‘aligned’ with host nation colleagues and ‘in harmony’ with expatriate colleagues), experience more positive work attitudes? Personjob fit was conceptualized in terms of competencies. Perspectives on what competencies the role of missionary requires were obtained from 3 groups of subject matter experts: host nation colleagues, missionaries, and mission agency leaders. In Study I, subject matter experts (host nation colleagues, n=22, missionaries, n=25, and agency leaders, n=23) rated the ‘Universal Competency Framework’ (SHL) 20-level competencies. Host nation colleagues differed significantly on 3 of the competencies, suggesting that in this sample, the perspective of expatriates on the role of a missionary was not fully aligned with that of host nation colleagues. In Study 2, a sample of 130 current overseas missionaries self-assessed their performance and provided their own ratings of the importance of the competencies used in Study 1. Measures of Person-Job fit (Demands-Abilities fit, Supplies-Values fit and Perceived Performance) were regressed against outcome variables (job satisfaction, work engagement and satisfaction with life). Results indicated that a person’s fit with the job as described by both host nation colleagues (Alignment) and other expatriates (Harmonization) is positively associated with job satisfaction, work engagement and satisfaction with life. These results offer support for competencies as an effective method of describing missionary roles. Possible implications for enhancing the effectiveness and well-being of missionaries, and other aid and development workers, are discussed.
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Hale, Trevor A. "The Experiences of Athletes Rehabilitating From Season Ending Injuries and Their Perceived Value of Psychological Interventions: Three Case Studies." Thesis, Full-text, 2008. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/1988/.
Full textAbstract:
Research has shown that athletes who sustain injury often experience negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, and depressed mood, and that a negative psychological state can have a detrimental effect on injury rehabilitation and return to sport. For the most part, researchers have focused on athletes who have experienced short to moderate term injuries. Few have addressed long-term injury rehabilitation (LTIR). This thesis focuses on athletes who had experienced season ending injuries. Each athlete (3) was interviewed (four times) and invited to participate in psychological interventions (e.g., psycho-educational and cognitive behavioural) throughout LTIR lasting at least nine months. Athletes’ experiences are reported as long, narrative case studies. While the case studies explore four broad themes (affect, coping, social support, and psychological interventions) the overall narratives articulate the coherence and discord among athletes’ LTIR experiences (e.g., the positive and negative consequences of social support, life stress, pain, affect; the value of psychological interventions; the therapeutic aspect of ‘just’ talking to someone; etc.). The intimate issues identified and lived by each participant are examined and discussed in relation to the pre-existing athletic injury literature. Complex and dynamic relationships among the variables (e.g., emotional and behavioural responses, social factors, and physiological aspects) proposed in integrated models of injury rehabilitation (e.g., biopsychosocial) emerged in these narratives. These integrated models outline the dynamic and interrelated responses athletes have in response to injury and are the maps that practitioners treating these athletes may use. The athletes’ stories presented here, therefore, express some of the common ground injured athletes travel and are also rich and full of unique personal experiences. In both senses, though, they depict the actual, dynamic, rough, and often lonely process of LTIR—they are the real-life territory that those maps only partially describe.
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Ralph, Kirsten. "Understanding the experience of high workplace engagement in a team environment: workplace contributors and influences : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1134.
Full textAbstract:
This research endeavors to understand people's experience of working in a highly engaged team, and specifically to understand the aspects of the work environment that contribute to their engagement. As participants' own perspectives and views are central to gaining a rich insight, a qualitative approach is taken. Twenty-five participants from a large government agency who had worked in highly engaged teams took part in five focus group discussions. The discussions were analysed following thematic analysis techniques, and a thematic network of three interrelated layers was developed to explain the findings. This thematic network focuses more on people's experiences of working in an engaging environment and the feelings associated with these experiences, whereas the literature focuses more on describing engagement and the aspects of the environment which contributes to engagement. At the base of the engagement model, developed from this research, are the seven aspects of the workplace that contribute to people's engagement: leadership; challenging and or varied work; access to knowledge; latitude and responsibility; social atmosphere; safety, trust and support; and respect. Above this are the feelings people connect with working in this environment: feeling at ease and relaxed, having a sense of achievement and satisfaction, and being valued or validated. The top layer of the model is the overall sense of what working in an engaging environment is about: feeling good in one's self. Three further observations are made. Firstly, the team is an important aspect in people's engagement, and a duality exists where the person and the team simultaneously influence each other. Secondly, engagement is an active process; it changes over time, has a lifecycle over people's careers, actively transfers between people and exists within a reinforcing loop. Lastly, engagement within this organisation, refers to a connection to the work or workplace: people were interested, participated, enjoyed and were connected to their work, but maintained a separation. There was no sense of merging one's identity with the work as noted within some of the literature on engagement.
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Lees, Nicola Frances. "The ability to bounce back : the relationship between resilience, coping and positive outcomes : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand." Massey University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1173.
Full textAbstract:
Resilience is a term of increasing prevalence in many aspects of society including the workplace. This thesis has sought to examine the relationship resilience has with coping, engagement, and life satisfaction. Data was collected via a survey that included standard measures for the variables of interest and two open-ended questions targeting sources of stress and sources of satisfaction. Findings show a positive relationship between resilience and task-focused coping, engagement, and life satisfaction. No relationship was found between resilience and maladaptive coping or social support. Additionally, it was found that resilience acted as a full mediator in the relationship between task-focused coping and engagement, but had no mediating effect in the relationship between task-focused coping and life satisfaction. The open-ended questions identified that the same demand frequently acted as both a source of stress and a source of satisfaction.
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Mace, Janet-Lee. "An inquiry into the meaning of Guillain-Barré syndrome : a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts." Massey University, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10179/1180.
Full textAbstract:
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune syndrome characterized by a severe and rapid onset of paralysis that ascends without warning. It has an unknown aetiology and is generally unknown by most people, including medical professionals. When a person who has had GBS is asked to speak about their experience, they are likely to talk about aspects of it that are personally meaningful. Their account can be likened to a story in that it collates seemingly unconnected facts, episodes of activity and emotional attributions into a sequence that provides knowledge and understanding. A story is a powerful form for expressing suffering and experiences and so is particularly suitable for the study of trauma and illness. The actual process of creating the story, plus its presentational and organisational forms, provides sources for uncovering the identities authors choose to create and present of themselves. Six people who have had GBS were interviewed about their experience, and their stories were analysed using a narrative inquiry to discern the meanings attributed to GBS from the participants’ own understandings and perspectives. The intended focus of the research was holistic and content based. The result of the narrative inquiry was a plot common to all six narratives. Namely, GBS is an inexplicable condition, during which horrendous things happen, but people do recover with time and it is likely their life view will be changed in the process. Four fundamental issues, identity, meaning, making sense and meaningfulness were drawn from the stories and configured into a narrative of the researcher’s making. What the participants chose to speak about became the meanings, or themes, major and minor, of their stories. No event has meaning in itself, however traumatic events can precipitate crises of meaning. When these crises are viewed within the context of other events, and are perceived to add value to life, then they have meaningfulness. In the telling of meanings and meaningfulness, the purpose for storying and the audience to whom the story is directed are the criteria for which the storylines are chosen. Both the story and the storying provide opportunities for the authors to create and offer images of themselves, that are then open to interpretation by an audience. As a traumatic experience, GBS enabled six people to tell their stories. In doing so they were able to make sense of important issues for themselves, and re-examine the way they saw themselves and the world.
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Almeida, Ana Raquel Freitas Simões. "Low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy: a suitable intervention for psychosis?" Master's thesis, 2014. https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/handle/10216/87482.
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Almeida, Ana Raquel Freitas Simões. "Low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy: a suitable intervention for psychosis?" Dissertação, 2014. https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/handle/10216/87482.
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Sloan, Ann. "Behavioural and affective functioning in children after mild traumatic brain injury." Thesis, 2010. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/30232/.
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Previous research investigating affect and behaviour following mild Traumatic Brain
Injury (mTBI) in children has produced variable results. It has been suggested that
following a mTBI children may experience transitory "post-concussion" symptoms but
subsequently will make a full recovery. In contrast, other studies have reported changes
in children's behaviour and affect lasting even years post injury. The current study aimed
to further document the impact of mTBI on behaviour and affect in children. This
prospective study reports on a sample of 26 children aged between 6 and 12 years. The
children were assessed at baseline, one week, three months and a subgroup at 12 months
post injury. No changes were found over time on the standardised measures of behaviour
and affect with the Behavioural Assessment System for Children, Second Edition
(BASC2). However, on the BASC2 the children with pre-existing problems displayed
higher incidence of scores in the 'At Risk' or 'Clinically Significant' range on the
Externalising Problems composite scale in comparison to the children with no preexisting
problems. A qualitative question was also administered to parents.
Approximately half of the whole sample reported some change in their child's mood or
behaviour at one week post-injury and approximately one quarter continued to report
changes at three months post injury. It was also investigated whether the children who
had problems or changes reported at three months post-injury differed from the other
children on any pre-morbid factors, however, no significant results were found. The
overall conclusions drawn from the study were that the group of children referred to the
study had a higher proportion of children with pre-existing problems than that expected
in the general population. Further, these children differed pre-morbidly from those
without pre-existing problems on standardised behavioural measures. While no changes
were found over time on standardised measures of behaviour and affect, subjective
parental report suggested that in fact there may have been more subtle changes in some
children's behaviour up to 3 months post-injury. These findings are worthy of further
systematic investigation.
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Godfrey, Rebecca. "An Investigation of Behavioural Models of Detection." 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/2078.
Full textAbstract:
Whole document restricted, see Access Instructions file below for details of how to access the print copy.The two experiments conducted were designed to investigate behavioural models of signal-detection performance. The detection environment was made difficult, or confusing, for the pigeon subjects by either varying the number of stimuli presented or by varying the disparity of the stimuli. These experiments provided thorough data sets from which the adequacies of current behavioural-detection models were able to be evaluated. The models evaluated were developed from two different areas of research: One was based on the generalised matching law and the others were based on the confusion between stimuli. One of the most fundamental assumptions of these models is that their parameters are assumed to be independent of each other, i.e., parameter invariant. When a variable known to affect measures of stimulus discriminability is manipulated, estimates of stimulus discriminability only are predicted to vary. Similarly, when a variable known to affect sensitivity to reinforcer frequency (or response-reinforcer discriminability) is manipulated only this parameter is predicted to change. The experiments conducted aimed to determine whether this assumption was true not just theoretically, but also empirically. The models were assessed in terms of whether their assumptions were met, whether the parameters estimated had sensible relations to the experimentally arranged stimulus disparities, and whether they provided a good description of the data. The first experiment investigated the effects on matching-to-sample performance of increasing the sample stimulus size pool from two to four. Of interest was whether stimulus discriminability between any pair of stimuli would remain constant when a third or fourth sample was added. Six pigeons were trained on a symbolic matching-to-sample task involving the discrimination of various intensities of yellow light. The difference in the arranged physical "intensity" between each successive sample stimulus in the set was 1 Volt. The numbers of sample stimuli presented were varied between two (Part l), three (Parts 2 and 4), and four (Part 3). Across conditions, the ratios of reinforcers obtainable for correct matching responses were varied over at least five levels, allowing behavioural models of signal-detection to be fitted to the data. In Part 5, the numbers of sample stimuli were varied between two, three, and four and the reinforcer ratio between consecutive remaining samples was 2:1. All response alternatives remained available in the choice phase and as a result once a sample had been presented, subjects continued to emit error responses to stimuli that were no longer presented. Current behavioural models of detection were used to investigate the effects of varying the number of sample stimuli on matching performance. The analyses from the generalised-matching-law based model indicated that this model was unable to deal with the data effectively. In order for the analyses to be conducted, pairwise combinations of the sample stimuli had to be made. Analyses using only the two errors relevant to the pairwise combination of the stimuli indicated that adding or removing a sample stimulus did not affect the ability of the subjects to discriminate between the remaining samples, following the principle of indifference from irrelevant alternatives. Estimates of stimulus discriminability followed the order of the arranged physical disparity between the stimuli. An interaction between stimulus discriminability and sensitivity to changes in the frequency of reinforcement was found when there should theoretically have been independence between these two measures. The rate of reinforcement on another alternative caused fluctuations in the behaviour ratios between a discriminable pair of stimuli, violating the principle of indifference. Stimulus discriminability, however, remained unchanged. However, by using only the two errors relevant to a pair of stimuli, a large amount of behaviour for other error types was omitted. The alternative, using all errors, provided even poorer data fits to the model and the number of errors overwhelmed the ratio of correct to incorrect behaviour resulting in insensible parameter values being estimated. The results from more recent, confusion-based, detection models indicated that these models were able to effectively deal with and describe these data. No attempt was made to degrade the disparity of the choice-reinforcer contingency and estimates of response-reinforcer discriminability were high and constant throughout the experiment. Estimates of stimulus-response discriminability from these later models also decreased as the arranged physical disparity between the sample stimuli decreased. In accordance with the theory, stimulus-response discriminability, was independent of response-reinforcer discriminabiliry, preserving parameter invariance. The extended confusion-based model provided an easy and effective numerical analysis of detection tasks in which n-stimuli and m-choices are arranged. The discussion raised the issue of why subjects should continue to emit error responses to stimuli that were no longer or had never been presented as samples. It also commented on how parameter estimates for the 4 × 4 matrix tended to be smaller due to the finite bound of confusion probabilities. Overall, a version of the principle of indifference from irrelevant alternatives was not supported by this study. In the second experiment, six pigeons were trained on a standard 2-stimulus,2- response symbolic matching-to-sample task involving the discrimination of sample and choice stimuli varying in density (numerosity). The disparities of the sample and choice stimuli were varied systematically across experimental parts, allowing sample and choice confusion to be investigated independently. Degradation of the stimuli was carried out by manipulations of the probabilities of pixels illuminated on the stimulus areas of a computer monitor. Across conditions, the ratios of reinforcers obtainable for matching responses were varied over five levels. Parameter invariance was the main topic of investigation. Current behavioural models of signal-detection were investigated. Again the model based on the generalised matching law provided poor descriptions of the data both empirically and theoretically. Interactions between stimulus discriminability and sensitivity to reinforcement were found, making these parameters unreliable estimates of sample discriminability and response bias. Furthermore, the effects on detection performance of reducing the disparity of the sample or choice stimuli were difficult to evaluate independently as either sort of manipulation had the same effect on stimulus discriminability due to the structure of the model. The more recent behavioural models of detection based on the confusion between the stimulus and response relations provided sound descriptions of the data. Reductions in the disparity of the sample stimuli led to decreases in stimulus-response discriminability and left the response-reinforcer discriminability unchanged. Similarly, reductions in choice-stimulus disparity caused a decrease in estimates of response-reinforcer discriminability and not in stimulus-response discriminability. Therefore, parameter invariance was again obtained and the variables known to affect these parameters (sample and choice stimulus disparity) were correctly identified. The confusion model, therefore, provided a befter description of performance for this experiment. Discussion centred on how previous criticisms of the model in regard to a failure to demonstrate parameter invariance were unsupported by both the original data and the present study. In summary, confusion-based behavioural-detection models were quite adequate in describing the data from more complicated symbolic matching-to-sample tasks than have traditionally been employed. Their theoretical assumptions were supported empirically and high percentages of the data variance were accounted for by the model. As a word of caution, the general discussion concentrated on the mathematics of fitting non-linear models. Importantly, in order to attain systematic replication of results, details of the exact fitting process need to be specified. Differences in fitting procedures caused differences in parameter estimates. Extension of the confusion-based models into other areas of research (e.g., free-operant studies and delayed matching-to-sample tasks) will increase the usefulness of these models. Future directions for detection research were suggested. Keywords: Detection, behavioural models, parameter invariance, matching-to-sample task, disparity, principle of indifference, stimulus discriminability, response-reinforcer discriminability, numerosity, confusion, pigeons.
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Singh, Dharmender. "Economic evaluation of benzodiazepines versus cognitive behavioural therapy among older adults with chronic insomnia." Thèse, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1866/9935.
Full textAbstract:
L’insomnie, commune auprès de la population gériatrique, est typiquement traitée avec des benzodiazépines qui peuvent augmenter le risque des chutes. La thérapie cognitive-comportementale (TCC) est une intervention non-pharmacologique ayant une efficacité équivalente et aucun effet secondaire. Dans la présente thèse, le coût des benzodiazépines (BZD) sera comparé à celui de la TCC dans le traitement de l’insomnie auprès d’une population âgée, avec et sans considération du coût additionnel engendré par les chutes reliées à la prise des BZD. Un modèle d’arbre décisionnel a été conçu et appliqué selon la perspective du système de santé sur une période d’un an. Les probabilités de chutes, de visites à l’urgence, d’hospitalisation avec et sans fracture de la hanche, les données sur les coûts et sur les utilités ont été recueillies à partir d’une revue de la littérature. Des analyses sur le coût des conséquences, sur le coût-utilité et sur les économies potentielles ont été faites. Des analyses de sensibilité probabilistes et déterministes ont permis de prendre en considération les estimations des données.
Le traitement par BZD coûte 30% fois moins cher que TCC si les coûts reliés aux chutes ne sont pas considérés (231$ CAN vs 335$ CAN/personne/année). Lorsque le coût relié aux chutes est pris en compte, la TCC s’avère être l’option la moins chère (177$ CAN d’économie absolue/ personne/année, 1,357$ CAN avec les BZD vs 1,180$ pour la TCC). La TCC a dominé l’utilisation des BZD avec une économie moyenne de 25, 743$ CAN par QALY à cause des chutes moins nombreuses observées avec la TCC. Les résultats des analyses d’économies d’argent suggèrent que si la TCC remplaçait le traitement par BZD, l’économie annuelle directe pour le traitement de l’insomnie serait de 441 millions de dollars CAN avec une économie cumulative de 112 billions de dollars canadiens sur une période de cinq ans. D’après le rapport sensibilité, le traitement par BZD coûte en moyenne 1,305$ CAN, écart type 598$ (étendue : 245-2,625)/personne/année alors qu’il en coûte moyenne 1,129$ CAN, écart type 514$ (étendue : 342-2,526)/personne/année avec la TCC.
Les options actuelles de remboursement de traitements pharmacologiques au lieu des traitements non-pharmacologiques pour l’insomnie chez les personnes âgées ne permettent pas d’économie de coûts et ne sont pas recommandables éthiquement dans une perspective du système de santé.Insomnia is common in the geriatric population, typically treated with benzodiazepine drugs which can increase the risk of falls. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a non-pharmacological intervention with equivalent efficacy and no adverse events. This thesis compares the cost of benzodiazepines versus CBT for the treatment of insomnia in older adults, with and without consideration of the additional cost of falls incurred by benzodiazepine use. A decision tree model was constructed and run from the health payer’s perspective over 1 year. The probability of falls, ER visits, hospitalisation with and without hip fracture, cost data and utilities were derived from a comprehensive literature review. Cost consequence, cost utility and potential cost saving analyses were performed. Both probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses were conducted to account for uncertainty around the data estimates. Benzodiazepine treatment costs 30% less than the price of CBT when the costs of falls are not considered (CAN $231 vs. CAN $335 per individual per year). When the cost of falls is considered, CBT emerges as the least expensive option (absolute cost-saving CAN$ 177 per person per year, CAN $1,357 with benzodiazepines vs. $1,180 for CBT). CBT dominated benzodiazepines, with a mean cost saving of CAN $ 25,743 per QALY gained with CBT due to fewer falls. The cost savings analysis shows that if the CBT were to completely replace benzodiazepine therapy, the expected annual direct cost savings for the treatment of insomnia would be $ 441 million CAD dollars, with a cumulative cost savings of $112 billion CAD dollars over 5-years. The PSA report shows that even at different varying parameters, benzodiazepines cost CAD$ 1,305, S.D $ 598 (range 245-2,625) on average / person / year vs. CAD$ 1,129, S.D $ 514 (range 342-2,526) on average / person / year for CBT. Current treatment reimbursement options that fund pharmacologic therapy instead of non-pharmacologic therapy for geriatric insomnia are neither cost-saving nor ethically recommendable from the health system’s perspective.
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Glover, Marewa. "The Effectiveness of a Maori Noho Marae smoking cessation intervention: utilising a kaupapa Maori methodology." 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2292/3159.
Full textAbstract:
Maori smoking prevalence rates are double those of non-Maori. Despite recent government funded health promotion targeting Maori, this disparity appears to be widening. Smoking prevalence rates for Pakeha New Zealanders continue to fall, whereas Maori smoking prevalence rates remain stable at 50% of all Maori adults over the age of 15. In response to community demand for smoking cessation assistance, some Maori health providers developed a residential intervention based on marae. This study examined the effectiveness of that approach to aiding smoking cessation among Maori. A secondary purpose of the study was to support the development of uniquely Maori approaches to research, by utilising a kaupapa Maori methodology. The literature on kaupapa Maori health research methodology was reviewed. Consequently, Te Whare Tapa Wha, a contemporary Maori paradigm is used as the central organising framework for analysing and understanding both the act of research and smoking behaviour. Two groups of smokers were interviewed, a group undertaking a Noho Marae smoking cessation programme (n=26) and a group of unaided quitters (n=104). Participants were interviewed prior to their quit attempt and again four months later. Nineteen of the unaided quitters were lost to follow-up. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected. Few significant differences existed between the groups at the first interview. Among participants who completed both interviews, point prevalence at follow-up was 35% for the Noho Marae group versus 14% for the unaided group. The findings support the effectiveness of Noho Marae smoking cessation interventions. Recommendations on how to strengthen New Zealand's tobacco control programme are made. A greater emphasis on delivering to whanau, rather than focusing interventions on individuals, is recommended. Priority is currently given to groups identified as having higher smoking rates. Decline in smoking prevalence may be hastened by identifying and serving the groups most ready to change smoking behaviour. Further research is indicated, for example, to better understand the smoking cessation needs of pregnant Maori women.
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McGregor, Matt. "Starving in the sport of kings : weight management and cognitive function in Australian jockeys." Thesis, 2007. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/1578/.
Full textAbstract:
To maintain consistently low riding-eights, many jockeys engage in repetitive cycles of rapid, short-term weight loss, termed "wasting". The physical and psychological effects of "wasting" are not well understood, although several recent studies suggest that, at least in the short-term, they may be numerous, and with any one of them having a potentially detrimental effect on both the health and riding performance of jockeys. The major aims of the research reported were to investigate the weight-management experiences of jockeys in Australia, and to examine a range of cognitive and other psychological effects of rapid weight loss in this professional athlete population. The methodological framework used to address these aims incorporated both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Four focused case studies illustrated that cognitive responses to weight fluctuations and competition were generally idiosyncratic, with variations within individuals across a range of cognitive functions and testing conditions. The exception to this finding was attentional processing speed, which appeared to be impaired in response to weight loss in most cases. Collectively, the results of the three studies indicate that the need for wasting, and the lack of safe and effective options to meet this need, continue to be pervasive and problematic facets of life for professional kockeys, in terms of their effects on psychological well-being and cognitive function.
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Walsh, Julia. "Development and application of expertise in elite-level coaches." Thesis, 2004. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/312/.
Full textAbstract:
Research providing insight into how coaches behave has mainly been sourced from an athlete perspective or from observing and recording coach behaviour in context. Only a few studies have recognized the views of the expert coach as a potentially valuable source of information. Yet only coaches can provide insight into their histories, learning, goals, beliefs, knowledge, and decision making, and decode the complex interactions that occur in the dynamic context of coaching. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how elite-level coaches developed and used expertise. Twenty successful coaches working with Australian junior, elite sport participants were purposefully sampled to cover a diversity of sports (team and individual) and to provide a gender balance.