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Rasile, Karen D. "Object Relations Theory and Personal Construct Theory: Rapprochement Opportunity." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1987. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500772/.
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Empirical investigation of the tenets of Object Relations Theory is recent. This study of the theoretical convergence between Object Relations Theory and Personal Construct Theory brought a new direction to the empirical investigation. It was hypothesized that individuals who displayed a well developed level of object relations, as measured by Object Relations Theory, would also display a highly adaptive blend of cognitive complexity and ordination, as described by Personal Construct Theory, and vice versa. A correlational analysis of personality measures on 136 college students approached but did not attain statistical significance. Results indicated no significant theoretical convergence between Object Relations Theory and Personal Construct Theory. Further research is warranted only if greater variability in sample age, life experience, and psychopathology is assured.
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Morçöl, Göktuğ. "Problem structuring: a personal construct theory perspective." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/37394.
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Why problem structuring is a crucial activity in policy analysis is discussed making references to literature. The shortcomings of the rational model of decision making and problem solving are pointed out. A theoretical perspective with its ontological and epistemological assumptions are elaborated and developed as an alternative to the rational model. Problem structuring is defined as a cognitive process, and George Kelly's personal construct psychology is adopted as the theoretical basis to develop a problem structuring method. The method developed uses Kelly's repertory grid technique in a particular form that is modified for the specific needs of problem structuring in groups. A computer software developed particularly for this method is used interactively in elicitation of personal constructs and their analyses. The applications of the method are illustrated in two group cases, and the implications for theory and further applications are discussed.Ph. D.
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Foster, Heather. "Changing lives a personal construct approach to menopause /." Access electronically, 2003. http://www.library.uow.edu.au/adt-NWU/public/adt-NWU20050120.105856/index.html.
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Bradley, G. "Risk perception and communication within a personal construct theory framework." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.273180.
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Gains, Neil. "The integration of personal construct theory in food acceptability research." Thesis, University of Reading, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.329375.
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Chambers, Timothy. "Personal constructs on resilience in swimming." University of Western Australia. School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0023.
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[Truncated abstract] Resilience is a concept that originated from behavioural science; a branch of research aimed at explaining unexpected benign or malignant outcomes associated with human development. It is a psychological construct that encompasses both cognitive and behavioural responses to negative situations and appears to exist at both an individual and group level. As a concept, resilience receives considerable attention from researchers within developmental psychology fields, who primarily identify numerous risk and protective factors. Within sport, however, researchers have demonstrated a preference for the examination of more traditional concepts, such as coping strategies. Moreover, few investigations in either domain employ a cogent theoretical framework to guide the research. Therefore, the present research program utilises Personal Construct Psychology (PCP; Kelly, 1955) principles to direct the proposed research. PCP is a theory about theories that emphasised our underlying ambition to make sense of the world, the events people encounter and themselves. According to Kelly, PCP is guided by the fundamental postulate and 11 corollaries. The PCP research template employed by the current research program promotes the utilisation of multimethod designs (i.e., qualitative and quantitative investigations) in order to understand and facilitate the development of resilience in swimming. Three research investigations are proposed to examine resilience in swimming, and are structured according to PCP. Each investigation is outlined below. Study 1. An interview protocol based upon key elements of Kelly s (1955) psychotherapy retrospective interview protocol was employed to elicit an understanding of resilience in swimming. Fourteen interviews were scheduled with elite Australian swimmers and swimming coaches, utilising the interview schedule. ... Study 3. The aim of this study was to design, implement and evaluate a resilience intervention for youth swimmers. Utilising the data generated from the first study, a resilience enhancement program was designed and delivered to 16 developmental swimmers over a period of three months. Resilience was measured pre, during and post intervention, and three months after the intervention. Resilience was also measured on an age and ability matched control group (n = 20), at the same time points. Results revealed improvements in resilience for the experimental group following the completion of the resilience program. In summary, the present research program employed a PCP (Kelly, 1955) research template to guide the aforementioned studies of resilience. The data collected from the research investigations contributed considerable knowledge to the resilience concept, and the sport psychology field. The qualitative study was the first of its kind to examine the concept in swimming, revealing several elements and process pertaining to resilience that later formed the foundations for the resilience intervention. General conclusions propose that future research combine psychological measurement of resilience and more traditional sport psychology concepts, in addition to the development of a sport specific psychometric measure of resilience.
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Dexter, Linsey Graham. "A critical review of the impact of counselling training : courses on trainees." Thesis, Durham University, 1996. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1569/.
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Gibbons, H. I. "Educating for peace impact assessment : a role for personal construct theory?" Thesis, University of Bradford, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.509012.
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Rolph, Paul W. "An investigation into an application of personal construct theory to curriculum evaluation." Thesis, University of Bath, 1985. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.356387.
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The concern for quality in English education has resulted in pressure on educational institutions to evaluate their curricula as a matter of normal professional practice. This thesis consists of a critical account of the development, design and testing of a curriculum evaluation process which could be used by teaching staff to evaluate the curricula of their own institutions. Curriculum problems are practical ones, decisions have to be made about what to do. It is argued that a deliberative approach is an appropriate one for such problems. That is, an approach which identifies the issue(s), seeks to discover the perspectives of those involved, generates a range of possible solutions, and leads to decisions as to what solutions might be most appropriate for that context. In 1976, the author had developed an evaluation process based on personal construct theory and the related repertory grid methodology. He found this process encouraged active participation, together with the identification and exploration of the perspectives of those involved. The experience gained in this research encouraged the author to investigate whether personal construct theory and repertory grid methodology might assist in the design and development of a curriculum evaluation process for use in a wider range of educational settings. In this research the author has been able to demonstrate that personal construct theory and repertory grid methodology has assisted in the design of a curriculum evaluation process and that the process has been successfully carried through in a range of educational settings. However, the author did not find that extending the process by giving participants a statistical analysis (in a particular form of a cluster analysis) of their own data added to its usefulness.
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Echelbarger, Mary Ellen Eakin. "Negotiated meaning of health : a transactional perspective based in construct theory /." The Ohio State University, 1985. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487261919110037.
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Lakin, Jessica Anne. "A personal construct theory approach to addressing adherence in an adolescent asthmatic population." Thesis, University of Hull, 2001. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:11506.
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This study is an exploratory investigation into understanding adherence behaviour in a random sample of 13 asthmatic adolescents selected from a General Practice population. Personal Construct Theory is used as a theoretical and methodological framework within which to assess the meaning of having asthma and taking medication to each participant. Asthma and adherence perceptions are also obtained in a semistructured interview. Measures of subjective asthma status are obtained using a global severity rating scale and the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Subjective measures of adherence are also obtained from the participant, their parent and their health-care provider. A qualitative analysis of the results reveals that, for the majority of the sample, self-construal of adherence is consistent with self-construal of asthma. A content analysis of elicited constructs reveals a category of themes, which show direct parallels with models of health behaviour change and adolescent development. It is proposed that these results provide the basis for the development of a model of adherence in asthmatic adolescents. The validity of the grid methodology is assessed through feedback of the results to the participants and comparison of data sources. It is concluded that the grid is a valid tool for addressing perceptions of asthma and adherence. Reliability of the methodology is not addressed. Implications for the use of the methodology within a clinical setting and recommendations for further research are discussed.
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York, Richard H. "A new methodology to measure body/self-concept based on personal construct theory." Thesis, Boston University, 1987. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/38120.
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Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityPLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
The objective of this dissertation is to describe and test the reliability and validity of the Body/Self-Concept Methodology (BSC). It measures body attitudes as consequences of body/self-concept. The BSC Methodology was constructed from insights of the debate about the self in American psychology. This debate included philosophical, neurological, psychological, spiritual, and theological issues. These were integrated into Kelly's methodology producing a psychotheological research perspective. This methodology consists of a research philosophy, theory and measures for body/self-concept, and statistical methods. The BSC Method is the six techniques for collecting qualitative and quantitative data. This collection depended on a computer. The quantitative data are ratings of bipolar adjective pairs and a Q-sort of body items. The BSC Method was tested in a study with 40 subjects. The qualitative results included affective self-report data. It was concluded that some of these results implied that this method pierced denial defense mechanisms. The quantitative results were highly valid and reliable for the attitude ratings, but less for the Q-sort. It was concluded that there was sufficient reliability and validity to justify further development of the BSC Methodology. The next step is to write a computer program for data collection and analysis.
2031-01-01
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Vigar, Deborah Ann. "An application of personal construct theory to a study of retail sales person effectiveness." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9487.
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Includes bibliographical references.The term effectiveness is used extensively to describe organisations, groups and individuals. The fact that some organisations, groups and individuals are measurably more effective than others is a basic assumption of economic, organisation and behavioural theory. However, despite this frequent use, there is very little agreement amongst the users, both academic and business, as to what exactly 'effectiveness' means. The dictionary definition of 'effective' is 'capable of producing the desired result', however, the definition used in practice appears to depend on the mindset or reference point of the researcher. Most researchers reference point is management and therefore the definition of effectiveness is management's. It is possible that the definitions held by the job holders themselves, and by customers with whom they deal, are different from that of management. There is even less agreement on how effectiveness of an organisation or individual should be measured, i.e. what criteria should be used to measure effectiveness. More specific to the current study is sales person effectiveness research. There has been a large amount of research on effectiveness of sales people but it has tended to focus on industrial salespeople rather than retail salespeople. The research that has focused on retail sales people has suffered from several problems. The first relates to the problems with research involving effectiveness generally. The researchers rarely explain what they mean by effectiveness or what criteria they use to measure effectiveness. Much of this research also suffers methodologically, from the epistemological problem of being either too subjective or too objective. This is a problem that has plagued research in the social sciences throughout the subject's history. The methodologies used to research behaviour have been problematic in that they either adopt the methodologies of the natural sciences.in an attempt to quantify the phenomenon under study, or they use assumptions and methodologies that are subjective and prone to researcher or experimental bias. George Kelly's Personal Construct Theory claims to bridge this epistemological divide. The methodology allows for the indepth study of individuals but without bias from the researcher. By using the Repertory Grid technique developed by Kelly for the measurement of personal constructs, the results can be quantified, thus also satisfying the objectivist requirements. It is for this reason that Personal Construct Theory and the Repertory Grid technique are used in the current research. This research aims to discover whether the groups involved in the retail arena (i.e. top managers, branch manageresses, sales people and customers) have similar views of what constitutes sales person effectiveness.
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Domenici, Valerie A. "Experiential Personal Construct Psychology and Depression: A Qualitative Study." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=miami1195061434.
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Muncey, Tessa Kathleen. "The good nurse : born or made?; the implications for selection and retention from an investigation of the relative importance of previous socialisation and current education of nurses." Thesis, Cranfield University, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.340960.
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Zolten, Avram J. (Avram Jeffery). "Construct Use and Self-Aspect Change in Recovery From Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: a Personal Construct Analysis." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1992. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278306/.
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Cognitive ratings that use bipolar constructs based upon similarity and contrast have been shown to be biased towards the similarity pole in approximately a 62/38 ratio. This bias has also been known to shift in the contrastive direction for individuals who have psychiatric problems. This quantitative measure of cognitive change has a potential for characterizing cognitive changes that occur during the disease process, including recovery from disease. The present study investigated changes in self-aspect ratings and bipolar construct use in adult male veterans who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Results indicated that treatment
subjects' self-aspect and construct ratings were more negative than controls'. Results also indicated that all subjects rated core interpersonal self-aspects closest to the expected bias, while self-aspects related to cardiac recovery problems were rated in the most contrastive direction. The results finally suggested that the greatest degree of change for the treatment subjects were in emotionally generated constructs. The results suggested a preliminary validation for characterizing cognitive changes in the disease process by measuring shifts in bipolar construct ratings.
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Dobbin, Mervyn. "Women's environmental experience in Milton Keynes New Town : a case study in personal construct theory." n.p, 1985. http://oro.open.ac.uk/18871.
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Dobbin, M. "Women's environmental experience in Milton Keynes new town : A case study in personal construct theory." Thesis, Open University, 1985. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.371039.
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Thayne, Jeffrey Lamar. "The Psychology of Personal Constructs as a Response to the Ethical." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2012. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3659.
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Although George Kelly's psychology of personal constructs was not originally designed to address and account for experiences of self-betrayal, as described by Warner (1986, 2001), Olson (2004, 2007), Olson and Israelson (2007), Williams (2005), and others (Arbinger, 2000), his theory (with minor modifications) may help illuminate the psychology behind the sudden gestaltic shifts and moral transformations experienced by individuals in Warner's (1986, 2001) stories, without undoing any of Warner's existing analysis of self betrayal.The end vision of the thesis is a structured theory of personality, so to speak, that borrows Kelly's insights and extends them to the phenomenon of self-betrayal. This approach allows us to (1) help others make their self-betraying constructs explicit, (2) measure and document them when we do, (3) communicate those constructs to others, (4) and do all of these things while conceptualizing human beings as moral agents responding to their moral sense, in addition to scientists seeking to predict and control their environment.
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Connabeer, Rebecca Ann. "Train drivers' experiences of witnessing a railway suicide : a repertory grid study." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2299/11957.
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Over 200 railway suicides occur on the British Rail Network (BRN) every year. Research into the physical and psychological effects of this traumatic event on train drivers has been limited, and has focused very little on the mediating influence of personal factors. Kelly’s Personal Construct Psychology (PCP, 1955) was used in the current study to explore the relationship between train drivers’ views of themselves and others, and the psychological impact of witnessing a railway suicide. This was achieved through the use of repertory grid technique. Repertory grid measures of tightness of the overall construct system, level of elaboration of the self and others, construed distances between the self and others, conflict, extremity of ratings, and superordinacy were compared with participants’ scores on a measure of the psychological impact of the event (Impact of Event Scale Revised, IES-R, Weiss & Marmar, 1997). The fifteen participants in the study also completed a background information questionnaire. A content analysis of the constructs used in the repertory grids, and a thematic analysis of a follow up interview with two of the participants was also conducted. The findings indicated that most drivers experienced symptoms suggestive of a significant posttraumatic stress (PTS) reaction following the incident. For many this appeared to be short-lived, but for some the incident had longer lasting effects, and a third of the sample had been given an official diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Possibly due to the small sample size, many of the correlations did not achieve statistical significance. However, discrepancy between the self and ideal self, and the number of moral constructs employed by participants, were both positively associated with reported levels of psychological distress. The superordinacy of the traumatised construct, and the number of emotional constructs employed by participants, were both negatively associated with reported levels of psychological distress. These findings therefore gave some support to Sewell and Cromwell’s (1990) PCP model of trauma, and to the importance of emotional processing of traumatic events. The thematic analyses added information about the nature of the changes experienced by train drivers following these events, and the impact of contextual factors. The repertory grid technique proved useful in measuring the influence of personal meaning making on the impact of traumatic events. The findings suggest that drivers can best be supported clinically by reducing the discrepancy between their self after the event and their ideal self, increasing their ability to emotionally process their experience, and by giving consideration to issues such as anger and blame. Limitations of the research are presented, as well as suggestions for further research.
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Chang, Mary. "TRANSPARENT TEMPLATES OF PRINCIPALS." Doctoral diss., University of Central Florida, 2005. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/3912.
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This exploration of the personal constructs of principals was intended to reveal the transparent templates they create and attempt to fit over the realities of their world. This study sought to go beyond externally imposed descriptions of the leadership behavior of principals by exploring their personal constructs to discover the meaning that principals ascribe to their leadership behavior in anticipation and interpretation of events. Kelly's (1955) personal construct theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions were addressed through qualitative inquiry. Data were collected in a process that began with full context elicitation, laddering, and triadic analysis, and proceeded to full grid quantitative analysis. Findings from this study may increase the awareness level in the professional community of the meaning that principals ascribe to their leadership behavior. It was recommended that results from this study lead to the development of a process that can be implemented in principal leadership preparation and professional development programs to develop more self-aware, productive, and effective principals (Petri, Lindauer, & Tountasakis, 2000).Ed.D.
Department of Educational Research, Technology and Leadership
Education
Educational Leadership
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Shafenberg, Stacey Sewell Kenneth W. "Cognitive complexity and construct extremity in social and life event construing in persons with varied trauma history." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2006. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-5433.
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Osbourn, R. J. "The aesthetic response : An application of personal construct theory to the perception and appraisal of visual art." Thesis, University of Exeter, 1988. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.384493.
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Savage, David John. "A personal construct theory approach towards understanding student goals and behaviour, their influence on use of time, academic success and personal well-being." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.387306.
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Weissenburger, Jan E. (Jan Elizabeth). "Personal Construction of the Self in Outpatients with Major Depression." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1996. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278066/.
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Clinical depression is characterized by alterations in thoughts, judgment, cognition and social behavior. This study focuses on non-optimal views of self and significant others that are proposed to underlie many of these alterations. Perceptions of self and significant others were elicited using the Role Construct Repertory Grid (Kelly, 1955a). Participants included depressed outpatients with high levels of trait anxiety (n = 27), depressed outpatients with lower levels of trait anxiety (n = 29) and a control group of never-depressed volunteers (n = 28). Consistent with prediction, significant group differences were found for negative self perception, discrepancies between actual self and self goals, alienation from significant others, and inconsistencies in self image. Results provided partial support for the self discrepancy theory of emotionality (Higgins, 1987). Among depressed patients, higher levels of anxiety were associated with increased self negativity and greater discrepancies between actual self and self goals. Increased levels of depression were associated with more alienation from significant others and more consistency in self image. Depressed patients' judgments of self and others were altered from optimal ratios, as predicted by the theory of interpersonal judgment (LeFebvre, LeFebvre & Adams-Webber, 1986). Findings have theoretical and clinical importance for the understanding and treatment of persons with clinical depression. They suggest that self image and interpersonal perceptions may be important characteristics to consider in chosing the most effective treatment for these individuals.
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Anderson, Alastair Andrew 1956. "The representation of personal constructs as fuzzy subsets : developing a model and testing its efficacy." Monash University, Dept. of Management, 1999. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8592.
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Curlin, Caroline. "Prediction of Verbal Dominance Behaviors using Constructivist Theory." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1990. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500956/.
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This study assessed how Constructivist theory accounts for verbal dominance. Conversations of rotating dyads were tape recorded, then coded for measures of dominance. Subjects completed a trait dominance scale and a constructivist personality test. Interpersonal rankings of dominance were found to be more consistent with observed behavior than trait dominance scores. Extreme trait dominance scores were associated with a constructivist measure indicating maladjustment. Dyads identified as more resistant to change were found to use fewer verbal control strategies; male/male dyads were characterized by direct, functional interactions. Dyads that were highly comfortable with one another utilized fewer verbal control methods. Lastly, interactions in which participants reported unfamiliar self-experiencing utilized higher levels of verbal control. Implications for group processing, assessment of dominance and sex differences are discussed.
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Gucciardi, Daniel F. "Mental toughness in Australian football." University of Western Australia. School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0007.
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[Truncated abstract] At the commencement of this research project in February 2005, there was a paucity of empirical investigations that focused on understanding the psychological construct of mental toughness in sport (Bull, Shambrook, James, & Brooks, 2005; Fourie & Potgieter, 2001; Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, 2002). Although impressive, the available literature did little in offering consensus in terms of a definition and operationalising the construct in a consistent manner as well as understanding those factors contributing to its measurement and development. The absence of theoretically guided research, in particular, was noted as a major limitation of this research. The potential significance of mental toughness for performance excellence combined with the conceptual confusion and lack of rigorous empirical research highlighted the need for further research on mental toughness in sport. Accordingly, the purpose of this thesis was to examine issues pertaining to the understanding, measurement, and development of mental toughness in sport, using personal construct psychology (Kelly, 1955/1991) as the guiding theoretical framework. Australian football was chosen as the context to explore these issues. In the opening empirical chapter, two qualitative manuscripts in which Australian football coaches perspectives on mental toughness and those factors contributing to its development are reported. Three central themes for understanding mental toughness in Australian football were generated: characteristics (self-belief, motivation, tough attitude, concentration and focus, resilience, handling pressure, personal values, emotional intelligence, sport intelligence, and physical toughness); situations (e.g., injuries, success); and behaviours (e.g., superior decision-makers, consistent performance). '...' In the final empirical chapter, two manuscripts in which the effectiveness of two different psychological skills training programs in enhancing mental toughness among youth-aged (15's) Australian footballers are reported. The first presents a quantitative analysis while the second presents a qualitative analysis. Multisource ratings (self, parent, and coach) of the AfMTI and self-reported resilience and flow indicated more positive changes in mental toughness, resilience, and flow than the control group. Similar patterns in the findings were evident across rating sources. Interviews with several players and one of their parents as well as the coaches generated their perceptions on the benefits of participating in the program (e.g., increased work ethic, tougher attitudes) and the processes by which the program had an effect (e.g., self-awareness; self-monitoring; self-regulation; and multi-perspective discussions) as well as suggestions for program improvement (e.g., parent and coach education programs). In summary, the results of the five studies presented in this thesis provide a comprehensive account of issues pertaining to the understanding, measurement, and development of mental toughness in Australian football. The findings are supportive of several aspects of previous research but also extend this line of inquiry in a number of ways. It is my hope that other researchers will be stimulated to engage in further research extending what is presented here and that practitioners will use this information to inform their professional endeavours.
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Bender, Christine. "ENHANCING LEADERSHIP ABILITY IN FIRST-TIME FRESHMEN THROUGH MENTORSHIP: A GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/163.
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According to the Center for American Progress, women make up 52% of all professional-level jobs, however, they only make up 14.6% of executive officers, 8.1% of top salary earners, and only 4.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs. Considering this disparity in leadership, it brings to question if women are generally taking on leadership throughout their lives. The purpose of this study was to examine how mentorship affects first-time female freshmen’s willingness to take on leadership opportunities.
Data were collected from three mentees and three mentors through an initial interest survey, semi-structured personal interviews, and the 3D Wisdom Scale Assessment. Data were analyzed using a ground theory approach which consisted of open, axial, and selective coding; leading to a discursive set of theoretical propositions. Interviews focused on the mentee’s experience through the mentorship program, and the mentor’s perspective of the mentorship program on their mentees. Additionally, the 3D Wisdom Scale developed was utilized to evaluate growth in wisdom dimensions which directly correlated to personal construct corollaries.
The findings of the study included: 1) The mentees and mentors expressed growth in their self-esteem and self-confidence. This increase in self-awareness led to a willingness to take risk and face potential failure; 2) Leadership development took place on several levels; 3) The mentees had a realization of the impact of their gender; 4) Two-thirds of the mentees showed a substantial understanding and practice in all three of respective corollaries; and 5) The mentees and mentors displayed general development and growth.
The substantive theory that emerged from this grounded theory study was: ‘Through proper mentorship, a first-time female freshman’s’ self-esteem and willingness to take on leadership opportunities will increase.’ Unlike the majority of upperclassmen who have had a mentor, all of the freshmen participating never had a mentor prior to their participation in the program. Mentors played a substantial role in the development of these freshmen and their willingness to take on leadership opportunities. Recommendations for further research include a longitudinal study examining if these freshmen continue to involve themselves in leadership opportunities throughout their college career.
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Jones, Deborah (Deborah Lynne) 1958. "Conceptual Structure of HIV+ Women With PTSD: Trauma Construct Elaboration." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1998. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc279046/.
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Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as events related to illness act as traumatic stressors. This study tested some basic hypotheses of Sewell and Cromwell's personal construct model of PTSD in HIV+ women both with and without diagnoses of PTSD. Trauma-related constructs of HIV+ women with PTSD with HIV+ non-PTSD controls at varying stages of illness were compared. The elaboration, rankings, and valence of trauma-related constructs were examined using the Life Events Repertory Grid (LERG) procedure. Findings provided evidence that a
clinical diagnosis of PTSD in women was not associated with the degree of construct elaboration. These findings may imply a qualitative difference in cognitive processing of social stressors and violent stressors.
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Stauffer, Scott T. "Expert system shells in chemistry : CHIRULE, a chiral chromatographic column selection system using similarity searching and personal construct theory /." Diss., This resource online, 1993. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-10042006-143845/.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1993.Vita. Abstract. Vol. 2 is appendices. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 327-337). Also available via the Internet.
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Ortiz, Garzón Eliana. "Malestar psicológico, construcción del sí mismo, estructura y conflictos cognitivos en estudiantes de psicología = Psychological distress, self-construction, structure and cognitive conflicts in psychology students." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/404877.
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El objetivo de la presente tesis doctoral es identificar las características de malestar psicológico, construcción del sí mismo, estructura y conflictos cognitivos en una muestra de estudiantes de Psicología en comparación con los datos ya disponibles de una muestra comunitaria y otra clínica. Así mismo, se pretenden explorar las diferencias según el género y el nivel de estudios, y evaluar la estabilidad de las medidas derivadas de la técnica de la rejilla interpersonal. Igualmente, se busca explorar la relación entre las medidas cognitivas evaluadas, el nivel de autoestima, los síntomas depresivos y las medidas que indican malestar psicológico. En el estudio participó una muestra incidental de 430 sujetos, distribuidos en tres grupos diferentes: 183 estudiantes de la Facultad de Psicología de la Universitat de Barcelona, 117 voluntarios de una muestra comunitaria y 131 participantes de una muestra clínica.
Los resultados confirman que los estudiantes y la muestra comunitaria presentan puntuaciones similares en las medidas cognitivas, en el malestar psicológico, los síntomas depresivos y el nivel de autoestima. Comparativamente, la muestra clínica presenta puntuaciones significativamente más elevadas en la discrepancia yo-ideal y yo- otros, el nivel de indefinición y el porcentaje de constructos dilemáticos. Se encontró una tendencia a una mayor presencia de constructos dilemáticos en la muestra clínica, mientras que la presencia de dilemas implicativos fue similar entre los estudiantes y la muestra clínica. Como era esperable, se presentó más sintomatología depresiva y un mayor nivel de psicopatología general en la muestra clínica. No se hallaron diferencias significativas según el género ni la edad en ninguna de las medidas evaluadas. Con respecto al nivel de estudios, se encontraron diferencias significativas en el porcentaje de constructos dilemáticos, en el funcionamiento general y los síntomas depresivos, con puntuaciones más elevadas en los estudiantes de grado con respecto a los de posgrado. En el análisis correlacional destaca la relación directa entre el malestar psicológico y los síntomas depresivos, y la relación inversa entre estos últimos y el nivel de autoestima. Finalmente se constata la estabilidad de los índices de la TRI mediante el método test- retest.The objective of this doctoral thesis is to identify the characteristics of psychological distress, self-construction, cognitive structure and cognitive conflicts in a sample of college students compared with available data from community and clinical samples. Likewise, differences according to gender and academic level are analyzed and the stability of measures derived from the interpersonal repertory grid technique (RGT) is evaluated. Also, the relationship between cognitive measures, self-esteem level, depressive symptoms and psychological distress will be explored. In the study, an incidental sample of 430 subjects was used, distributed into three different groups: 183 college students of Universitat de Barcelona, 117 volunteers of the community sample and 131 participants of clinical sample. The results show that student and community samples scored similarly on cognitive measures, psychological distress, depressive symptoms and level of self- esteem. Comparatively, the clinical sample reveals scores which are significantly higher in the self-ideal and self-others discrepancy, the indefinition level and the percentage of dilemmatic constructs. A tendency of a greater presence of dilemmatic constructs in the clinical sample was found, while the presence of implicative dilemmas was similar between students and the clinical sample. As expected, there were more depressive symptoms and a greater level of general psychopathology found in the clinical sample. There were no significant differences found between gender and age in any of the variables evaluated. Regarding the level of studies, significant differences were found in the percentage of dilemma constructs, in general functioning and depressive symptoms, with higher scores in undergraduate students than in postgraduate students. The correlational analysis emphasizes the direct relationship between psychological distress and depressive symptoms, and the inverse relationship between depression and self- esteem level. Finally, the stability of the RGT indices is verified by the test-retest method.
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Shafenberg, Stacey. "Cognitive Complexity and Construct Extremity in Social and Life Event Construing in Persons with Varied Trauma History." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2006. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5433/.
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The purpose of this study was to examine cognitive complexity, extremity, and the relationship between social repertory grids and life events repertory grids (LERG) in people who report a history of trauma. Effects of type of trauma on complexity and extremity scores of each type of grid were examined. Prior research into repertory grids and trauma has used only one type of grid, predominantly social grids or LERGs. Therefore, a natural, progressive step in the grid research involved investigating how individuals integrate social and life event constructs. It was hypothesized, and results show, that there is a positive correlation between complexity scores and extremity scores of social grids and LERGs. However it was not found that there was a negative correlation between trauma history and complexity scores, and that trauma acts as a moderator for cognitive complexity. Instead, it appears that the social facet of experience is key to understanding perception of traumatic experiences. Additionally, number of traumas experienced might affect social construct elaboration.
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Parsons, John Scott. "Automated knowledge acquisition for knowledge-based systems, KE-RIT : the Use of Kelleys' personal construct theory in the automation of knowledge acquisitions (theory and prototype) /." Online version of thesis, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/1850/11056.
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Groves, Roy. "A reflective approach to sport psychology and personal construct theory which includes a study of a group of international rowers." Thesis, Brunel University, 1992. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.295762.
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Harvey, Rachel. "Eliciting and mapping the attributes of landscape perception : an integration of personal construct theory (PCT) with geographic information systems (GIS)." Thesis, Heriot-Watt University, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/10322.
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Scotland's tourist industry partly depends upon the quality of the Scottish landscape. However, despite demands for improved management of landscape resources, there is no standard method for the assessing landscape quality. This research takes a user-based approach to this problem and explores the use of Kelly's Personal Construct Theory (PCT) in eliciting underpinning attributes and dimensions of perception in a range of uses and across a range of Scottish landscapes. A novel aspect of the research is that it involves experimentation in mapping the resultant constructs through use of a Geographic Information System (GIS). Sixteen key constructs were gained from one to one. interviews and used in the preliminary mapping experiments. These showed that it was possible to express the constructs spatially. To evaluate between user group/landscape type responses a questionnaire was designed, piloted and applied. A total of 1286 responses were analyzed. Differences were found between landscape type but were stronger between user groups. The research has demonstrated that the application of PCT coupled to GIS is a valuable way of exploring landscape perception/landscape quality and their spatial expression.
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Boswall, Anthony Leonard. "Quality of care and quality of life in nursing homes : using personal construct theory as methodological underpinning for assessment and monitoring." Thesis, University of Brighton, 2003. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.399043.
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Ambrosio, John. "Understanding the history we have become : education as transformation /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/7805.
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Owen, Kate Emily. "The experiences and construing of young people involved in bullying." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2299/4520.
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Research into bullying has been mainly quantitative, and of the few existing qualitative studies, fewer still have explored the perspectives of identified bullies. This study employs a mixed method design within a personal construct psychology perspective. The main research questions were: how do young people who bully others construe themselves and those whom they bully and what problems does bullying behaviour solve for those who bully. This was achieved by carrying out in-depth repertory grid analysis, content analysis of grid constructs and construct poles from self-characterisations. Participants were recruited from educational support centres, and were identified as individuals who display bullying behaviours. This study revealed that the participants tended to construe themselves in quite concrete terms, and as actively socially interactive. Participants construed themselves when bullying in terms of low tenderness, high forcefulness and emotional arousal. They construed typical victims in terms of high tenderness, low forcefulness and low status. The element „self when bullying‟ was found to be more elaborated and meaningful to the group than the element „self when not bullying‟. This might suggest that the participants have a more elaborated construct system in this area because it is causing them particular difficulties. Implicative dilemmas were identified for all the participants as potential barriers to change. For two participants this seemed directly relevant to understanding why their bullying behaviours may be difficult to change. Potential interventions drawing on personal construct psychology methods are discussed. One of this study‟s limitations was its small sample size, however the study shows support for using repertory grid methods to investigate bullying among young people and further research is recommended.
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Coppock, Clare. "The construal processes of families affected by parental acquired brain injury, and the implications for adjustment in young people and their families." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2299/17473.
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Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) has been associated with significant family disruption, yet few studies explore the experiences of child-relatives. This cross-sectional study sought to explore the experiences of young people and their families (n = 3) following parental ABI. The major aims were (1) to develop an understanding of the processes by which family members make sense of events, and (2) to explore the implications for adjustment in young people and their families. A Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) methodology was implemented and construal processes were identified through individual interviews facilitated by Perceiver Element Grids (PEG; Procter, 2002). The Family Assessment Device (FAD; Epstein et al., 1983) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ; Goodman, 1997) were used to explore aspects of adjustment. Data analysis comprised of two parts; intra-family and inter-family exploration of similarities and differences in construal. The themes identified suggest that following ABI, family members may be faced with a process of reconstrual, in which they are required to assimilate new information into their construct systems, renegotiate their roles, and come to terms with loss. The research offers an insight into some of the processes that may contribute to patterns of interpersonal relating that may negatively impact on adjustment. Psychological support following parental ABI may therefore be a crucial component of supporting young people and their families through these changes whilst reducing the impact on their own psychosocial wellbeing. This research offers an insight into the experiences of three families at one moment in time. Further exploration is recommended to better inform clinical practice, and ensure that the needs of this population are not overlooked.
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Enderstein, Lars Gustaf. "The frequency of alternate conceptions in some areas of mechanics amongst South African school pupils : a longitudinal and cross-cultural study." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/15989.
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Bibliography: p. 675-681.This study, the first of its kind in Southern Africa, was undertaken in order to determine and compare the incidence of various alternate conceptions in some areas in mechanics amongst pupils from standards 4 through to 9, i.e. from ages ca. 11 to 17, in selected schools in the Western Cape and Transkei, South Africa. After a careful study of the relevant literature a questionnaire was designed for the purpose of identifying the frequency of various alternate conceptions in the selected areas in mechanics. This questionnaire was administered to 2326 pupils under carefully controlled conditions during August and September 1987. In analysing the data the frequency of particular alternate conceptions in the following groups of pupils were compared: (i) by school standard (ii) by geographical area (iii) by language group (iv) by gender (v) by urban and rural regions in the Cape (vi) by subject choice i.e. science pupils and non-science pupils An analysis of the data shows that in most of the areas in the field investigated remarkably small differences exist in the frequency with which different alternate conceptions are held by different groups of pupils. In most cases differences could be related to the pupils' school standard. However, in the fields of circular motion, projectile motion and static equilibrium, clear differences were found to exist between boys and girls as well as between pupils in schools in the Western Cape and Transkei. Furthermore, in most cases examined the accepted scientific conception was the least popular, particularly in the field of force and motion where conceptions linking force and motion were overwhelmingly selected by pupils in all of the groups. However, an exception was the standard 9 science pupils, i.e. 16- 17 year olds following the science course in high school, who in some cases favour the accepted scientific conceptions by a small majority. The implications of the findings of the study for classroom teaching are discussed.
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Moes-Williams, Amy J. "Elaboration and Content Analysis of Conceptual Structure in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1997. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278345/.
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Three recent studies attempted to substantiate Sewell and Cromwell's (1990) theory of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) based on personal construct theory (Kelly, 1955). One crucial aspect of the model that was tested in each of the studies is "elaboration," which is the process of bringing more of a person's repertoire of understanding (constructions) to a certain experience to give it meaning. Elaboration is representative of whether or not the individual is using an integrated set of constructs to deal with a traumatic event. A two-part study (1) reanalyzed existing data to assist in understanding discrepancies in past findings, and (2) content analyzed constructs given by subjects in all three studies. Findings concerning elaboration remained somewhat discrepant but suggested possible differences when investigating the emergent versus submerged poles of constructs.
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Soldevilla, Alberti Joan Miquel. "Símptomes psicològics i característiques del sistema de constructes en dones víctimes de violència de parella." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/461791.
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Aquesta tesi ha emprat el marc teòric de la Teoria dels Constructes Personals (TCP) per respondre a la necessitat de proporcionar una base conceptual i metodològica per estudiar la instauració i els efectes de la violència de parella (VP) en dones. A més, aquest enfocament permet explorar el fenomen de la VP des d’una perspectiva centrada en la persona, en la línia de l’anàlisi idiogràfica.
Segons la TCP, cada individu configura al llarg de la seva vida una xarxa o sistema de constructes amb els quals dóna sentit al món que l’envolta. La finalitat d’aquest sistema és, doncs, poder organitzar la informació proporcionada a partir de les interaccions amb l’entorn per fer-lo més predictible i poder maximitzar així la seva capacitat adaptativa davant els esdeveniments i experiències que pugui trobar-se.
En aquest estudi s’ha revisat els processos cognitius de dones víctimes de VP, a partir de mesures obtingudes mitjançant l’aplicació de la Tècnica de la Graella, així com mesures addicionals com el nivell de simptomatologia (Índex Global de Salut –IGS– del qüestionari SCL-90-R) i el nivell d’autoestima (mitjançant la RSES). Aquestes mesures s’han comparat amb les obtingudes en dones que no han patit mai violència.
En el grup de dones VP, el tipus de violència predominant va ser de tipus psicològic, seguida d’aquella física, la social, l’ambiental, l’econòmica i la sexual. A partir dels diversos índexs mesurats, es va observar que les dones que havien estat en una relació abusiva mostraven afectacions a nivell de salut, així com una considerable discrepància respecte a la imatge desitjada de com voldrien ser, una major presència de conflictes identitaris, i una tendència a emprar els constructes per interpretar les experiències, les persones i les relacions de manera extremista, polaritzada, i unidimensional. Aquests resultats van replicar parcialment els obtinguts en un estudi exploratori anterior i subratllaven la conveniència de tenir present la identitat de la dona que pateix violència i la seva manera de donar significat a les seves experiències de cara a possibles intervencions i orientacions terapèutiques.
Aquesta recerca ha reportat tanmateix que les dones del grup sense violència haurien mostrat un menor nivell d’autoestima respecte les que constituïen el grup clínic. Aquest resultat requereix indagar la visió de l’autoestima en termes d’autoeficàcia i autovaloració, malgrat tractar-se d’una conceptualització tradicional en psicologia. D'altra banda, les dones que havien patit violència van mostrar un relatiu bon nivell d’autoestima.
Davant aquestes troballes, es considera necessari realitzar més recerca centrada en explorar el sistema de constructes en el col·lectiu de dones VP així com en d’altres tipus de víctimes (p. ex. joves, homes, parelles del mateix sexe). D’altra banda, també es creu convenient investigar la relació entre nivell d’autoestima i la discrepància entre la visió del jo actual i la del jo ideal. Disposar de mostres amb major quantitat de subjectes permetria estratificar-les en base a variables sociodemogràfiques i/o característiques de violència i copsar diferències en base a aquestes o d’altres variables.The present doctoral thesis employed the theoretical framework of the Personal Construct Theory (PCT) to provide a conceptual and methodological basis for studying the establishment and the effects of intimate partner violence (IPV) on women. This approach studies the phenomenon of IPV from a person-centred perspective, in line with idiographic analysis. By considering samples of subjects, it is possible to study trends in their characteristics. According to PCT, each individual configures a network or system of constructs throughout their life. With this system, meaning is given to the world around them. Hence, the network’s purpose is to organize the information provided from the interactions with the person’s environment to make it more predictable. By doing so, the individual is able to maximize the capacity to adapt to future events and experiences. In this research, the cognitive processes of women who were victims of IPV have been reviewed. For this, measurements obtained by the administration of the Grid Technique, additional measures such as the degree of psychological and psychosomatic symptoms (Index of Global Severity –IGS–, from the SCL-90-R), as well as self-esteem (by RSES) were administered. These indexes were compared with those obtained for women who had not experienced this kind of violence. In the group of abused women, the predominant form of violence was psychological, followed by physical, social, environmental, economic and sexual violence. The various measured indexes indicated that being in an abusive relationship had many effects on the health of the affected women. A considerable discrepancy between these women’s actual self and the desired or ideal one was found. Additionally, a higher presence of identity conflicts and the tendency to interpret experiences, people and relationships in an unidimensional, extreme and polarized manner could be observed. These results partially replicated those obtained in a previous exploratory study carried out by the author. Results emphasized that the role of the identity of women who suffer violence and the way they interpret their experiences needs to be taken into account. These elements could be helpful when addressing potential therapeutic interventions and guidelines. This research, however, has reported that women in the group without violence have a lower level of self-esteem than the clinical group. This underlines the need to review the notion of self-esteem in terms of self- liking and self-competence, despite being a traditional concept in psychology. Moreover, women who had suffered violence showed a relatively good level of self-esteem. Given these findings, it is necessary to carry out more research focused on exploring the construct system in female IPV victims, as well as other types of victims (e.g. teenagers, men, same-sex couples). Moreover, the relationship between self-esteem and self-ideal discrepancy needs to be further investigated. In addition, analysis of larger samples would allow researchers to stratify subjects on the base of demographic variables and/or characteristics of abuse and therefore it would help to detect differences based on these or other variables.
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Fogle, Joseph Edwin. "Client-Therapist Interaction and Perceived Therapeutic Outcome." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1988. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc331279/.
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This study sought to determine the therapeutic effectiveness of client-therapist dyads in a residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed adolescents. The theories of George Kelly's personal construct psychology were utilized in assessing the dyadic relationship. The four elements investigated were organizational similarity, understanding, organizational congruency and predominant selves. The sample consisted of 140 dyads comprised of 10 adolescent boys and girls and 14 therapeutic staff of a residential treatment center in the southwest United States. Responses to Kelly's Role Construct Repertory Test were compared to four relational factors—parental/respect, identity, problem-solving, and sexual/affection—and two rating scales of client-therapist preference and ratings of therapeutic effectiveness. Contrary to expectations, as content similarity among dyads composed of clients and staff increased, there was not an increase in functional aspects of the therapy relationship. Possible mitigating factors may have been level of client disturbance and/or methodological issues relating to how organizational similarity was determined. Dyadic understanding was not found to be related to perceptions of the therapy relationship. This may be a function of adolescent of adolescent clients' need for independence and resistance to adult understanding and control. Therapy dyads with a moderate level of lateral or vertical organizational congruence were not found to be curvilinearly related to functional aspects of the therapy relationship. However, a weak linear relationship regarding client perceptions of the therapy relationship was noted on four measures. Several methodological recommendations related to the instruments used to determine therapeutic effectiveness and the means of eliciting personal constructs on the REP test.
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Björk, Terése, and Pernilla Lundgren. "Den mellanmänskliga betydelsen - i brukarstyrda självhjälpsmöten." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för hälsa och samhälle (HS), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-26830.
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Studiens syfte var att avtäcka de element som upplevs betydelsefulla för den enskilda individen i en återhämtningsprocess från beroende, i relation till deltagandet av NA-möten. Som bakgrund till studien presenteras en redogörelse för olika definitioner av beroendeproblematiken samt återhämtning, tillfrisknande, tolvstegsprogrammet och Anonyma Narkomaner. Datainsamlingsmetoden som har används är av kvalitativ art med semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra informanter. Bearbetning av data har skett genom tematisering som har resulterat i tre olika teman, som visar korrelation mellan det informanterna uttryckt. Temana sammanfattar fynden av verksamma mekanismer i deltagandet av NA-möten för en återhämtningsprocess mot tillfrisknande. Resultatet har analyserats utifrån ovan nämnd bakgrund, tidigare forskning samt två teoribildningar som ämnat att komplettera varandra. Studien visar att verksamma mekanismer i en återhämtningsprocess från beroende mot tillfrisknande är “gemenskap”, “unik förståelse” och “självutveckling” som kan återfinnas i deltagandet av NA-möten.The aim of the study was to uncover the elements that are perceived as important for the individual in a recovery process from addiction, in relation to the participation of NA meetings. An introduction to the study is presented including a summary of various definitions of the addiction problem as well as recovery, the twelve-step program and Narcotics Anonymous. The data collection method used in the study was qualitative, through semi-structured interviews with four informants. Data processing was done through theme classification, which resulted in the identification of three themes based on common perceptions between the four informants. These themes summarize the findings of effective mechanisms in the participation in NA meetings for a recovery process. The result were analyzed on the basis of the aforementioned introduction, previous research and two theories that are intended to complement each other. The study shows that effective mechanisms in a recovery process from addiction are "community", "unique understanding" and "self-development" that can be found in the participation of NA meetings.
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Mills, David M. "Dimensions of embodiment : towards a conversational science of human action." Thesis, Brunel University, 1996. http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/5456.
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George Kelly's Personal Construct Theory, especially as subsumed within the “conversational science" paradigm developed by Thomas and Harri-Augstein, is fundamentally a framework for a geometry of personal meaning in which all of the dimensions of distinction within a person’s experience are like the dimensions of geometric space. A person's system of constructs is not just a framework for predicting the attributes of future events; it is a coordinate system for navigating the dimensionality of experience. The work of F. M. Alexander is primarily concerned with the "psycho-physical unity of the individual," and thus with the continuity of experience. The present work has two aims. The first, drawing on the work of Merleau-Ponty and John Dewey, and culminating in the concept of "Conductive Reasoning", is to lay a theoretical foundation for a synthesis of the practical work of Kelly and Alexander. The primary premise is that the act of comprehending is an embodied act, and as such is as subject to the conditions of the coordination of the whole person as is any other act. The second, practical, aim has been to develop a conversational methodology for dealing with learning in a more fully embodied way. This method of "conductive conversation," formally derived from the "Learning Conversation," evolved from the author's teaching experience with the Alexander Technique. Appendix 1, "A Conversational Introduction to Conductive Reasoning," is an interactive conversational structure which incorporates a development of these concepts in the context of personal experiments for generating the kinds of experiences from which the reader may draw something of the intended meaning, and some skill in using the conductive conversational tools for exploring embodied dimensions in their own meaning. It is intended as a piece that will stand on its own as a conversational research instrument for personal scientists.
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Sporle, Timothy John. "Trauma and construction of self and others following psychotic experiences." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2299/1079.
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The aim of this study was to examine how trauma may affect the development of psychosis. Previous research in the field of Personal Construct Theory has found that people who have a diagnosis of schizophrenia have a poorly elaborated self-concept. This study investigated whether there may be a relationship between trauma and self-elaboration in people who have experienced psychosis. It was hypothesised that more severe trauma in childhood would lead to lower self-elaboration, greater conflict in the self concept and lower elaboration of self when experiencing a traumatic life event in childhood. It was also hypothesised that people would see themselves as less like other people if they had experienced more severe trauma. A sample of 21 people who had experienced psychosis completed repertory grids. The grids included elements of self at different times in one’s life, self in different life events and other people. When childhood sexual abuse was the main grouping variable, the high trauma group had lower self-elaboration, saw themselves as more different to other people and had greater conflict in their self-concept. The findings of the study were discussed in relation to childhood abuse and its impact on self-construction. Limitations of the study were also discussed and related to future research on the relationships between self-concept, trauma and psychosis.
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Powell, Martin. "The use of an adapted version of the Dependency Grid to investigate social support for young people in care." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2013. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/the-use-of-an-adapted-version-of-the-dependency-grid-to-investigate-social-support-for-young-people-in-care(cc544ce1-3f0a-45d5-b040-64479fd372dd).html.
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Social support is strongly associated with resilience and positive outcomes in children who have experienced risk and adversity, including children and young people in care. However, research suggests that children in care are often disadvantaged in their ability to benefit from social support due to disrupted relationships and multiple placements. Whilst a number of measures have been developed to assess the support networks of children, few are able to adequately assess and describe the complex network of relationships that exist for young people in care.The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the use of a Dependency Grid to assess social support in young people who are looked after. The Dependency Grid is an interview technique derived from George Kelly’s (1955) Theory of Personal Constructs and was administered to ten individuals aged 11-17 years who were either in foster care or residential care. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis were used to explore its utility to assess social support with each case. The appropriateness and ease of completing the Dependency Grid was evaluated through participant feedback interviews. The views and opinions of the young people’s social workers and a reference group consisting of social care practitioners were also obtained.The Dependency Grid was found to be a useful tool for examining the support networks of young people in care, with many advantages over existing measures. The Dependency Grid revealed similarities and differences in the way participants distributed their dependencies. Most of the participants had dispersed dependency grids and carers and friends were the most significant providers of support. Levels of social support did not vary with the increasing size of the support network (r = 0.198) and the felt ‘closeness’ of relationships, as measured using the Four Field Map, was poorly related to the allocation of dependencies (r = -0.243). Some evidence was found in relation to the validity of the Dependency Grid for individual cases using qualitative methods. The strengths and limitations of the Dependency Grid are discussed and the methodological challenges with the study and opportunities for further research are considered.
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McNair, Louisa Catherine. "Dialectical behaviour therapy for adults with intellectual disabilities." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2014. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/dialectical-behaviour-therapy-for-adults-with-intellectual-disabilities(5a2821c3-824c-4cb7-be27-7cceb3cee7f9).html.
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This thesis explores the use of adapted Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) with individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (ID/D). DBT is a multi-modal psychological intervention that aims to increase skills in interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and mindfulness. It was initially developed for individuals who presented with parasuicidal behaviours, and is recommended for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). This thesis is presented in five papers; a systematic literature review, three empirical papers (a, b &c), and a critical review and reflection of the research process. The systematic literature review provides a narrative review of published research regarding the adaptations and outcomes of DBT for individuals with ID/D. Seven studies were reviewed using the Evaluative Method for Determining Evidence Based Practice (EBP) (Reichow, 2011). The findings detail the adaptations, results and critical appraisal of the research to date. The empirical papers consider the outcomes of adults with ID/D who received adapted DBT in a community psychological therapies service. The papers present different methodologies, and combined produce a consilience of evidence regarding the suitability of DBT for this population. Paper 2a found significant reductions on measures of depression, anxiety and anger, and increased mindfulness skills amongst 18 participants following DBT. Paper 2b uses repertory grid technique to explore the psychological changes that occur following DBT for seven participants, and found overall changes in personal construing and improvements in self-esteem. Paper 2c considers the psychological changes that occur in further depth through the presentation of two case studies. The case studies consider the complexity and idiosyncrasy of the individuals and gives consideration to the use of repertory grids to identify implicative dilemmas as part of clinical assessments. The final paper provides a critical review with personal reflections of the thesis. The author considers the research and clinical implications of the study.
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Sedumedi, Tumisang Precious. "I killed my child(ren) : a qualitative study exploring the phenomenon of paternal filicide in the South African context." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2299/20191.
Full textAbstract:
The present research investigated paternal filicide in South Africa. It aimed to understand the factors underlying fathers killing their child/children. Study one explored paternal filicidal offenders' processes of construction, construing of events leading to the filicide, and meanings of their lived experience of killing their child/children. Study two examined the filicidal offenders' extended families' construction processes, construing of events before the killing, lived experience and construing of filicide, and construing of the filicidal offenders' construing of the filicide. Four paternal filicidal offenders and nine family members of the offenders who had different backgrounds (i.e., age, racial, ethnicity, cultural, educational, occupational, and the nature of the filicide) were purposively sampled and recruited into the research. Personal construct theory (Kelly, 1955) underpinned this research. A semi-structured individual interview which was structured according to the Experience Cycle Methodology (ECM) interview proforma (Oades & Viney, 2012), Perceive Element Grid (PEG) (Procter, 2002), and the ABC model (Tschudi, 1977), were administered to the filicidal and family participants. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) and personal construct analytic methods (diagnostic construct analysis, PEG, ECM, and the ABC model). The analysed themes suggest that filicide might co-occur with familicide and attempted suicide by the offender in some instances. While in many filicidal cases intimate/marital problems might be contributing factors, in a few cases filicide might be accidental in which it might not be precipitated by intimate/marital discord. Most filicidal offenders who tend to only construe their partners/wives and intimate/marital relationships in terms of positive construct poles might slot rattle when encountering invalidations of constructions. The encountered problems might trigger threat, anxiety, in which the problems are experienced as unconstruable, and anger which might lead to hostility. The filicidal offenders might lack constructions to deal with the issues which might result in unaddressed problems which might lead to a sense of being overwhelmed and feelings of hopelessness. The filicidal offenders might broaden or delimit their perceptual field or fluctuate between constriction and dilation to construe and cope with the situation. They might exceed their inhibition ability which might result in the avoided issues and inhibited feelings exploding in violence. The extended family members might not intervene in the couples' problems, if intervening might be possible, because of an unawareness of issues as a result of submergence and constriction in which they avoid construing the couples' problems, limit their views to issues, and minimise the seriousness of the construed problems. Psychological support, personal construct family therapy and Employee Assistance Program, might help the filicidal offenders cope with their intimate/marital problems, and therefore might prevent filicide. Considering the implications of the filicide on the offenders' identities, relations, and relationships, and also the relationships of their families, intervention programs such as Restorative Justice and sport might help the offenders re-establish their sense of self, find commonality and sociality while rebuilding the damaged relationships.