Thèses sur le sujet « Social sciences -> psychology -> general »

The explanation of social behaviour requires an understanding of individual orientations to social issues as these exist relative to others. This thesis argues that whilst the attitude concept and social representations have illuminated certain aspects of social behaviour, both are handicapped by a restricted focus. The former’s focus on the evaluation of attitude objects excludes a reference to wider societal processes. The latter provides an account of societal contingencies, but excludes an explanation of individual orientations towards objects and issues in the social environment. This thesis postulates the point of view concept to bridge this gap, that provides an explanation of social behaviour at the situational level. This complements attitude and social representations in a nested, multilevel explanation of social behaviour. The point of view is defined as an outlook towards a social event, expressed as a claim, which can be supported by an argument of opinion based on a system of knowledge from which it derives its logic. It reflects an individual’s orientation towards a social object, relative to others. This thesis has demonstrated, in a series of empirical studies, that the point of view can be typified in three categories. A monological point of view is closed to another’s perspective. A dialogical point of view acknowledges another’s perspective but dismisses it as wrong. A metalogical point of view acknowledges the relativity of its’ perspective, and concedes to an alternative the possibility of being right. These different types were demonstrated to be characterised by differences in positioning and in individuals’ capacity to fit a given social reality. Such relational outcomes accrue as a function of the socio-cognitive structure of points of view in relation with another perspective. This thesis demonstrates that points of view, alongside attitudes and social representations, provides a multilevel explanation of social behaviour

Introduction: There has been a growing interest around the use of the Internet, and more recently the role of social media use, within all aspects of day-to-day living. Previous research has found contrasting relationship s between social media use and meaningful social connectivity. Some suggesting Facebook can provide a 'social compensation'; offering an opportunity of developing positive social relationships and self-exploration (Indian & Grieves, 2014; Selfout et al., 2009; Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2008). Other research argued that those who most benefitted from social media already have good social links, thus a 'rich get richer' effect (Kraut et al., 2002). Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social anxiety symptoms, passive and active Facebook use and online and offline relationships (bridging and bonding) to life satisfaction. Method: A total of 124 completed online questionnaires were collected. The participants completed five quantitative measures. The link to the study was posted on related Facebook pages and online social anxiety forums. Results: The results demonstrated a positive correlation between social anxiety and passive and active Facebook use, but only a significant negative correlation between active Facebook use and life satisfaction. There was also a negative correlation between social anxiety and life satisfaction. A mediation analysis suggested that social anxiety acted as a significant mediating variable between active Facebook use and life satisfaction. Furthermore, a hierarchical regression suggested that it was, when controlling for social anxiety, face-to-face bonding relationship that was the most significant predictor variable for life satisfaction. Clinical implications: The study does not argue a causal relationship between Facebook use, social anxiety, relationship types and a negative impact on life satisfaction. However it does highlighted interesting significant correlation between Facebook use, social anxiety and life satisfaction. This would suggest that within clinical practice an individual’s digital life should be thought about, alongside the more traditional ideas of social networks. Furthermore, the clinical focus of developing of an individual’s face-to-face relationships remains an important factor associated with life satisfaction.

The current study examined how parental underestimations of child’s weight status, parental worry, and the Theory of Planned Behavior variables (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control) predict intentions to adhere to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recommendations of four childhood health behaviors. These behaviors include: 1) eating five fruits and/or vegetables per day; 2) spending two hours or less on screen time (television, computer, and video games) per day; 3) engaging in at least one hour of physical activity per day; and 4) limiting (having zero) sugarsweetened beverages. Parents (N = 78) of overweight and obese children, ages six to 13 years old, were recruited from pediatric medical clinics and participated in an online study, where they were exposed to these AAP behavioral recommendations for children and completed online measures. Attitudes predicted of behavioral intentions for all recommendations except fruit and vegetable consumption. Subjective norms marginally predicted behavioral intentions for physical activity and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Perceived behavioral control predicted behavioral intentions for the four recommendations. Parental worry predicted behavioral intentions for fruit and vegetable consumption. Additional theoretical and practical implications of this research are also discussed.

A growing body of research has outlined that humans gain social rank through two pathways: prestige and dominance. This dual model of social hierarchy advocates that individuals either attain positions of high rank though signals of an ability and willingness to either inflict harm (dominance) or confer benefits (prestige) to group members. While there is growing support for the dual model of social hierarchy, the extant empirical evidence has been cross-sectional and has neglected the impact that time and context has on the efficacy of prestige and dominance as long-term processes. The present research outlines a theoretical framework for the trajectories of prestige, dominance and social rank over time, and further provides longitudinal evidence of their temporal dynamics. In addition, the current research tests the longitudinal associations that prestige and dominance have with social networks, Results of study 1 suggest that, in collaborative task groups, prestige has a positive and bidirectional temporal association with social rank, while the association that dominance has diminished over time. Study 2 indicated that in these task groups those high in prestige were more likely to be asked advice and prestige was transmitted through advice ties but had a limited association with friendship. Those high in dominance were less likely to be nominated as friends, but dominance was transmitted through friendship ties. Results from Study 3 suggest that those high in prestige status were more likely to aid in food sharing and food production, and that the prestige status of an individual’s food sharing and food production partners increased their prestige status over a period of twelve years among the Tsimane forager-horticulturalists of Bolivia. Overall, the present research highlights the distinction between prestige and dominance over time and shows that prestige, dominance, social rank and social networks have bidirectional, dynamic relationships over time.

By social influence I understand the change in an individual’s thoughts, feelings, attitudes or behaviors that results from interactions with another individual or group. Political, commercial and public health campaigns rely at least partly on influence. Without influence, we have a hard time explaining voter turnout, fads or contagious health behaviors. In my research I focus on pro-social behavior and the de-decentralized provision of public goods, and I ask when and why people are influenced by others as well as when and why people attempt to influence others to “do the right thing”. These questions help us understand human motivation in social contexts, and thus may also help us design policies that can nudge behavior towards more socially desirable, welfare enhancing outcomes. Despite the importance of influence, its study is scattered across disciplines. In my research, I seek to bridge the disciplinary gap through a three-pronged approach. First, I incorporate concepts found in psychology into a decision-theoretic framework. Second, I experimentally test for hypotheses that are derived from this formalization. Third, I use game theory to derive novel conclusions about how aggregate behavior changes when these concepts are incorporated and propose policy recommendations. My dissertation follows parts of this procedure and points to next steps for two psychology concepts: social identity adoption and social expectations. In chapter 1, I write down a unifying model of social identity adoption that integrates different strands in the economics and psychology literature. I provide evidence for the main predictions of this model with a large scale field experiment on charitable giving in Mexico. In chapter 2, joint with Michael Hiscox, we write down a model from which we derive conditions for distinguishing between a social expectations and an altruism explanation to pro-social influence. Results from a laboratory experiment show that most pro-social influence is due to social expectations. In chapter 3, I integrate this social expectations model into a sequential decision setting. I use this to derive a novel model of pluralistic ignorance, and argue that this model explains why uninformed individuals can be leaders in a way past models could not.
Political Economy and Government

Traditionally research into how we perceive our external world focused on the unisensory approach, examining how information is processed by one sense at a time. This produced a vast literature of results revealing how our brains process information from the different senses, from fields such as psychophysics, animal electrophysiology, and neuroimaging. However, we know from our own experiences that we use more than one sense at a time to understand our external world. Therefore to fully understand perception, we must understand not only how the brain processes information from individual sensory modalities, but also how and when this information interacts and combines with information from other modalities. In short, we need to understand the phenomenon of multisensory perception. The work in this thesis describes three experiments aimed to provide new insights into this topic. Specifically, the three experiments presented here focused on examining when and where effects related to multisensory perception emerged in neural signals, and whether or not these effects could be related to behaviour in a time-resolved way and on a trial-by-trial basis. These experiments were carried out using a novel combination of psychophysics, high density electroencephalography (EEG), and advanced computational methods (linear discriminant analysis and mutual information analysis). Experiment 1 (Chapter 3) investigated how behavioural and neural signals are modulated by the reliability of sensory information. Previous work has shown that subjects will weight sensory cues in proportion to their relative reliabilities; high reliability cues are assigned a higher weight and have more influence on the final perceptual estimate, while low reliability cues are assigned a lower weight and have less influence. Despite this widespread finding, it remains unclear when neural correlates of sensory reliability emerge during a trial, and whether or not modulations in neural signals due to reliability relate to modulations in behavioural reweighting. To investigate these questions we used a combination of psychophysics, EEG-based neuroimaging, single-trial decoding, and regression modelling. Subjects performed an audio-visual rate discrimination task where the modality (auditory, visual, audio-visual), stimulus stream rate (8 to 14 Hz), visual reliability (high/low), and congruency in rate between audio-visual stimuli (± 2 Hz) were systematically manipulated. For the behavioural and EEG components (derived using linear discriminant analysis), a set of perceptual and neural weights were calculated for each time point. The behavioural results revealed that participants weighted sensory information based on reliability: as visual reliability decreased, auditory weighting increased. These modulations in perceptual weights emerged early after stimulus onset (48 ms). The EEG data revealed that neural correlates of sensory reliability and perceptual weighting were also evident in decoding signals, and that these occurred surprisingly early in the trial (84 ms). Finally, source localisation suggested that these correlates originated in early sensory (occipital/temporal) and parietal regions respectively. Overall, these results provide the first insights into the temporal dynamics underlying human cue weighting in the brain, and suggest that it is an early, dynamic, and distributed process in the brain. Experiment 2 (Chapter 4) expanded on this work by investigating how oscillatory power was modulated by the reliability of sensory information. To this end, we used a time-frequency approach to analyse the data collected for the work in Chapter 3. Our results showed that significant effects in the theta and alpha bands over fronto-central regions occurred during the same early time windows as a shift in perceptual weighting (100 ms and 250 ms respectively). Specifically, we found that theta power (4 - 6 Hz) was lower and alpha power (10 – 12 Hz) was higher in audio-visual conditions where visual reliability was low, relative to conditions where visual reliability was high. These results suggest that changes in oscillatory power may underlie reliability based cue weighting in the brain, and that these changes occur early during the sensory integration process. Finally, Experiment 3 (Chapter 5) moved away from examining reliability based cue weighting and focused on investigating cases where spatially and temporally incongruent auditory and visual cues interact to affect behaviour. Known collectively as “cross-modal associations”, past work has shown that observers have preferred and non-preferred stimuli pairings. For example, subjects will frequently pair high pitched tones with small objects and low pitched tones with large objects. However it is still unclear when and where these associations are reflected in neural signals, and whether they emerge at an early perceptual level or later decisional level. To investigate these questions we used a modified version of the implicit association test (IAT) to examine the modulation of behavioural and neural signals underlying an auditory pitch – visual size cross modal association. Congruency was manipulated by assigning two stimuli (one auditory and one visual) to each of the left or right response keys and changing this assignment across blocks to create congruent (left key: high tone – small circle, right key: low tone – large circle) and incongruent (left key: low tone – small circle, right key: high tone – large circle) pairings of stimuli. On each trial, subjects were presented with only one of the four stimuli (auditory high tone, auditory low tone, visual small circle, visual large circle), and asked to respond which was presented as quickly and accurately as possible. The key assumption with such a design is that subjects should respond faster when associated (i.e. congruent) stimuli are assigned to the same response key than when two non-associated stimuli are. In line with this, our behavioural results demonstrated that subjects responded faster on blocks where congruent pairings of stimuli were assigned to the response keys (high pitch-small circle and low pitch large circle), than blocks where incongruent pairings were. The EEG results demonstrated that information about auditory pitch and visual size could be extracted from neural signals using two approaches to single-trial analysis (linear discriminant analysis and mutual information analysis) early during the trial (50ms), with the strongest information contained over posterior and temporal electrodes for auditory trials, and posterior electrodes for visual trials. EEG components related to auditory pitch were significantly modulated by cross-modal congruency over temporal and frontal regions early in the trial (~100ms), while EEG components related to visual size were modulated later (~220ms) over frontal and temporal electrodes. For the auditory trials, these EEG components were significantly predictive of single trial reaction times, yet for the visual trials the components were not. As a result, the data support an early and short-latency origin of cross-modal associations, and suggest that these may originate in a bottom-up manner during early sensory processing rather than from high-level inference processes. Importantly, the findings were consistent across both analysis methods, suggesting these effects are robust. To summarise, the results across all three experiments showed that it is possible to extract meaningful, single-trial information from the EEG signal and relate it to behaviour on a time resolved basis. As a result, the work presented here steps beyond previous studies to provide new insights into the temporal dynamics of audio-visual perception in the brain.
All experiments, although employing different paradigms and investigating different processes, showed early neural correlates related to audio-visual perception emerging in neural signals across early sensory, parietal, and frontal regions. Together, these results provide support for the prevailing modern view that the entire cortex is essentially multisensory and that multisensory effects can emerge at all stages during the perceptual process.

Comparative and evolutionary cognitive scientists disagree on whether human and nonhuman primate cognition is driven by a general intelligence or more specific, modular mechanisms. Comparative research with chimpanzees is extensive and provides the opportunity to better understand the evolution of human cognition. Little research has been dedicated to individual differences in chimpanzee social and physical cognition. The study of individual differences can be informative in better understanding the generality of primate intelligence. Results supporting a correlation between performances in the social and physical domains would suggest that a domain-general inference system may be responsible. If no relationship is revealed between performances then more compartmentalized, modular mechanisms may be responsible. As a preliminary investigation, I administered four studies focusing on social and physical cognition to a large number of captive chimpanzees. Performance on two tool-using tasks served as indicators of physical intelligence. I administered two social investigations regarding individual variation in social responsiveness and sociability. I did not find a correlation between the social and physical investigations; however strong individual differences in performances were observed. Demographic factors sometimes played a role in the results presented here (e.g. dominance rank and age). While this research does not demonstrate a relationship between sociability and physical intelligence, additional social measures should be utilized in order to measure social cognitive ability in chimpanzees. Focusing on individual differences with a battery of social and physical tasks will be informative regarding the structure of primate intelligence and the underlying cognitive mechanisms that are responsible.

Kinesiology
Ph.D.
This study was conducted using qualitative measures to determine how head coaches at NCAA Division IA schools perceive the field of sport psychology. Specifically, the following areas were addressed: (a) How do collegiate coaches perceive of the merit of the various titles used by professionals working in the area of sport and exercise psychology, (b) How do coaches perceive the field of sport psychology as a whole (i.e., the potential benefits of employing an sport psychology consultant (SPC)), and (c) What potential barriers must be overcome in order to make sport psychology more appealing and available to coaches and how might those barriers be overcome? A descriptive qualitative design was used to examine the coaches' perceptions. Fourteen coaches participated in semi-structured interviews to gain insight into how the coaching community perceives the field of sport psychology. All interviews were conducted over the phone, and the time required for the interviews ranged from 22-51 minutes (M = 34.5 minutes). Coaches' ages ranged from 38-64 years (M = 48 years) with the number of years as head coach at their respective schools ranging from 3-25 years (M = 12.29 years). Once completed, all interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through an inductive open coding process to allow themes to emerge from the data. Four major themes emerged from the data (i.e., perceptions, desires, barriers, and hierarchy), with 10 associated subthemes that described the overall perceptions and impressions of the participants. The coaches generally had a positive view of sport psychology and the services that SPCs are able to offer. However, they often expressed the fact that, despite their own personal opinions, they felt confined by a number of barriers that prevented them from hiring an SPC. Unfortunately, sport psychology is still viewed largely as too costly of a service and, as such, falls rather low on the list of needs that coaches must consider in the execution of their duties. In an attempt to provide a better understanding of the needs of collegiate coaches, a theoretical model for understanding where sport psychology ranks with regards to other support personnel was developed.
Temple University--Theses

This thesis is concerned with political psychology as an academic field with regard to the explanatory power of political psychology accounts in understanding the al-Qaeda network. Understanding al-Qaeda as a network of cells dispersed worldwide and in cooperation with local militant Islamist groups requires analysis at individual and group level, a multidisciplinary and multimethod research and focus on context and process. In this sense, political psychology accounts appear to have explanatory power to understand the al-Qaeda network, utilizing the defining characteristics of the field. Analyzing al-Qaeda through the lenses of political psychology, it can be concluded that psychoanalytically based approaches may not be very relevant to approach al-Qaeda. In this regard, this thesis promotes the study of the al-Qaeda network by concentrating on the group level of analysis. In this context, sociological accounts, social psychological framework of moral disengagement mechanisms, developmental psychology approach of social learning theory and large group in its own right provide us with powerful frameworks to study the causes, process and effects of al-Qaeda&rsquo
s terrorist activities.

A qualitative study that utilized a convenience sample of 29 individuals was conducted to uncover the meaning of health as it is experienced by homeless persons. Analysis revealed that homeless persons have two distinct conceptions of health: the characteristics that describe health, and a comprehensive view of the totality of health expressed in different combinations of health dimensions. A total of ten characteristics that described the essence of health were identified. These characteristics included satisfying basic human needs, having no illness related complaints, doing the work of health, fulfilling a functional role, having a positive self-image and outlook, and being fit. The four distinct perceptions of health that were revealed are: physical dimensions of health exclusively, physical and mental/emotional dimensions of health considered separately, physical and mental/emotional dimensions of health coexistent, and health as a multidimensional process of well being. Respondents also indicated that acute life events associated with feelings of loss preceded their state of homelessness. Generally, the respondents in this study considered themselves healthy.

Most of the social cognitive and affective neuroscience in the past 3 decades has focussed on the face. By contrast, the understanding of processing social cues from the body and voice have been somewhat neglected in the literature. One could argue that, from an evolutionary point of view, body recognition (and particularly emotional body perception) is more important than that of the face. It may be beneficial for survival to be able to predict another’s behaviour or emotional state from a distance, without having to rely on facial expressions. If there are relatively few cognitive and affective neuroscience studies of body and voice perception, there are even fewer on the development of these processes. In this thesis, we set out to explore the behavioural and functional developmental trajectories of body and voice processing in children, adolescents and adults using fMRI, behavioural measures, and a wide range of univariate and multivariate analytical techniques. We found, using simultaneously recorded point-light and full-light displays of affective body movements, an increase in emotion recognition ability until 8.5 years old, followed by a slower rate of accuracy improvement through adolescence into adulthood (Chapter 2). Using fMRI we show, for the first time, that the body-selective areas of the visual cortex are not yet ‘adult-like’ in children (Chapter 3). We go on to show in Chapter 4, that although the body- selective regions are still maturing in the second decade of life, there is no difference between children, adolescents and adults in the amount of emotion modulation that these regions exhibit when presented with happy or angry bodies. We also show a positive correlation between amygdala activation and amount of emotion modulation of the body-selective areas in all subjects except the adolescents. Finally, we turn our attention to the development of the voice- selective areas in the temporal cortex, finding that, contrary to face and body processing, these areas are already ‘adult-like’ in children in terms of strength and extent of activation (Chapter 5). These results are discussed in relation to current developmental literature, limitations are considered, direction for future research is given and the wider clinical application of this work is explored.

The United Nations Development Programme’s Millennium project argues for the importance of sexual and reproductive health in the achievement of all Millennium Development Goals. Sex education programmes, aimed principally at the youth, are thus emphasised and are in line with the specific Millennium Development Goals of reducing the incidence of HIV and improving maternal health. In this paper I analyse recent South African sex education and Life Orientation (a learning area containing sex education) manuals. Danger and disease feature as guiding metaphors for these manuals, with early reproduction and abortion being depicted as wholly deleterious and non-normative relationships leading to disease. I argue, firstly, that these renditions ignore well-designed comparative research that calls into questions the easy assumption of negative consequences accompanying ‘teenage pregnancy’ and abortion, and, secondly, that the persistence of danger and disease in sex education programmes is premised on a discourse of ‘adolescence’. ‘Adolescence’ as a concept is always already saturated with the colonialist foundation of phylogeny re-capitulating ontogeny. Individual development is interweaved with collective development with the threat of degeneration implied in both. This interweaving allows for the instrumentalist goal of sex education in which social changes are sought through changing individuals’ sexual attitudes and behaviour.

In recent times, literature has raised the importance of studying entrepreneurship in different contexts. There has been considerable research conducted in transitional contexts, as it raises the many challenges faced by entrepreneurs. There has been considerable research conducted in Russian, Eastern European and Chinese economies. However, there is a real dearth in the literature on the challenges faced in other transitional economies, particularly Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was the first country in South Asia to embrace extensive economic liberalisation in 1977 (though the civil war, 1983-2009, in the north-east of the country blocked the full realisation of these economic benefits). Further, entrepreneurial learning in such turbulent and challenging environments has also been identified as a less-explored area. Against this backdrop, this research's overarching aim was to explore opportunity recognition and new venture creation experiences in the transitional context of Sri Lanka. Four main areas were covered: opportunity recognition and new venture creation, entrepreneurial learning, entrepreneurial motivation and institutional context. The mixed methodological approach was informed by a conceptual framework developed by the researcher. Semi-structured interviews with a non-random sample of 31 Sri Lankan entrepreneurs provided rich descriptions. Their learning styles/preferences were identified using a modified version of Kolb's (1984) learning style questionnaires through different stages of opportunity recognition and new venture creation. Findings suggest that Sri Lankan entrepreneurs' initial business ideas arose through prior knowledge, scanning the business environment and changes in government policies. Few initial resources were utilised; many relied on previous experience and relationships with customers and suppliers. Most participants were motivated by pull rather than push factors and individual entrepreneurs demonstrated a combination of learning styles/preferences rather than one. Entrepreneurs cited numerous challenges: frequent policy changes, rigid customs policies, unsupportive financial sector, high interest rates, lack of support for start-up firms, and lack of social recognition in society and among the government officials. Further, critical learning events occur in transitional and turbulent contexts such as Sri Lanka. The frequency of such events is high; resilience is required to ensure higher learning. This research has contributed to entrepreneurship theory in several ways. First, the author explored the under-researched transitional context of Sri Lanka to identify the challenges encountered during transition Second, the research contributes to the literature concerning learning styles during opportunity recognition and new venture creation, using a sample of entrepreneurs. The findings will help educators and practitioners tailor their training and educational programs. Further, this study brings new knowledge in relation what, how and when entrepreneurs learn in critical events in turbulent and challenging environments.

Introduction: Cleft lip and palate (CL/P) is characterised as a birth defect or congenital anomaly which occurs in one in every 500-700 births globally. This research study explores the subjective, phenomenological experiences of eight women with CL/P using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to determine how women experience and manage living with CL/P and to consider implications for counselling psychology. Quantitative and qualitative studies indicate the overall low psychological impact of being born with CL/P, but also show disparities and contradictions. This author was born with CL/P. Method: Ethical approval was obtained. Semi-structured interviews and open-ended questions were used. Eight women born with CL/P were recruited using purposive sampling. Participant accounts of their lived experiences were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interviews took 73 to 120 minutes, (mean 90 minutes). Analysis Four themes were identified: 'The threatened self' explores the complexity inherent in the development of identity; 'being different to others' explores interpersonal experiences of participants; 'facing challenges' explores challenges and 'wishing things had been better' explores experiences which participants share as a means of acting as advocates for others. Discussion: My research supports existing CL/P literature. 'Wishing things had been better' has not been explored previously. I found that meaning-making is important for individuals with CL/P. I consider that it would be beneficial for CL/P to be conceptualised as a long-term condition requiring psychological support, and if adult CL/P should have improved access to support, including psychological, for key life events. I designed a check-list of issues to consider when working with a client with CL/P. This research has demonstrated that women's experiences of living with CL/P are multi-faceted and demonstrates a duality of experience in which being born with and living with CL/P throughout life may be thought of as both 'not a problem' and 'a problem' at different stages of life.

Despite being the most common reason for admission to psychiatric inpatient services in the UK (Bowers, 2005), no evidence-based treatment currently exists for self-harm in this setting (Turner, Austin & Chapman, 2014; Winter et al., 2007). Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) has found promising results in treating self-harm in outpatient settings (Linehan, 1993a). More recently, there have been favourable results from a DBT-informed group in an inpatient setting (Gibson, Booth, Davenport, Keogh & Owens, 2014), however the intervention was longer than the average stay on an inpatient ward (23 days; Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2014). The aim of the current study was to assess the feasibility of a novel DBT-informed group for people who self-harm within the average length of an inpatient stay. The ‘Coping with Crisis’ (CwC) group protocol was compiled using DBT skills (Linehan, 1993a), with particular focus on crisis management strategies. In line with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines for feasibility studies (Eldridge et al., 2016), the aim was to collect data on the rates of recruitment, retention, outcome measure completion and participant feedback, in order to inform the design of a main study. Twenty-four participants were recruited from an inpatient ward in a National Health Service (NHS) Trust. Results suggest that the clinicians and participants found the CwC group acceptable and it was found to be feasible to run the group and research study on an inpatient ward. However, the study experienced several challenges in terms of recruiting to target (80% achieved), retaining participants in the treatment groups and completed post-intervention outcome measures (n = 9; 38%). This information, in addition to feedback from the participants can be used to inform adaptions to the study design and make recommendations to improve outcomes for future research.

Background: Psychosis was once considered a progressive and untreatable “illness” due to a “diseased brain”. Current thinking suggests childhood adversity along with a combination of psychological, biological and environmental factors influence the development of psychosis experiences, with recovery now considered an achievable aim. Recovery is a multifaceted concept. Research indicates that service-users hold different views about recovery, however research exploring recovery from the viewpoint of those who are currently inpatients is scarce. Aims: The aim of the current study is to explore the views that a group of service-users who are currently inpatients in a psychiatric hospital, hold about what is important to them in recovery. Method: Q-methodology allows the exploration of the distinct viewpoints that are present among a group of people in relation to a subject matter. Thirty-eight participants were recruited across four acute psychiatric wards from a London based psychiatric hospital. Using Q-methodology, participants engaged in a card sort task where they ordered 54 statements relating to recovery from most to least important to them. Results: The analysis revealed four distinct viewpoints held among the group regarding factors that are important to recovery from psychosis. These were: “Stability, independence, and having a roof over your head”, “Hope, optimism, and enhancing wellbeing”, “Emotional change through self-management and social support”, and “Symptom reduction through mental health support”. Conclusions: Service-users who experience psychosis and are currently inpatients, hold different views about what is helpful to them in recovery. Services must be sensitive to the subjective conceptualisations service-users hold of their experiences and be flexible in tailoring support to meet their needs. The findings from this study suggest that changes are required both within services and at a socio-political level, in order to support people with psychosis toward recovery. Clinical implications and areas for future research are discussed.

It has been suggested that task-switching costs can be eliminated if participants memorise all stimulus-response mappings thereby avoiding task-switching altogether (Dreisbach, Goschke & Haider, 2006, 2007; Dreisbach & Haider, 2008). This has been labelled the “Look-Up Table” (LUT) approach. It has also been suggested that the LUT approach could potentially explain why animals such as monkeys (Stoet & Snyder, 2003; Avdagic et al., 2013) and pigeons (Castro & Wasserman, 2016; Meier, Lea & McLaren 2016) were able to perform task-switching without showing any task-switching costs (Dreisbach, et al., 2006, 2007; Dreisbach & Haider, 2008; Forrest, Monsell & Mclaren, 2014). In a series of eight experiments the following two questions were addressed: (1) Why do some participants show significant task-switching costs even when they do not switch between tasks (e.g., Forrest, Monsell & Mclaren, 2014)? (2) Can the LUT approach explain the absence of task-switching costs? In an attempt to answer both questions different sources of human task-switching costs are investigated in eight behavioural experiments. Chapter 1 provides an overview of different task-switching paradigms and accounts to explain task-switching costs. Chapter 2 summarises previous attempts to remove human task-switching costs. Evidence for the absence of task-switching costs in animals is also introduced. Following up on previous studies that suggested the LUT approach can explain the absence of task-switching costs, I conducted two task-switching experiments using visual tasks (i.e., colour task and shape task) with bivalent stimuli in an attempt to re-examine the conclusions of previous LUT studies (i.e., Dreisbach, et al., 2006, 2007; Dreisbach & Haider, 2008; Forrest, Monsell & Mclaren, 2014). The results in Chapter 2 indicate that human participants cannot always eliminate task-switching costs and do not always apply the LUT approach when the task-switching strategy is controlled. Therefore, the experiments in Chapter 3 and 4 sought to ascertain the requirements for eliminating task-switching costs when using the LUT approach. The experiments in Chapter 3 applied visual tasks where each task had a different stimulus-set. Experiments in Chapter 4 applied two classical mathematical tasks (i.e., big/small task, odd/even task) and used Chinese numbers as stimuli. The results of the experiments in Chapters 3 and 4 suggest that human participants must be able to give the correct answer without processing task-relevant features from the stimuli in order to eliminate task-switching costs. In the experiment of Chapter 5 the cue-stimulus-response mappings from Experiments 2.1 and 2.2 were rearranged so that switching between conventional tasks and rules became impossible. The results suggest that task-relevant features can trigger interferences thereby causing “task-switching costs” even when participants do not switch between tasks. In Chapter 7, I compare a modified interference account, introduced in Chapter 5, with the compound retrieval account (e.g., Logan & Schneider, 2010) and associative learning account (Forrest et al., 2014; Meier et al., 2016) in order to explain why human participants show task-switching costs even when they do not switch between tasks. I conclude that the modified interference account provides an alternative explanation. It has been proposed that only humans are affected by strong and long-lasting interference from previous trials during task-switching. As a consequence, this interference may explain why human participants consistently show task-switching costs whereas monkeys and pigeons show no task-switching costs.

The past decade has seen increasing research interest in compassion to self and others, both as a construct and a likely precipitant of psychological wellbeing. A growing literature base suggests that psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at increasing self-compassion can help to alleviate negative effects often associated with shame and self-criticism. Compassion-focused interventions have subsequently been proposed for populations likely to experience heightened shame. Despite the interest in this area, only limited research has attempted to explore how compassion is understood and experienced among varying populations. Research that has been undertaken has tended to adopt quantitative approaches, utilising self-report measures validated with well-educated, often academic, populations. There is clearly a need for the construct of compassion to be explored with other populations, particularly those who may be disadvantaged and/or at risk of heightened levels of shame. One such population is young people who have come to the attention of services for engaging in harmful sexual behaviour (HSB). This research therefore intended to fill this gap and extend the existing literature base on compassion by employing a qualitative approach. Nine young people (8 males, 1 female) aged 14-18, who were receiving input from youth offending services for HSB, were recruited for this research. Each participant took part in a one-off interview where they were asked about their understanding and experiences of compassion to and from self and others. Adopting a Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology, data were analysed through an iterative process of constant comparison, leading to the construction of a substantive theoretical model grounded in the data. The resultant model explicates the dynamic and relational process of compassion to self and others experienced by young people who have engaged in HSB. The model is considered in relation to existing literature and implications for clinical practice are discussed, along with directions for future research.

This PhD thesis examines a range of intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics surrounding the concept of learner engagement. It does so by critically investigating a visual arts initiative delivered to a small group of Key Stage 3 students at a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) in the North‐West of England. Participating students took part in an artist‐led workshop which aimed to enrich the school’s pre‐existing curriculum by expanding the range creative art activities available to students and by thematically integrating these activities with topics previously covered in other subject lessons. In order to permit a more in‐depth investigation of the educational experiences of these participants, a single‐case study design was employed whereby multiple sources of evidence were analysed in accordance with two key theoretical perspectives in the psychology of educational engagement. Self‐determination theory was drawn upon in order to consider individual‐level units of analysis and cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) was employed in order to consider the wider contextual factors that might influence the overall efficacy of the programme. Using a mixture of methods (i.e., questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations) allied to each perspective, staff and students’ perceptions of their school environment were examined in order to identify how they had developed their own experientially‐based understanding of what constitutes learner engagement within their particular educational environment. From here the analysis moves on to critically comparing the everyday classroom experiences of the students as they participated in the art initiative with that of students participating in subject lessons. By evaluating an educational initiative of this nature with respect to two prominent theoretical perspectives on student engagement, a more in‐depth understanding is developed on the psychological processes underpinning learners’ engagement amidst the everyday complexities that surround alternative educational environments. The results have implications for how teachers in this context reflect upon their practice.

In the following essays, I apply theoretical insights and experimental methods from behavioral science to address three questions at the intersection of environmental economics and consumer behavior. In Chapter 1, I use an experimental intervention to explore the role of salience in the willingness to pay for climate change mitigation. The long time horizon between the mitigation decision and the benefits of that decision may hinder optimal investment in climate change mitigation. The immediate costs of the decision loom large in the decision-maker's mind while the future benefits have lower prominence in their decisions. As a result, climate change mitigation decisions may be prone to salience bias. In an online randomized control experiment, I test whether tasks focusing attention on the risks and challenges of climate change will increase the willingness to pay for climate change mitigation. In the Letter treatment, the writing task is framed as a message directed to a particular individual living in the year 2050. In Essay treatment, the writing task is framed as an essay on the risks and challenges of climate change. I find that compared to a control group, both writing tasks that focus attention on the risks and challenges of climate change increase the willingness to donate to a climate change mitigation non-profit organization. However, the two treatments appear to operate through different pathways. These findings contribute to the understanding of how to effectively bridge the psychological distance between choice and consequence for climate change mitigation. They also have broader implications for the interplay between psychological distance and salience bias in a broad range of decision-making contexts. In Chapter 2, coauthored with Joseph Aldy, we model the consumer welfare impacts of gasoline price volatility under expected utility theory and prospect theory. The salience of gasoline prices among the U.S. public reflects consumer concerns about the price, and the uncertainty around the price, of gasoline. Volatility in gasoline prices reduces the ability of credit-constrained households to smooth consumption, and could result in substantial welfare losses for such households. Volatility reduces the information value of prices, which can undermine consumer decision-making for new investments. Gasoline price volatility may also reflect energy and environmental policies. As decision-makers compare the welfare impacts of policies that accomplish the same goal (e.g. reduce carbon dioxide emissions) but generate different levels of volatility in energy prices (e.g. fixed carbon tax compared to a fluctuating allowance price), the effects of consumer price volatility are often left out of the analysis. The goal of this research is to understand how energy price volatility affects consumer welfare. Focusing specifically on the gasoline market, we estimate the risk premium for increased gasoline price volatility due to a carbon allowance market. Under an expected utility theory model, households with highly inelastic demand or high-risk aversion tend to prefer fixed prices but have low risk premiums. Under a prospect theory model with reference-dependent utility, loss aversion leads to a strong preference for fixed prices with risk premiums around 2% of the average price. The salience of gasoline prices creates a strong reference point and the level of attention focused on "pain at the pump" when prices rise sharply implies loss aversion. Thus, prospect theory may be particularly well-suited to this market setting. By clarifying the welfare impacts of gasoline price volatility, we will better understand the full set of tradeoffs among energy policy options that have differential effects on fuel price volatility. In Chapter 3, I use a series of experiments to explore the impacts of eco-friendly labels on perceptions and evaluations of product attributes. Expectations may affect how people evaluate product attributes. If people expect different levels of performance from eco-products and regular products, then the presence of an eco-product label may bias their evaluations. Six experiments examine how expectations of the objective performance of eco-products affect perceptions of those products and subsequent product preferences. Holding objective performance constant, I find that prior expectations bias the evaluations of eco-product attributes. Expecting energy efficient bulbs to generate unpleasant lighting causes people to evaluate the lighting as unpleasant; expecting toilet tissue from recycled paper to be coarse causes people to evaluate the toilet paper as coarse. Using a study designed to isolate the effects on sensory perception, I find that expectations do not bias the sensory perception of product attributes. Instead, I find that consumers follow Bayesian predictions of combining prior expectations with a new perceptual signal to form posterior evaluations. This research may help explain the slower than expected take-up of energy efficient products (referred to as the "energy efficiency gap"), and the persistence of beliefs that eco-products underperform standard products, when many objectively do not.
Public Policy

Background: The efficacy and effectiveness of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) in improving cognition and quality of life (QoL) in individuals with dementia has been well demonstrated (e.g. Spector Thorgrimsen, Woods et al., 2003). However, less is known about the mechanisms of change for these positive outcomes. Objective: This study aimed to explore potential mechanisms of change for CST, including loneliness, social-connectedness and self-efficacy. Design: A within group repeated measure study was adopted. Participants included older adults with mild-moderate dementia participating in CST groups within Older People Community Mental Health Teams across Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Methods: Participants were asked to complete assessment measures on loneliness, social connectedness and self-efficacy prior to, during, and following CST intervention. Wilcoxon signed rank tests explored whether there were significant differences in outcome scores post CST. Spearman correlations examined the relationship between changes in cognition and QoL scores with changes in loneliness, social connectedness and self-efficacy scores post CST. Results: Recruitment was lower than anticipated, with 22 participants recruited and 15 completing pre and post assessments. A significant improvement for self-efficacy was found post CST. Improved QoL scores were associated with decreased loneliness and improved self-efficacy post CST. Conclusions: There are suggestions within these preliminary findings that self-efficacy improves following CST, which is a novel finding. Results also revealed that improvements in QoL were associated with improvements in loneliness and self-efficacy following CST. However, the small sample size in this study means that conclusions that can be drawn are limited. Future research needs to clarify the role of loneliness and self-efficacy in the context of outcomes for CST intervention.

Mass shootings that end in suicide at public venues such as schools have become shockingly frequent. In many cases the attackers have left communications indicating envy and bullying as the source of their rage. With healthcare becoming more universally available and the U.S. Surgeon General’s focus on bullying as a national healthcare issue, the mental health community would be remiss in failing to adequately address bullying behavior and its effects at this time. Relational aggression is a particular type of bullying that relies on surreptitious gossip and the willingness of participants to accept roles of victim or bully. Using hermeneutic phenomenology, this thesis creates a depth psychological model for exploring the intrapersonal and interpersonal bully–victim dynamics in relational aggression through the use of the stories of Cinderella and Arachne. The findings demonstrated how archetypal defenses maintain the bully–victim dynamic and the difficulties in and importance of perspective taking in its resolution.

The purpose of this study was to determine if a difference existed between a sample of fraternity residents and a sample of dormitory residents in the level of self-disclosure present in their same-sex friendships. Of additional import was whether or not self-disclosure, directed toward different target persons, varied according to the age of the discloser, the identity of the target person, and the reported closeness of the discloser to his father. A modified version of Sidney M. Jourard's Self-Disclosure Questionnaire was utilized to measure present levels of self-disclosure. Findings indicated there was a significant difference in self-disclosure with same-sex friends between the sample of fraternity residents and the sample of dormitory residents. Moreover, significant differences were found in the mean level of self-disclosure as it related to the identity of the target person, and to the reported closeness of the discloser to his father.

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating neurological disease with few successful symptom alleviating interventions available to the MS population. Preliminary research has shown that PA may aid in alleviating both psychological and physical symptoms; thus, improving overall quality of life. Objective. (1) To determine which social cognitive determinants (i.e., barrier efficacy, task efficacy, outcome expectation, social support, modeling, mood, and environment) would predict PA. (2) To determine whether barrier efficacy, task efficacy, and outcome expectation would mediate the social support, modeling, mood, and environment/PA relationships. Study Design & Participants. 76 participants (58 female and 18 male) completed a baseline questionnaire concerning social cognitive determinants and a 1-month telephone follow-up concerning PA participation. Results. The model accounted for 41% of the variance in PA. Block 1 accounted for 23% of the variance with traffic and modeling of friends making significant contributions to PA. Block 2 of the regression accounted for an additional 18% of variance with barrier efficacy (beta= .25; p<.05) and outcome expectation (beta= .21; p<.05) being significant predictors of PA. Outcome expectations mediated the modeling-friends/PA relationship. Barrier efficacy partially mediated the traffic/PA relationship. Conclusion. PA interventions should aim at increasing barrier efficacy and outcome expectations, and also on important social cognitive variables including barrier efficacy, outcome expectations, social support-friends, modeling-friends and environment (i.e., traffic). The MS patient's PA environment should be safe (i.e., no traffic) and include access to home use PA equipment (i.e., aerobic vide/DVD).

Social networking services are used by a large segment of society; Facebook claims that 1 billion users are active on their website. The potential role for social networking in civic engagement is substantial, and this dissertation expands upon previous research in its examination of the relationship between social networking use and civic engagement. Prior research into the effect of social networking services on social capital creation is limited in terms of generalizability and predictive power. The dissertation explores the determinants of social networking service use, the impact that social networking services have on the creation of social capital, and how social networking website use modifies a respondent's level of generalized trust and political efficacy.

The sample utilized in this dissertation includes 2,303 respondents from the Social Side of the Internet Survey, conducted in November and December of 2010. The dissertation utilizes this data to examine social networking intensity as a hypothesized determinant of indirect and direct forms of social capital. Models explore the decision to utilize the internet, social networking services (SNS), and to join traditional groups, evaluating the hypothesis that SNS usage creates social capital through a different pathway than online or physical interactions. Results provide early support for this hypothesis, as the factors influencing the decision to utilize social networking are separate from those modifying online or group activity.

The explanatory power of social networking intensity is compared to demographic and group-centered conceptions of social capital generation. The data supports the conception that SNS intensity is a significant determinant of external political efficacy and social capital, but is unable to identify a relationship between social networking intensity and generalized trust.

By examining the role that social networking services play alongside factors such as age, education, internet use, gender, race, socioeconomic class, technology, and group association, the dissertation tests hypotheses important to political science sub-fields including American politics, civic engagement, and political theory. Future research examining social networking and civic engagement needs to consider how governmental representatives view the social capital generated by social networking services.

This research constitutes an investigation of unconscious interaction between patient and analyst in situations where psyche and soma are in relation. The literature is extensive, but not coherent, and there exists a need for an overall mapping of the field. The project aims to establish a conceptual topography, grounded in Jung’s psychoid concept, since this applies to a deeply unconscious realm that is neither physiological nor psychological but that partakes of both. A methodology based on the conceptual research of Dreher (2000) is employed, including: a historical study tracing the evolution of Jung’s ideas, from their biological origins in the work of Driesch (1903) and Bleuler (1929), through Jung’s own self-investigation in his Red Book work, to his subsequent theoretical conceptualisations, to establish a public definition for the psychoid concept; and an empirical study, based on expert interviews, to interrogate this definition. The empirical study employs a methodological instrument, developed for this research, for identifying clinicians’ private theories relating to psycho-physical experience. Such instrument comprises the process notes for a single session, in which the psychic fact and the physical fact are combined, and a set of discussion vertices, derived from Sandler (1983), Canestri (2006) and Tuckett (2008), for guiding the interview. The empirical data, constituting the transcripts of the interviews, not the process notes, is analysed using grounded theory. Comparisons from psychoanalysis are employed at all stages of both studies. The results demonstrate that the psychoid concept is valid and clinically useful. The empirical study establishes that clinicians support contrasting views of the transference, namely a symmetrical and mutual transference and an asymmetrical and hierarchical transference, the former being consistent with Jung’s psychoid concept. Unexpectedly, not only Jungians but also some psychoanalysts conceptualised a symmetrical transference, albeit employing different terminology. This adds Popperian weight to the research results.

This thesis investigates subjective states of awareness in memory for emotional information following Tulving's (1985) dual-memory model in which feelings of 'remembering' (including specific recollection of the encounter with the item) index episodic memory and feelings of 'knowing' (memory but without any specific recollection) index semantic memory. Rajaram's (1996) proposal that distinctiveness of processing increases feelings of 'remembering' while fluency of processing increases feelings of 'knowing' was examined. Seven studies utilising news stories with varying emotional content were conducted following the assumption that emotional content would increase both distinctiveness and fluency of processing (cf. Oschner 2000). If emotional information invokes greater distinctiveness of encoding, this would be expected to result in enhanced episodic encoding and increased 'remembering'; greater fluency of processing would be expected to result in enhanced semantic encoding and increased feelings of 'knowing'. The studies broadly support the hypothesis that emotional news stories increased feelings of 'remembering'; however, emotion did not systematically affect feelings of 'knowing'. Earlier research using different materials found increased 'remembering' with enhanced distinctive/elaborative processing. Three studies manipulating depth of processing, level of attention at encoding and repeated study trials replicated these effects with both emotional and neutral news stories. Using news stories as a study material facilitates investigation of the hypothesis that conditions promoting learning (transfer to semantic memory) would lead to increased feelings of 'knowing' (Conway, Gardiner, Perfect, Anderson & Cohen, 1997). This hypothesis was supported for both emotional and neutral stories. The viability of exploring memory awareness for stories varying in emotional content was demonstrated and the results support the view that emotional distinctiveness increases feelings of remembering. It is argued that feelings of remembering depend on both distinctive and fluent encoding processes. It is suggested that emotional fluency at the encoding stage makes emotional information more readily available for episodic encoding and thereby fosters feelings of remembering.

The current study focuses on understanding the lived experiences of male professional footballers during the process of career transition, specifically the transition out of professional football. The study was carried out over two stages. Within both stages of the research, the professional footballers found themselves within or, facing the possibility of career transition out of the game. Stage one used a focus group method with eight professional players facing the possibility of career transition. Stage two adopted face-to-face and online interviews with twelve players, being made up of professional players (some facing the possibility of career transition and some who at the time were in a rehabilitation centre for addiction and within career transition) as well as, a group of potential (Academy) professional players all facing the possibility of transition out of the game. The interviews allowed the players to express what it is like to anticipate or live through the experience of career transition out of football. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used for stage one and elements of van Manen’s human science/hermeneutic approach during stage two. The analysis of the interviews produced a number of key themes, including experiencing ‘self and identity’, ‘help and support’, ‘the gaze of others’ and, ‘uncertainty and disempowerment’. Importance for professional footballers was laid on meeting the requirements and expectations of others within the world of professional football. For some, this was experienced as a need to put on a pretence to live up to requirements, whilst for others it meant accepting abusive treatment as part of their development. What is more, the players often felt constantly judged and assessed and this was something they lived even in the absence of others. The players’ experienced a need to portray the characteristics of hegemonic masculinity, especially physical and mental strength at all times. In addition, the players felt like commodities, as if they were machines. Therefore, some professional footballers’ experienced conflict between their public and private self, especially during difficult times and thus, a need to outwardly show to others that they were coping with things, when actually in private they were not. The research findings inform a number of recommendations to sporting organisations, professional football clubs and professional footballers to improve the current and future lived experiences of professional footballers. Principally, there is a need to educate and develop those within professional football, in particular those in positions of responsibility, about the ways in which their relationships are influential in the lives of professional footballers in the immediate and long term. Encouraging professional footballers to adopt different ways of being men, could be seen as beneficial to professional footballers’ lived experiences. Hegemonic masculinity ideals in the culture of professional football could be replaced by healthier scripts, such as pursuing holistic development and improving team spirit and cohesion.

The present work represents the first attempt to compose a comprehensive study of the Palace of Sitt al-Mulk which is known as the 'Fätimid Western Palace' because of its geographical situation opposite the Eastern Palace. It was built by order of the second FAtimid Caliph in Cairo, al-'Aziz (365-386 A. H. / 975-996 A. D. ) for his daughter Sitt al-hulk. The first section attempts (through Arabic literary sources) to construct a picture of this princess who played an important role in the direction of Fätimid politics. The second section examines the the architecture of the Palac, survived and brings to light which demonstrate that part incorported into the Häristän of the site in the Mamlük period. belief that nothing of a of Sitt al-hulk has architectural remains of the Palace was Sultan Qalä'Gn built on The third section studies the rich imagery in the wooden panels that used to decorate the Palace of Sitt al-hulk within the wider context of Fätimid figural Art.The fourth section details the connections and similarities between the Fätimid style of these woodcarvings and Coptic Art of the same period. The fifth and final part covers the problem of dating, attempting to situate chronologically, through stylistic and comparative study the extensive range of woodcarvings from the Palace.

Understanding the processes involved in retaining nurses in the Emergency Department is essential for future hiring and retention; turnover rates are currently at approximately 16% in the emergency department. Using Grounded Theory Methods (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) and the conceptual framework of symbolic interaction, the process of becoming and remaining as an ED nurse was explored.

Data were collected through semi-structured, open ended interviews until data saturation occurred. The seven participants' ages ranged from 29-56 with ED nursing experience ranging from 1-17 years and nursing experience from 2-18 years. Five phases emerged from data analysis using constant comparative analysis of 183 pages of transcripts, through coding phrases, categorizing, and conceptualizing them. These phases, each with sub-categories, explained a process identified as Seeking Status. The five phases were: joining the troops, working in the trenches, passing muster, earning stripes, and looking ahead. Passing Muster emerged as the core category, the one that best explained the process and connected the other conceptual categories in this process.

The theory, Seeking Status, was compared to and contrasted with theories from nursing, sociology and anthropology such as socialization, rites of passage, adaptation, role identity, and reality shock. The theory overlapped with some of the theories explored; however it was unique in the finding regarding the significance of a two-tiered hierarchy of roles in the ED.

Implications for recruitment strategies, longer orientations and the need for preceptors for new nurses were described. Senior nurses, on the other hand, would benefit from increasing knowledge and skills regarding leadership and management strategies in their role.

The thesis presents research on the effects of a Mind-Body (M-B) training programme on emotional competencies, stress and job satisfaction. This is of practical importance for the workplace, as stress and job satisfaction are important management issues. The theoretical contributions of this research relate to the debate around whether emotional competencies can be developed or not, the mediating role of emotional competencies between the intensity of M-B training, and stress and job satisfaction, and the underlying mechanism of these effects, i.e how M-B training functions and hence why the effects occur. The M-B training programme lasted eight weeks and was tested on 106 participants. The participants were split into two groups: an experimental and a control group. The experimental group practiced the training programme, while the control did not. Dependent variables were measured using questionnaires both before and after the training programme. The participants had an open question at post-intervention survey about how they felt during M-B practice. The research also included a qualitative longitudinal study. Nine participants were interviewed immediately after the M-B training intervention, and again one year later in order to see whether the effects were sustained. Hence, this research was conducted as a longitudinal mixed methods design. The results reveal that M-B training has an effect on emotional competencies, stress and job satisfaction. These improved between 10-26%. The study also found that the ability to manage and regulate emotions play a mediating role between the intensity of M-B training and perceived stress, but not job satisfaction. The qualitative data suggests that mental skills might play a mediating role. Finally, the results reveal that physical, emotional, mental and spiritual mechanisms explain how M-B training works.

Statistics have shown that 30% of women in the UK experience childbirth as traumatising, and some may as a consequence go on to experience symptoms of anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, some women do not go on to develop PTSD. As this is a relatively common occurrence, an important question is: How do women who experience a difficult birth develop resilience? Research has mainly focused on the development of PTSD in such women and researchers have therefore recently tried to shift the focus to positive outcomes following a traumatic birth. The focus of positive outcomes has mainly been around post-traumatic growth and researchers have called for more investigations into the area of resilience. At present, research is still sparse in the area of traumatic birth and resilience. Objectives: The aim of this study was to understand the process of fostering resilience after a traumatic birth. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight female participants aged 30 to 50 years who experienced a traumatic childbirth. A constructivist grounded theory was used to analyse interviews. Results: A new model of the process of resilience following a traumatic birth was devised, which emerged from the data. The core category of ‘The Journey towards Resilience following a Traumatic Birth’ was described and connected to the five following categories: Category 1: Traumatic birth: To be cared for ‒ who’s accountable?; Category 2: Moving towards faith and spirituality; Category 3: Motherhood becomes you; Category 4: Supportive relationships; Category 5: Self-care ‒ as a way of owning my journey. Discussion: The model suggests that the journey towards resilience is a process whereby women move towards internal or external resources or both at different points on their journey. This study brings new findings to the area of traumatic birth and resilience which will help guide counselling psychologists and health professionals on how to promote resilience in birthing mothers.

Aims: The aim of the current study is to investigate the usefulness of an internet based positive body image intervention for women which incorporates feminist ideas and media literacy. This novel study will be an initial trial with a non-clinical population of women looking to learn about body image in order to evaluate if it is feasible as an intervention to improve body image in this format. Methods: The present study employed a sequential mixed methods prepost within groups online intervention outcomes study design, whereby quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis were sequentially undertaken. Phase 1: collected baseline questionnaire data online to screen for eligible participants (N=95), and then measure their level of body dissatisfaction, body appreciation and body anxiety. After 24 hours, Phase 2 commenced: participants received a link to an online psycho-educational intervention (an educational programme of 60-minutes duration), after which they immediately completed (N=80, drop out rate 15.79%) post-intervention questionnaire measures. In Phase 3: semi structured follow-up interviews were conducted with a subsample of the intervention participants (N=4) to gather their feedback on the strengths and limitations of the online intervention. Results: Paired t-test results comparing pre and post scores on the three main measures showed a significant decrease in scores on a body dissatisfaction measure, PFRS (t(79)=9.554, p < .001); a significant increase on a body appreciation measure, BAS (t(79)=-11.464, p < .001); and a significant decrease on a body anxiety measure, SPAS (t(79)= 8.833, p < .001). The thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews showed four 13 emergent themes: focus on girls and teenagers, media influence and literacy, positive impacts of the intervention, and recommendations. Overall feedback was positive and participants found the intervention insightful and empowering. Conclusions: Collectively, the quantitative and qualitative findings supported each other regarding the development of a novel intervention. The ‘Our Bodies’ Programme appeared to have a positive impact on women’s body image and it was acceptable in the format in which it was presented. However, the study did not include a control group or a follow-up, thus care needs to be taken when drawing conclusions from the results. Nevertheless, this research has the potential to contribute to the understanding of which population may be best suited for this programme, delivery format and dissemination strategies using the existing literature on media literacy, positive body image and feminist theories in order to ensure maximum impact. Future directions and implications for Counselling Psychology practice are discussed.

The focus of this study is to gain a deeper insight into the subjective and salient belief systems that are held by those individuals who have previously been detained or arrested under the counter terrorism legislation in the UK. Embedded in the theoretical work of Personal Construct Theory, 8 participants completed an extensive life narrative interview alongside a reparatory grid highlighting core constructs and belief systems. A thematic analysis of the corresponding data was undertaken from which a number of themes were identified. The most prominent emerging theme centred around the concept of empathy and empathic anger. i.e. the participants expressed a strong empathy connection towards those in conflict situations who were seen as victims and equally presented with a strong disapproval or empathic anger towards those who were viewed as aggressors and penultimately responsible for the atrocities. Although further research is required the implications of this emerging theme are significant in developing a holistic understanding of the factors which affect motivational drive of individuals who are 'radicalised'. This study builds upon the theoretical work of Hutson, Long & Page, (2009), Taylor & Horgan, (2006) and Moghaddam, (2005) who respectively identify a series of social and psychological processes which potentially exert an influence on the motivational drive. This study therefore suggests that the modulating factor or the spark which maintains an individual on the path of radicalisation is centred around this notion of empathic anger. This study suggests that individuals who are regarded as a radicalised threat go through a series of subjective experiences and processes are catapulted by this empathic response from merely feeling a grievance to actually rationalising a potential action. A number of additional themes centring around relationships (particularly the father), racisms and the impact of life changing events or trauma were also identified but would benefit from further investigation. The study also attempts to provide a critical look at the discourses around terrorism and radicalisation particularly the subjective and emotive uses of the terminology and the inevitable effects of political biases. A potential area for further study is suggested in the form of a theoretical model which suggests that depending upon the individual’s personal attributes the individual may gravitate towards one of 5 roles i.e. an idealist, soldier, Intellectual-Recruiter, Opportunist-Financier or Patsy. The limitations of the study centre around the relative small sample and the lack of diversity within the sample.

This thesis examined whether the viewpoint from which an action was observed could modulate the behavioural and neural activity of the observer. Chapter 2 presents motion capture data from a manual prehension task which manipulated observed reach height. Actions were observed from two allocentric viewpoints. The data revealed no differences between viewpoints, but did reveal effects of relative spatial direction congruency. Chapter 3 further examined these direction congruency effects. Using simple arm movements, observed task and direction congruency were split. The data revealed effects of direction congruency dependent on observed action viewpoint. Chapter 4 presents experiments further examining the effects of observed action viewpoint. The data suggest participants considered observed actions in terms of agency; participants responded faster when observing egocentrically framed actions compared to allocentrically framed actions. Chapter 5 further examined this using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The data suggest that stronger representations of observed actions are present for egocentric actions compared to allocentric actions. Collectively, this thesis demonstrates that relative spatial direction kinematics are a key factor in action observation, and that the viewpoint from which an action is observed can modulate participant behavioural responses and brain activity, as participants distinguish between egocentrically and allocentrically framed actions.

Background: The Marschak Interaction Method (MIM; Marschak, 1960) is a video-based observational assessment of parent-child interactions and relationships (Lindaman, Booth, & Chambers, 2000). Parents are videotaped while they engage with their child in a series of play-based tasks, followed by a therapist-guided reflective review of the interaction. This process is intended to highlight areas of strength and difficulty within parent-child interactions to be addressed in subsequent therapeutic intervention; however, initial reports suggest that the MIM may have additional therapeutic utility beyond this rather narrow application (Lindaman et al. 2000). There is a growing evidence base for the use of video-feedback in family interventions to improve the quality of parent-child interactions (Fukkink, 2008). Such approaches are believed to enhance parental reflective capacity and sensitivity to their child’s needs, thus supporting more positive parenting behaviour (Svanberg, 2009). The MIM is similar in its approach to other video-feedback interventions, and so conceivably may effect comparable therapeutic action; however little is known about parents’ experiences of the MIM. Aims: This study aimed to explore the therapeutic nature of the MIM through interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) of parents’ and caregivers’ experiences. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with six parents and primary caregivers who had participated in the MIM as part of on-going therapeutic assessment and intervention with their child. Results: Analysis of participant accounts identified five key themes concerning; their experiences of the MIM interactional procedure, reflective and emotional processes and the therapeutic factors that supported these, and subsequent attitude and behaviour change. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the MIM has potential therapeutic utility as a brief video-feedback intervention to support positive parent-child interactions. This therapeutic hypothesis is discussed in relation to current theoretical explanations for the efficacy of video-feedback interventions in child and family mental healthcare practice. Further research is needed to test the clinical effectiveness of the MIM in improving parent-child outcomes.

Homelessness is experienced by considerable numbers of people throughout the UK. Research convincingly demonstrates the multiple and frequent difficulties that people who are homeless face, including: limited support networks, mental and physical health difficulties, problems associated with substance use, and social exclusion. There is a lack of research however, that explores their strengths, resilience, and ability to cope with adversity. Many services arguably parallel this trend and focus on risk management and treatment strategies that target perceived pathology and vulnerability characteristics. The study contributed to strengths-based research and explored the psychological processes associated with a sense of manageability of people who were homeless. This unique line of research enquiry was guided by the study’s systematic review. In-depth interviews were conducted with eight adult males who temporarily resided at a homeless hostel in Wales. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to identify themes. Processes that both enhanced and detracted from manageability were inferred. In particular, self-efficacy and self-esteem seemed important to sustain and promote the well-being of participants, and influenced actions towards future transition out of homelessness. There was evidence to suggest that these constructs were closely associated with participants’ relationship experiences. The study supports the core components of Rutter’s (1985; 2013) conceptualization of resilience. Intervention strategies were discussed in relation to the findings, but primarily, services were encouraged to promote supportive relationships for homeless people, as these can foster self-efficacy and self-esteem processes that are hypothesised to mediate resilience, and encourage people’s social inclusion. Further culturally sensitive research of resilience processes is recommended.

This thesis is concerned with the psychosocial impact of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) - an inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis. Although an extensive literature exists on the nature and impact of psoriasis, little is known about the effect that psoriatic arthritis can have on an individual, and the bearing it may have on their quality of life. In order to address this gap in the literature, this study utilised a mixed methods research design, employing a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews, followed by a quantitative, cross-sectional postal survey. In the qualitative study, interviews were conducted with ten people living with psoriatic arthritis. Analysis of the data, using Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (JPA; Smith, 2003) resulted in five emerging themes; pain, functionality (including fatigue), emotions (including depression), coping and treatment experience/management. The quantitative study used a postal survey to measure the variables of interest and explore the associations between them. Survey respondents consisted of a sample (n = 313) drawn from The Psoriasis Association membership and also 44 from a hospital rheumatology clinic. AA participants completed a piloted questionnaire containing questions about their demographic characteristics and validated measures of quality of life. Analysis confirmed that the group with PsA fared less well on all measures of quality of life, than those with just psoriasis. Correlations identified highly significant relationships between most study variables, however of note were the relationships between fatigue and current pain (r = .547) and depression (r = .670). Within the Psoriasis Group correlations of interest included those between anxiety and social functioning (r = -.606) and DLQI and social functioning (r = -.546). Comparison of the correlations identified 18 that were significantly different between the groups. Of these, relationships between physical functioning, pain, fatigue and self efficacy were of particular interest, whilst in the psoriasis group the associations between self efficacy, social functioning and psychological health were noteworthy. This research provides some evidence that different psychosocial variables appear to be involved in the reductions in quality of life experienced by the two clinical populations in this study. The results suggest that in rheumatology and dermatology clinics, the routine measurement of fatigue, self efficacy and psychological health could be used to inform the prescribing of therapies, psychosocial interventions and drugs to improve emotional functioning, so impacting on health-related quality of life. Furthermore, these fmdings have highlighted the need to elucidate the symptom of fatigue in PsA and position it as an appropriate target not only for clinical management, but also psychological management. By advocating fatigue as a legitimate concern, this may offer patients the chance to discuss fatigue explicitly and obtain appropriate health advice.

Failure to address poor mental health during childhood and adolescence results in higher risk of suicide, substance misuse, self-harm, and lower achievement in education and employment (Richards et al., 2009). Of the psychological factors underlying mental health, it has been argued that self-regulation is central (Posner & Rothbart, 2000). The Barkley (1997) model of self-regulation is reviewed, and evidence considered that suggests it has cross-diagnostic validity. The typical developmental courses of emotion regulation and effortful control, and how these are associated with mental health, are considered in order to inform applied psychology practice with children and young people. A refinement of the Barkley model is proposed to enable the synthesis of findings from different bodies of research, and to offer a framework by which psychopathological diagnoses might be etiologically, rather than behaviourally, defined. The research study used neuropsychological and self-report measures to test whether emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between behavioural inhibition and psychopathological symptoms in adolescents. 39 pupils, aged 10 to 16 years, completed sustained attention subtests from the Test of Everyday Attention, the Attentional Control Scale, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Aggression Scale and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Adult-report versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were also completed by parents and teachers. Significant, positive correlations between difficulties in emotion regulation and psychopathological symptoms were observed. Significant negative correlations were observed between behavioural inhibition and psychopathological symptoms. The mediation model was supported: emotion dysregulation fully mediated the relationship between behavioural inhibition and psychopathological symptoms. The relationship of the study results to the Barkley (1997) model of self-regulation is discussed. The study findings suggest that intervention to treat or prevent the development of psychopathological symptoms in adolescents is better targeted at reducing habits of emotion dysregulation than at improving the capacity for behavioural inhibition.

Images comprising clusters of objects can induce aversion and certain symptoms of anxiety, fear and disgust (so-called “trypophobia”) in about 13% of the population. This thesis is an investigation of the stimulus and response characteristics of the condition. First, a symptom questionnaire (Trypophobia Questionnaire) was developed and validated based on reports of different categories of symptoms. The questionnaire demonstrated a single construct that predicted discomfort from trypophobic images, but not neutral or unpleasant images, and did not correlate with anxiety. Second, filtering images reduced the excess energy at mid-range spatial frequencies (previously associated with both trypophobic and uncomfortable images). Relative to unfiltered trypophobic images, the discomfort from filtered images experienced by observers with high TQ scores was less than that experienced with neutral images, and by observers with low TQ scores. Clusters of concave objects (holes) did not induce significantly more discomfort than clusters of convex objects (bumps), suggesting that trypophobia (previously referred to as “fear of holes”) involves clusters not of holes but of objects with particular spectral profile involving excess energy at mid-range spatial frequencies. These visual characteristics have been previously shown to induce discomfort and a strong cortical oxygenation. The same abnormal oxygenation occurred for trypophobic images, but only for individuals with high TQ scores. Three lines of evidence suggest that trypophobia is a response of disgust rather than fear: (1) trypophobia was associated with an aversion to spiders, and not snakes; (2) trypophobic stimuli did not produce a bias in the subjective estimation of stimulus duration but (3) increased the heart rate and its variability. Fear inducing stimuli generally give effects opposite to those listed as 2 and 3. In conclusion, trypophobia is a reaction of disgust to clusters of objects with particular spectral profile that may resemble contamination sources (e.g., skin lesions).

Objective: There is a growing body of research which demonstrates positive effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on a diverse range of psychological disorders (e.g. chronic pain, depression, psychosis). Several reviews suggest that ACT may benefit people struggling to adjust to life following a Traumatic Brain Injury; however there are no published treatment trials using ACT with this group. The present study examined the feasibility of an intervention trial of ACT for people with severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) treated in an inpatient rehabilitation centre. The findings informed recommendations made for the design and conduct of a larger study. Method: Mixed quantitative and qualitative methods were used including Focus Groups and questionnaire measures. Data were collected from patients and unit staff at multiple time points across three research sites. Focus Group data were analysed using thematic analysis in accord with best practice guidelines. Questionnaires and forms completed by the staff in order to establish application of inclusion/exclusion criteria and participant flow were analysed descriptively to get an indication of the acceptability of features of the study protocol. Results; Focus group findings indicated that due to cognitive deficits exhibited by participants, they perceived the ACT intervention as being too complex, and a number of amendments were suggested to support participants with cognitive deficits in future trials such as increasing repetition of key processes during intervention. Further suggestions were made in relation to future conduct of the study protocol such as revising the inclusion/exclusion criteria, family involvement in data collection, and provision of easy read materials to clients. Results indicated that participants had no issue with the randomisation design, there were no adverse events associated with the study protocol or intervention. Conclusions: Further piloting of the amended intervention protocol in line with recommendations made in this study is recommended prior to drawing any conclusion with regard the suitability and acceptable of ACT with people with a severe TBI in an inpatient facility. Further research should consider the amendments to the study protocol as recommended in this study.

Care farms seek to support and empower people who are in some way vulnerable by enabling them to engage with agricultural places and farming activities. Their numbers have increased substantially in the UK and elsewhere over the past decade, but there is a paucity of evidence concerning that which takes place, associated outcomes and consequential change. This mixed methods study investigated care farming from multiple perspectives in order to provide an enhanced understanding of overall impact. It was informed primarily by qualitative and quantitative data provided by service users and providers but also incorporates input from representatives of other significant stakeholder groups. The evidence of sixty seven care farmers highlighted the challenges associated with the initiation and development of sustainable enterprises, but simultaneously demonstrated this to be an activity that can benefit farming people and places. Altruistic intent was identified as a common denominator and care farming was found to have enabled both new and established farmers to engage with activities that support the land and develop community. Productive and consumptive elements interlink to provide multifaceted value. Agricultural and familial connections were presented as having been enabled, on-farm employment as having increased and farms as having regained their position as a social hub. Multivariate statistical analysis of health and well-being measure scores provided by two hundred and sixteen care farm participants identified statistically significant positive relationships (p<.001) between the amount of time that people had been attending care farms and subjective happiness, satisfaction with life and more generic mental well-being. Analysis of qualitative data suggested that service users often received support initially from the animals, plants and wider natural environment, but that people and associated social interactions were increasingly enjoyed and influential as time progressed. An assessment of the overall impact associated with an individual care farm was provided through the application of Social Return on Investment. This took account of all elements of associated change and assigned justified financial proxies so that overall value could be conceptualised. The analysis suggested that, for every £1 that was invested, there was a return that exceeded £3.50. Value was presented as having emanated from the natural, social, learning and physical elements of the care farm space, but consequential positive outcomes were also demonstrated to impact outside this space. This study found care farming to be a cost effective vehicle for enabling the improved health and well-being of both individuals and wider society. Associated dividends are apparent and it is hoped that this will help policy makers and service commissioners to recognise and understand the value that care farms provide.

This thesis introduces two concomitant psychological perspectives, Regulatory Focus Theory and Regulatory Fit Theory to research in the field of audit judgment and decision making (JDM). The purpose of this thesis is to explore the applicability of the two theories in audit JDM research and to generate preliminary empirical results concerning their plausible implications. Regulatory Focus Theory (Higgins, 1997) provides a fundamental model of human cognition, emotion, and behaviour, as composed of two distinct self-regulation systems: promotion focus (concerned with nurturance needs) versus prevention focus (concerned with security needs). The developing theory has provided many remarkable insights into cognition and decision-making generally. It is proposed in this thesis that Regulatory Focus Theory has important implications for audit JDM, and that it may enrich the account of difference in audit judgment and cognition among auditors provided by prior research. Employing an audit task setting that involved judgment concerning investigation boundaries, this thesis reports evidence for the distinct effects of promotion focus versus prevention focus on cognition of temporal aspects of accounting information and on information processing styles in audit judgment. Participants represent a mix of accounting undergraduates, MBA students, and accounting practitioners. Compared with promotion- focused individuals, prevention-focused individuals over-discount the significance of accounting information distant in the past (five-years ago), while under-discount proximal (two-years ago) information. When information is processed procedurally rather than intuitively, differences in judgments among subjects with promotion versus prevention focus is significantly reduced. Higgins‘ later work looks at how strategic means serve one‘s regulatory focus dispositions and finds that certain strategic means or behaviours may better sustains or fit one‘s motivational state than others (Cesario, Higgins, and Scholer, 2008). The concept of regulatory fit has been applied by researchers in the field of consumer behaviour to study the effect of regulatory fit on the persuasiveness of advocacy messages (e.g., Avent and Higgins, 2006). This thesis proposes that the persuasion effect of regulatory fit can be applied to audit JDM and in particular to the persuasion aspects of the audit review process, and provides new evidence in support of the proposal. The persuasion effect of regulatory fit is examined in a scenario constructed to be analogous to audit. Accounting undergraduates assume a role as independent party to advice the committee of a student drama club on planning of activities for the current year based on review of accounting information in relation to revenue generation of the club. Experimental results reported in this thesis show the relevance of regulatory fit / misfit in audit judgment. Across three settings of regulatory fit induction: The experiments manipulated various sources of regulatory fit – fit from framings of messages received; fit from strategic means applied within the task; and finally fit from prior performance in a separate task. The thesis has demonstrated methods by which regulatory fit can be created from various sources in audit contexts and offered findings suggesting factors affecting audit judgment not yet covered in extant research, e.g., order of audit tasks and the strategic manner of audit tasks (eager versus vigilant).

Patterns have been identified in the careers literature that suggest there has been a change from traditional to contemporary careers over time (Sullivan & Baruch, 2009). More recent research has seen definitions of career success being shaped to acknowledge the variety of career paths that now exist. Recent definitions therefore, often refer to the achievement of desirable work-related outcomes at any point in an individual’s work experiences over time (Arthur, Khapova & Wilderom, 2005), as opposed to achievements that are associated with the end of an individual’s career. However, it is argued that occupational context continues to play an important role in defining careers and subsequent career success. Despite this, literature on gender and careers continues to advocate key differences in the success of males and females, regardless of occupational context. Predictors of male career success include objective indicators such as salary, promotions and hierarchical position; whereas subjective criteria, such as helping others and maintaining a work-life balance are thought to be more important to females (McDonald, Brown & Bradley, 2005; Ng et al, 2005). In contrast, many studies have focused on gender-segregated occupations and indicate that women experience discrimination and disadvantage in relation to success in male-dominated environments (Dann, 1995; Demaiter & Adams, 2009). However, despite a small body of research that documents mixed experiences of males in female-dominated occupations, career success of males in this context is yet to be explored. This thesis therefore aimed to address the gap in the current knowledge by conducting an in-depth exploration of male definitions of career success in one professional and one non-professional female-dominated occupation. A qualitative methodology was adopted in response to calls from the career success literature to utilise this approach to uncover personal meanings of success. First, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of male primary school teachers (n=15) and university administrators (n=19) to explore personal definitions of success, motivations for entry and experience of working in a female- xi dominated environment. Findings suggest that male definitions of success related to complex themes of personal, professional, social and life success, in contrast to objective and subjective categories in the existing literature. It was apparent that success was considered to be a fluid concept that could be achieved on a continuous basis in line with occupational and organisational influence. The second phase of the case study evaluated career interventions available to males in primary schools and universities in relation to personal definitions of success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an opportunity sample of representatives from male’s employing organisations, including n=4 members of Senior Leadership Teams from primary schools and n=9 managers and personnel staff from universities. Themes that emerged suggested individual and organisational definitions of career success were conflicting at times. Specifically, career interventions did not always complement the achievement of success. Rather, males referred to the benefits of informal organisational mechanisms to support their achievement of success, such as communication, socialising and information sharing, which organisations did not appear to be aware of. Overall, the case study provides a critique of the literature on generic predictors of male success by reconceptualising definitions to include themes of personal, professional, social and life success. Implications of the key findings are discussed and avenues for future research and applications to practice are considered.

Children and older adults are overrepresented in pedestrian accidents (Department for Transport, 2010a, 2010b). Gaze behaviour is cited as a contributing factor in the majority of such accidents (Department for Transport, 2010a, 2010b); however, remarkably little is known about how children, adults and older adults control their gaze during either real or simulated road-crossing tasks. Because evidence suggests that behaviour in the laboratory may not accurately reflect that in more realistic situations (Dicks et al., 2010; ‘t Hart et al., 2009), this thesis used a real-world, active road-crossing task to compare, for the first time, how pedestrians across the lifespan direct their gaze during real road crossing. A total of 70 participants took part in the studies: 42 children (mean age 8.6 yrs, SD = 0.4); 14 young adults (mean age 24.1 yrs, SD = 4.5) and 14 older adults (mean age 70.7 yrs, SD = 4.1). In the first experiment, participants were escorted on a short walk while wearing a mobile eye tracker and asked to cross the roads along the way when they felt it was safe to do so. Gaze behaviour during the last 3 seconds before crossing the road at a signalised crossing was analysed. Both children and older adults directed their gaze significantly less often to traffic-relevant features (such as the road and vehicles) than young adults. However, their gaze patterns were very different. Older adults looked more at the ground ahead of them, which most likely reflects a functional adaptation to reduce the risk of tripping and falling as falls represent a serious risk in this population (Jensen, 1999). Children fixated traffic-irrelevant features more, which may indicate poorer attentional control or insufficient practice or experience. A serendipitous finding from this study was that the presence of a distractor (ice cream) acted to further draw attention away from the direction of oncoming vehicles in the sample of children. Based on these findings, a subsequent aim of the thesis was to explore whether two road-crossing training interventions (Crossroads and Safety Watch) would improve the amount of time children fixated traffic-relevant features of the environment: neither programme was found to have a significant impact on gaze behaviour compared to the control condition (no intervention). Another aim of the thesis that followed from the results of the first experiment was to further examine the attentional control of gaze behaviour in children. Two simulated road-crossings were purposely developed in the laboratory, allowing more controlled investigation of gaze behaviour at (simulated) signalised and unsignalised crossings, with and without a non-spatial secondary task (counting in threes). It was found that the addition of this secondary task affected children's gaze behaviour in one of the simulation types but not the other. This demonstrated that cognitive processes are context dependent and not invariant across conditions. In light of the growing concern raised with respect to the use of artificial laboratory settings and tasks, the final aim of this thesis was to compare gaze behaviour of children under three display conditions: monitor simulation, projector simulation, and real-world; the results suggested that behaviour in the laboratory did not correspond with real-world behaviour. In real road-crossing situations, children looked significantly more often at the ground ahead of them (walkway) and at lights and signs than when performing in the “monitor” or “projector” simulations. These findings further emphasise the context-dependence of cognition and behaviour. This thesis contributes to the argument that a real-world setting provides rich and meaningful data and that, although the laboratory setting has certain methodological advantages, transfer of laboratory findings to the real-world context cannot be assumed. Similarly, road-crossing skills trained in a simulated setting (on a computer) do not appear to transfer to the real-world context. This thesis therefore advocates a real-world approach to the research and training of behaviour and underlying cognitive processes.

Adolescent well-being is a national concern and government priority. It is increasingly recognised that schools have an important role to play in contributing to building resiliency. Indeed, the revised Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice in the UK, has recently introduced the term ‘social emotional and mental health’ (SEMH) as a category of need which formalises school involvement in this area. As such, the present study, which provides an extended understanding of the way in which staff with a key role in SEMH in secondary school organisations engage in thinking and talking about the issue, is both timely and pertinent. This study sought to develop a conceptual understanding grounded in data for this purpose and to inform external agency involvement. The research was exploratory and employed a flexible design through a grounded theory methodology with ethnographic components. Individual interviews were conducted with members of staff holding key roles linked to SEMH across four secondary school organisations and ethnographic data was gathered from varied sources to understand cultural meanings. Analysis was carried out in line with grounded theory approaches and in consideration of levels of organisational culture. The research process and findings from the present study led to the development of the conceptual "Model of Integrated Role Identity for Capacity Building". This model, encompassing this study's two emergent conceptual categories of ‘integrating personal-professional identity for SEMH’ and ‘navigating supported agency for organisational growth’, offers an understanding of the social processes involved in secondary school organisations in relation to SEMH. The proposed model based on this understanding may guide school leadership, organisational development and external agency support in the future. Indicated implications for practice include support for staff, organisational capacity building, and inclusion policy and guidance. Implications are considered with reference to Educational Psychology Service involvement in particular.

This exploratory, psychosocial study looks at what it means to be ‘school ready’ to the parents of children eligible for Pupil Premium funding, in a mainstream inner London primary school. Existing research exploring the topic of school readiness and transition to primary school remains predominantly in international territories. Furthermore, there is paucity of rich, qualitative accounts of parental views and experiences, despite the vital role parents play in supporting their child's education. A psychoanalytically informed approach, Free Association Narrative Interviewing (FANI), was used to interview three participants twice. The interview data was analysed using Thematic Analysis. The five themes identified are discussed in relation to existing research and psychological theory. The implications for the Educational Psychology profession, as well as for schools and other professionals, have been explored. Limitations of the current study, and thoughts about future research are considered.

Low-intensity parenting programmes play a key role in a public health approach to parenting support and are designed to be a cost-effective intervention for child conduct problems. Several studies that have evaluated a single topic-specific Triple P–Positive Parenting Program Discussion Group, an example of a low-intensity parenting programme, have found promising results for improving child and parent outcomes among parents with young children. This thesis aimed to examine ways to enhance the intervention outcomes of low-intensity topic-specific parenting groups for parents with young children. In study one, the effects of generalisation promotion strategies, such as teaching multiple exemplars, were examined. As a single training exemplar may not be sufficient for parents to effectively generalise parenting skills, multiple exemplars may assist parents to flexibly apply skills across a range of behaviours and settings leading to greater change in child behaviour, parenting practices, and parenting self-efficacy. This study also sought to extend the literature by examining the effects of low-intensity parenting groups with parents of primary school aged children using topics relevant to this development phase and investigating outcomes for mothers and fathers separately. A two arm randomised control trial design was used to compare the two conditions (single exemplar vs. multiple exemplar). Participants were 75 mothers and 58 fathers with a 5-8 year old child displaying at least a mild level of conduct problems. They represented 78 families: 66 two-parent families and 12 single parent families. Among two-parent families, there were 55 mother-father pairs, nine mothers who participated alone, and two fathers who participated alone. The majority of the single parent families were mothers (n = 11). Self-report measures of child behaviour, parenting practices, parenting self-efficacy, parent’s perceptions of their parenting role experience, parental mental health, inter-parental conflict, partner support, and partner relationship satisfaction were completed by parents at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up. Satisfaction with each intervention condition and the individual sessions was also examined. Low-intensity topic-specific parenting groups led to improvements on a range of child and parent outcomes for both mothers and fathers of primary school aged children. Receiving multiple exemplars resulted in more robust change in mother- and father-rated child behaviour, mothers’ parenting practices, and mothers’ behavioural parenting self-efficacy at post-intervention. For mothers in the multiple exemplar condition, superior improvements in child behaviour, parenting practices, and behavioural parenting self-efficacy were maintained at 6-month follow-up. Greater improvements in mothers’ setting parenting self-efficacy, mental health, and perceptions of partner support were also found at 6-month follow-up among the multiple exemplar condition. The second study in this thesis added to the literature on low-intensity parenting programmes by exploring whether addressing parental mental health, in addition to parenting, was beneficial for parents with young children. As poor parental mental health is linked with child conduct problems, negative parenting practices, and can negatively impact the effects of parenting programmes for families, simultaneously addressing parental mental health when delivering low-intensity parenting programmes may be advantageous. A mixed-method quasi-experimental evaluation of a combined low-intensity parenting and mental health programme was conducted. Thirteen families with a 3-8 year old child took part in the study. Self-report symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress and ineffective parenting practices were obtained at pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Parents also completed self-report measures of child behaviour, parenting self-efficacy, parent’s perceptions of their parenting role experience, family relationships, and positive mental health at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Post-intervention semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 parents and explored parents’ experiences of taking part in the programme, their perceived impact of the programme, and their implementation of strategies. The combined intervention produced promising changes in parenting practices and parental mental health. Parents perceived some positive impacts after attending the programme and generally the combined programme was acceptable to participating parents. Collectively, the findings from the two studies suggest that low-intensity topic-specific group parenting programmes have positive effects for young children and parents. Delivering multiple exemplars leads to added benefits and addressing parental mental health simultaneously has positive effects for families.

Heart failure patients who visit the Emergency Department often because of chronic nature of their illness require a specific plan of care. Successful engagement requires that nurses identify and act on factors to facilitate transition across the care continuum. This study was undertaken to examine the relationship of three major quality care indicators: social support, perception of nurse caring, and patient satisfaction among patients with heart failure admitted to the emergency department. The study further explored the association of these indicators with demographic and illness variables of the study participants.

The Quality Caring nursing framework was used as the theoretical framework for the study. A total of 115 adult participants, 71 males and 44 females who were admitted in the emergency department of two public hospitals in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States were recruited. Data were collected using a survey package consisting of four instruments: the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey measuring perceived social support, the Caring Assessment Tool (CAT) measuring nurse caring, and the Consumer Emergency Care Satisfaction Scale (CESS) measuring satisfaction with care in the emergency department.

Although the major study hypotheses that high levels of social support would be associated with caring and with patient satisfaction were not supported, there were significant associations found between aspects of social support, caring measure and the demographic and illness measures such as marital status and the number the number of household members. Also, those who were employed perceived more social support than those who were unemployed and those who were retired had a significantly higher perception of caring.

These findings challenge nurse clinicians, educators, and administrators to further investigate the roles of social support, caring and patient satisfaction in multiple aspects of chronic illness.