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The Experiences of Homeless Youth When Using Strengths Profiling to Identify Their Character Strengths
Get PDFIndividuals, particularly those considered “hard-to-reach,” often engage well with
assessment tools that involve active dialogue and the co-construction of knowledge.
Strengths profiling is one such tool that enables a person-centered and autonomy
supportive approach to the identification of character strengths. Strength profiling is
an adaptation of performance profiling used in sport psychology, which has not yet
been utilized in broader psychological research or clinical practice. Supporting an
individual by raising awareness of their personal character strengths is an effective and
growing mechanism for promoting psychological well-being. Strengths profiling involves
several stages of exploring, defining, and assessing character strengths, leading to
the identification of signature strengths and goals for future development. Informed by
personal construct theory, the present study explored the experiences of homeless
young people living in sheltered accommodation (N = 116), when using strengths
profiling at the start and end of a 10-week, strengths-based intervention. Mixed-method
data was obtained from the strengths profiles, questionnaires measuring resilience, selfworth,
and well-being, and diary entries. Findings revealed a rich array of character
strength terminology and individual meanings. Participants found strengths profiling
to be highly engaging, particularly due to their active role in strength identification,
which prompted interesting and meaningful reflections on character strengths that were
pertinent to them. Participants felt their signature strengths were vital protective factors
within their lives and strengths profiles were correlated with resilience, self-worth, and
well-being. Character strengths and resilience were also significantly and meaningfully
improved pre/post-intervention, providing support for the use of strengths profiling as
a tool for monitoring change in character strength perceptions. Overall, this study
demonstrates the utility and versatility of strengths profiling as a new method in the
discipline of positive psychology and strengths-based research and applied practice
The effects of a single night of complete and partial sleep deprivation on physical and cognitive performance: a Bayesian Analysis
Get PDFThis study investigated the effects of complete and partial sleep deprivation on multiple aspects of athletic performance.
Ten males completed a cognitive function test, maximal handgrip strength, countermovement jump (CMJ) and a 15 min all out cycling test to assess aerobic performance. These tests were performed following 3 different sleep conditions; normal sleep (CON), a 4 hr sleep opportunity (PART) and complete sleep deprivation (DEP). Data were analysed using a Bayesian multi-level regression model to provide probabilities of impairment (p=%).
Aerobic performance, CMJ and handgrip strength were impaired by 11.4% (p=100%), 10.9% (p=100%) and 6% (p=97%) following DEP, while aerobic performance and CMJ were highly likely impaired by 4.1% (p=90%) and 5.2% (p=94%) following PART. Cognitive reaction time was not impacted by PART or DEP. In contrast the accuracy of responses was highly likely impaired by 2% (91) following DEP, while there was less certainty of impaired accuracy following PART (-1%, p=73).
Multiple aspects of physical and cognitive performance were impacted by sleep deprivation. The greatest detrimental effects were seen for aerobic performance and CMJ. Partial sleep deprivation equating to 4 hrs of sleep causes subtle, but potentially important negative impairments on athletic performance
White Heterosexual Men, Athletic Bodies, and the Pleasure of Unruly Racialization
Get PDFIn recent times, the semi-naked male athletic body has become central to the cultural imagination of late modern societies, in turn, inviting comment from social scientists of different shades on the changing gazes of heterosexual men. Interestingly, and despite frequently appearing in sport and leisure media, the racialized aspects of this change are yet to be explored fully. This article, therefore, considers how white heterosexual men (de)construct and (re)attach gendered and sexualized meanings to those male athletic bodies they struggle to define “racially.” Borrowing Gilroy’s use of the term “unruly,” which he employs to capture those moments of multiculture that are hard to “home” culturally or geographically, I refer to this struggle as a process of unruly racialization. After analyzing interviews with twentytwo self-identifying white, British, heterosexual men, this article argues that male bodies racialized as unruly are marked with varying degrees of intrigue, jealously, admiration, and fear. I conclude by reflecting on the extent to which this cultural shift can be read as a move toward a future beyond “race.
Creativity as a pastoral concern
Get PDFIn this paper the author considers the contribution of creativity to pastoral care in education. Since its advent in English schools in the early 1970s, pastoral care has placed the affective realm and individual enrichment centre stage in both its curriculum aims and teaching approaches. These principles have, however, had much to contend with over the past fifty years; from the obtrusive effects of state intervention in schools, to the challenges confronting young people growing up in increasingly complex societies. For many teachers and practitioners engaging young people in creative pursuits has come to be regarded as a necessary counterpoint to increasingly performative school cultures and an essential means to enabling vibrant forms of positive self-expression. The power of creative activities has received new impetus as a pastoral concern in light of two national trends. The first as creative arts provision in the curriculum in English state secondary schools declines as a consequence of Government qualification reforms, and second as an increasing number of young people are referred to Alternative Educational Provision with mental health issues. As a consequence, many pastoral educators have turned or, indeed, returned to creativity and creative practices as a primary means of supporting and enriching the lives of young people, particularly for those who now struggle in contemporary school environments. In light of these developments and drawing on research and practice in the field of creativity and pastoral care this paper aims to cast further light on creativity in pastoral education
Media reports of abuse in adult residential care: implications for staff and practice
Get PDFThere is often a focus on the negative aspects of residential care for older people. In the United Kingdom, there has been increasing media attention on abuse in these and other care settings and this has impacted upon public perceptions and subsequent government policy. Consequently, care staff are ‘tarred with the same brush’, yet narratives of their views have rarely been investigated. This undergraduate, qualitative, single case study aimed to investigate the views of staff and explore the implications for them and their practice. The views of 15 participants in a residential care home were obtained through interviews and a focus group. Although the findings reveal sensitivities to the negative portrayal of care roles, they also reveal positive responses through a willingness to change practice, a strengthening of care values and a reduction in risks. This study will be of interest to those multi-disciplinary residential teams who care for older people as it uncovers a striking sense of guardianship amongst residential care staff, and a willingness to reflect on, and change, practice. The study endorses the value of small practitioner-led research as an illustration of how a residential care team consisting of managers and staff can strengthen its resolve against adverse media coverage and negative public perceptions. This study suggests that this will have positive implications for the health and safety of older people living in residential settings
Uneasy bedfellows? Fusing participatory and psychosocial principles in research with youth workers and young people
Get PDFThis paper charts an attempt to fuse two arguably incompatible formulations of social research; one rooted in a commitment to democratic, participatory practice and the other rooted in a psychosocial epistemological frame. After setting out the broad precepts of the two methodological approaches, the paper explores some theoretical and practical tensions that surfaced during a doctoral criminological study examining the desistance promoting potential of relationships between male youth workers and young men involved in violence. I show how the professional context in which the study was conducted (youth work) afforded the opportunity to work with participants whilst also retaining a psychosocial epistemological and analytic frame. The paper concludes that whilst the two approaches are likely to remain ‘uneasy bed-fellows’, more researchers in the youth work field might consider adopting a psychosocial standpoint as a means of keeping in sight both the psychic and social forces imbricated in young people’s lives and within their relationships with youth professionals
Carers’ experiences of dementia support groups: A qualitative exploration
Get PDFDementia rates are growing (WHO, 2017) and as dementia is associated with a loss of independence, carers are required. Caring for a dementia patient places great demands on the carer’s resources (WHO, 2017). Previous research has indicated that whilst carers are at increased risk of poor mental and physical health (Diener & Chan, 2011; Mahoney et al., 2005; Mausbach et al., 2007) there are some effective protective measures against these increased risks (Cooper et al., 2012; Elvish et al., 2013; Kaufman et al., 2010). Aims: This study aimed to evaluate a dementia support group, in relation to protective measures including social and emotional support, in a real-life rural setting from a carers’ perspective. Method: Fourteen informal carers of dementia patients were interviewed about their experiences of attending dementia support groups. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and subject to thematic analysis. Findings: The analysis showed that attendance to the support group was associated with subjective well-being, and that social support provided by the group was both stimulating and supportive for the carers. Participants valued the opportunity to share their experiences of being a carer with fellow group members and finding out about resources. Frequently, participants reported that that the time period surrounding their loved one receiving a diagnosis of dementia was traumatic and they needed time to adjust to their new circumstances before attending a support group. Conclusions: Implications for wider employment of support groups as a format of support for carers are discussed
A personal construct approach to employability: Comparing stakeholders’ implicit theories
Get PDFPurpose: This research adopts the perspective of Personal Construct Theory (PCT) to conceptualise employability. The study explores differences in the implicit employability theories of those involved in developing employability (educators) and those selecting and recruiting HE students and graduates (employers).
Design/methodology/approach: A repertory grid technique (RGT) was employed to uncover the implicit theories of 22 employers and 14 educators across the UK.
Findings: A total of 717 constructs were elicited. A differential analysis of data gathered demonstrated several areas of consensus among employers and educators (including; emotional management, confidence, professionalism), as well as divergence in representations of commitment, proactivity, interpersonal competencies, and vision to the conceptualisation of employability.
Practical implications: Findings from this analysis indicate a need to integrate group process assessments within undergraduate programmes and recruitment procedures.
Originality/value: This study represents a personal construct approach to employability, utilising the unique value of RGT to further inform our understanding of employability within a HE context. This study contributes to an understanding of employability as a continually re-constructed concept. Providing insights to its nature via two information rich cases that have extensive knowledge on the topic
Walking cadence required to elicit criterion moderate-intensity physical activity is moderated by fitness status
Get PDFThe aims of this study were to estimate the walking cadence required to elicit a VO2reserve (VO2R) of 40 % and determine if fitness status moderates the relationship between walking cadence and %VO2R. Twenty participants (10 male, mean(s) age 32(10) years; VO2max 45(10) mL.kg-1.min-1) completed resting and maximal oxygen consumption tests prior to 7 x 5-min bouts of treadmill walking at increasing speed while wearing an Apple Watch and measuring oxygen consumption continuously. The 7 x 5-min exercise bouts were performed at speeds between 3 and 6 km.h-1 with 5-min seated rest following each bout. Walking cadence measured at each treadmill speed was recorded using the Apple Watch ‘Activity’ app. Using Bayesian regression, we predict that participants need a walking cadence of 138 to 140 steps.min-1 to achieve a VO2R of 40 %. However, these values are moderated by fitness status such that those with lower fitness can achieve 40 % VO2R at a slower walking cadence. The results suggest that those with moderate fitness need to walk at ~40 % higher than the currently recommended walking cadence (100 steps.min-1) to elicit moderate-intensity physical activity. However, walking cadence required to achieve moderate-intensity physical activity is moderated by fitness status
‘Down with the kids’? Examining the male youth worker as role model and mentor to young men involved in violence
Get PDFIn our book ‘Responding to Youth Violence through Youth Work’ (2016) Mike Seal and I argued that ‘home grown’ youth workers could occupy a prime position in terms of their ability to understand and prevent youth violence. This article sets out to further scrutinise that claim, by focusing specifically on one aspect of the youth work offer to the field of violence prevention: male youth workers who may have their own experience of violent offending and who are perceived as ‘down with the kids’ (i.e. with reserves of street social capital) being offered as potential role models or mentors for young men involved in violence (see for example Taylor, 2007). I want to suggest that the nature and function of relationships between such workers and young men has perhaps been talked about too loosely, both within and outside the profession. My intention is to tighten up that loose talk and interrogate the rhetorical tropes surrounding these kind of youth work relationships on several fronts