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Compassion-Focused Group Therapy for Treatment-Resistant OCD: Initial Evaluation Using a Multiple Baseline Design
No full textObsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health disorder that can easily become a treatment-resistant condition. Although effective therapies exist, only about half of the patients seem to benefit from them when we consider treatment refusal, dropout rates, and residual symptoms. Thus, providing effective augmentation to standard therapies could improve existing treatments. Group compassion-focused interventions have shown promise for reducing depression, anxiety, and avoidance related to various clinical problems, but this approach has never been evaluated for OCD individuals. However, cultivating compassion for self and others seems crucial for OCD patients, given the accumulating research suggesting that fear of guilt, along with isolation and self-criticism, can strongly contribute to the development and maintenance of OCD. The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the acceptability, tolerability, and effectiveness of an 8-week group compassion-focused intervention for reducing OCD symptoms, depression, fear of guilt and self-criticism, and increasing common humanity and compassionate self-reassuring skills in treatment-resistant OCD patients. Using a multiple baseline experimental design, the intervention was evaluated in a sample of OCD patients (N = 8) who had completed at least 6 months of CBT treatment for OCD, but who continued to suffer from significant symptoms. Participants were randomized to different baseline assessment lengths; they then received 8 weekly, 120-min group sessions of compassion-focused therapy for OCD (CFT-OCD), and then were tested again at post-treatment and at 1 month follow up. Despite the adverse external circumstances (post-treatment and follow-up data collection were carried out, respectively, at the beginning and in the middle of the Italian lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic), by the end of treatment, all participants demonstrated reliable decreases in OCD symptoms, and these improvements were maintained at 4-week follow-up for seven of eight participants. The intervention was also associated with improvements in fear of guilt, self-criticism, and self-reassurance, but less consistent improvements in depression and common humanity. Participants reported high levels of acceptability of and satisfaction with the intervention. Results suggest that the intervention may be beneficial as either a stand-alone treatment or as an augmentation to other treatments
Privacy, Technology and Public Health: an Ethical Reflection with a Particular Focus on the Covid-19 Crisis Case
No full textThesis (B.A. in Humanistic Studies, Minor in Psychology)--John Cabot University, Spring 2021.This thesis will primarily investigate the ethics of developing technology as a tool for aiding public safety and public health. Since recent technological advances have become more and more pervasive, people’s personal data is consequently monitored through technologies such as social media, tracking apps, and cameras. Therefore, this has given rise to worries about privacy and, in particular, worries about people’s control over their personal information. In my project, I examine some ethical considerations regarding the use of technology to monitor people’s private lives, in order to contain health disasters such as a pandemic. More specifically, I focus on the Immuni app currently being used in Italy with the aim of containing the spread of Covid-19. I explore considerations that can help us find an equilibrium between personal privacy and the good of public health. I also focus on the obligatoriness-voluntariness dichotomy that may arise when it comes to downloading tracking apps. In this project, I assume the consequentialist moral theory utilitarianism, and conduct my investigation from that perspective
An Evaluation of the Sustainability of the Olympic Games
No full textThe Olympic Games claim to be exemplars of sustainability, aiming to inspire sustainable futures around the world. Yet no systematic evaluation of their sustainability exists. We develop and apply a model with nine indicators to evaluate the sustainability of the 16 editions of the Summer and Winter Olympic Games between 1992 and 2020, representing a total cost of more than US$70 billion. Our model shows that the overall sustainability of the Olympic Games is medium and that it has declined over time. Salt Lake City 2002 was the most sustainable Olympic Games in this period, whereas Sochi 2014 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 were the least sustainable. No Olympics, however, score in the top category of our model. Three actions should make Olympic hosting more sustainable: first, greatly reducing the size of the event; second, rotating the Olympics among the same cities; third, enforcing independent sustainability standards
Diversity in Boardrooms and Firm Performance: The Role of Tenure and Educational Level of Board Members
No full textDiversity on corporate boards has been studied from different perspectives in recent decades. The present study aims at investigating the impact on firm performance of two demographic diversity traits in boardrooms: tenure and educational diversity. The extant literature does not provide aligned findings on this topic, thus further research is still needed. The authors hypothesize that both tenure and educational diversity of board members have a positive effect on firm performance. To measure firm performance two dependent variables are used, applying two models for each hypothesis investigated Tobin’s Q and return on assets. The study is conducted using sample data of 187 listed firms within the European area, covering a 9-year period, from 2010 to 2018. Diversity dimensions are measured through indexes constructed on the basis of the mix among the directors in terms of educational level and tenure. The outcomes highlight a significant and positive relationship between tenure diversity on corporate boards and firm performance. In terms of the impact of educational diversity, no evidence indicating a positive effect on firm performance is found. The research carried out is unique because it considers two personal attributes of diversity calculating diversity indexes and measuring their impact on the firm’s performance. The econometric approach used has not been extensively applied in previous research. In fact, the majority of previous empirical studies have measured diversity through percentages or dummy variables, depending on the type of diversity aspect being analyzed, and then used it as the independent variable
The Model for Prosumer and Historian Coproduction: Case Studies from Chinese History and Tales
No full textThesis (B.A. in History)--John Cabot University, Spring 2021.Many different models, approaches, styles, and concepts have been created throughout the human study of history and each has caused an evolution of understanding within the discipline. Each of these tools are built with a purpose in mind so that they can advance our understanding of the past, while those that failed to stand the test of time have at least had their remnants act as fertilizer for new ideas. With the modern ideas of the prosumer rising in the discipline of higher education as someone who is at the same time the consumer and producer of an intellectual product such as historical romances in the vein of Ivanhoe or in more extreme cases shows like Fate/Apocrypha so should the concepts that are used in academia evolve. Based heavily on Bentley’s Companion to Historiography evaluation of four styles of understanding the history of China and the voyages of Zheng He during the Ming Dynasty, a new approach to historians’ products will be built. Using the dynastic cycle variant of periodization and cultural studies will test and examine to find the minimum requirements of a new prosumer assistive approach to producing historical works
The Precious Evangeliary Book Covers of Archbishop Alfanus of Capua: A Material Biography
No full textMaster of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Fall 2021.The Norman kings of Sicily were wealthy and powerful rulers who shaped a culturally diverse identity transmitted visually through luxurious palaces and splendid objects. The practice of gift-giving and the Palermo royal workshop have produced luxury artifacts that attest to this opulent time. This thesis will investigate the materiality of the Cover of the Evangeliary of Bishop Alfanus of Capua, where they were made and the modifications they have been subjected to over centuries. Furthermore, central to this research is exploring why and how they came to be in Capua from Palermo through the historical narrative. A formal analysis will allow a comprehensive look at the iconography of these precious gold and bejeweled Gospel covers as well as the unique goldwork and enamels. The Palermo palace workshops will be discovered through the lens of medieval texts and primary Siculo-Norman source-objects that illuminate a rich dynamic court. Dated from 1173 – 1182 their enduring life and modifications are rediscovered through direct observation, archival photographs and deep historiographic connections that bring to light new evidence in their material history. Lastly, several hypotheses that examine the commissioning of the luxury Gospel and their arrival in Capua will be exposed through traditions of gifting by both kings and bishops. The objective throughout is to paint a complete picture of the Capua Gospel covers from conception to their current condition. While many questions are left unanswered surrounding this precious Siculo-Norman object what is clear in the end is that it represents a medieval multicultural Sicily
Second Wave Feminism and Political Change: A Comparative Study of Feminist Movement Outcomes in Three Countries
No full textThesis (B.A. in Political Science)--John Cabot University, Spring 2021.This thesis explores the extent to which the feminist movement altered gender policies in the US,Norway, and Italy in the 1970s and 1980s. The starting hypothesis was that the feministmovement exerted a strong influence on gender policies, especially concerning abortion andreproductive rights, the gender wage gap, and family leave. The primary method was acomparative analysis of scholarly research and qualitative data, supplemented with anethnographic approach which gathered contextual, empirical knowledge about the socialconditions and behaviors of people who had first-hand experience with the subject matter. Theprimary investigator conducted one-on-one interviews with four professors and two experts ofthe Italian feminist movement, interviewing two people from each of the countries considered forthe research. The outcome of this research shows that Norway is indeed a particular casecompared to Italy and the United States; and, while Italy has developed a progressive set ofpolicies regarding abortion and parental leave, the US tells a different story, with very poorgender policies. Ultimately, this research concludes that feminist movements are the reason whyconversations about abortion, parental leave, and the gender wage gap began in the first place inthese three countries
Political Islam’s influence on dictatorships in Egypt & Tunisia after the Arab Spring
No full textThesis (B.A. in Political Science, Minor in History)--John Cabot University, Fall 2021.This dissertation examines political Islam’s influence on dictatorships in Egypt & Tunisia after the Arab Spring through studying the Islamist political parties involved. By examining their historical backgrounds, the process of the Arab Spring, their time in power, and the aftermath, I clarify that Islam is compatible with democracy under certain circumstances that were evident in Tunisia but not in Egypt. The period studied includes the Arab Spring and the ten years afterwards. I use two primary methods of investigation: a quantitive analysis of each country and two case studies on the Islamist political parties. Data has been collected from archives, published reports, and newspapers. This thesis challenges the argument that Islam is not compatible with democracy. My thesis will focus on the Islamist political parties, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Enhada party in Tunisia. This thesis will show the rise and fall of the groups as political forces in the region, the effects of the parties on the national political landscape in each country, and the democratization process. I will consider questions such as: Are the values of the Islamist political parties compatible with Islam? Were the Islamist political parties willing to secularize the country? Finally, I will look at the cultural atmosphere produced and whether it helped produce democratization or hindered the process
Torlonia Marbles. Collecting Masterpieces Dialectics of an Exhibition
No full textMaster of Arts in Art History -- John Cabot University, Spring 2021.This thesis chronicles the logic and layout of Torlonia Marbles. Collecting Masterpieces exhibition, curated by Dr Salvatore Settis and Dr Carlo Gasparri, and mounted at the Capitoline Museums, in 2020. The exhibition presents a long-awaited view of the highpoints in Roman sculpture, as collected by one of the great princely families of caput mundi. It is the result of decades of research. Its popular appeal, yet rigorous scholarly methods are presented with utmost subtlety, and complex visual and expository techniques. The exhibition’s resolution of distinct, and often contradictory, concerns lies in the precise use of historical curatorial methods. These methods, recast under an ahistorical tendency, are used pragmatically to construct visual statements dealing with restoration, collection practices, taste and meaning of classics. The exhibition is an emblematic example of curatorial practice of the twenty-first century and offers a practical and historical guide to construction of taste in relation to antiquities. To understand the language of the exhibition, syntactical, historical and semantic formulations are put under investigation. In that regard, this paper takes the Torlonia Exhibition as a case study and investigates the dialectic and linguistic foundations of curatorial practice, taking a look at our contemporary situation
Romance in Little Women and The Handmaid’s Tale: An Investigation of Alcott and Atwood’s Subversive Use of the Romance Plot
No full textThesis (B.A. in English Literature)--John Cabot University, Spring 2021.This thesis investigates the subversive potential of the romance plot by critically comparing both the domestic coming-of-age novel Little Women with the dystopic novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Though pertaining to very different genres, Alcott and Atwood’s heroines are made to deal simultaneously with their respective love interests and their main storyline. Both authors play with the romantic plot and idealized tropes to utilize its familiarity in their favor. For Jo, her marriage to the unconventional Professor Bhaer is more intellectually fulfilling, but ultimately is representative of the compromise that Alcott had to make to satisfy her publishers and readers alike. While for Offred, the addition of a romantic storyline undermines the novel’s critique of the patriarchy. In each case, Alcott and Atwood both use a familiar narrative plot precisely to disrupt normative narrative expectations. The heroines of Little Women and The Handmaid’s Tale are, in this way, not dissimilar to Trojan horses: outfitted by their authors as relatively unassuming women on the outside, yet ultimately disruptive to the status quo of the plot on the inside