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Philosophical inquiry with 5-7 year olds:‘my new thinking friends’
No full textThis paper reports on a small-scale qualitative study, using philosophical inquiry in Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 (5 – 7 year old children). The study involved a one hour per week session of philosophical inquiry in one primary school; ‘Philosophy Club’, with eight children taking part for six weeks. Data collected include researcher observations, children’s drawings, photographs, parent questionnaires and feedback from school staff, which are presented as a series of ‘scrapbook’ vignettes. Data analysis focused on themes from across the data, and in this paper these are reported with particular reference to children’s views on Philosophy Club as a space to think with their friends, and changing perceptions of club members over the six week period. Conclusions are drawn tentatively on the benefits of philosophical inquiry clubs for building community and friendship with younger children, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 and potential gaps in social experience in their early years
Wittgenstein's dichotomy and religious diversity
No full textSome philosophers of religion are attracted to Wittgenstein’s claim of approaching religion in a descriptive and non-revisionary manner because they desire greater plurality and diversity of religions in their study. However, Wittgenstein’s account of religious beliefs as never based on evidence (i.e., non-evidentialism) and rituals as never performed as a means to an end (i.e., non-instrumentalism) results in a prescriptive conception of religion that impedes the plurality and diversity of religions apt for study. Moreover, since he thinks scientific beliefs are evidential and scientific practices are instrumental, he effectively dichotomizes religion from science. After demonstrating this, we counter that: (i) many religious beliefs are based on evidence; (ii) many religious practices are means to an end;(iii) not every society that has a religion separates it from science; (iv) Wittgenstein's approach gaslights many religious believers
From attention to intention:shifting our prepositions and preconceptions about sport and flourishing in high-performance sport
No full textPurpose: This paper aims to conceptually reframe how sport and flourishing are mutually understood by shifting from a sole focus on attention (e.g., how does well-being ‘fit’ within sport contexts) to intention (e.g., what do sport contexts offer for human flourishing). Such discussions aim to centralize how sport psychology can serve as a ‘beacon of hope’ for communicating these ambitions within high-performance sport.Background: Sport is often seen as a microcosm of society, reflecting both its potentials and pitfalls. Across socioecological levels—from grassroots to elite—scholars have shown how sport can both support and undermine well-being. Yet, conceptual clarity pertaining to flourishing within sport, and what sport offers for flourishing remains underdeveloped. This paper proposes a dual conceptual model of sport and flourishing, bridging disciplinary insights from psychology, sociology, and philosophy to align sport contexts with broader flourishing scholarship.Methods: We conducted a narrative literature review with critical commentary. Drawing on a fractal view of flourishing (rather than a monolithic one), we critically examine the key challenges within the sport literature and explore properties connected to flourishing within sport (e.g., embeddedness, purview and scope of well-being, quality of the sport environment) and sport for flourishing (e.g., pertaining to individuals, communities, and for humanity).Conclusions: Understanding sport as both a container and conduit for human flourishing invites theoretical, methodological, and applied possibilities. We conclude the first talk of this symposium with a call for a more unified sport and flourishing community and scholarship
Introducing the emotions-affect systems elicitation (EASEL-3) index:a new tool for measuring affect regulation systems' activation
No full textObjective: Although emotions pervade and influence individual and interpersonal functioning and well-being, their nature and taxonomy remain a bone of contention. The ‘three-circle’ model, comprising three dynamically interacting affect regulation systems (i.e., threat, drive, and soothing), provides a useful framework for aggregating emotions and understanding emotion (dys)regulation while closely supporting therapeutic intervention. Imbalances in the activation and (inter)action of these affect regulation systems have been implicated in a wide range of physical and mental disorders; however, there are currently no tools for quantifying each system's activation. The aim of this study was to develop a novel index of the three affect regulation systems: threat, drive and soothing. Method: Three independent expert panels, composed of researchers in the ‘three-circle’ model, researchers in the field of affective science, and clinicians (N = 70), estimated the degree of activation of each affect regulation system induced by discrete emotions. Results: Overall, agreement among experts was high regarding the emotions that mapped primarily onto each affect regulation system and the degree of the corresponding activation. These results constitute the basis for the Emotions-Affect Systems ELicitation Index (EASEL-3) index, which provides a continuous score of the estimated activation of the three systems. Conclusion and Discussion: Although in need of field testing, the EASEL-3 index may prove valuable in research and clinical settings, opening new avenues on the measurement of the affect regulation systems, their correlates and associated outcomes, helping characterize and compare activation patterns across clinical populations and contexts, and informing the assessment and personalization of interventions.</p
The association of compassion and positive psychology among people who offend:a scoping review of the literature
No full textPurpose: Global recidivism rates remain high, with re-offending being a common issue. Traditional offender rehabilitation programmes often rely on the risk-need-responsivity model and cognitive behavioural therapy. However, the emergence of positive psychology and strengths-based approaches, such as the good lives model and desistance-based approaches, have started to challenge this dominant model, offering alternatives for reducing re-offending. Despite growing interest, the literature on positive psychology and compassion-based approaches in offender rehabilitation is still limited. This paper aims to explore the existing literature and assess its impact on offender populations. Design/methodology/approach: A scoping review was conducted, which initially identified 925 articles. After removing duplicates and applying eligibility criteria, 46 articles were included in the final analysis. Findings: Four key themes emerged: the effects of compassion and positive psychology on emotions and traits, the role of relationships and identity, the connection between compassion and desistance, and the protective role of strengths in personal growth and reducing offending. The review underscores the potential benefits of integrating compassion and positive psychology into offender rehabilitation. However, the existing research is sparse, and further studies, such as randomised controlled trials or longitudinal research, are necessary to establish the long-term effects of these interventions on recidivism. Incorporating these approaches could signal a paradigm shift towards a more holistic, human-centred approach to offender rehabilitation. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first review to explore both compassion and positive psychology-based interventions among people who offend.</p
‘Tangled up in red, white and blue’:securitization, the border, and North-South relations since partition
No full textHolistically healthy humans:championing mental and physical wellbeing in education
No full textHumans are at the heart of education and learning environments are active organisms. From an ecosystems perspective, each setting has unique dynamically interacting elements—students, educators, policies, resources, and wider community—with the potential to create optimal conditions for humans to learn, be healthy and thrive. The promotion of good health and wellbeing in education was declared a universal strategic goal by the United Nations in their 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2015). Certainly, wellbeing is seen as both a requirement for learning and a product of a well-functioning education system. Holistic wellbeing is conceptualized as a multi-dimensional construct encompassing physical and mental health and socio-emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Existing literature suggests the interconnectivity of these elements and their combined contribution to optimal human wellness (Mullins-Owens, 2016). A healthy settings framework (World Health Organisation, 2025) envisages health as something created and experienced by people within the spaces of their everyday life, including heath promoting schools (HPS), and provides a relevant context to explore our Research Topic. In the current climate both global and local factors pose significant challenges for schools and other learning settings, and health and wellbeing concerns are growing. In the UK, school leaders are grappling with funding deficits alongside a teacher recruitment and retention crisis (McLean et al., 2024); while the education workforce from early years to higher education (HE) face unprecedented strain with high levels of stress and burnout common (Jayman et al., 2022; Solvason et al., 2025). Nonetheless, education settings are uniquely positioned to promote, nurture, and support holistic wellbeing, and our Research Topic brings together international research to investigate this central theme from a broad perspective. There is a strong emphasis on salutogenic approaches that focus on strengthening social and individual resources and harnessing these assets to help create holistically healthy education ecosystems in which everyone can thrive
Understanding spirituality:children’s spiritual voice(s) as a bridge for effective dialogue in religious, spiritual and moral education
No full textChildren and young people regularly report suppressing aspects of their spirituality due to fears of ridicule or dismissal, both in and out of school. This situation contributes to spirituality becoming hidden, which is further compounded by disconnects between informal and formal settings involving religious, spiritual, and moral education. This article proposes that the child’s voice(s) can potentially bridge these informal and formal contexts. However, achieving this requires adults to both recognize and understand spirituality from young people’s perspectives, which can be challenging. The argument is made that adopting an attitude of epistemic humility can help facilitate self-awareness and reduce dialogical tension. Examples of children and young people’s spiritual voice(s) are offered to illustrate continuums of adults’ epistemic un/ease and dialogical flow/tension in responding to them. These range from acceptance and empathy with moments of awe and wonder, through to the challenges posed by reports of divine encounters. Suggestions for cultivating epistemic humility are offered, while acknowledging the inherent difficulties. The article concludes that dialogical tension can be a positive force when approached with curiosity about children’s worlds and perspectives. In this way, intergenerational engagement in and across diverse educational settings is facilitated to support the flourishing of young people’s spirituality
Soft skills in career prediction:a machine learning approach for role forecasting
No full textThe increasing complexity of the job market, coupled with rapid technological advancements, has made career prediction and workforce planning more challenging than ever. Traditional methods of career counselling and workforce analytics are being enhanced through machine learning (ML) techniques that utilise datasets to predict career transitions, assess job suitability, and address skills gaps. This study explores the role of ML-driven predictive models in career forecasting, with a particular focus on integrating soft skills. The research findings highlight that Support Vector Machines (SVC) achieved the highest test accuracy (100%), though cross-validation adjusted this to 92% ± 3%, indicating potential overfitting. Neural Networks demonstrated high accuracy (96.77%) but incurred high computational costs, while Decision Tree performed well (93.55%) but showed susceptibility to overfitting. Additionally, the study revealed strong correlations between specific soft skills, such as problem-solving and collaboration, and job categories, underscoring the importance of these skills in predictive career modelling. The contribution of this study lies in its demonstration that ML models can effectively predict career pathways by incorporating soft skills assessment, thus enhancing traditional career recommendation systems and building a resilient workforce
Insights and results from a pilot study for a self-led, digital-health treatment programme for CSBD (compulsive sexual behaviour disorder)
Get PDFBackground and aims: CSBD (compulsive sexual behaviour disorder) continues to be controversial amongst academics and clinicians. Common criticisms include lack of studies on treatment efficacy and an over emphasis on behaviour change rather than on psychological well-being. This paper explores the effectiveness of providing an online, self-guided treatment programme that reduces commonly recognised blocks to treatment seeking, namely stigma, shame, access and cost. Method: We recruited 96 participants who self-identified as struggling with CSBD, 68 of whom met the pilot study criteria. Participants completed three anonymous surveys at baseline, mid-point and post-course. In addition to basic demographics, participants provided feedback on the programme’s content and usability and answered questions relating to psychological well-being, impact on relationships and risk. The programme consisted of 60 podcasts with an accompanying digital workbook that took users through the psycho-educational CHOICE Recovery Model. Results: Adherence to the programme was good with 55% completing the course. The relevance of the course content was rated highly and, on completion, all but one participant felt more confident about their recovery. Improvements were seen in reduction of unwanted behaviours and preoccupation with those behaviours as well as psychological well-being. There were also improvements in risk, including a reduction in suicidality and the risk of breaking the law. There was also a strong positive association between higher emotional wellbeing and lower risk around unwanted behaviours. Conclusions: The results support previous studies demonstrating the benefits of online interventions and indicates that this treatment model design, based on the CHOICE Recovery Model, is effective, both in terms of behaviour change and improvements in psychological well-being and risk