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On conducting ethically-sound psychological science in the metaverse
Get PDFAs the next generation of the internet, the metaverse is an immersive three-dimensional (3D) world that incorporates both physical and virtual environments. The metaverse affords numerous advantages for advancing our theoretical and practical understanding of human cognition, emotion, and behavior, as well as shaping our methodological approach to conducting psychological science. However, undertaking research in a world which merges the physical and virtual, also presents new and unique ethical challenges that are not addressed by current ethical guidelines such as the Belmont Report, the American Psychology Association Code of Ethics, and the Association of Internet Researchers Internet Research Ethical Guidelines. We discuss the different domains of the metaverse relevant to psychological research, and consider how three categories of ethical challenges (i.e., ‘respect for persons’, ‘beneficence’, and ‘justice’) may arise when conducting research in the metaverse. We also provide recommendations for addressing these challenges which include reconfiguring existing ethical guidelines as well as creating new ones. Together, these can inform and assist researchers and institutional review boards in making decisions about conducting ethically-sound psychological science in the metaverse
Creating a difference – a role for the arts in addressing child wellbeing in conflict-affected areas
Get PDFBackground
Details findings from a project on the potential for arts activities and art therapy to support the mental health and wellbeing of children living in Kashmir.
Methods
The intervention engaged 30 school children over the course of one year who produced various forms of artwork and performances. In this paper, we report on project impacts, drawing on some of our qualitative measures including observations and interviews.
Results
Our research details impacts and improvements in areas of emotional expression, belonging, and agency. We also found an important role for schools to create safe, secure, and caring spaces to allow students to express themselves and work through traumatic feelings in a non-judgemental way.
Conclusions
School-based arts interventions can play an important role in the mental health and wellbeing of children. Critical here, however, are dedicated space, time, and resources to provide a supportive environment and to sustain activity in long-term
Self-surveillance practices of factory women migrant workers receiving SRH interventions in Malaysia: The effects of salience, gendered subjectivity and universalism
Get PDFManaging sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs remains a challenge for many women migrant workers in developing countries. Nonetheless, the extent to which they can be supported in meeting these needs remains underexplored, with implications for worker health and working life. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 25 factory women migrant workers in Penang, Malaysia, we apply a Foucauldian lens of governmentality to explore directly their agency in managing their SRH. We consider the self-surveillance practices they adopt in response to a programme of SRH interventions. Our findings reveal varied degrees of compliance with programme expectations. We demonstrate empirically the importance of the perceived salience of SRH as a motive force in self-surveillance practices, drawing out the disempowering effects of self-consciousness and shame in gendered subjectivity. We further consider the impact of universalist prescriptions for SRH within locales in the developing world, and the implications for SRH interventions with factory women migrant workers in such settings
From the Editor: Bibliographic and systematic reviews in tourism and hospitality
No full textEditoria
Empowering tomorrow's entrepreneurs: a teaching delivery approach in UX to foster innovation
No full textIn an increasingly complex and interconnected world that faces global challenges such as climate change, social inequality, and technological disruption, the need for systemic change and innovative solutions has never been greater. Traditional approaches to education emphasize finding quick solutions; however, tackling these 'wicked problems' requires a different approach.
The iterative approach to designing the teaching and content delivery of the UX module integrates a problem-focused, human-centred, and planet-centric mindset. This teaching delivery approach also incorporates a business viewpoint, emphasizing the importance of understanding market and industry needs, user preferences, and the entrepreneurial mindset required to turn ideas into viable solutions.
The adopted teaching approach builds foundational skills in entrepreneurship, focusing on key areas including active listening, developed through research methods; creativity and prioritization, enhanced by designing and prototyping; leadership and communication, fostered through teamwork and presentations; and resilience and critical thinking, strengthened by critiques and evaluations. Additionally, introducing a human-centric and planet-centric approach shifts learners towards a mindset that explores challenges by understanding the wider ecosystem.
The latest implementation of industry engagement experiments through expert reviews and successful internship placements will be discussed. These initiatives have been aimed at bridging the gap between academia and industry and preparing students for successful careers in the ever-evolving fields of UX design and entrepreneurship.
The oral presentation will outline guidelines for designing engaging, interactive classroom activities, demonstrating how these activities help students become better problem solvers, creative thinkers, and successful entrepreneurs. The teaching team will share perspectives and observations on the positive changes seen in students, including a shift from grade-centered to development-focused learning, increased awareness of global issues, improved business acumen, and a stronger commitment to creating positive change. Moreover, there will be a focus on the recent increased enthusiasm of students towards participating in competitions and engaging with entrepreneurship programs.
Future iterations of delivering the UX curriculum will focus on the learnings and insights of the teaching team, emphasizing the need to support student projects through close involvement with industry practitioners. Initiatives such as job shadowing, design studio visits, design critiques, capstone projects, pitch days, and internship placements will be highlighted to provide students with valuable real-world experience and industry insights.
In conclusion, this presentation underscores the importance of adopting an innovative, problem-focused, and business-centric approach in UX education. By nurturing a human-centric and planet-centric mindset and providing students with practical skills and industry exposure, they can be empowered to become the change-makers of tomorrow, ready to tackle global challenges and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future
Policy group
No full textThe AHRC SEED Fellowship aims to establish a pioneering UK-China Creative Industries Research and Innovation Hub. Led by Professor Hua Dong from Brunel Design School, the fellowship embarks on a comprehensive journey to shape the future landscape of creative industries collaboration between the two nations.
The primary objectives of the fellowship focus on several key areas. First, the team seeks to develop a strategic vision and an evidence-based delivery plan for the UK-China Creative Industries Research and Innovation Hub. This plan will be informed by existing work and strategies, incorporating insights from working groups, an Advisory Board, and partnerships. These collaborative efforts will ensure the hub’s plan reflects diverse needs and requirements.
The project includes five working groups, and Shuo Liu co-leads the policy working group. This group engages creative industries practitioners, academics, and policymakers from both countries to foster mutual understanding of practices, explore opportunities and barriers for innovation, and promote cooperation and collaboration. The group's insights will contribute to the creation of an e-book
Implementing a digital twin for a robotic platform to support large-scale coding classes
Get PDFConstructionist learning involves learners that are actively engaged in the construction of an entity that reflects the learning achievements. When learning to code, such a physical entity can take the shape of a robot, or of a robotic arm, or any other hardware device that is used to manifest the effect of the code that students are writing. Hardware devices have been used in primary and secondary schools, and also in Higher Education. Unfortunately, the use of hardware devices is limited as it does not scale to large cohorts and requires a physical space for face-to-face teaching.
In this paper we introduce a digital twin for a robotic platform to replicate a classroom setting used for teaching first year undergraduate Computer Science students. We describe the architecture of the system and its implementation
Reclaiming voice through epistemic disobedience: a Black female anti-racist consultant perspective
No full textThis thesis critically examines three public works – 100+ Days of Anti-Racism Vlogs (YouTube videos) recorded during 2020, my book The Anti-Racist Organization: Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Workplace published in 2022, and the evolution of my advisory firm, HR rewired, founded in 2019 – to interrogate the persistence of systemic anti-Black racism in workplace environments. Through these works, the research explores how personal experience, organisational critique, and professional praxis converge to generate new knowledge and innovative methodologies for addressing entrenched anti-Blackness. It delves into the philosophical, structural, epistemological, and psychological mechanisms that sustain resistance to anti-racist efforts centring on Black employees.
Employing an autoethnographic approach, this thesis integrates personal narratives with cultural, social, and organisational critiques to challenge dominant knowledge systems. The first public work, 100+ Days of Anti-Racism YouTube videos, serves as a reflective artefact to analyse self-silencing and the reclamation of voice. Using Mignolo’s (2009) concept of epistemic disobedience and transformative learning theory, this analysis acts as an example, I believe, of the role of storytelling as a powerful tool of resistance. The second public work, The Anti-Racist Organization, is evaluated for its critique of organisational inertia, drawing on Mills’ (1997) Racial Contract Theory, Fricker’s (2007) epistemic injustice, and System Justification Theory (Jost & Banaji, 1994). Lastly, the third public works, my company HR rewired, functions as a case study for understanding the tensions between aligning anti-racism work with business imperatives and preserving its transformative potential within the context of racial capitalism and the commodification of anti-racism through neoliberalism.
The findings reaffirm that while Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are often touted as an effective solution to racism, these efforts, exacerbated by epidemic ignorance and organisational and individual resistance, frequently fail to address the systemic anti-Blackness embedded in workplace structures.
This work opens pathways for further research into the psychological, cultural, and systemic roots of resistance to anti-racist initiatives. It also calls for deeper exploration of how racial capitalism and the commodification of anti-racism shape the field and impact Black professionals over time and poses questions to look for the further analysis of how maintaining an undiluted focus on the historical and current racial disparities that exist can better aid our understanding of both organisational and individual resistance and what it means for ongoing anti-racist practice. Ultimately, this thesis advances anti-racism practice by centring on Blackness and championing a sustained, unapologetic critique of the systems, professions, and frameworks that claim to address or alleviate systemic racism but often perpetuate its underlying causes
Therapists’ experiences of supporting adults with longstanding anorexia in specialist community eating disorder services
Get PDFAs we learn more, it is becoming apparent that longstanding anorexia nervosa presents a unique challenge to society. The impact of longstanding anorexia nervosa in the UK is considerable, and approximately 20% of individuals with anorexia nervosa experience the chronic form and recovery rates are low. There is also evidence that living with anorexia nervosa for any length of time comes with considerable risks to the client's quality of life. Ultimately, longstanding anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric condition. Despite wide acknowledgement of the severity of longstanding anorexia nervosa, there is minimal consensus about how best to support adults experiencing longstanding anorexia nervosa. This research aimed to explore therapists' experience working with longstanding anorexia nervosa and generate much-needed information on how best to help therapists with this complex presentation.
Participants comprised therapists who had worked with long-standing anorexia nervosa in NHS specialist adult community eating disorder services over the past five years. Eight therapists participated in the research. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis within a critical realist framework. From this, five themes were identified: (1) Managing the severity of the illness, (2) Sitting with the therapist's feelings, (3) The need for a bespoke approach, (4) Negotiating the relationship with the service, and (5) Recognising the need for therapist self-care.
The data revealed the need for bespoke support for clients and therapists in this complex area. The findings highlight the need to incorporate more tailored treatment plans based on client presentation and the use of broader theoretical frameworks to improve understanding of implicit and relational complexity. They also draw attention to the critical area of therapist self-care. Understanding therapists' experience in supporting longstanding anorexia nervosa may help inform future treatment pathways that could improve the quality of the experience for both therapists and clients
Imagination at the progressive border: can fantasy literature foster a liminal space for social justice-oriented narrative-based belief change in the individual?
Get PDFContemporary scholars such as Baker (2012), Bould (2002), Dalton (2019), Grifka-Wander (2019) and Trębicki (2011) have discussed how fantasy literature responds to the time in which it is created and the way in which it can introduce ideas about progressive change. Drobot (2019) also suggests that fantasy novels help us think about the past and how societal beliefs and values have changed and can still change. All of the aforementioned argue that fantasy stories can lead to shifts in what individuals and society believe.
In spite of these arguments, however, there is still a gap in researching how fantasy literature, specifically, can profoundly change readers and groups of readers. This current research, therefore, examines how fantasy novels create a space for readers to reflect and imagine. By getting lost in these stories and encountering new ways of thinking, fantasy readers can challenge their existing beliefs and imagine new possibilities for themselves and the world. This research explores how fantasy narratives help readers imagine “what if” scenarios, challenging their existing ideas and offering new perspectives on themselves and the world.
To investigate if this interaction with fantasy stories inspires people to make positive changes in the real world, this research focuses on modern examples of how fantasy literature motivates individuals and groups to take action for social causes. In addition, this study employed a qualitative mixed methodology, conducting thirty interviews with fantasy readers and authors of fantasy literature through a two-phase approach to address this question.
From these interviews, several recurring themes were found. In the first phase, fantasy readers described how they felt transported into the story world and how fantasy stories can introduce its readers to social justice themes. In the second phase, new themes emerged, such as: how fantasy readers feel when they finish a book, how young adult fantasy books often harbour messages about social justice, the relative importance or status of diversity and social justice in the publishing industry and how gatekeeping influences the potential for fantasy literature to change people’s beliefs.
These findings not only generated the key themes that are analysed in the thesis, but also led to the development of a new theory and model called the Reader’s Journey and the identification of a newly emergent subgenre of fantasy literature I have called Social Justice Fantasy. The research is concluded by discussing the study’s limitations and its implications for education, curriculum development and critical teaching methods