7,660 research outputs found
LLEAPP: Miguel Ortiz, Nick Williams, Sean Williams
No full textThis is a video recording of the performance at the end of LLEAPP 2009 in the Bongo Club, Edinburgh by the fourth of four groups: Miguel Ortiz, Nick Williams, Sean Williams.This item contains a .mov video file
The Unmet Psychosocial and Supportive Care Needs of Young Adults who have a Parent with a Non-Communicable Disease
Get PDFA portfolio submitted to the University of Wolverhampton for the Practitioner Doctorate: Counselling Psychology Award: D.Couns.PsychAIMS Unmet needs have mainly been investigated with formal and informal adult caregivers and ill individuals within psycho-oncology; findings indicate unmet needs are associated with negative affective state and caregiver burden. Research relating to adolescent children’s experiences of unmet needs during parental illness has, in the main, been based upon parental reports or professional opinion, yet research suggests that parental reports can downplay the effects and it is important to ask the adolescent child for their opinion. Adolescence is a transitional time in development; this may make the illness experience and subsequent needs vary from those of formal and informal adult caregivers. This thesis pragmatically investigates adolescent children’s firsthand accounts of unmet psychosocial and supportive care needs when they have a parent with a non-communicable disease. METHODS Systematic Review To inform the direction of the thesis and capture all relevant published literature, a comparative systematic review was carried on adolescent’s experiences of unmet needs when they have a parent with a NCD, cancer or psychological problem. The review was conducted using standardized procedures and guidance from the Cochrane collaboration. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis 3 Qualitative methodology was used to investigate seven adolescent’s experiences of unmet psychosocial and supportive care needs in relation to having a parent with a NCD. Participants were recruited through institutions of further and higher education. Quantitative Research Pearson’s correlation and multiple regressions were used to test associations between unmet needs, depression, stress, anxiety and quality of life, and to determine the applicability of the revised version of the Offspring Cancer Needs Inventory (OCNI) for individuals who have a parent with a NCD. One hundred and seven adolescent children completed the revised version of the OCNI, the DASS-21 (depression, anxiety, and stress) and AC-QoL (Adult carers’ quality of life) scales. FINDINGS Systematic Review In the review 1479 papers were considered. Seven met the inclusion criteria, of these five papers related to cancer, one to chronic illness and one to psychological problems. Results suggest that adolescents had informational, supportive and recreational needs, and did not want to worry parents by asking them questions. The lack of hits and the disparity between illness groups is problematic in making comparisons and drawing definitive conclusions. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Four interdependent themes emerged from the data, two relating to interpersonal needs (Information Needs and Support Needs), and two relating to intrapersonal needs (Need for 4 Acknowledgement and Need to be Them-Self), each had their own number of sub-themes. Adolescent’s had a variety of needs that could be partially met through honest and accurate information, interpersonal support and acknowledgment of their caring role within the family. The interdependence of the needs indicated that the fulfilment of one need has the potential of meeting other needs. Unmet needs were comparable to those of adolescent children who have a parent with cancer; as such it was deemed that the new version of the OCNI would be suitable for use with individuals who had a parent with a NCD. Quantitative Research Ninety-Three percent of adolescents reported at least one unmet need. Analysis suggests that the unmet needs variables were co-dependent and correlated with depression, stress, anxiety, and quality of life. Certain unmet need variables predicted stress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. CONCLUSION The findings of this thesis indicate that adolescent children who have a parent with a NCD have a variety of unmet needs, and that these are associated with affective state and well-being. It is suggested that counselling psychologists are well placed to provide psychological and needs based interventions based upon the findings within this thesis. More research is required in this area to determine cause and effect; owing to counselling psychologists working with the lifespan they would be well placed to further the knowledge in this area
The Living Archive - A Place, A Moment with Dr Nick John Williams
No full textNick John Williams and I were awarded the first Tees Valley Screen Residency, in conjunction with The Auxiliary Project Space, Middlesbrough. Funded by Northern Film + Media, Arts Council England and European Economic Development Fund and Tees Valley Combined Authority, we explored augmented reality, immersive media and disruptive open source technology as a way to innovate oral history (and field) recordings within a museological context. We were supported and mentored byVlogbase, Digital Capital North East Tees Valley and PROTO (Gateshead). The Living Archive system was designed and developed by Nick John Williams and I provided short film pieces and still photography in response
The shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes : new border politics?
No full textThe shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in Stockwell Station, South London, on 22 July 2005, was described as a “tragic mistake” by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair. This framing of the killing has come to dominate responses to it in the mainstream media. However, such a framing stymies critical questioning about what happened and colludes in the reproduction of a particular framework of understanding within which sovereign power has retrospectively valorized his death. By contrast this article reads the shooting as one of multiple responses of the British state to the bombings of the London transport network on 7 July 2005 and locates Menezes’s
death within the broader context of the global “War on Terror.”
Rather than a “mistake,” the author argues that the shooting is symptomatic of systemic features of Western politics and in particular innovations in the ways sovereign power attempts to secure the spatial and temporal borders of sovereign political
community
Giorgio Agamben
No full textGiorgio Agamben is an Italian thinker whose work does not consist of a single aim or ‘big idea’. Rather, it is helpful to approach his thought as a series of overlapping fragments, which engage in a range of problems relating to language, metaphysics, aesthetics, politics and ethics. When taken as a whole, these fragments form a rich historical and philosophical mosaic that is difficult to label or classify as belonging to a particular school of thought. In recent years, especially since the publication of his work in English from the early 1990s, Agamben has had a significant impact across the humanities and social sciences and beyond. In international relations, there has been a spirited (though not uncritical) uptake of his controversial diagnosis of the nature of the relationship between politics, life and sovereign power. Increasingly, this diagnosis is taken as a starting point for many analyses of practices associated with the current ‘War on Terror’ unleashed by the US and its allies in the wake of the attacks of 11 September 2001. Indeed, Agamben has personally protested against the US government’s response to these attacks by resigning from his position as Visiting Professor at New York University. He also refuses to travel to the US and submit to what he considers to be the ‘biopolitical tattooing’ of the Immigration Department. Nevertheless, the topicality of his thought belies the extent to which it is rooted in rigorous and painstakingly detailed philosophical thinking developed over the past four decades
Addressing Gaps in Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Relational Frame Theory – Research on Coherence and Ambiguity
Get PDFThe aim of this thesis was to build a body of evidence to address several gaps in Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Harmon-Jones, E. & Harmon-Jones, C., 2007) and Relational Frame Theory (Hayes et al., 2001), relating to relational coherence, incoherence, and particularly ambiguity. These gaps included a lack of: theory and research on ambiguity; robust definitions of coherence, incoherence and ambiguity; research on the relative appetitiveness of coherence versus incoherence and ambiguity; multiple-stimulus research in Cognitive Dissonance Theory; technical experimentation in Cognitive Dissonance Theory; and clarity
about the stimulus-specific lower boundary conditions of coherence-related phenomena. An overview of theory and research pertaining to coherence, incoherence and ambiguity was given (Chapter 1), including discussion regarding the gaps highlighted. Then, working definitions of coherence, incoherence and ambiguity were offered (Chapter 2). The ambiguity-coherence study by Quinones and Hayes (2014) was conceptually replicated and expanded (Chapter 3), discovering that participants spontaneously generate A-C relationships on ambiguous A-C blocks involving nonsense stimuli. A design issue regarding patterns of
reinforcement was identified in Chapter 3, and this was discussed and resolved (Chapter 4), alongside an assessment of the appetitive properties of coherence. Participants displayed no preference towards completing a coherent versus an ambiguous A-C block again. Physiological measures of Heart Rate and Galvanic Skin Response were measured in response to coherence and ambiguity (Chapter 5), further evidencing spontaneous generation of relationships in response to ambiguity. No difference in physiological measures was found between coherent and ambiguous A-C blocks. Incoherence was incorporated into the design
(Chapter 6), which provided corroborative evidence of the spontaneous generation effect and also demonstrated the validity of the experimental design by matching predictions from Relational Frame Theory. An updated assessment of the appetitive properties of coherence was completed (Chapter 7), with real words as stimuli and discriminatives. Spontaneous generation of relationships in response to ambiguity also occurred using these alternative stimuli. Differences were broadly not found between coherent and ambiguous A-C block types, indicating that there appears to be a stimulus-specific lower boundary condition for various coherence phenomena such as changes in affect and arousal. However, the spontaneous generation of A-C relationships indicates no stimulus-specific lower boundary condition for coherence-related behavioural responses. Finally, the effect of experimental design on spontaneous generation of relationships was assessed (Chapter 8), identifying that
spontaneous generation of relationships is moderated by the complexity of the cognitive task at hand. Findings from this thesis were synthesised with literature on coherence, particularly that of Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Relational Frame Theory (Chapter 9), with limitations, implications and future research directions given. This thesis: evidences the importance of ambiguity in any theory relating to coherence; identifies a possible stimulus-specific lower boundary condition for affective but not behavioural coherence-related responses; shows that the spontaneous generation of relationships effect could potentially be considered a fundamental aspect of human relational behaviour; and demonstrates that such spontaneous generation effects appear moderated by the complexity of the cognitive task at hand
Measuring and Exploring LGBTQ+ Stigma Reduction from a Contextual Behavioural Science Perspective
Get PDFThis thesis is comprised of five empirical studies which were designed to measure and explore lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning+ (LGBTQ+) stigma reduction, through a Contextual Behavioural Science (CBS) lens. This thesis offered unique contributions to the field via its introduction of a novel stigma measure, its empirical testing of the euphemism treadmill effect, and its introduction of a novel form of perspective-taking.
The thesis begins with a literature review chapter, followed by the first phase of experimentation. This involved the creation of a new psychometric scale to measure others’ stigmatising attitudes. Data were collected from a total of 429 participants, measuring attitudes toward two different populations. Exploratory factor analysis and item-reduction was undertaken using data from one sub-set of participants resulting in a unidimensional scale. Parallel forms were created using an odd-even split. The resultant factor was compared against the second sub-set of participants using a confirmatory factor analysis. The one factor, 24-item structure was confirmed and retained.
The second phase of experimentation involved exploring a previously employed reduction technique (i.e., language and the euphemism treadmill effect) using both a methodologically robust approach and ecologically valid approach, across two studies. The first study used a technique familiar to CBS, match-to-sample, while the second used a more ecologically valid approach, a vignette. Both contained the same three hypotheses. Results from the first study indicated some significant correlation between pre-intervention and post-intervention scores, but no significant effect within the gay condition specifically. Results also showed that word valence was a significant moderator between pre- and post-intervention scores. Results from the second study indicated no significant change in scores from pre- to post-intervention labels, with pre-intervention scores and post-intervention scores showing a strong positive correlation. Word valence was not a significant moderator between pre- and post- scores.
The third phase of experimentation involved exploring both a previously utilised perspective-taking intervention, and the creation of a novel form of perspective-taking, across two studies. For the first study, 280 participants were randomly assigned to one of six different conditions varying in requirements expected and type of perspective-taking. Each
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condition also varied in participant burden, across three levels ranging from least burdensome to most burdensome. The second study utilised 235 participants who were randomly assigned to one of three different perspective-taking conditions. Attitudes toward gay people were measured pre- and post-intervention as well as after a two-week follow-up period and compared both within and between subjects. Results from the first study showed no significant effect of change scores nor of type of intervention, as well as level of participant burden, on two of the three measures utilised. Results for the second study found no significant effect of condition on change scores. However, attitudes were shown to have significantly changed from pre-intervention to post-intervention on all three measures, and this significant change remained between pre-intervention to follow-up on two of the three measures utilised.
The general discussion chapter gives an overview of the key findings that emerged from this thesis as well as a discussion of implications, limitations, and future directions as a whole and complete work
Cancer Experiences in People with Intellectual Disabilities
Get PDFPeople with intellectual disabilities are increasingly being diagnosed with cancer due, in part, to increases in life expectancy for this population. Despite the growing number of people with cancer and intellectual disabilities, the cancer-related experiences of people with intellectual disabilities are under-researched. Person-centred approaches to research are needed to better understand the needs and psychosocial outcomes of people with cancer and intellectual disabilities.
This thesis aims to better understand the cancer-related experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, and the impact on the people who support them. The thesis comprises four related studies: (1) a systematic review of psychosocial experiences of cancer in people with intellectual disabilities; (2) a qualitative study of cancer experiences in people with intellectual disabilities using thematic analysis informed by grounded theory; (3) a survey of UK oncology nurses’ attitudes and care perceptions towards people with intellectual disabilities; and (4) a feasibility study of an intervention to improve healthcare professionals’ perceptions of communicating with people with cancer and intellectual disabilities.
Five themes emerged from the ten papers included in the systematic review: delayed diagnosis; information, communication, and understanding; negative psychological consequences; negative physical consequences; and social support. Six of the ten papers included data from the same ethnographic study of 13 people, highlighting a paucity of empirical research regarding the psychosocial cancer experiences of people with intellectual disabilities. The qualitative study indicated that people with intellectual disabilities were often excluded from conversations about their diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care, and expressed confusion and anxiety about their cancer. Attempts to protect them from distress inhibited communication, but where additional support was offered, participants engaged more meaningfully in their experience and this should, therefore, be encouraged. In the qualitative study, oncology nurses were reported to be important figures in the care of patients with intellectual disabilities. The survey of oncology nurses highlighted that caring for cancer patients with intellectual disabilities may intensify their already difficult role; however, previous experience may ameliorate negative consequences. This sample identified their need for training about communicating with people with intellectual disabilities. The first three studies informed the development of a novel, brief, online, video-based intervention for healthcare professionals working with people with intellectual disabilities and cancer. The feasibility trial of this intervention indicated that there were problems with recruitment, high attrition, and intervention adherence. These problems were, most likely due to participants finding the content and delivery method to be unacceptable. It is clear that the intervention is not feasible in its current format, and that further theoretical and modelling work is needed before the intervention is feasibility tested again ahead of a definitive trial.
This body of work has demonstrated that people with intellectual disabilities and cancer face multiple barriers to accessing cancer care, including informative and understandable communication with healthcare professionals. With appropriate support, psychological and physical outcomes can be improved for people with intellectual disabilities and cancer, but caring for people with cancer and intellectual disabilities can be challenging for paid and informal carers, and oncology staff. Difficulties with communication are bi-directional, and improving communication might be an appropriate first step to improving cancer experiences for this population, but developing effective interventions presents numerous feasibility challenges
Acceptance and Commitment Coaching for Oncology Healthcare Professionals
Get PDFOncology nurses are an occupational group that experience high stress, increasing risks of chronic outcomes such as burnout and compassion fatigue. This negatively affects staff absenteeism/turnover and the quality of patient care. Current oncology nurse stress-management interventions offer varied insight regarding effectiveness, with little information on how intervention
packages are tailored for this population, and how the intervention mechanisms bring about positive change. Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) provides a viable platform from which to offer stress management techniques, given both the relevance of mindfulness and values based behaviours to this context, and the availability of process measures to understand mechanisms of change. This thesis aimed to develop and test an ACT-based oncology nurse stress-management intervention following the MRC guidance, given the limited published research using ACT.
Online cross-sectional survey research (chapter two) revealed that acceptance, mindfulness and values-based processes are important in shifting work-related wellbeing outcomes in UK nurses, given the large amounts of variance explained by these components. This empirically guided the development of ACTION; a three-session (90 minutes each), group-based ACT intervention. ACTION was tested in three single-case experimental design (SCED) studies (chapters four to six). Intervention acceptability was demonstrated in the first SCED study, with qualitative data informing future development. Systematic changes to each of these trials, such as piloting alternative measures, a lengthier follow-up phase and the inclusion of eligibility
screening provided insightful results. ACTION demonstrated effectiveness for psychological flexibility, with improvements mainly observed at follow-up, even for participants receiving an online version of ACTION in response to COVID-19 pressures. Effects on stress were also promising. The implications of using SCED methodology in this context is discussed (e.g. the impact of extraneous factors on stress scores).
Qualitative data highlighted the potential utility of ACTION for promoting stress-management self-efficacy. The general self-efficacy scale was, thus, included as an outcome in studies three and four to capture this construct. Lack of sensitivity to change and frequent ceiling effects made demonstrating effectiveness on this variable a difficult process. It highlighted the importance
of using a domain-specific self-efficacy measure to test this potential secondary outcome of ACTION, but, to knowledge, no measure existed.
To address this gap, the final study of this thesis developed a stress management self-efficacy scale that aimed to reduce the risk of ceiling effects prevalent in previous self-efficacy scales. This study used an item-selection process that combines Classical Test and Item Response Theory. Forty items were reduced to sixteen, offering a scale that cannot only be used in future
trials of ACTION, but in any stress-management intervention trial from any occupational context.
Various recommendations are outlined in the final chapter, from advice for implementing ACTION in the applied setting, to methodological recommendations for a future Phase II trial
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