Interpersonal Involvement Research Articles

Sustainability Practices in Working Contexts: Supervision, Collective Narrative, Generative Humour, and Professional Respect

Research literature and field experience reveal that jobs in social education—just like other jobs with a high interpersonal involvement—feature a high risk of job burnout. By necessity, work organizations in social education have developed a definite set of practices to support their workers and provide occasions for mutual support. Here we analyze four of these practices—supervision, collective narrative, generative humour, and professional respect—and suggest ways in which organizations in other sectors may consider importing them to increase their own organizational sustainability. We also present an analysis of workers’ second-level skills (such as narrative skills, reflexive skills, team working skills) that are related to sustainability practices: on the one hand they allow the individual worker to effectively take part and contribute, on the other hand their development is stimulated by such participation. Organizational sustainability is in fact to be considered a positive collaboration between individuals and organization, rather than a one-way, top-down condition. Increases in sustainability may result from cascading effects triggered by management decisions as well as by workers’ individual and collective actions.

Interpersonal Strengths and Family Involvement for Adolescents Transitioning from Therapeutic Residential Care: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT This study explored two resiliency areas, interpersonal strengths and family involvement, in adolescent transitions from Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC). Unfortunately, gains made by adolescents in therapeutic residential programs are often not sustained during the aftercare phase due to, among other factors, lack of family involvement and lack of interpersonal strengths. Few studies have examined specific strengths associated with successful and unsuccessful transition from residential care. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore the relationship of interpersonal strengths and family involvement that had been nurtured in TRC for successful and unsuccessful transition trajectories. Results reveal that longitudinal measurements of interpersonal strengths and family involvement as measured by the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-2) are indicators of post-treatment transition success. Recommendations include helping youth and parents realistically understand the challenges of transitioning out of TRC and jointly developing comprehensive post-TRC transition plans with appropriate post-discharge check-ins.

Shared injection experiences: Interpersonal involvement in injection drug practices among women

Background: Many women who inject drugs are aware of the associated risks, however social influences play a part in their behavioral decisions. Incorporation of others in drug use behaviors may be common practice among women who use drugs. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of women’s injection drug use experiences with a focus on interpersonal involvement. Methods: Venue-based recruitment was conducted in collaboration with a harm reduction program. A group of 30 women, ages 18 and older, who reported injecting drugs within the past 30 days took part in a demographic survey and semi-structured interview to gain an understanding of their injection practices. In vivo coding and thematic analysis were conducted. Results: Three main themes that relate to incorporating others into injection drug behaviors surfaced, including: (1) injection practices described as we and not I, (2) partnered purchase and drug preparation, and (3) assisted injection. This group of women most often incorporated sexual and/or romantic partners (same and other-gender), friends, or family members into their injection drug use behaviors. Some women described a lack of ability to inject themselves and require assistance every time they use. Women also reported helping other women during drug use behaviors. Conclusions: Our primary themes indicate that a variety of relationship partners are important conceptual links in theoretical frameworks explaining drug use behaviors among women. Findings suggest same gender assistance during drug use behaviors, including injection, that may reduce harm. The interpersonal nature of injection drug use among women may indicate the expansion of treatment options designed for couples or other relationship partners, such as family, together.

Predicting rapist type based on crime-scene violence, interpersonal involvement, and criminal sophistication in U.S. stranger rape cases

Stranger rape cases are one of the most difficult sexual assault crimes to solve for law enforcement. This study aimed to compare crime-scene characteristics between serial rapists and single-victim rapists in stranger rape cases and build a predictive model to predict rapist type. An archival database of released sex offenders included 385 who committed stranger rapes. Of those, 244 were single-victim rapists and 141 were serial rapists. The single-victim rapists were significantly more likely to have violently themed crime-scene characteristics than serial rapists, whereas serial rapists were significantly more likely than single-victim rapists to engage in criminally sophisticated behavior and induce participation from their victims. A logistic regression using 10 crime-scene characteristics correctly identified 75.8% of cases as perpetrated by either single-victim or serial rapists. The most significant predictors of rapist type were whether the offender digitally penetrated their victim, whether the offender choked their victim, whether they were at a new/unknown location or whether they threatened their victim. The implications of these results are that they benefit law enforcement in the investigation of stranger rape cases by potentially narrowing down their suspect pool and add to the classification of stranger rapists in offender profiling literature.

Responses to the Islamic headscarf in everyday interactions depend on sex and locale: A field experiment in the metros of Brussels, Paris, and Vienna on helping and involvement behaviors.

The Islamic headscarf has been in the middle of heated debates in European society, yet little is known about its influence on day-to-day interactions. The aim of this randomized field experiment (n = 840) is to explore how the generally negative views that surround the hijab in Europe manifest in the behavior that people direct to hijab-wearing women in everyday situations. Using a helping scenario and videotapes of the resulting interactions, we measured whether passengers offered assistance and also various details of behavior that indicate interpersonal involvement. We predicted that in interaction with the covered confederate less help would be offered, that women’s level of nonverbal involvement would increase but men’s decrease, and that responses would be stronger in Paris, intermediate in Brussels, and weaker in Vienna. We analyzed the data using Generalized Linear Models estimated with Bayesian inference. While the headscarf does not produce concluding differences in “overt” helping, it does affect “subtle” cues of interpersonal involvement. In response to the hijab, women across sites increase, but men in Paris decrease, the level of involvement that they show with their nonverbal behavior.

PONAŠAJNE I SOCIO-EMOCIONALNE KOMPETENCIJE SREDNJOŠKOLACA: VALIDACIJA HRVATSKE INAČICE BERS-2 UPITNIKA

BEHAVIOURAL AND SOCIO-EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: A VALIDATION OF THE CROATIAN VERSION OF BERS-2 QUESTIONNAIRE The aim of the paper was to examine the Croatian translation of the BERS-2 questionnaire on the sample of mid-adolescents, examine its convergent validity and analyse gender differences in behavioural and socio-emotional competencies of adolescents. 849 respondents participated in the research (56% female adolescents). General data questionnaire, Croatian version of the BERS-2 questionnaire, emotional competence questionnaire and family satisfaction scale were used. The conducted factor analyses have shown that the original five-factor BERS-2 structure does not correspond to the data, so a four-factor structure with a reduced number of items in comparison with the original was proposed as an optimum solution. Thus formed results have shown satisfactory psychometric characteristics for four groups of competencies. A significant correlation between the results shown on the BERS-2 questionnaire and school achievement, family satisfaction and emotional competencies indicates the convergent validity of the Croatian translation of the BERS-2. In comparison with boys, girls have achieved significantly higher results on the measures of school functioning and interpersonal strengths, while the measures of interpersonal strengths and involvement with family were assessed similarly by boys and girls. The results were analysed in the context of the data on the original BERS-2 questionnaire, the data on the verification of its features in other research and with regard to the existing knowledge about behavioural and socio-emotional competencies of adolescents. The limitations of the conducted research, as well as the need for further validation of the BERS-2 questionnaire are presented in the final part of the paper. Key words: adolescents; BERS-2 questionnaire; socio-emotional competencies

Community gardens: contribution to food safety and social inclusion

Sustainability in large-scale food production is one of humanity's greatest contemporary challenges. Today’s society is totally dependent on agricultural fields. In face of the increasing environmental and food crisis in the world, it is necessary to improve ways of promote sustainable agriculture. Conventional agriculture has proved to be predatory to the environment and maleficent to human health due to the intensive use of agrochemicals, and also inefficient to supply with quality and safety the whole urban population. Therefore, urban agroecology has become a tendency. The study presented here investigated a community garden of the West Zone of São Paulo City, organically grown in the Previdência Municipal Park, which is an intensely urbanized area. Observations were carried out in loco, plus interviews with the responsible for the community garden, and compilation of relevant literature, focusing on the importance of horticulture, practical difficulties in the community involved in the project, benefits to society, and the role in urban sustainability. Horticulturists’ social aspects, involvement of the regulars, and adopted cultivation techniques were also investigated. The challenges of urban agriculture projects reported in the literature were identified, so as to define the best cultivation strategies to be adopted in the community garden. The main results pointed to benefits to food and nutrition safety, interpersonal involvement, and environmental education; the main challenges consist of social leaderships, technical-scientific knowledge regarding productivity of organic cultivars, and planning aiming the continuity of the projects. Relevant benefits can be obtained from the implementation of urban garden projects, contemplating some of the Objectives of Sustainable Development that are related not only to sustainable agriculture, but also to the sustainability of cities and communities. KEYWORDS: Urban Agriculture. Food Safety. Urban Parks. Sustainability.

Association between direct interpersonal involvement with a dying family member and discussions regarding advance care planning among Japanese older adults

There is growing recognition of the need to hold advance care planning discussions. Older adults who have direct interpersonal involvement with dying family members might begin to consider their own end-of-life care. This study examined the associations between experiences of being with a dying family member and advance care planning discussions among Japanese older adults. This study examined data from a previous self-administered questionnaire survey carried out among outpatients aged ≥65 years. All participants were visitors of a community hospital in Japan, with data being collected over a 1-week period in July 2016. The main exposure was experiences of being with dying family members, while the outcome was advance care planning discussions with the family members and/or their physician. We analyzed the associations between experiences of being with dying family members and advance care planning discussions through log-binomial regression models adjusted for possible sociodemographic confounders. Of the 302 respondents included for analysis, 96 (32%) had experiences of being with dying family members, while 179 (59%) held advance care planning discussions. Respondents with said experiences were more likely to have discussions than those without experiences (fully adjusted prevalence ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.65). Subgroup analyses showed no significant interaction effects between experiences of being with dying family members and the covariates. Direct interpersonal involvement with dying family members might facilitate advance care planning discussions among Japanese older adults. Our results should help healthcare providers recognize individuals who are unlikely to have discussions. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 197-202.

Relationship between Socio-Economic Status, Interpersonal Communication, and School Climate with Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education

Relationship between Socio-Economic Status, Interpersonal Communication, and School Climate with Parental Involvement in Early Childhood Education

“Let me heare … if thou canst say”: The Utility of the Prayer Book Catechism (1549–1604)

This article explores the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer, shedding light on the emergence of instructional writing from oral instruction. The 1549 text evinces qualities of preliterate oral communication identified by Ong. By contrast, the 1604 addendum reveals a trend toward modern plain style, which is even more pronounced in the 1647 Westminster Shorter Catechism. The evidence indicates the oral features were useful to the text’s technical aims. What Ramist plain style gains in precision and objectivity comes at the cost of other useful features, such as reiteration, contextualization, and agonism, which (in Tannen's phrase) involve a greater relative focus on interpersonal involvement between speaker and auditor/ reader.

It can be us or you. The desubjectification of viewpoint through person choice in Spanish oral and written media discourse

The deictic anchoring of discourse through grammatical persons and their contextual referential scopes is among the most basic resources for clause-level viewpoint establishment. This paper presents an analysis of person choice as a viewpoint-desubjectifying strategy in a corpus of Peninsular Spanish media texts. Two grammatical choices, namely audience-inclusive plural first persons and speaker-inclusive singular second ones, are analyzed and compared regarding both their normalized frequencies across oral and written media genres and the specific discursive contexts where they tend to appear. It is shown that the quantitative and qualitative sides of person choice are closely linked, patterns of genre variation being indexical of different ways of viewpoint construction in context. The plural first person, blending the speaker's viewpoint with that of the audience, highlights interpersonal involvement and is characteristic of genres and contexts where sharedness is a prominent pragmatic value. In turn, the singular second person co-occurs with speakers' personal stances and experiences that are desubjectified through viewpoint displacement from the speaker towards the audience. Furthermore, the strong association of the latter choice with conversational discourse suggests the need to nuance the frequent straightforward identification of orality with subjectivity and that of literacy with objectivity.

1. Methods of Individual Creativity Stimulation

AbstractThe concept of communication is a notorious one but at the same time, difficult to define precisely. However, many researchers recognize a number of attributes as easy to define and interpret. In this paper we will carry out a detailed analysis of each of these components of the basic model of communication (Hargie, O., Dickson, D. 2004, Dickson, 2001, Hargie and Tourish, 1999, Dickson et al., 1997). Interpersonal communication is a transactional, intentional, multidimensional, irreversible and (possibly) inevitable process. It is strictly determined by factors such as the situational context of the person, cognitive, affective or temporal elements. The participants in the communication carry and reflect the whole personal “baggage”, of which the accumulated knowledge and experiences, motives, interests, values, emotions, attitudes, expectations and personal dispositions are part. To these are added the self-image, the beliefs about one’s own abilities to succeed (self-efficacy). All these elements will determine the kind of meetings planned, the objectives selected, the persistence in achieving them, as well as the anticipation of possible rewards. Effective interpersonal involvement can be interpreted in terms of concepts such as: person-context, goals, mediation processes, responses, feedback and perception. We can think of spatial, temporal, relational and sometimes organizational frameworks in which the communication process is incorporated. The personal characteristics of the participants, together with the specifics of the situation, act to model the interaction. Also, the objectives pursued are determined by personal and situational factors. The plans and strategies for their realization come from the mediation processes and the strategy adopted accordingly, is reflected in the manifested answers, in behavioral and decision choices.

Zjawisko wypalenia zawodowego personelu pielęgniarskiego zatrudnionego na wybranych oddziałach psychiatrycznych w Polsce

Background. Professional burnout occurs under circumstances of chronic stress and applies mostly to occupational groups whose work entails direct contact and close interpersonal involvement with people. Professional burnout is a consequence of dissonance between the person and the work environment. It is a multidimensional and remote response to chronic interpersonal stress at work. It is a process that usually builds up gradually and is difficult to reverse. Nurses working with mentally ill patients are a high-risk group for developing professional burnout.Objectives. The aims of the study were to evaluate the level of professional burnout in mental health nurses working in the Masovian voivodeship in Poland, and to identify stress-inducing factors.Material and Methods. The research, which was conducted in January and February 2017 using the diagnostic survey method, involved 107 mental health nurses employed in healthcare facilities located in the Masovian voivodeship. The research tool was a survey comprising of 2 questionnaires. The 1st was a modified Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the 2nd − Goldberg’s General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) for mental health evaluation. The statistical analysis was conducted using the STATISTICA v. 13.1 program and the MBI questionnaires were evaluated with χ2 test, Kruskal−Wallis ANOVA and Mann–Whitney U test. Values of p < 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant.Results. The statistical analysis of both questionnaires showed that the selected group of nurses is at risk of professional burnout. The research results showed that 51% of the interviewees were emotionally exhausted, while 46% admitted they are more or much more overtired than usual. Education level, age and job seniority also affected the mental health status of the respondents.Conclusion. These findings show that the study group is prone to professional burnout. Younger nurses with higher education and shorter overall employment histories are significantly at risk of professional burnout.

Stance-taking viaya′ani/ya′anu: A discourse marker in a Hebrew-Arabic language contact situation

ABSTRACTWe explore two stance-taking patterns in casual Hebrew conversation involvingya′ani/ya′anu, a discourse marker originating in colloquial Arabic. In the first,ya′ani/ya′anu, the same as Arabicyaʕni(lit. ‘it means’), frames reformulations of prior discourse serving to enhance interpersonal involvement and mutuality regarding the interlocutor's stance toward what has been said, thereby constructing intersubjectivity. The second pattern consists of a prosodic variant,ya′ani/ya′anu, functioning as a double-voiced ironic hedge. The latter is an innovation of Hebrew, brought about by its functional association with Hebrewke′ilu‘like’. The two uses ofya′ani/ya′anuelucidate two different processes that discourse markers in language contact situations may undergo: persistence of lexically motivated metalingual meaning, and extension of lexically unmotivated meaning. The considerably low frequency ofya′ani/ya′anuvis-à-viske′iluis explained by its devaluated social meaning in current Israeli discourse, as an index of nonhegemonic religious and ethnic groups such as Arabs and Mizrahi Jews. (Discourse markers, language contact, stance-taking, (re)formulations, irony, metalanguaging, indexicality, intersubjectivity)*

Mother and Father Controlling Feeding Behaviors and Associations With Observed Mealtime Family Functioning.

Mealtime family functioning is important in shaping health behaviors associated with overweight/obesity, particularly for preschool-aged children. Parental controlling feeding behaviors (i.e., restriction and pressure to eat), may impact mealtime family functioning and thus be targets of prevention and intervention efforts. The current study aimed to address literature gaps by examining both mother and father self-reports of controlling feeding behaviors, and the discrepancies between parents' reports. Further, the study examined the associations among controlling feeding behaviors and objective mealtime family functioning in a community sample of preschool-aged children. The sample included 27 children between 2 and 6 years of age and their immediate family members. Two mealtimes were videotaped for each family and coded for family functioning using the Mealtime Interaction Coding System, and self-reports of feeding practices were collected using the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Mother controlling feeding behaviors were not significantly related to any mealtime family functioning domain. Father controlling feeding behaviors were only significantly related to interpersonal involvement. However, discrepancies in the use of controlling feeding behaviors accounted for nearly one fourth of the variance in overall family functioning and affect management, with greater discrepancies being related to poorer family functioning. Interventions may be designed to reduce parental discrepancies in the use of controlling feeding behaviors. Future research should consider longitudinal design, using larger, more representative samples, to better understand the impact of parental controlling feeding behaviors, particularly the impact of parental discrepancies in these areas, on mealtime family functioning and subsequent health outcomes.

Experiences of Online Closeness in Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs)

In virtual learning environments (VLEs) students often find themselves in front of a computer, looking at a bright screen, interacting with classmates and teachers through a keyboard and a mouse, and, in most cases, listening and watching someone who is not physically present. Virtual components (or even an entirely online classroom) are not rare, and growing concern is currently surfacing about students’ potential feeling of isolation, which has been found to increase educational barriers such as lack of motivation or engagement, or poor academic achievement. We may therefore begin to wonder whether VLE allows for the necessary interpersonal involvement required for learning. Using a qualitative phenomenological research methodology called phenomenology of practice, the aim of this study was to understand what it is like to experience a sense of closeness to others in a VLE. Data was gathered by means of in-depth phenomenological interviews with five adult university students recruited via snowball sampling who had previous experience in VLE settings. The findings revealed that students may experience closeness with their classmates and teachers when they suddenly look beyond the superficial technological hurdles and find the humanity in the virtual others, when they share a difficult group experience, or when they create a personal virtual space. This study showed that closeness is indeed essential in education, and that even online we repeatedly find ourselves in a continuum of closeness to others, moving from an experience of togetherness to an experience of loneliness, or vice versa.

Measuring psychological change after trauma: Psychometric properties of a new bi-directional scale.

The current scientific measures of posttraumatic changes in the wake of major stressors have mostly been unidirectional. This study is an attempt to develop a scale that will capture the continuum of positive to negative psychological changes after trauma. Forty-five statements were presented to a veteran sample (N = 4,053) with the request to report for each item their experiences of negative, positive, or no posttraumatic changes as a result of their deployment to Afghanistan. Principal component analysis brought out 4 dimensions; 26 nonoverlapping items that had correlations above .40 were selected for the final version of the scale. The 4 dimensions were given the following designations: Self-Confidence, Interpersonal Involvement, Awareness, and Social Adaptability. Most veterans reported positive changes (36.8-80.8%) whereas a minority reported negative changes (4.5-22.0%). The total scale score correlated negatively with measures of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. The posttraumatic change scale (PTCS) demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties and captured the range from negative to positive posttraumatic changes after major stress. Contrary to several previous studies, positive posttraumatic change, as measured by the PTCS, was not associated with increased symptoms of psychopathology. This underscores the heterogeneity of psychological responses to traumatic events. (PsycINFO Database Record

Internet Facilitated Rape: A Multivariate Model of Offense Behavior.

Recent statistics report a significant increase in individuals reporting they have been raped by a stranger whom they have met through the Internet (Internet facilitated rape [IFR]). Previous literature has primarily focused on child victims; hence, the overriding aim of this study is to further our understanding of IFR in terms of crime scene behavior. One hundred forty-four IFR cases and two comparative samples of age-matched stranger rapists (confidence approach and surprise approach) were coded for 38 crime scene behaviors. Findings suggest that the platforms IFR offenders use to meet their victims were not suggestive of the behavior they were likely to display. In terms of specific offense behaviors, the IFR and confidence approach rapists were considerably similar and both samples were comparatively different from the surprise approach rapists. Thus, this may indicate that the method of approach used by a stranger rapist has a significant effect on the subsequent rape crime scene behavior displayed regardless of any prior contact. A smallest space analysis of the IFR sample revealed three distinct themes of behavior, criminal sophistication, interpersonal involvement, and violence with 71% of offenders displaying one dominant theme. The practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Self-voice ‘-nikka’ in the Korean language

This study has investigated the interactional functions of the discourse marker -nikka in spoken Korean. When this marker is used at a sentence-final position, it exhibits non-referential meanings that play a significant role in verbal exchanges. Within discourse analysis, the study has examined how speakers express a particular attitude, through the use of this marker when quoting the speaker's own utterance. For a theoretical framework, the notion of ‘involvement’ has been used to describe the interactive nature of -nikka, by observing how the speakers use this marker to create interpersonal involvement in interaction. The current study reveals that, while this marker is used as a self-quotation in order to convey the speaker's own utterance as frequently used in casual conversations, -nikka displays different functions: hearer-oriented recollection, speaker-oriented recollection, and mutually understood recollection. By exploring these functions, this research sheds light towards understanding how the speaker's attitude is manifested through a particular discourse marker, and how that can have an influence on the hearer in interaction. Consequently, this is a clear demonstration of how language is not only a device to convey information or thoughts but also the speaker's expressive (‘affective’ or ‘emotive’) meanings. Furthermore, the findings in this study will contribute towards understanding particular functions of self-quotation in the Korean language.

Development of the General Parenting Observational Scale to assess parenting during family meals.

BackgroundThere is growing interest in the relationship between general parenting and childhood obesity. However, assessing general parenting via surveys can be difficult due to issues with self-report and differences in the underlying constructs being measured. As a result, different aspects of parenting have been associated with obesity risk. We developed a more objective tool to assess general parenting by using observational methods during a mealtime interaction.MethodsThe General Parenting Observational Scale (GPOS) was based on prior work of Baumrind, Maccoby and Martin, Barber, and Slater and Power. Ten dimensions of parenting were included; 4 were classified in the emotional dimension of parenting (warmth and affection, support and sensitivity, negative affect, detachment), and 6 were classified in the behavioral dimension of parenting (firm discipline and structure, demands for maturity, psychological control, physical control, permissiveness, neglect). Overweight children age 8–12 years old and their parent (n = 44 dyads) entering a weight control program were videotaped eating a family meal. Parents were coded for their general parenting behaviors. The Mealtime Family Interaction Coding System (MICS) and several self-report measures of general parenting were also used to assess the parent–child interaction. Spearman’s correlations were used to assess correlation between measures.ResultsThe emotional dimensions of warmth/affection and support/sensitivity, and the behavioral dimension of firm discipline/structure were robustly captured during the family meals. Warmth/affection and support/sensitivity were significantly correlated with affect management, interpersonal involvement, and communication from the MICS. Firm discipline/structure was inversely correlated with affect management, behavior control, and task accomplishment. Parents who were older, with higher educational status, and lower BMIs were more likely to display warmth/affection and support/sensitivity.ConclusionSeveral general parenting dimensions from the GPOS were highly correlated with similar family functioning constructs from the MICS. This new observational tool appears to be a valid means of assessing general parenting behaviors during mealtimes and adds to our ability to measure parent-level factors affecting child weight-related outcomes. Future evaluation of this tool in a broader range of the population and other family settings should be conducted.