Real Story Research Articles

Humanising health care: Assessing the impact of an educational resource to share real patient stories with eye care students

Depression is prevalent in people with low vision and is often not acknowledged or treated. Eye care practitioners are well placed to identify suspected depression and refer patients for support. But first, they need to view this as an appropriate aspect of their role and receive relevant training. Patients can play an important role in their education. In this project we invited four individuals with vision impairment to share their personal stories with eye care students in short film clips. These were provided to educators alongside written materials and filmed role plays of screening and referring for depression to use in their teaching. The impact of the resources on students was evaluated using pre- and post-use surveys. Educators and patients also provided feedback. Students experienced an increase in understanding, knowledge and confidence around addressing depression. They reported an increased appreciation of the patient perspective and would be more likely to communicate about mental health in future. Educators felt more confident in teaching students about depression and patients felt more able to talk to others about the psychological impact of vision loss. Sharing real patient stories via film clips proved a useful way of educating eye care students about depression.

Youth insights on a digital crowdsourcing intervention to reduce HIV stigma in Kazakhstan

Abstract Background In Kazakhstan, nearly a quarter of new HIV infections occur among adolescents and young adults (AYA). Testing can reduce the spread of HIV, yet AYA have low testing rates in Kazakhstan, due in part to HIV-related stigma. This qualitative paper explores participants’ perceptions of digital crowdsourcing content designed to reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV self-testing among AYA in Kazakhstan. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 AYA who participated in a digital crowdsourcing intervention. Questions focused on AYA’s perceptions of the crowdsourced content they viewed for the intervention, namely their likes, dislikes, the perceived impact of the content, and areas for improvement. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using a thematic approach. Results Findings revealed a perceived need for more youth-developed digital interventions. AYA favored artistic, interactive content featuring health specialists, youth characters, or real-life stories. Short videos and images were AYA’s favorite content formats. Many AYA showed less interest in longer videos and text-heavy content, finding them hard to understand. Most participants reported improved knowledge of HIV, reduced stereotypes related to HIV, heightened interests in HIV topics, more willingness to get tested, and changes of attitudes towards people living with HIV. Recommendations for future interventions include tailoring content to different AYA age groups and creating more engaging and easily digestible content. Conclusions This study highlights the potential of crowdsourced digital interventions in promoting HIV knowledge and awareness of HIV-related stigma among AYA in Kazakhstan. AYA appreciated youth-developed, interactive content that included real-life stories and artistic visual presentations. Key messages • This study highlights the potential of crowdsourced digital interventions in promoting HIV knowledge and awareness of HIV-related stigma among AYA in Kazakhstan. • AYA appreciated youth-developed, interactive content that included real-life stories and artistic visual presentations.

Sulking into Sex

Sometimes, people sulk when their partners refuse sex. For instance, they might angrily pout, initiate the silent treatment, or manifest some other form of conspicuous, blame-laden withdrawal. To avoid this sulking, those on the receiving end sometimes submit to sex that they do not want. Such sex seems wrongful, as does the sulking that induces it. But what explains this intuition? I offer a two-part answer, drawing from real stories. First, I argue that even attempting to sulk someone into sex often imposes wrongful blame. Second, I argue that succeeding at sulking someone into sex often renders that sex nonconsensual because coerced—a wrong that should be morally but not always criminally sanctioned. These conclusions extend to numerous other sexual and nonsexual pressures while avoiding the implication that all sexual pressures are consent-undermining. In this way, my arguments cut against the current literature on consent. More broadly, my arguments challenge the literature’s focus on overt sexual pressures—like threats of violence—as well as its methodological tendency towards abstraction. One major upshot is that we should attend more closely to subtle sexual pressures like sulking, especially within the distinctive dynamic of close relationships.

The Haunted Theatre: Mark Ravenhill’s The Haunting of Susan A

Different art forms such as music, light, sound, digital art, dance, painting, sculpture, ritual, and film can be part of the theatre. Through these components, theatre might be used to stage human existence, behaviours, places, historical dimensions, cultural history, emotions, passions, fears, and various narratives and experiences in the social dimension. Mark Ravenhill, focusing on the history of the King’s Head pub, famous people’s stories over ale, and the possibilities of what once could have happened in the room where the audiences are gathered, represents cultural history, passions, and fears and portrays a ghost story using light and sound techniques and various narratives related to the King’s Head Theatre in London. Ravenhill portrays a distinctive ghost and haunted story in his newest play, The Haunting of Susan A (2022). The ghost takes place in the world of Susan, and a private trauma is witnessed when Susan mentions the ghost or feels the ghost during the performance. This paper seeks to study the impact of Ravenhill’s play, which centres on the theatre’s past and, using Suzanne Ahmet’s ghost story, tries to activate audiences’ memories and fear and observe uncanny feelings in audiences. This study will explore the performance at King’s Head and the history of the pub, along with the theoretical approach of hauntology, envisaging which celebrities stopped by for an ale in the King’s Head history and Susan’s story (Suzanne Ahmet), an actress before, a real story (Susan insists) in The Haunting of Susan A.

Socialisation and Resocialisation of “Feral” Children (On Examples from Folklore and Literary Works)

The article interprets the problem of socialisation and resocialisation of “feral” children on the example of real-life stories, folklore and literary works. A pedagogical commentary is made on trends, causes and results, as well as on educational and methodical approaches to the inclusion of children raised by animals in the wild.

Digital Physics Module for 21st Century Education on New and Renewable Energy Based on the Dilemma-STEAM Learning Model

Abstract This study aims to develop a Dilemma-STEAM electronic module on renewable energy materials to be used as a physics teaching resource for 10th-grade high school students using the ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) development model. The Dilemma-STEAM based e-module is a digital physics module based on the Dilemma-STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) model of teaching. In the context of 21st-century education, the application of technology and interdisciplinary approaches is emphasized to prepare students for future challenges. This module is designed to encourage critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity in students through real dilemmas story integrated with STEAM. The product is a digital module design presented through the website, it easily accessible to students using compatible electronic devices. Based on the validation results conducted by experts, an overall percentage of 87.50% was obtained from material experts, 84.44% from media experts, and 89.41% from learning experts. Additionally, the product trial by physics teachers showed a final percentage of 95.63% with an interpretation of “Very Good,” while students who had studied the material on physical quantities and measurements gave a percentage of 87.51% with an interpretation of “Very Good.” From this research, it can be concluded that the Dilemma-STEAM electronic module on renewable energy materials is deemed valid and suitable for use as a physics learning medium for 10th-grade high school students.

Journeys to functionality: A dimensional analysis of personal narratives of recovery from depression.

Recovery from depression constitutes a long journey that is understood as a unique and multifaceted process encompassing various dimensions. To understand what constitutes recovery from depression and to develop greater insights into the unique dimensions of the recovery journey, the study of recovery memoirs is essential. This article performs a dimensional analysis on six Indian first-hand accounts of recovery from depression collected in Amrita Tripathi and Arpita Anand's Real Stories of Dealing with Depression to examine the journeys toward healing and the uniqueness of the recovery processes. Through the dimensional analysis, four core dimensions of recovery from depression-Problems, Social Supports, Position of Recovery and Functionality-are identified. The process of recovery, consisting of understanding the problems (causes) through sensed adversities (sensed effects), making use of received social supports to transform oneself, finding out the position of recovery, and lastly, functioning peacefully for living, corresponds to the four dimensions of recovery. Drawing on Herbert Blumer's theory of social interactionism, the article examines how different individuals interpret their experiences of depression in unique ways and develop distinctive recovery strategies. The identified dimensions of recovery correspond to the need for unique approaches to recovery articulated by each of the narrators. The selected narratives reveal that the problems are unique, and for each of the unique problems, there has to be a distinctive support mechanism. The recovery narratives are centred around the unique problems wherein the individuals attempt to understand what happened to them and why it happened. The article concludes by suggesting that healthcare practitioners can utilise the dimensions and the subdimensions as a lead to understand fully how their clients conceptualise their problems and try to understand how each client defines the recovery itself.

The times of jeopardising free speech

Press freedom is at stake in India, which holds a dismal rank of 159 among 180 countries in the Press Freedom Index 2024. While dissent and democracy ideally go hand in hand, a glance at the present situation in India suggests that these terms are perceived as antonyms in practice. The state is exerting its repressive power over dissenters, particularly targeting media outlets that do not align with the state’s interests. The media has a great responsibility and obligation to the citizens to bring out real stories with diligence and truthfulness. In India, the depiction of socioeconomic and political realities is mostly done at utmost risk and with an air of uneasiness. The truth remains elusive to the majority of the public, as they receive information from a restrained source constantly under government surveillance. This article aims to analyse the current situation of media and democracy in India with reference to freedom of speech and expression. The writing is an outcome of analysing the past and present sociopolitical contexts in India concerning the concept of free speech.

Virtual reality education on myalgic encephalomyelitis for medical students and healthcare professionals: a pilot study

IntroductionMyalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a chronic condition which may be characterised by debilitating fatigue, post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive difficulties. ME/CFS has significant negative impact on quality of life for those living with the condition. This may be exacerbated by a lack of knowledge within healthcare regarding the condition. Previous research has found that immersive virtual reality (VR) educational experiences within healthcare education can increase knowledge and empathy.MethodsThe present study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design to investigate the impact of a short immersive VR educational experience on knowledge of ME/CFS and empathy for those living with the condition. The VR experience placed participants into a virtual scene which told real life stories of the experience of people living with ME/CFS and their families. 43 participants completed in this pilot study: 28 medical students and 15 primary care health professionals. Participants completed measures of knowledge of ME/CFS and empathy before and after engagement with the experience.ResultsA statistically significant increase was found for levels of knowledge (p < .001, d = 0.74) and empathy (p < .001, d = 1.56) from pre-VR experience levels to post-VR experience levels with a medium and large effect size, respectively. Further analysis revealed no statistically significant difference between baseline levels of knowledge of ME/CFS between healthcare professionals and medical students.DiscussionThe present study is the first to explore the use of this short immersive VR experience as an education tool within healthcare to increase knowledge of ME/CFS, and empathy for those living with the condition. Findings allude to the previously established lack of knowledge of ME/CFS within healthcare although promisingly the increases in knowledge and empathy found suggest that this immersive VR experience has potential to address this. Such changes found in this small-scale pilot study suggest that future research into the use of VR as an educational tool within this setting may be beneficial. Use of a control group, and larger sample size as well as investigation of retention of these changes may also enhance future research.

Commas and coordinating conjunctions: Too many rules or no rules at all?

Although it is unclear why punctuation should be pushed to the sidelines, it generally continues to be a neglected research area in mainstream contemporary linguistics. Common sense and empirical evidence both suggest that punctuation is so much more than a stylistic device, its presence or absence creating new strata and shades of meaning. Punctuation is also a matter of some controversy, all too often employed as a symbol of confrontation between linguistic conservatives and their more permissive colleagues. An already difficult situation is made even more difficult with different sources (e.g. course and reference books, online blogs and articles, etc.) supplying contradictory information with a rigor that does not tolerate disagreement, obsessing over rules for the sake of rules themselves and disregarding the real stories behind them. Shifting focus from a rulegoverned behavior and identifying a relatively limited context of punctuation, the smallscale research addresses the issue of comma usage before the coordinating conjunctions and, but, or, nor, so, yet and for. In addition to a sketchy overview of this complex relationship illustrative of significant differences of opinion, the paper touches upon regional and generic factors influencing comma usage before coordinating conjunctions, utilizing the massive database of the Contemporary Corpus of American English (COCA). The main idea behind the paper is to observe and account for tendencies and discrepancies by providing critical commentary on authentic examples taken from the corpora rather than seek confirmation for rules and take the prescriptive norm for granted.

How do young men narrate the redemption story of a sexual assault perpetrator?

ABSTRACT Background: Little is known about how young men who have committed sexual assault might acknowledge wrongdoing and eventually change and make amends. There are practical barriers to seeking the real redemption stories of perpetrators. Objective: To explore hypothetical pathways to young men’s accountability-taking and amends (i.e. redemption) after perpetration of sexual assault. Method: In a pre-registered, qualitative story completion study, we presented heterosexual, cisgender college men (N = 54) with a date-based sexual assault story written by a fictional male perpetrator. Participants were prompted to complete the story so that the protagonist, who initially denies wrongdoing, eventually changes and becomes a violence prevention advocate. Results: A thematic analysis of the redemption stories revealed that this study’s speculative task was a challenging one. Half of the stories did not provide an explanation for how the perpetrator was able to acknowledge wrongdoing. Overall, individualistic themes (e.g. he introspected) were more common than relational, community, or societal facilitators of redemption. Conclusions: Without infrastructure for accountability-taking and repair, or narrative exemplars to draw from in public life, it is difficult to envision redemption from violence. Rare gender-based, structurally attuned analyses of sexual violence in the stories point the way towards a more transformative vision of redemption.

Navigating the World of The Stranger (1979) After the Cultural Revolution: Unveiling Hong Kong Leftist Science Fiction Film by Bao Fang

Abstract After the Cultural Revolution, a period marked by a global retreat from radical politics and increased compromises, filmmakers in the Hong Kong leftist film industry faced financial challenges stemming from the studio’s struggles during the Cultural Revolution. Despite these difficulties, they ingeniously incorporated generic elements to captivate audiences, using popular genres as conduits for social commentary. The Stranger by Feng Huang Motion Picture company stands out, as director Bao Fang adeptly appropriated science fiction elements to adapt a real story of espionage in Hong Kong. The film signifies Bao’s transition from opera film and historical pictures to negotiating realist and science-fictional elements to convey social innuendo. Drawing inspiration from recent works by Mingwei Song and Seo-young Chu, my argument extends to explore how sci-fi serves as a mode of expression for geopolitical commentary. The film not only expresses concern over Soviet espionage and also reflects the fear over the collapse of grand narratives such as Enlightenment and Revolution.

The Complex Role Played by the Default Mode Network during Sexual Stimulation: A Cluster-Based fMRI Meta-Analysis.

The default mode network (DMN) is a complex network that plays a significant and active role during naturalistic stimulation. Previous studies that have used naturalistic stimuli, such as real-life stories or silent or sonorous films, have found that the information processing involved a complex hierarchical set of brain regions, including the DMN nodes. The DMN is not involved in low-level features and is only associated with high-level content-related incoming information. The human sexual experience involves a complex set of processes related to both external context and inner processes. Since the DMN plays an active role in the integration of naturalistic stimuli and aesthetic perception with beliefs, thoughts, and episodic autobiographical memories, we aimed at quantifying the involvement of the nodes of the DMN during visual sexual stimulation. After a systematic search in the principal electronic databases, we selected 83 fMRI studies, and an ALE meta-analysis was calculated. We performed conjunction analyses to assess differences in the DMN related to stimulus modalities, sex differences, and sexual orientation. The results show that sexual stimulation alters the topography of the DMN and highlights the DMN's active role in the integration of sexual stimuli with sexual schemas and beliefs.

Preschool teachers’ perceptions on the use of questioning strategy during storytelling to develop children’s critical thinking in Central China

ABSTRACT Preschool teachers’ questioning is an important part of the teaching and learning process as questions can drive children’s thinking (Nappi 2017). As one of the most common pedagogical tasks in preschool, storytelling has the potential to bring the world to the classroom using imagined or real stories. However, to date, there is limited knowledge about teachers’ use of questioning in storytelling classes to develop children’s thinking skills. Based on sociocultural theory (Vygotsky 1978) and revised Bloom’s taxonomy, this study aims to explore how preschool teachers use questioning during storytelling classes to develop children’s critical thinking. By employing a case study design, the study involved 13 preschool teachers in China who were teaching children aged 5 and 6. Data were gathered for 6 months using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. The findings expanded the understanding of using the revised Bloom’s taxonomy as a reference in generating questions. The study suggested strengthening teachers’ practices in generating different types of questions for each of the revised Bloom’s taxonomy.

Romanticism and Deaf Justice

ABSTRACT Thomas Holcroft’s Deaf and Dumb (1801), an adaptation of J. N. Bouilly’s L’Abbé de L’Épée (1799), is a foundational story for deaf justice that models educational access as a route to self-determination for deaf people. Based on the real story of the Comte de Solar, Bouilly’s play, and its many translations, recounts the story of an abandoned deaf child who is rescued by the Abbé, taught sign language and restored to his family. This article follows the progress of the tale as it is reworked by deaf and hearing writers, circulating extensively in many genres on both sides of the Atlantic over the next two hundred years. Holcroft’s version is closely tied to fundraising for deaf schools, and is an important example of transatlantic exchange between deaf Anglophone and Francophone worlds. Although Holcroft’s play was embraced by pioneer deaf educators, such as Laurent Clerc, its sentimentality has proved to be problematic, as this article will also explore. The Solar story is, nevertheless, significant for the attention it pays to a number of deaf justice issues: the rights to family life and name; property ownership and inheritance; education and literacy; access to communication and community; and legal protections.

INWED Challenges &amp; Inspires

Taking a closer look at some of the real stories behind the latest International Women In Engineering Day.

Social media’s sway: how social comparison on social media stimulates impulse travelling; serial mediation study on Indian millennials tourists

PurposeThe study explores the impact of social media-induced social comparison on impulse travelling, drawing upon social comparison theory. It thoroughly examines the intermediary functions of fear of missing out (FoMO) and compulsive use of social media, alongside exploring the moderating impacts of self-esteem and self-control within this dynamic process.Design/methodology/approachTo meet the objective, we conducted a survey of 382 social media users among Indian millennial tourists. The analysis has been done using SPSS (AMOS 24) and Process macro (model 1) for moderation effect. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques have been employed for data collection.FindingsThe results indicate a positive influence of social comparison on impulsive travel. Additionally, the findings suggest that FoMO and the compulsive use of social media serve as serial mediations on the link between social comparison and impulse travelling. Moreover, self-esteem has shown a negatively significant relationship between social comparison and FoMO. Furthermore, self-control has also been found to have a negatively significant effect on the relationship between FoMO and the compulsive use of social media.Practical implicationsThe study’s findings offer valuable guidance for destination administrators. It suggests that administrators should refrain from engaging in aggressive and overly tailored marketing tactics. Instead, they should focus on sharing real and authentic stories that resonate with travellers, and administrators can mitigate the effects of social comparison and discourage impulsive travelling.Originality/valueThis study delves into an unexplored realm in digital marketing literature, shedding light on how social comparison on social media influences the impulsive travelling of Indian millennial tourists. This study is an inaugural attempt to formulate a theoretical framework within the scope of the tourism sector.

"Some distance between us": a UK mixed methods study exploring experiences of remote care for eating disorders during COVID-19.

COVID-19 necessitated a rapid move from face-to-face services to remote care for eating disorders/eating distress (EDs). This study explores the advantages and challenges of remote care, identifying future implications for service provision. Remote care has been considered in the broadest of terms, including therapeutic care (e.g., Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, peer support, forums, one-to-one and group care options). Using a mixed methods approach, data were collected from 211 people with lived experience of EDs (PWLE), with and without formal diagnosis. 27 participants took part in semi-structured interviews/workshops and a further 184 participants took part via an online survey. Participants reported on their ED status, the impact of the pandemic on symptoms, the benefits, andchallenges of remote care (and type of support accessed), and any reasons for not accessing support. Participants were invited to make future care recommendations. ED symptoms were reported as worsening during the pandemic with contributing factors including isolation, lack of routine, negative emotions, and feeling like the external situation was outside of one's control. Remote care was positively attributed to increased flexibility and facilitation of social connection. Identified barriers to access included lack of awareness about support availability, digital access/literacy, and competing commitments. Further challenges included approaches being perceived as too clinical (e.g., ED information and support presented using clinical language and/or limited to support within medical care settings, without acknowledging the broader context of disordered eating), uncertainty around remote care quality, and concerns that remote platforms may facilitate masking of symptoms. Participants reported distress caused by online platforms where self-view is the default during video calls. They expressed a need for more holistic approaches to remote care, including: "real stories" of recovery, and hybrid (online and offline) options for greater flexibility and widening of access and choice. Participants also expressed a need for appropriate digital literacy training. Future recommendations emphasise user-centred holistic and hybrid approaches to ED remote support, with training to address digital literacy barriers and facilitate user control of platform functionalities (e.g., self-view). This study underscores the need for continued remote care with a focus on inclusivity and user empowerment.

“I want to have stories too”. Nursing students' views on nursing identity and reasons for choosing nursing as a career: A qualitative study

AimTo understand and interpret nursing students' views on nursing identity and their reasons for choosing nursing as a career after participating in a face-to-face storytelling panel by academics. BackgroundKnowing nursing students’ view of the profession and their thoughts about the profession, their roles and their future will guide nursing academics to develop evidence-based strategies that will enable participants to realize their own professional identities. Storytelling has an important role in creating and strengthening a strong professional identity among participants. DesignThis study is a sample case study. MethodsThis research was carried out in the fall semester of the 2023–2024 academic year with participants registered in nursing program at the Faculty of Health Sciences of a state university in the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye. The study was completed with one hundred ten participants. Five academics were invited to the panel at the Faculty of Health Sciences to share their experiences, stories and reasons for choosing nursing as a career through storytelling. The data were collected using the surveys, which includes five structured open ended questions and analyzed using descriptive analysis. ResultsFive main themes emerged: 1. Participants’ views on nursing profession; 2. Awareness of positive/negative emotions related to the profession as a part of nursing stories and feeling that these emotions are experienced in the stories; 3. Changes in the perspective of the profession and sense of belonging to the profession as part of nursing stories; 4. Facilitators in choosing nursing as a career; and 5. Barriers to choosing nursing as a career. ConclusionProviding participants with the chance to both listen to the real stories of academic nurses and to reflect on themselves through writing was a dynamic experience that motivated participants to understand their perceptions of nurses and nursing profession.

“Real Time Story Telling”: A Performance-Art Festival in the Context of International Networks during the Transitional Period in Poland before and after 1989

“Real Time Story Telling”: A Performance-Art Festival in the Context of International Networks during the Transitional Period in Poland before and after 1989