Self-reflection Research Articles

Effects of the Integrativ Play THERAPEUTIC COUNSELING Program on the Depression of the Elderly

Purpose: The present research attempted to find whether there was any relevance between integrative play therapeutic counseling programs and the lessening of depression among the elderly who had expe-rienced a sexually inequal society, and whether the experiment group which took part had different re-sults from that which did not take part. Method: The research targeted the 24 elderly people over 63 years of age and divided them into an experiment group of 11 and a control group of 13. The program happened 12 times in 90 minute intervals. The data was handled with the SPSS 18.0 program and was analysed using the covariance method with the prior score for depression serving as the covariate. After the program was done, 2 of the experiment group members were used for personal case studies. Results: First, the experiment group which took part in the therapeutic program displayed a meaning-ful decrease in the depression level while the control group which did not take part had no meaningful changes. Second, in the personal case study it was found that the present program is effective in lessening depression. Conclusion: First, the cognitive distortion and self management skills were expounded upon, which led to the decrease in depression level. Second, it was found that they were mostly professional retirees and the well educated who had teaching occupations. Third, the figure play with family symbols was shown to be a desirable activity in determining the understanding of self and the dynamics between family members. Fifth, at the end of each interval the elders shared empathy and support for each other and repeatedly cried “Let’s put our best foot forward now and today”. Sixth, in the activity in which a distorted cognitive structure was reformed, the messages of comfort and reinforcement also affected the outcome. Seventh, the present program has the effect of decreasing the depression level of the elderly, and may provide preliminary data in developing a program on depression of the elderly in the future.

Choroba i jej metafory w twórczości współczesnych polskich poetek

The article deals with metaphors of disease in selected contemporary Polish female poets. In focus are the portrayals of disease, its symptoms and consequences for the imperfect human body. The anthropological perspective assumed in this study, which reveals the coding of human experience in a literary work, emphasises the connections between the poetics of the work and the problem of defining individual identity. The analysis leads to the following conclusions: the poets (both in lyrical poetry and other intimist writing) usually relate to conceptual metaphors motivated by the notions of object and containment (e.g. life is a container, body is an object, body is a container); other recognizable metaphors are orientational (wpaść w wilczy dół ‘fall into the pitfall’) or grounded in the notion of fire (czuję się spalona ‘I feel consumed by flames’). By modifying classic metaphors, the poets construct new cognitive perspectives. They express the feeling of isolation from the world of the healthy and the fragility of the human body as a material “prison house”. They also make attempts to regain control over it by extending the boundaries of intimacy. By studying the esthetic and epistemological aspects of metaphors in connection with an understanding of self in a situation of irreversible loss of full physical control, of fear and of bold expansion of one’s corporality, it is possible to identify individual and cultural grounding of corporality.

Meanings and Motives for Consumers’ Sustainable Actions in the Food and Clothing Domains

The concept of sustainability has been widely discussed in the public arena by public entities and companies; however, consumers express inconsistency and confusion around the meaning of sustainability. This study aims to provide insights into consumers’ associations with the concept of sustainability in general and within two behavioural domains that represent daily necessities (i.e., food and clothing), in addition to exploring the motivational drivers behind sustainable behaviours. A total of 23 semi-structured interviews were conducted with young consumers in Denmark to address this aim. Consumers perceived the concept of sustainability as complex and mainly related it to environmental aspects, whereas social and economic aspects were less emphasised. The interviewees used examples of sustainable behaviours, which cover the whole consumption-cycle, when interpreting sustainability. Consumers had various motivations to engage in sustainable behaviours and these varied by the stage in the consumption-cycle and domain. The interviewees displayed external motivation (e.g., save money, better taste), introjected motivation (e.g., impress others, public self-consciousness), internalised motivation (e.g., reflection of self) and even intrinsic motivation (e.g., pure interest) to engage in different types of sustainable food or clothing behaviours across the consumption-cycle. Different types of motivations drove the same behaviour, suggesting potential synergies or internal conflicts.

An Exploration of Young Clients' Experiences in Counseling With Post‐Master's Counselors

This phenomenological study adds to current literature about clients' meaningful experiences in counseling by exploring the experiences of eight young clients (ages 8–18) in individual counseling with post‐master's counselors in an outpatient setting. Interviews with these clients revealed the following six themes: (a) the process of growth, (b) having a safe place to talk, (c) counselor accepts and meets the client where they are, (d) counseling is a team effort, (e) supportive accountability from the counselor, and (f) understanding self and others. The final theme includes two subthemes: learning coping and emotion management skills, and learning better ways to communicate and behave. Findings and implications for counselors are discussed.

The Portrait's Subject: Inventing Inner Life in the Nineteenth-Century United StatesRethinking Sympathy and Human Contact in Nineteenth-Century American Literature: Hawthorne, Douglass, Stowe, Dickinson

The Portrait's Subject: Inventing Inner Life in the Nineteenth-Century United StatesRethinking Sympathy and Human Contact in Nineteenth-Century American Literature: Hawthorne, Douglass, Stowe, Dickinson

Longitudinal GP placements – inspiring tomorrow's doctors?

ABSTRACT General practice worldwide is facing a severe recruitment crisis, with significantly fewer medical students choosing to pursue careers in primary care than are required to meet society’s growing demands. The role of GP placements and GP tutors has been highlighted as having a significantly positive influence on medical students’ perceptions of general practice. However, how students perceive these experiences to have influenced their subsequent career preferences remains poorly understood. We sought to explore how a longitudinal GP placement influences medical students’ preferences regarding a career in general practice, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of such placements. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with five fourth-year medical students using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis methodology. Four overarching concepts were identified, with nine superordinate themes, to describe how a longitudinal placement had influenced medical students’ preference regarding a career in general practice. There appears to have been a matching process between an expanding knowledge of the realities of being a GP and an increasing understanding of self. The GP tutor and ‘authentic’ experiences to consult patients themselves developed a growing sense of self-efficacy within students, all of which resulted in a significant internal desire to become future GPs.

Live Action Role-playing: Transcending the Magic Circle through Play in Dagorhir

Individuals interact with one another and develop themselves in accordance with these interactions. One group within this complex system is live action role-players (larpers). Larps are a variant of play that combine the “role-playing” of games, such as Dungeons & Dragons, with the “live action” aspects of sports. Using symbolic interactionism as its paradigmatic orientation, this study examines how the magic circle is reinforced and challenged through the development of in-game characters and their effect on the out-of-game self. The respondents of this ethnography participate in a larp called Dagorhir (1977-), which puts an emphasis on live action combat rather than role-play. Participants are part of the Las Vegas realm of Dagorhir, Barad’Dun. Players view Dagorhir as a full contact sport mixed with martial arts; role-playing and character development is encouraged, but not necessary. I observed, interviewed, and participated with this group over the period of six months. Even in a combat-oriented larp like Dagorhir, players get to choose names, weapons, clothing, fighting techniques, and other ways to develop their in-game characters; this ability establishes a connection between leisure larps and edu-larps.The themes that emerged from coding show different aspects of self and social interactions that are affected through in-game character development: Larp Segregation, Reflection of Self, Critique of Self, and Evolution of Self. Players develop terms to label each other and other larpers, as well as create different social networks to further bonding within play. Many of the players recognized how they developed their in-game characters, but some failed to see how their characters facilitated personal change outside of the larp. Though some participants choose characters that reinforce who they are out-of-game, others choose characters to emulate attributes they believe they lack out-of-game. While participants often perceived their in-game characters and their out-of-game self as separate entities, this study was able to observe ways in which they are connected.

Motivations of guests contributing sWOM on social media: a case in Vietnam

PurposeThis paper examines whether guests contribute sWOM (social word of mouth) on different SNSs (social networking sites) regarding various personal motivations. SNSs have changed the way guests eat and experience their food and dishes. Marketing managers have effectively targeted SNSs as a marketing tool, yet have little research about drivers of guests' sWOM contribution on SNSs has been done. A model including the significant motives: (1) experiences, (2) opinion leadership, (3) reflection of self and (4) need for unique is tested to investigate their positive effects on contribution behavior of social media guests.Design/methodology/approachThe data collected from 411 guests by using the snowball method was used for analysis. The structural equation modeling was applied to examine the relationships among the constructs and test the eight proposed hypotheses.FindingsResults reveal that experiences, opinion leadership, reflection of self and need for unique were positively associated with contributing sWOM of restaurants. Furthermore, those who have positive experiences tend to be opinion leadership and reflection of self. And guests who show reflection of self, they are more likely to have opinion leaders and show need for uniqueness. Our study expands the existing frameworks of sWOM contribution by identifying various motivations and labeling sWOM. Findings provide restaurant managers with managerial implications for online marketing strategies on SNSs to attract sWOM contribution among guests.Research limitations/implicationsIt has some limitations while discovering the motivations of positive sWOM contribution. First, we only focused on the motivation of contributing positive sWOM, while negative sWOM received many arguments in changing attitudes toward buying products or services. Second, we collected data in Vietnam only without comparing with different countries. Future research could explore further cross-cultural perspectives to fill the gap. Third, this study explored sWOM contribution in service environment, sWOM contribution from service context may be slightly different from those of product brands.Practical implicationsThese findings highlight the motivations of sWOM contribution that restaurant managers must recognize and make use of it. SNSs have given power to consumers to post everything at anytime and anywhere they like, therefore restaurant managers need to deeply understand why their consumers contribute sWOM. In digital era, customers and guests have become the ultimate tools for promoting product or service brands. The marketing managers should create an online platform in order to facilitate their consumers to discuss their brand frequently (Charu et al., 2018). Restaurants should have policies to push positive eWOM maximally and also reduce advertising costs.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies on sWOM contribution of what motivate guests to contribute their sWOM on SNSs. Theoretically, this study offers deep insights into the links between various motivations and sWOM in foodservice context. Managerially, understanding these motivations allow marketing managers create effective policies that motivate guests to contribute positive word of mouth.

The Role of Emotion in 1 Peter

This revised Durham University 2016 dissertation by Katherine Hockey, written under the supervision of John Barclay, examines the role of emotions in the rhetorical discourse of 1 Peter. It argues that “emotions are not a manipulative moving force that is separate from logical argument, but in themselves communicate logically and can be deployed to alter an audience’s interpretation of events, promote systems of value, influence goals, and, consequently, shape behavior” (p. 3). The emotion terms that Hockey explores are joy, distress, fear, hope, and shame.The study consists of five parts. Part one (chs. 1–2) introduces the work. Chapter 1 surveys the state of NT studies regarding emotions. Chapter 2 lays out the theoretical foundations. Hockey defines “emotion” not simply as a feeling but as a process that includes several components, not least the cognitive. Her work focuses on the object, appraisal, and action-tendency of an emotion. Hockey also considers emotions to be cultural constructs. Consequently, she argues that the study of emotions is important because emotions “can be used to construct or enforce a symbolic universe” (p. 37). Part two (chs. 3–4) examines the study of emotions in antiquity. Chapter 3 outlines the Stoic philosophy of emotion, validating her approach. Her investigation of “emotions in 1 Peter in terms of object-directedness, evaluative judgments, and action-tendencies” is not anachronistic because such ideas were also investigated by the ancients (p. 85). Chapter 4 looks into the rhetorical use of emotions by Aristotle, Quintilian, and Cicero, confirming the importance of engaging the audience’s emotion so as to persuade them to adopt a certain course of action. Part three (chs. 5–6) analyzes 1 Peter with regard to emotions that focus on the present experience, namely, joy and distress. Chapter 5 exegetes 1 Pet 1:6–8, noting that it exhorts readers to rejoice despite suffering. Chapter 6 probes 1 Pet 4:12–13 and its call to rejoice in suffering. Part four (chs. 7–9) interrogates 1 Peter for emotions that focus on a future expectation, namely, fear, hope, and shame. Chapter 7 analyzes passages that focus on fear and hope. It shows how these texts encourage fidelity toward God, presenting him as the believer’s only object of fear and hope. Chapter 8 explores the motif of shame, determining that believers should not be ashamed of their Christian identity. Unbelievers who reject Christ, however, will face God’s shaming judgment. Chapter 9 concludes this work. Hockey reminds us that 1 Peter uses emotions to build and reinforce a distinctly Christian worldview. “The positive or negative presentation of each emotion creates an emotional regime for the believers, which subsequently produces the boundaries for their understanding of self and other” (p. 253).Hockey’s dissertation is significant. First, it is a welcome addition to the limited number of studies investigating emotions in the NT. As of this year, there are only a handful of monographs in this field, and her work is the first thorough investigation of the rhetorical function of emotions in a NT epistle. Second, it is an important reminder that “emotions and ethics cannot be separated because emotions, through their evaluation of an object’s goal congruence, drive action” (p. 257). Third, it is a fine example of careful scholarship. Part two, with its overview of the Greco-Roman study of emotions in antiquity, is especially helpful. It provides a theoretical framework and guards against the imposition of modern categories into her analysis of emotions in 1 Peter.There are, however, a few areas in which her work may be improved. First, her discussion on the temporal force of ἀγαλλιᾶσθε (pp. 120–21) could be made richer and more compelling if she used aspect theory in her argumentation. Second, her exegetical work could be tighter, for there are several areas where it is not apparent how her investigation impinges on the role of emotions in 1 Peter. Third, the distinction between parts three and four of her work is not clear. She labels part three as “The Present Experience” and part four as “Future Expectation.” Part three focuses on joy and distress, part four on fear, hope, and shame. It is however not clear why joy and distress should focus only on the present, for Hockey herself notes that the cause of joy consists of goods that are “beyond temporal constraints, being eternal in nature” (p. 128). Moreover, it is also not clear why fear, hope, and shame should only focus on future expectations, for Peter exhorts his readers not to be ashamed in “their current persecution” (p. 240). These comments do not negate the significance of Hockey’s work. Her contribution is commendable. I trust that it will spur others to further the investigation of emotions in the NT.

Vicarious trauma in therapists: a meta-ethnographic review.

Hearing about trauma can leave a mark on an individual, leading to a significant change in worldview that shatters their existing beliefs and is pervasive across view of self, other and the world. Individuals present with a range of symptoms that mimic post-traumatic stress disorder although the symptoms are less severe. Despite this, some individuals can experience growth through an enriched understanding of self and other. This altered perspective enables individuals to respond in ways that promote growth and positivity in their own lives. The aim of this review was to synthesise existing qualitative literature exploring how therapists experience working with trauma survivors. A systematic literature search found 16 studies which were selected for review following the application of inclusion/exclusion criteria and quality appraisal. Noblit and Hare's (1988) approach to meta-ethnography was followed. The themes identified outline a cognitive model of vicarious trauma whereby therapists presented with cognitive, emotional, physiological and behavioural 'symptoms' due to marked changes in schemata following repeated exposure to trauma. The literature suggests that therapists experience growth and development alongside vicarious trauma through witnessing clients' resilience and growth. This meta-ethnographic review suggests that the impact of working with trauma is profound and complex for therapists bearing witness to their client's pain and concurrently, their growth.

The Distance Between the "Self" and the "Other" in Children's Digital Books.

This conceptual paper contributes toward our understanding of the underlying mechanisms in children’s understanding of self and the other with media. We synthesize diverse bodies of literature, concerned with children’s reading with digital and traditional (print) books, to explicate the parameters that may, in part, explain positive learning outcomes and further illuminate the patterns across various measures. We propose the “Distance Model,” which suggests that a child’s interest in a reading activity depends on its proximity to the child’s funds of identity (Esteban-Guitart and Moll, 2014). The closer the proximity, the more salient the impact on the child’s cognitive understanding and sense of belonging. The familiarity of the reading content and the relevance of the reading medium for a child’s personal life can be evoked through a number of reading strategies and design techniques, which we discuss in relation to children’s literature and the contemporary design of children’s interactive e-books. We conclude with some suggestions regarding future applications of the Distance Model in children’s media research.

“Recalling hidden harms”: autistic experiences of childhood applied behavioural analysis (ABA)

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the long-term impacts autistic adults experienced from childhood participation in the applied behavioural analysis (ABA).Design/methodology/approachPossible participants were recruited through advertisements on social media and autism and ABA organisations. Possible participants were given the choice between an online or face-to-face interview or an anonymised online questionnaire.FindingsReflections from 10 participants were indicative of a predominantly detrimental impact of ABA. Reflections gave rise to a core theme “recalling hidden harms of childhood experiences of ABA”. Outcomes are discussed in relation to the impact on autistic identity, current research and progressing understanding of the impacts of early intervention from the autistic perspective.Research limitations/implicationsThe practical implications of ABA are discussed alongside recommendations for future practice and research with the involvement of autistic individuals within interventive processes.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to take an in-depth, qualitative approach to autistic experiences of ABA. The findings themselves are driven to conceptualise and give voice to the core impacts which carried through participants’ exploration and understanding of self.

Adapting the values affirmation intervention to a multi-stereotype threat framework for female students in STEM

We examined if an adapted version of a brief social psychological intervention following a multi-threat framework can enhance the mental task performance of female college students under stereotype threat. In experiment 1, under self-as-target stereotype threat, as expected, students who were exposed to the self-affirmation intervention had the highest task performance. However, under group-as-target stereotype threat, we found similar performances of the students in both the self-affirmation and group-affirmation conditions compared to control condition. In experiment 2, we showed that the extent a female student is identified with her gender group moderates the effectiveness of the group-affirmation intervention. The current research encourages researchers to consider different understandings of self while instituting common stereotype threat interventions rather than taking a uniform approach.

Collaborative Creative Processes That Challenge Us as "Anomaly", and Affirm Our Indigeneity and Enact Our Sovereignty

Collaborative Creative Processes That Challenge Us as "Anomaly", and Affirm Our Indigeneity and Enact Our Sovereignty

Alterity and the Asymmetric Gaze: Aboriginal Constructions of Self and Other in Northwest Arnhem Land

ABSTRACT While there is much scholarship deconstructing ‘mainstream’ Australian perceptions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, there has been little attention to how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples perceive non-Indigenous Australians. Yet such perceptions are telling of cultural difference and the circulation of power in a neo-colonial state. In this paper, we focus on Bininj/Yol people in and around the remote town of Maningrida in the Northern Territory, where the term ‘Balanda’ denotes non-Indigenous Australians, particularly of European descent. Exploring themes of work, time, material accumulation, and Country, we ask how Bininj/Yol people construct Balanda; how their understandings of Balanda shape their understandings of Self and vice versa; and how their constructions of Self are refracted through Balanda discourses about Aboriginality. Bininj/Yol portraits of Balanda are seldom flattering and frequently serve as a counterpoint to local Aboriginal ideals of Self. Balanda seem bafflingly deficient in traits proper and natural: they flout appropriate relations with other people, land and cosmos, and appear obsessed with work, clock time, rules, and material accumulation. Drawing on the concept of the gaze as a force that both objectifies and subjects, we then consider the influence of asymmetric ‘looking relations’ on local Aboriginal senses of Self. This was especially apparent during the Northern Territory ‘Intervention’ when the people of the Maningrida region suddenly saw themselves through Balanda eyes, and beheld a shockingly different image than the one they held of themselves.

Reflections of self and other: Discursive possibilities for solidarity in conceptions of sameness and difference.

Reflections of self and other: Discursive possibilities for solidarity in conceptions of sameness and difference.

Child and Fool in the Western Wisdom Tradition

Fools and children—particularly infants and young children—proliferate in the wisdom traditions of the world. Both are outsiders to and subversive of the positive, adult male knowledge tradition. King Lear’s Fool, for example, turns out to be the only adult in whom (because he is a “child”) an old, failing king at the mercy of his enemies can find any wisdom. It is the fool who presides over the old king’s rebirth and his reassumption of childhood. As they are presented in Western wisdom discourse, child and fool stand for a crisis in human understanding of self in its relation to whole, or cosmos. Historically, this crisis originated in the Greek and Hellenistic world, where both the Near Eastern wisdom-as-technical-knowledge tradition, which had one culmination in the sophists, and its close relative, the even older Egyptian wisdom-as-harmony-with-cosmos tradition which culminated in Stoicism, fell to the radical Socratic aporia. This paper seeks to identify the psychological and epistemological moment at which child and fool become powerful, if enigmatic, signs of the hidden wisdom for the Western tradition, and significant symbols for the mythic structure of Western self-understanding.

Joyraj and Debanuj: queer(y)ing the city

ABSTRACT In this article we want to evoke two characters that each suggest different points of departure for thinking about Kolkata as a queer kind of space. By this we want to evoke something of the sexual geography and life-ways of the city, but to go beyond this standpoint too, to question ways in which ethnographic characters might be evoked in respect of any context, Kolkata or elsewhere. In one sense this is to open out a perception of Kolkata as a scene of many sexual life-worlds, inviting a plural kind of analysis suggestive of a multiplicity of perspectives; persons/subjects each with a unique viewpoint to be captured. The two characters we explore here each draw attention to issues of belonging and migration, of both wanting to move to and away from Kolkata; creating new life-worlds via the city amidst its shifting sexual geographies, class and caste divisions, and wider diasporic connections and fault-lines. Kolkata itself emerges as an attribute of the characterisations to hand: sometimes as distinct mise-en-scene, at others a kind of sensibility or resonance field for understanding self and others.

ПІДГОТОВКА ХОРЕОГРАФІВ У США: ЦІННОСТІ Й ПЕРЕКОНАННЯ

The article considers the choreography specialists’ training in the US universities. Values and educational beliefs which guide the higher choreographic education in the USA, are defined, namely: embodiment, creative and critical inquiry, empathy, reflective practice, collaboration and interconnection, communication and dissemination, wellness and preservation. Each of these values and beliefs is analyzed in detail. Embodiment as value lies in the fact that body/mind integration is central to dance and educational practices, the agency of the individual. Creative and critical inquiry is related to the fact that higher choreographic education requires the interplay of analytical and imaginative thinking in scholarly, artistic, and pedagogical endeavors. It is defined that while training choreography specialists in the USA the activity approach is realized. Empathy is a vital value as through moving and working together, significant physical, intellectual, and emotional connections are formed that provide support for an ever-expanding understanding of self and others. Reflective practice is defined by the fact that development is acknowledged as both a state of being and a process. Collaboration and interconnection are exhibited through adaptability, flexibility of perspectives, and appreciation of context. Communication and dissemination aim to sustain the development of dance as a discipline, engage with the world, and offer commentary on topics of academic and social relevance. Wellness is defined by the acknowledgement of physical and emotional impact of dance and is based on the knowledge of anatomical and psychological demands and its practical appliance into practices of teaching, learning and engagement in creative processes. In higher choreographic education different dimensions of wellness are valued: social, physical, intellectual, career, emotional, environmental and spiritual. The Dance Wellness Program and screening which enables to get the information and evaluate the state of health of future specialists in the field of choreography, are described. Preservation as value is based on the acknowledgement of efforts, talent, and contributions of individuals and groups along a historical continuum.

Experimental Analysis of Limited Distance Effects on Self Induced Blow Off and Heat Transfer in Upward Flame Spread Over Thin Fabric Fuels

Most previous work concentrated on the one-sided upward flame spread under limited conditions. However, few investigations have studied the effects of limited distance between wall and fuel surface on two-sided upward flame spreading. In this paper, a series of upward flame spread experiments were conducted using 0.65 mm thick, 130 cm tall and 4.0 cm wide flax fabric sheets with various limited distance of 1.0 cm–3.5 cm. The flame shape, flame length, flame standoff distance, pyrolysis spread rate and surface temperature were measured and analyzed. An unexpected but interesting behavior of one-sided flame blow off was observed in upward flame spread. When limited distance is no more than 1.5 cm, the one-sided flame blow off behavior occurs on unlimited side, whereas this behavior occurs on limited side for 2.0 cm–3.5 cm limited distance. This result could be qualitatively explained by Damkohler number Da, which could be characterized by two parameters of induced flow velocity and heat flux received by virgin surface. Moreover, the maximum flame length, steady flame length, maximum spread rate and steady spread rate first increase and then decrease as the limited distance. This non-monotonicity trend is determined by heat flux profiles in the preheating zone, which is due to the combined limited distance effects of restricting oxygen supply, chimney effect and wall radiation. The surface temperature profile ahead of pyrolysis front is used to qualitatively describe the heat flux received by virgin surface. The results in this paper are essential for better understanding of self induced flame blow off mechanism and upward flame spread under limited distance conditions.