Verbal Reflection Research Articles

To “read” and “write” pictures in early childhood: multimodal visual literacy through Israeli children’s digital photography

The article investigates the ability of preschool children to “read” a photograph (lend it meaning) and to “write” it (to create digital photographs individually or in a group). The premise is that these literacy skills are mutually reinforcing and inseparable. The study uses a population of children aged three to four who attend a preschool that bases an entire program on digital photography for the purpose of encouraging multimodal literacy and the conscious integration of verbal and visual literacy. It is found that young children who study with and about digital photographs improve their ability to perceive details and broaden their linguistic parameters considerably, including vocabulary, use of complex sentences, asking questions, and telling stories about pictures. As for the acquisition of visual literacy skills, the findings show that this kind of learning encourages decision-making in choosing contents and designing photographs. It also encourages verbal reflection about self-taken pictures. The study demonstrates the need to apply an integrated approach to literacy and to make the requisite changes from early childhood on.

Fostering Reflective Future Healthcare Professionals

The Masters of Biomedical Science (MBS) at Duke University School of Medicine has an integrated yearlong course, Essentials for Healthcare Practice and Professional Development (EHPPD), that offers pre-health profession students written and verbal reflection experiences in self-awareness and cultivation of self-care habits which are necessary to well-being in healthcare careers.

Realising the potential of art-based interventions in managerial learning: Embodied cognition as an explanatory theory

Teachers and consultants increasingly use art-based interventions (ABIs) to facilitate manager learning. However, there is little understanding of the mechanisms through which ABIs produce learning outcomes of value to organizations. This theoretical paper addresses this concern by revisiting the philosophy of art and education in light of developments in neuroscience known as embodied cognition. Specifically, we examine the role played by simulations in behavioral change and the way in which ABIs can foster the creation of simulations. This leads to two propositions, a) representing a phenomenon through new simulations can create new possibilities for interacting with this phenomenon; and b) making art is a means by which managers can construct new simulations. The significance of these propositions is illustrated by re-interpreting three accounts of art-based interventions found in the literature. These propositions have important implications for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of ABIs in management education. In particular, they emphasize the need to match art medium with desired outcomes, provide support for the view that ABIs are well suited to learning about complex managerial challenges, and question the effectiveness of verbal reflection as part of ABIs.

Written reflection in assessment and appraisal: GP and GP trainee views

Background: In the UK, evidence of written reflection is part of licensing and revalidation for general practitioners (GPs). However, there is little evidence of specific benefits compared to other forms of reflective practice. Aim: To seek GPs’ and general practice (GP) trainees’ views on the role of written reflection in learning and assessment. Design and setting: An online survey of 1005 GPs and GP trainees (GPTs) in the UK. Method: An anonymous questionnaire containing 38 attitudinal items was administered. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse Likert scale responses, thematic analysis for free-text responses. Results: In total 544 GPs and 461 GPTs completed the survey, with 842 (83.8%) agreeing they find verbal reflection with a colleague more useful than written reflection. Three quarters disagreed that written reflection is a way of identifying poorly performing GPs. Over 70% of respondents stated that summative, written reflection is a time-consuming, box-ticking exercise which distracts from other learning. They question its validity as part of assessment and state that its use may contribute to current difficulties with recruitment and retention to GP. Conclusions: For many GPs, written reflection is an onerous process rather than beneficial to their learning, indicating its continued use in assessment needs to be critically examined.

Scholarly Teaching Through Action Research: A Narrative of One Professor's Process

This article shares a first-hand account of an action research project conducted in a college-level early adolescent development course to better understand written and verbal reflection as learning tools, improve the author’s teaching effectiveness, and foster reflective habits in pre-service teachers. The article includes a brief overview of related literature and a description of several reflective activities and assignments used in the course before presenting and discussing the project’s results based on Ferrance’s (2000) 6-step action research process.

MATERNAL DEPRESSION AND NONVERBAL ATTUNEMENT

Nonverbal attunement is when mother attunes with emotional state of the child by changing her nonverbal behaviour (posture, facial expressions, movement rhythm, speed, etc.) instead of using verbal means of expression such as naming child's activity, verbal reflection or interpretation. Mother's difficulty to attune with a child is associated with high rates of the psychopathology in children (Allen, Fonagy, & Baterman, 2008). The research aimed to determine whether and what are the correlations between mother’s depression symptoms and to her ability nonverbally attune to her child. 30 mothers and their children participated in this part of the research by performed creative tasks. Maternal nonverbal attunement with a child was determined using the Nonverbal Attunement Scale (Vende & Čukurs, 2011). Mothers also filled in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI II Beck Depression Inventory; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996). Research findings indicate that maternal depression symptoms are not correlated to maternal nonverbal attunement with a child, and that is inconsistent with existing research. There was additionally examined child's ability to attune nonverbally to the mother in relation with maternal depression symptoms. These results show that maternal depression symptoms are negatively correlated to child's ability to mirror the mother nonverbally.

The impact of reflective practices on medical students' attitudes towards mental illness

Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of reflective practices on the attitudes of the medical students towards mental illnesses and to determine the impact of some variables on the attitude change. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out in two medical schools in Turkey. Educational intervention, included written and verbal reflection practices for student experience in interview with patients during psychiatry clerkship, was applied in intervention groups. The impact was evaluated by collecting data at before and after psychiatry clerkship using Beliefs towards Mental Illness Inventory (BMI) in intervention and control groups. Results: Total 190 students were included in the intervention (51.6%) and (48.4%) control groups. Mean score of total BMI was found to be significantly lower after intervention in both groups, however, no statistical difference was observed between the two groups. The impact of two subscales of the empathy and basic personal traits of the students and self-experience of mental illness on attitude change were found to be statistically significant. After correction was done for these variables, time affect (psychiatry training) could not be found statistically significant. Verbal reflective practice was found to be more beneficial than written one. Discussion: Psychiatry clerkship training created a small and meaningful impact, but reflective practices did not show a significant impact on attitude change of students towards mental illness. Empathy, basic personal traits and self-experience of mental illnesses can be taken into consideration as factors related with stigma in improving attitudes of students.

Iranians, Armenians, Prince Igor, and the Lightness of Pushkin

The Animal Style that characterizes Scythian art came into Armenia and Russia, where it is attested in bas-reliefs on churches; and the epic Song of Igor's Campaign, a unique verbal reflection of it, inspired Pushkin and his descendants in their poetic visions.

Communicating change – meaningful moments, situated cognition and music therapy: A response to North (2014)

How can we document and explain changes in, and outcomes of, music therapeutic work? In therapy, change is connected to a timeline of meaningful moments of insight and communication between therapist and client, which need to be understood through a situationist stance on musical experience. Social neuroscience research that describes time processes of musical communication and physiological change creates frameworks for researching such processes. What accounts for change in music therapy can be elucidated by recent research into music therapy praxis of improvising and verbal reflection and research on music’s effects on neural processing, particularly in fronto-temporal and right-hemisphere regions that are implicated in music, language and emotion processing.

Личностный мир коммуникантов в словесной ткани интерпретируемого дискурса

The paper is devoted to the linguistic representation of the communicants’
 individual inner world. German narrative discourse is viewed as the center
 of different evaluative cognitive worlds, which create a poliphony of points
 of view and evaluative attitudes. The author gives examples of verbal reflection
 of the axiological orientations change predetermined by sociocultural
 causes.

A Systematic Review of Music Therapy Practice and Outcomes with Acute Adult Psychiatric In-Patients

Background and ObjectivesThere is an emerging evidence base for the use of music therapy in the treatment of severe mental illness. Whilst different models of music therapy have been developed in mental health care, none have specifically accounted for the features and context of acute in-patient settings. This review aimed to identify how music therapy is provided for acute adult psychiatric in-patients and what outcomes have been reported.Review MethodsA systematic review using medical, psychological and music therapy databases. Papers describing music therapy with acute adult psychiatric in-patients were included. Analysis utilised narrative synthesis.Results98 papers were identified, of which 35 reported research findings. Open group work and active music making for nonverbal expression alongside verbal reflection was emphasised. Aims were engagement, communication and interpersonal relationships focusing upon immediate areas of need rather than longer term insight. The short stay, patient diversity and institutional structure influenced delivery and resulted in a focus on single sessions, high session frequency, more therapist direction, flexible use of musical activities, predictable musical structures, and clear realistic goals. Outcome studies suggested effectiveness in addressing a range of symptoms, but were limited by methodological shortcomings and small sample sizes. Studies with significant positive effects all used active musical participation with a degree of structure and were delivered in four or more sessions.ConclusionsNo single clearly defined model exists for music therapy with adults in acute psychiatric in-patient settings, and described models are not conclusive. Greater frequency of therapy, active structured music making with verbal discussion, consistency of contact and boundaries, an emphasis on building a therapeutic relationship and building patient resources may be of particular importance. Further research is required to develop specific music therapy models for this patient group that can be tested in experimental studies.

The role of Internet-specific epistemic beliefs in laypersons’ source evaluations and decisions during Web search on a medical issue

This study investigated the predictive value of epistemic beliefs about knowledge and knowing on the Web for source evaluations and post-search decisions when university students (n=79) searched the Web to make an informed decision about a conflicting and unfamiliar medical issue. Epistemic beliefs were assessed with the Internet-Specific Epistemological Questionnaire (ISEQ) and processing of source information was measured through eye tracking, log files, and verbal protocols. Furthermore, Web users’ post-search decisions and their basis for those decisions were assessed. Results from multiple regression analyses indicated that beliefs in the Web as a reliable resource of accurate knowledge and detailed facts were related to decreased verbal reflection on the credibility and type of sources and decreased attention to the URLs of the search results, as well as a greater certainty in the post-search decision. In addition, doubts about the need to check knowledge claims on the Web against other sources, reason, and prior knowledge were related to a more one-sided representation of the conflicting issue. In conclusion, the findings suggested that Internet-specific certainty, source, and structure beliefs primarily play a role in source evaluation, while Internet-specific beliefs about the justification for knowing primarily play a role in constructing a complete representation of document contents.

Music Therapy Modulates Fronto-Temporal Activity in Rest-EEG in Depressed Clients

Fronto-temporal areas process shared elements of speech and music. Improvisational psychodynamic music therapy (MT) utilizes verbal and musical reflection on emotions and images arising from clinical improvisation. Music listening is shifting frontal alpha asymmetries (FAA) in depression, and increases frontal midline theta (FMT). In a two-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 79 depressed clients (with comorbid anxiety), we compared standard care (SC) versus MT added to SC at intake and after 3 months. We found that MT significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptoms. The purpose of this study is to test whether or not MT has an impact on anterior fronto-temporal resting state alpha and theta oscillations. Correlations between anterior EEG, Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety Subscale (HADS-A), power spectral analysis (topography, means, asymmetry) and normative EEG database comparisons were explored. After 3 month of MT, lasting changes in resting EEG were observed, i.e., significant absolute power increases at left fronto-temporal alpha, but most distinct for theta (also at left fronto-central and right temporoparietal leads). MT differed to SC at F7-F8 (z scored FAA, p < .03) and T3-T4 (theta, p < .005) asymmetry scores, pointing towards decreased relative left-sided brain activity after MT; pre/post increased FMT and decreased HADS-A scores (r = .42, p < .05) indicate reduced anxiety after MT. Verbal reflection and improvising on emotions in MT may induce neural reorganization in fronto-temporal areas. Alpha and theta changes in fronto-temporal and temporoparietal areas indicate MT action and treatment effects on cortical activity in depression, suggesting an impact of MT on anxiety reduction.

Post-Immersion Reflective Practices

Through experience of working with students in a Summer Service Learning Program (SSLP) course, the authors discovered the value of two types of post-immersion reflective practices: one-on-one debriefing sessions and small group discussions facilitated by graduate students. The authors argue that the combination of the two practices is valuable at three levels: (a) enhancement of the primary learning goal for the SSLP; (b) fuller participation of all students, those who are more introverted as well as extroverted, in verbal reflection on their experience; and (c) increased opportunities to look at how the questions and insights from the SSLP can inform the remaining years of their college education. Findings suggest that these practices are valuable for all types of educational immersion experiences.

Children teaching children

This study describes children’s awareness of what it means to teach a game to a peer where the act of teaching becomes expression of the child’s possible awareness. Awareness is defined as the attention to different aspects of the teaching process shown by the teaching child, sometimes through their own verbal reflection. This implies an interpretation of the child’s spontaneous actions and expressions in a specific situation, which the child chooses to focus on. The interpretation resulted in a qualitative description of four children’s ways of teaching a peer the game of Chinese Checkers. The idea of teaching someone something was observed in all four of the teaching children but it is not a homogeneous process. All four teaching children show a deliberate goal to bring about a change in the learning child. The children have different goals with the task and differ from each other depending on what their goals are.

Reflective Thinking and Journal Writing: Examining Student Teachers' Perceptions of Preferred Reflective Modality, Journal Writing Outcomes, and Journal Structure

Journal writing is generally required of student teachers; however, there is a void in career and technical education research regarding this activity. The purpose of this study was to examine student teachers’ journal writing experiences to obtain insight into the process of developing reflective practitioners. The study drew on the work of Dewey and Schon to build a theoretical framework in support of journal writing as a means to acquire and improve reflective thinking. The accessible sample consisted of three consecutive cohorts of student teachers (N = 44) in agricultural education at a Midwestern university who completed an 11-week student teaching experience. The student teachers’ preferred reflective modality was verbal reflection, self-reflection, and written reflection. Journal structure in the form of a prompt was not found to significantly impact journal writing outcomes. A “like/dislike” phenomenon associated with journal writing and reflection was discovered. Student teachers perceived that journal writing is a personal and unique endeavor.

Unformulated experience: From dissociation to imagination in psychoanalysis.

In this powerful and wonderfully accessible meditation on psychoanalysis, hermeneutics, and social constructivism, Donnel Stern explores the relationship between two fundamental kinds of experience: explicit verbal reflection and unformulated experience, or experience we have not yet reflected on and put into words. Stern is especially concerned with the process by which we come to formulate the unformulated. It is not an instrumental task, he holds, but one that requires openness and curiosity; the result of the process is not accuracy alone, but experience that is deeply felt and fully imagined. Stern's sense of explicit verbal experience as continuously constructed and emergent leads to a central dialectic at the heart of his work: that between curiosity and imagination, on one hand, and dissociation and unthinking acceptance of the familiar on the other. The goal of psychoanalytic work, he holds, is the freedom to be curious, whereas defense signifies the denial of this freedom. We defend against our fear of what we would think, that is, if we allowed ourselves the freedom to think it. Stern also shows how the unconscious itself can be reconceptualized hermeneutically, and he goes on to explore the implications of this viewpoint on interpretation and countertransference. He is especially persuasive in showing how the interpersonal which is continuously in flux, limits the experience that it is possible for participants to reflect on. Thus it is that analyst and patient are together caught in the grip of the field, often unable to see the kind of relatedness in which they are mutually involved. A brilliant demonstration of the clinical consequentiality of hermeneutic thinking, Unformulated Experience bears out Stern's belief that psychoanalysis is as much about the revelation of the new in experience as it is about the discovery of the old

The sound link: Psychodynamic group music therapy in a therapeutic community setting

SUMMARY This paper explores the efficacy of on-going weekly psychodynamic group music therapy with those with chronic mental illness in a therapeutic-community setting. Co-improvised music-making was the primary medium of communication and connection in the group, combined with a period for verbal reflection. Central to the therapist's thesis is that the shared music medium primarily acts as a way of expressing, organising and containing the experience of individual members and of the group. It allows for contact between members at a pre-verbal, preconscious level. For this particular patient group, contacts made at this level can be critical to their further ability to tolerate and integrate feelings in a more verbal and conscious way. The music-therapy setting is seen as aiding the process of linking together these two areas of experience, thus providing patients with a potentially freer, less restricted, way of relating to themselves and each other.

Effective Interpersonal and Management Skills in Dentistry

The importance of good dentist-patient rapport is extended to the dentist-auxiliary interactions. Significant core ingredients of any interpersonal relationship that affect the outcome of the dentist-patient or dentist-auxiliary helping relationship are discussed. A dentist is able to communicate understanding, respect, concern, and interest to patients or auxiliaries by maintaining eye contact, by appropriate head nodding, by relaxed and attentive physical postures, and by verbal following or verbal reflection.