Asexuality: Classification and characterization

This is a post-print version of the article. The official published version can be obtaineed at the link below.The term “asexual” has been defined in many different ways and asexuality has received very little research attention. In a small qualitative study (N = 4), individuals who self-identified as asexual were interviewed to help formulate hypotheses for a larger study. The second larger study was an online survey drawn from a convenience sample designed to better characterize asexuality and to test predictors of asexual identity. A convenience sample of 1,146 individuals (N = 41 self-identified asexual) completed online questionnaires assessing sexual history, sexual inhibition and excitation, sexual desire, and an open-response questionnaire concerning asexual identity. Asexuals reported significantly less desire for sex with a partner, lower sexual arousability, and lower sexual excitation but did not differ consistently from non-asexuals in their sexual inhibition scores or their desire to masturbate. Content analyses supported the idea that low sexual desire is the primary feature predicting asexual identity

Maternal Investment and Postnatal Depression - An Evolutionary Approach

Postnatal depression is detrimental to maternal health and wellbeing, associated with poor developmental outcomes in children, and has prevalence estimates ranging from 13-60%; as such it is of significant public health concern and its origins are of interest from an evolutionary perspective. A growing movement within evolutionary research highlights the utility of evolutionary theory to elucidate the origins of health issues and indicate both novel approaches to treatment and prevention. A relatively longstanding, yet largely untested, existing evolutionary approach to postnatal depression proposes that it is a mechanism facilitating maternal investment decisions. More recently it has also been framed, somewhat complementarily, as the result of an evolutionary mismatch. Using the responses to a retrospective survey study which collected the complete reproductive histories of women and was uniquely designed to capture their experiences of postnatal depression, the first data chapter of this thesis explores whether there is support for adaptationist hypotheses that postnatal depression exhibits good design as a mechanism guiding maternal reproductive trade-offs. The results, combined with critiques put forward here and by other authors, suggest an alternative approach to postnatal depression is warranted. A limitation of both evolutionary and more traditional approaches to postnatal depression is that the commonly recognised risk factors for the condition fail to capture all the women who develop the condition. Recent developments in research into general depression, as opposed to postnatal depression, have highlighted the role of the immune system in symptom aetiology. This has led to a number of evolutionary researchers proposing that depression reflects an evolved inflammatory response to biological and social threat, with perceived social threat acting as an indicator of the likelihood of imminent biological threat. Inflammation then acts as the ultimate risk factor in the causal pathway to depression, and by extension postnatal depression, and suggests more attention needs to be paid to the social perceptions of women during pregnancy and early motherhood. Data chapters 3-6 explore the social pressures surrounding women about motherhood, the role such pressures play in generating feelings of shame (an emotional marker of social threat causally linked to general depression development), and the ability of shame to predict postnatal depression. Particular attention is paid to pressures surrounding socially approved levels of maternal investment, namely in the form of bonding. Bonding is of interest due to the documented association between postnatal depression and poor bonding as well as the pressures placed on women in contemporary, developed populations, highlighted by sociologists and feminist scholars, as a result of the emphasis on the importance bonding for child development. The role of social isolation, another form of social threat linked to general depression, in postnatal depression risk is also assessed. In so doing, a new model for maternal emotional investments is developed based on embodied capital theory and the results of two further data sets are presented - the first is a longitudinal survey study tracking women across the perinatal period assessing their experience of social pressure, shame, and postnatal depression, and the second an experimental priming study designed to assess if social threat can be primed using popular and social media relating to mothering. Results derived from these studies are supportive of the perception of social threat being a largely unrecognised risk factor in postnatal depression and the thesis concludes with a discussion of the public health implications which stem from this novel insight

Adolescence and Human Sexuality

Human sexuality is a complex phenomenon involving the interaction of biology, sex, core gender identity, and gender role behavior. Successful completion of normal stages of sexuality development is important for children and adolescents to allow for optimal life as an adult. Controversies arise for clinicians as they work with their pediatric patients regarding health care sexuality issues. It is important that clinicians help these patients in an unbiased and neutral manner. As adults, these children and adolescents will function in a number of sexuality roles, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual. This chapter reviews many of these complex and critical issues that involve the fascinating development of human sexuality in pediatric patients

THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF PREGNANT TWIN STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the lived experiences of pregnant twin students in a certain public secondary school in Davao City, Philippines. Using purposive sampling technique, the study focused on the two informants who are identical twins and both in 10th Grade. In-depth interview, observations, and field notes were utilized in analysis of data. Narratives were carefully transcribed, translated, and underwent thematic analysis to generate essential themes. Results disclosed that pregnant twin students experienced the use of contraceptives, physical and emotional distress, anxiety about the future, shame and humiliation, changes and prohibitions, the use of contraceptives, love and support of significant others. Also, pregnant students tried to cope with the situation by means of apathy, tenacity and turning to support systems. Along with the realizations of pregnant twins, the study underscored that regrets and remorse are always in the end, early pregnancy is a momentary setback, teenage girls should know better about life, love and sex, and that love and acceptance prevail in the end. The study encouraged future researchers to conduct teenage pregnancy among twin students in secondary schools where the participants may be escalated into bigger number to generate substantive patterns, similarities, and differences.  &nbsp

Vocal Rhythm Coordination and Preterm Infants: Rhythms of Dialogue in a High-Risk NICU Sample

The contemporary bio-psycho-social view of mother-infant relationships holds that early interactions form the foundation of the growing infant’s sense of himself and the world. Prior to the development of linguistically-based communication, nonverbal communication patterns foster the infant’s socio-emotional growth, cognitive capacity and the development of optimal regulatory patterns. Preterm birth significantly alters the typical developmental trajectory on multiple levels and disrupts normal neurobiological and socio-emotional maturational processes, including those that build on early interpersonal experiences with caregivers. The current study of vocal rhythm coordination in preterm mother-infant dyads is the first of its kind. Aspects of infant prematurity (degree of prematurity, infant autonomic maturity, neurobehavioral regulatory capacity) and aspects of maternal influence (including the quality of maternal caregiving and maternal depression and anxiety) were examined in relation to vocal rhythm coordination outcomes at infant age 4 months (CA). Multi-level time-series models were used to generate infant and mother vocal rhythm self-contingency (self-predictability, a form of self-regulation) and vocal rhythm interactive contingency (the degree to which each individual predictably adjusted to the vocal rhythms of the partner). For interactive contingency, results demonstrated that mothers and preterm infants coordinated the duration of pauses and switching pauses (at the turn exchange), indicating that the basic temporal and organizational mechanisms required for interpersonal vocal coordination were in place for this group. Bidirectional coordination was found for mothers’ and infants’ switching pause; unidirectional coordination was present for mothers’ pause. For self-contingency, results demonstrated that both preterm infants and their mothers showed significant self-contingency, indicating that both preterm infants and their mothers were firmly self-rooted, that is, predictable from their own prior behavior. As hypothesized, both infant influences and mother influences contributed to vocal rhythm coordination at 4 months (CA). Infant sex, birthweight, neonatal neurobehavioral regulatory capacity and concurrent vagal tone predicted mother-infant vocal coordination at 4 months (CA). Mothers’ age, ethnicity, and depression and anxiety symptoms at hospital discharge also contributed to vocal coordination at 4 months (CA). Viewed in conjunction with prior vocal rhythm research on term infants, these new findings may be able to aid in the assessment and early intervention of preterm infant dyads that may be at risk for less optimal cognitive and relational outcomes

Political Decision-Making: Exploring Empathy-Based Intervention Mechanisms To Combat Implicit Bias Against Women Among U.S. Policy Makers

This thesis examines how empathy-based strategies can be used to combat underlying biases in politicians that impact women in the United States. This will include an examination of the neurological, rational, and emotional frameworks politicians currently use when making decisions regarding emotionally charged topics. This discussion will then be followed by an exploration of emotional intelligence and empathy, and next, an analysis of the necessity of emotion and empathy within the political decision-making process. Through a thorough review of the neuroscience, behavioral economics, and psychological literature, this thesis will explore how emotion-based perspectives can provide insight into how to build emotional intelligence and situational awareness in politicians. Supreme Court decisions will also be studied for legislative intent to analyze how political decisions are made and the role of empathy in these processes. The implications of this thesis are relevant not only to those who are personally affected by policy decisions, but also to the broader population, as a lack of understanding and empathy characterizes our political climate. As politics become increasingly polarized, the gap in empathy grows larger and larger, and this has far-reaching effects on societal function, notably on how we understand and compromise with one another regarding contentious issues.College of Natural Science

Communication, Control, and Time: The Lived Experience of Uncertainty in Adolescent Pregnancy

This study qualitatively examined the lived experience of uncertainty among pregnant adolescents. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, long interviews were conducted with 10 pregnant adolescent women between the ages of 15-18 years. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the process of phenomenological explication. Data, emergent themes, memos, and a detailed audit trail were maintained using the qualitative data analysis package Nvivo 10 for Mac (beta version). Findings can be summarized with eight themes that underlie the essence of uncertainty in adolescent pregnancy: suspicion and denial, disclosure and reactions, controlling the flow of information, relational renegotiation, the emerging reality of pregnancy, information behavior, encounters with doctors and other professionals, and the future. From these themes, it is evident that the lived experience of uncertainty is about loss of control. Also of importance is the lack of uncertainty about life after the birth and how this may contribute to cultural and socioeconomic disparities in adolescent pregnancy. In addition, participants’ sense of control is both threatened by and surrendered to time; time, therefore, both enhances and mitigates uncertainty. Knowing this allows for recognition of where control can be reestablished to promote better self-efficacy among pregnant adolescents. This study has implications for uncertainty in health communication, and makes the argument for further incorporating pregnancy into the health communication research agenda. In addition, this study compels the extension of research on uncertainty into areas like mental health, nutrition, exercise, and hygiene, where time may also play an important role. Implications for communication theory, particularly related to privacy management and relational turbulence, as well as home-visitation interventions in the public health sector are discussed

Experiences of women who elect for a Caesarian section following a previous traumatic birth

The aim of this phenomenological study was to explore women’s experiences of an Elective Caesarean Section (ECS) following a previous Traumatic Birth (TB). Thirteen women who had undergone an ECS following a TB were either interviewed or provided written accounts of their experiences. Data from these sources were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith, Flowers and Larkin, 2009). Five main themes were identified: ‘cautiously moving forward into the unknown: the drive to reproduce’, ‘attempting to make the unknown known’, ‘the longed for, positive birthing experience’ , ‘a different post-natal experience’ and ‘the interaction of the two experiences’. These findings were considered in relation to previous research; relevant theoretical perspectives were considered including those attached to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Post-traumatic stress reactions may increase during subsequent pregnancy impeding on women’s ability to consider facing another ‘unknown’ natural birth and domineering their decision to elect for a CS. An ECS following a TB may provide women with the controlled experience and high levels of care they long for. Such experiences could be redemptive and have positive outcomes for women’s relationships and wellbeing. These results highlight the importance of providing women in this position with information and choice regarding a subsequent birth. They also stress that prevention of women carrying Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) reactions into their subsequent pregnancies is imperative. Future research would benefit from focussing on the development and trialling of effective screening tools for PTS reactions following birth

The experience of ‘at-risk’ status for genetic variant frontotemporal dementia (GvFTD) and its impact on reproductive decision-making: A qualitative study

Genetic variant FTD (GvFTD) is genetically heritable, autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder. Though heritability of GvFTD is well understood, there is little research exploring the experience of those at risk for GvFTD. This thesis aims to explore the relationship between GvFTD risk and reproductive decision-making, and its connection with earlier experiences with FTD-symptomatic relatives. Part 1 details a systematic review of literature concerning reproductive decision-making in Huntington's Disease (HD), a similar neurodegenerative disorder. 25 studies were included in the review. Findings outline reproductive intentions in HD-risk population, views on assistive technologies, and reproductive outcomes. Findings suggest reproductive decision-making in the context of genetic risk is a complex, challenging process, involving multiple decisions and emotional difficulties, with at-risk individuals employ several strategies to navigate. Further research is required on outcomes of the total HD-risk population, and to develop a psychological model of reproductive decision-making. Part 2 presents a qualitative study exploring reproductive decision-making among those at risk for GvFTD, including parents and non-parents. Thematic analysis of 13 interviews was conducted, identifying six main themes, covering fears of participants about repetition of their own earlier experiences and strategies to avoid this, responses to genetic risk in reproductive decision-making, discussing risk with children, timing and other influencing factors. Findings emphasise future caring burden as a major concern for at-risk individuals. Part 3 involves discussion of the reflexive process of research, including the positionality of the researcher, its effect on research, and outline of decision-making in response to methodological questions and issues