131 research outputs found

    Are emotions reliable guides for policy making? An evolutionary perspective

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    Technology has become all-important in modern society. For each application, it is crucial for society to have a good understanding of the risks and benefits involved. However, experts tend to assess the risks very differently than the public. One of the main reasons is that experts tend to rely on an objective analysis of the facts, whereas laypeople’s judgment is also based on other factors, including emotional responses. The question remains however whether that is a good thing. Some argue that emotions lead to biases and should be treated with great suspicion; others claim that the laypeople’s approach to risk is much richer and should also be taken into consideration. In this paper, I explore how we can answer that important question from an evolutionary perspective. First, I briefly outline the role of emotions in judgment and decision making. Next, I discuss two approaches that have defended the rationality of emotions: Roeser’s concept of emotions as trustworthy indicators of moral risks and Kahan’s cultural evaluator theory. Subsequently, I briefly discuss the evolution of emotions and their impact on risk assessment. I conclude from that account that emotions are not trustworthy guide for policy making

    Transforming Experiential Learning in the Honors Interpersonal Communication Course: Interpersonal Enrichment Journeys During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

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    Drawing upon my own experience as an educator, I describe and reflect upon my experiential learning-pedagogical process of transforming my fall 2020 Zoom-based honors interpersonal communication course in which my students traversed through a series of experiential learning activities called Interpersonal Enrichment Journeys. Quantitative and written data revealed that students achieved desired learning outcomes and strengthened much-needed interpersonal connections despite the circumstances and stressors induced by the pandemic. Interpersonal Enrichment Journeys can be replicated to maximize the features of quality online courses identified by Kaufman and Vallade (2022), such as helping students develop personal connections in a positive learning climate and ensuring that “students are getting the information and interaction they need to be successful” (p. 153)

    The Development and Evaluation of the Preparedness for Employment Scale for people with Personality Disorders

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    People with Personality Disorders (PD) often experience challenges to employment. Being prepared for work may be an essential part of overcoming these challenges. Identifying the obstacles and the extent one is ready for work may help in the planning of employment support for people with PD. The purpose of this thesis was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Preparedness for Employment Scale for people with Personality Disorders (PES-PD); the first employment-related scale for measuring preparedness for employment for PD. Chapter 1 presents background literature on PD and employment, including PD employment interventions and the importance of validated measures. The first study was a systematic review (Chapter 2) assessing the literature for PD and employment scales; the results showed a lack of appropriate PD scales. Consequently, this thesis conducted two studies; focus groups and an e-Delphi to develop the underlying construct of preparedness for employment and explore potential content to inform a new scale (Chapter 3). A 57-item version of the PES-PD was produced and then piloted (n=109) for its content and face validity in Study 4 (Chapter 4). The results of the pilot study provided a 35-item PES-PD. The final study conducted construct validity and internal consistency on the 35-item PES-PD (n=650) (Chapter 5). The results demonstrated a 3- factor model: Interpersonal (IV), Emotional Regulation (ER), Vitality (V), with good construct validity and internal consistency (Cronbach’s a = .74 [full scale], a = .85 , a = .74, and a = .77 [subscales respectively]). These findings suggest a promising self-report scale demonstrating promising psychometric properties. The PES-PD should be considered for use as an outcome measure, in the planning of employment treatment for PD, and to identify appropriate timing into work. Future research will involve further psychometric evaluation and assessing the clinical utility of the PES-P

    Perceptions of risk and protective factors associated with dating violence by female students at the University Of Benin, Nigeria

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    Dating violence has been reported globally as a public health and socio-cultural issue affecting millions of female university students in dating relationships. The serious health implications can affect academic performance and the total wellbeing of the individual and the society. Literature on risk and protective factors for dating violence among students at universities is limited in Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of risk and protective factors for dating violence among female students at the University of Benin, Nigeria, using a case study methodology. In this study, a sample of 90 participants was recruited to participate in nine focus groups. Data were collected through focus group discussions. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyse the data, which yielded 24 themes. These were grouped according to the four levels of the socio-ecological framework: individual, interpersonal, community and societal level factors regarding risk of and protection from dating violence among female students. Thirteen themes were identified under risk factors for dating violence among female students, while 11 were identified under protective factors. Individual level risk factors included alcohol and substance abuse, poor interpersonal skills, poor control of emotions, possessiveness and risky sexual behavior. Interpersonal level risk factors included negative childhood experiences, influence from others and clash in belief systems between partners. Community level risk factors included patriarchy and violence in the community, and societal level risk factors included the influence of technology on relationships, absence of regulations to protect women from abuse and poverty. Individual level protective factors included maturity and self-knowledge/acceptance before dating, self-protective behaviours and control. Interpersonal level protective factors included having elders as good role models, trusting relationships, mutual respect between partners and an open relationship and transparency between partners. The community level protective factors included cultural norms to reduce violence and the university response, while societal level protective factors included public awareness and laws to protect women from violence. The findings raise the need for the university management and other stakeholders on campus to develop community awareness campaigns around healthy dating relationships among partners, and to improve the practice of dating violence prevention. Policy makers in Nigeria can use the findings to develop policies and regulations to address dating violence and other forms of violence on Nigerian campuses

    Construing Worst Experiences of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the USA: A Thematic Analysis

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    © 2022 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.The COVID-19 pandemic has not only resulted in millions of deaths but, together with the strategies imposed to contain the spread of the disease, it has had significant psychological and social effects. This paper considers these effects in residents of the USA, the country that has reported the highest number of deaths from COVID-19. Between April and May, 2020, responses were obtained to an on-line survey, which included asking participants, recruited by snowball sampling, to describe their worst experience of the pandemic. The responses of 741 participants, primarily female and Caucasian, were subjected to a thematic content analysis which used a primarily deductive approach in which these responses were viewed in terms of transitions in construing. The transition themes identified were anxiety; threat; loss of role; sadness; contempt; and stress. Various subthemes were also identified. The study provided further evidence of the utility of a personal construct framework in conceptualizing experiences associated with illness and the risk of this. Implications of its findings are considered at both an individual and a societal level.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

    The role of gender in patient-provider trust for tuberculosis treatment

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    Background: In South Africa, tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death, and Cape Town is among the three cities in the country with the highest TB burden. Despite implementation of Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS), and improvements in the organisation and delivery of TB care, poor treatment adherence challenges treatment outcomes and the health system's ability to reach international targets. TB requires long-term care, where the relationship with healthcare providers is one of the important influences on decisions to seek care and adhere to treatment. This study sought to explore and deepen insight into how trust is built and experienced between patients and healthcare providers for TB treatment in primary care settings from a gender perspective. Methods: The research was located in three local government-managed clinics in the City of Cape Town's Metropole health district, similar in TB patient load and performance indicators, but differing in level of TB-HIV integrated services. A case study design employing qualitative data collection approaches (non-participant observations in clinics, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with patients and providers) was applied. Findings: Trust plays a central role for both patients and providers in treatment for TB. On the part of patients, many expressed a deep desire and motivation to complete their treatment. However, patient vulnerability, a complex outcome of intersecting factors at all levels (personal, community and health service level), across which gender was an underlying influence, emerged as a critical influence over patient trust in providers and the health system, with consequences for a range of outcomes including treatment adherence. The ability of providers and the health system as an institution to recognise and respond to patient vulnerability and needs beyond the illness, including to access socio-economic and psycho-social support for the patient, was critical for building trust and enabling adherence. On the part of healthcare providers, vulnerability was a consequence of a range of factors, including professional status and gender, with implications for how trust was built in patients and managers and its outcomes. Patient trustworthiness was based on judgements of competency, integrity and recognition. The ability of managers to mitigate the challenges healthcare providers faced, through providing a supportive and enabling work environment, had implications for providers' experiences and judgements of institutional trustworthiness. Conclusion: Reflecting on the findings within broader national, provincial and global health policy reforms, specific strategies for building patient and provider trust in each other, and in the health system, are proposed. Recommended strategies addressing both patient and provider vulnerabilities rooted in the personal, community and health facility environment are considered. While many of the recommendations are specific to the TB and TB/HIV model of care, they have wider relevance for building mutual trust between patients and providers and enhancing the responsiveness of the health system as a whole. This is important in the context of South Africa, where the vision espoused under proposed National Health Insurance reforms towards universal coverage is transformative, even revolutionary, but its implementation and ultimate achievements are likely to be dogged by challenges of patient and provider trust in the health system, unless themselves addressed. Globally, the study's conclusions also offer important insights about patient-provider trust relevant to health system development, as well as ideas for future, related research

    The corporate blog as an emerging genre of computer-mediated communication: features, constraints, discourse situation

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    Digital technology is increasingly impacting how we keep informed, how we communicate professionally and privately, and how we initiate and maintain relationships with others. The function and meaning of new forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC) is not always clear to users on the onset and must be negotiated by communities, institutions and individuals alike. Are chatrooms and virtual environments suitable for business communication? Is email increasingly a channel for work-related, formal communication and thus "for old people", as especially young Internet users flock to Social Networking Sites (SNSs)? Cornelius Puschmann examines the linguistic and rhetorical properties of the weblog, another relatively young genre of CMC, to determine its function in private and professional (business) communication. He approaches the question of what functions blogs realize for authors and readers and argues that corporate blogs, which, like blogs by private individuals, are a highly diverse in terms of their form, function and intended audience, essentially mimic key characteristics of private blogs in order to appear open, non-persuasive and personal, all essential qualities for companies that wish to make a positive impression on their constituents.Digital technology is increasingly impacting how we keep informed, how we communicate professionally and privately, and how we initiate and maintain relationships with others. The function and meaning of new forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC) is not always clear to users on the onset and must be negotiated by communities, institutions and individuals alike. Are chatrooms and virtual environments suitable for business communication? Is email increasingly a channel for work-related, formal communication and thus "for old people", as especially young Internet users flock to Social Networking Sites (SNSs)? Cornelius Puschmann examines the linguistic and rhetorical properties of the weblog, another relatively young genre of CMC, to determine its function in private and professional (business) communication. He approaches the question of what functions blogs realize for authors and readers and argues that corporate blogs, which, like blogs by private individuals, are a highly diverse in terms of their form, function and intended audience, essentially mimic key characteristics of private blogs in order to appear open, non-persuasive and personal, all essential qualities for companies that wish to make a positive impression on their constituents
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