Corporal diagnostic work and diagnostic spaces: Clinicians' use of space and bodies during diagnosis

© 2015 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.An emerging body of literature in sociology has demonstrated that diagnosis is a useful focal point for understanding the social dimensions of health and illness. This article contributes to this work by drawing attention to the relationship between diagnostic spaces and the way in which clinicians use their own bodies during the diagnostic process. As a case study, we draw upon fieldwork conducted with a multidisciplinary clinical team providing deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat children with a movement disorder called dystonia. Interviews were conducted with team members and diagnostic examinations were observed. We illustrate that clinicians use communicative body work and verbal communication to transform a material terrain into diagnostic space, and we illustrate how this diagnostic space configures forms of embodied 'sensing-and-acting' within. We argue that a 'diagnosis' can be conceptualised as emerging from an interaction in which space, the clinician-body, and the patient-body (or body-part) mutually configure one another. By conceptualising diagnosis in this way, this article draws attention to the corporal bases of diagnostic power and counters Cartesian-like accounts of clinical work in which the patient-body is objectified by a disembodied medical discourse.The Wellcome Trust (Wellcome Trust Biomedical Strategic Award 086034

Using Childhood Memory Elicitation to Gain Insights into a Brand at a Crossroads: The In-N-Out Burger Situation

The regional In-N-Out burger chain is at a crossroads. With the passing of its matriarch, a new generation of owners is considering speeding up the company\u27s growth, franchising the company, and expanding its product to a national audience. The question is, How will existing customers respond to the chain\u27s expansion? In this context, the childhood memory elicitation method allows researchers to understand how consumers initially formed their relationships with a brand (or product). The age at which consumers formed a relationship with In-N-Out affects their view of the prospective expansion. Those who formed an early attachment were comfortable with expansion plans, but those who became attached as adolescents considered the expansion to be a violation of their view of the company as their trendy, exclusive club. The authors discuss the results specifically for the In-N-Out situation and more generally for other companies looking for methods or measurements to augment their research toolkit

Positive Mood and Susceptibility to False Advertising

This paper examines the impact of mood on consumers\u27 implicit and explicit responses to false advertising. In our first experiment, we find that those consumers in a positive (versus a negative or neutral) mood state are more likely to notice the false information in the advertising, but paradoxically, are also likely to develop positive feelings toward the brand. In that experiment, we used both a hedonic brand (Disney) and a hedonic/emotional ad (autobiographical). In our second experiment, we extend the ad stimulus context beyond Disney to Wendy\u27s to more readily facilitate autobiographical versus informational manipulations. We find that, indeed, the hedonic advertising execution (autobiographical vis-a-vis informational) is associated with more elaborate processing (but only for those in a positive mood). The observed positive affect transfer continued, however, despite the greater detection of the false information in the positive mood condition. We propose that the negative feelings toward the ad associated with detecting the false information are momentary and are replaced by positive feelings toward the brand that are engendered by positive mood and the advertising, as suggested by the synapse model of memory. Our third experiment varies the timing of our measures to investigate this proposition and finds that timing does matter. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of the findings for research on mood, deceptive advertising, and implicit versus explicit effects of advertising response

Transforming Consumer Experience: When Timing Matters

How advertising can influence or change consumers\u27 product experience has been a topic of great interest to marketers. The majority of research has suggested that advertising received prior to an experience can exert the most influence. In 1999, however, Braun introduced the concept of reconstructive memory, and demonstrated that advertising received after an experience can alter how consumers remember their experience. The issue of which order of framing of an experience through advertising is most influential on consumer memory has not yet been investigated. A constructive memory framework that can take into account both forward- and backward-framing effects and an experiment that tests hypotheses regarding the presentation order of advertising and experience is presented. The implications for the study of transformational advertising are discussed

Assessing the Long-Term Impact of a Consistent Advertising Campaign on Consumer Memory

How effective is an advertising campaign that has consistently used the same theme since consumers\u27 early childhood? To answer that question one has to consider the effect the campaign has had on consumers\u27 memory. This research begins by discussing the structure of memory and schematic processes that occur when similar or related information is presented over time. Evidence is reviewed which suggests that early exposure would be critical in the brand schema\u27s development. An experiment that tests the strength of the brand schema in a competitive environment and a survey that explores the importance of time of initial exposure to present-day affect and attitudes toward the brand are presented. The implications of the results for advertising research and practice are then discussed

The trophic dynamics of summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) in Chesapeake Bay

Data on the trophic dynamics of fishes are needed for management of ecosystems such as Chesapeake Bay. Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) are an abundant seasonal resident of the bay and have the potential to impact foodweb dynamics. Analyses of diet data for late juvenile and adult summer flounder collected from 2002−2006 in Chesapeake Bay were conducted to characterize the role of this flatfish in this estuary and to contribute to our understanding of summer flounder trophic dynamics throughout its range. Despite the diversity of prey, nearly half of the diet comprised mysid shrimp (Neomysis spp.) and bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli). Ontogenetic differences in diet and an increase in diet diversity with increasing fish size were documented. Temporal (inter- and intra-annual) changes were also detected, as well as trends in diet reflecting peaks in abundance and diversity of prey. The preponderance of fishes in the diet of summer flounder indicates that this species is an important piscivorous predator in Chesapeake Bay

Is That a Finger in My Chili: Using Affective Advertising for Postcrisis Brand Repair

A study of the effects of reconstructive memory points the way to dealing with the damage to a business’s reputation that follows an instance of negative publicity. The study contradicts the commonly held myth that it is best to avoid communicating for a time and let consumers “forget” an unfortunate incident. Instead, given what is now known about reconstructive memory processes, the crisis situation can be used as a means to reestablish a relationship with consumers. This research investigation proposes that postcrisis communication efforts should be focused on emotionally connecting with consumers via autobiographical-referencing advertising. Moreover, although the study focuses on crisis management, the lessons of reconstructive memory can be applied to all phases of brand management

Intraurethral device for incontinence

An intraurethral device that can be used to inhibit leakage of urine due to incontinence is provided. The intraurethral device can include a urethral plug made from a biocompatible, flexible material. The intraurethral device can also include a first insertion element in operative communication with a second insertion element to facilitate self-insertion of the urethral plug into the urethra. Furthermore, in some instances, various mechanisms can be provided to keep the intraurethral device substantially sterile and/or clean prior to and/or during the insertion process

Intra-urethral device for incontinence and method for making and using the same

An intra-urethral device that can be used to inhibit leakage of urine due to incontinence is provided. The intra-urethral device can include a urethral plug made from a biocompatible, flexible material, and can be formed into an oblong shape so as to better correspond to the contours of the female urinary tract. In some instances, the intra-urethral device can also include an insertion element that can facilitate self-insertion and the ability of a fluid seal to form between the urethral plug and the walls of the urethra. Furthermore, in some instances, various mechanisms can be provided to keep the intra-urethral device substantially sterile throughout the insertion process

STS in management education: connecting theory and practice

This paper explores the value of science and technology studies (STS) to management education. The work draws on an ethnographic study of second year management undergraduates studying decision making. The nature and delivery of the decision making module is outlined and the value of STS is demonstrated in terms of both teaching method and module content. Three particular STS contributions are identified and described: the social construction of technological systems; actor network theory; and ontological politics. Affordances and sensibilities are identified for each contribution and a discussion is developed that illustrates how these versions of STS are put to use in management education. It is concluded that STS has a pivotal role to play in critical management (education) and in the process offers opportunities for new forms of managin