The Game FAVR: A Framework for the Analysis of Visual Representation in Video Games

This paper lays out a unified framework of the ergodic animage, the rule-based and interactiondriven part of visual representation in video games. It is the end product of a three-year research project conducted by the INTEGRAE team, and is divided into three parts. Part 1 contextualizes the research on graphics and visuality within game studies, notably through the opposition between fiction and rules and the difficulties in finding common vocabulary to discuss key visual concepts such as perspective and point of view. Part 2 discusses a number of visual traditions through which we frame video game graphics (film, animation, art history, graphical projection and technical drawing), highlighting their relevance and shortcomings in addressing the long history of video games and the very different paradigms of 2D and 3D graphics. Part 3 presents the Game FAVR, a model that allows any game’s visual representation to be described and discussed through a common frame and vocabulary. The framework is presented in an accessible manner and is organized as a toolkit, with sample case studies, templates, and a flowchart for using the FAVR provided as an annex, so that researchers and students can immediately start using it

Restrained Expectations in Late Pregnancy Following Loss

Objective- To describe women’s late pregnancy after loss experiences (from 25 weeks gestation to birth), document the timing and frequency of their common discomforts and events, and explore changes in these experiences over time. Design- A longitudinal, qualitative study of pregnancy calendar entries and field notes. Setting- Prenatal care providers and community canvassing in Central New York and the Internet. Participants- Pregnant women (N= 69) with a history of perinatal loss. Main Outcome Measures- Women’s pregnancy calendar entries and field notes. Results- Thematic data analysis yielded two main themes and several subthemes: (a) Precarious Pregnancy Security with subthemes of Informed Awareness and Varying Emotions and (b) Prudent Baby Preparations with subthemes of Physical, Social, and Emotional Preparation. Conclusion- Women reported an increased sense of security about the pregnancy and baby over time but this security was easily shaken. For women with a history of later or multiple loss, anxiety may remain high or increase as the due date approaches. Fetal movement is the most common barometer of fetal well-being during this part of pregnancy. With a better understanding of pregnancy after loss, clinicians can have a positive impact on women’s prenatal experiences

Practical Advice for Planning and Conducting Focus Groups

Focus groups, originally called focused interviews, have been used as a data collection method since World War II and are commonly used in social science research. Krueger (1994) describes a focus group as "a carefully planned discussion designed to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive, nonthreatening environment" (p. 6). Guided by a skilled interviewer, participants share their ideas and perceptions, influencing each other by responding to ideas and comments in the discussion. Nurse researchers have many of the necessary skills and topics of interest appropriate for focus groups, yet this methodology is often underutilized. Multiple resources are available that provide indepth information on conducting focus groups (Krueger, 1994; Morgan, 1993; Morgan & Krueger, 1997; Stewart & Shamdasani, 1990) and analyzing the resulting qualitative data (Krueger, 1997a; Miles & Huberman, 1994). The purpose of this article is to provide researchers with suggestions for adapting focus group guidelines to facilitate data collection and ensure optimal use of resources. Insights gained from focus groups conducted by the authors with women at risk for HIV and women with a history of pregnancy after perinatal loss will be presented as examples

Maintaining Your Focus in Focus Groups: Avoiding Common Mistakes

Focus groups are used frequently in nursing research as a method for collecting qualitative data. However, due to inadequate planning or execution, the results can be of poor quality or even worthless. A well-defined purpose, carefully planned environment, and well trained personnel are discussed as the cornerstones to focus group success. This article sets the stage with a description of a well conducted focus group, then provides examples and a critique of less-than-effective groups. Focus groups can be powerful and effective when their use is appropriate to the study purpose, the environment is non-judgmental and welcoming, and the personnel are skilled

The Influence of Perinatal Loss on Anxiety in Multigravidas

Objective- To compare multigravid women with and without a history of perinatal loss on state anxiety, pregnancy anxiety, and optimism. Design- Comparative descriptive; cross-sectional. Setting- Private obstetric offices in a small northeastern city in the United States. Participants- The sample included 160 women who were between 17 and 28 weeks gestation: 96 multigravidas with no history of loss and 74 women with a history of one or two losses. Main Outcome Measures- State anxiety, pregnancy anxiety, optimism, and perinatal loss history. Results- No group differences were found on demographic variables, state anxiety, or optimism. However, pregnancy anxiety was higher in women with a history of perinatal loss. Pregnancy anxiety was also correlated with desire to see care provider more often and number of phone calls between visits, and was not correlated with the number of living children. Conclusion- Women experiencing pregnancy subsequent to perinatal loss have greater pregnancy anxiety: That is, they are more concerned about their pregnancies and their babies than women without a history of perinatal loss. State anxiety and optimism do not differentiate these two groups. This heightened anxiety should be acknowledged and more frequent contact with the care provider should be offered

‘‘My Baby Is a Person’’: Parents’ Experiences with Life-Threatening Fetal Diagnosis

Diagnosis of a lethal fetal diagnosis (LFD) early in pregnancy is devastating for parents. Those who choose to continue with the pregnancy report intense emotional reactions and inconsistent, often insensitive treatment by health care providers. This qualitative descriptive study sought to clarify the experiences and needs of families in order to design responsive perinatal palliative care services, and to establish the feasibility and acceptability of conducting intensive interviews of pregnant women and their partners during their pregnancy with a LFD. We interviewed 2 women and 3 couples during pregnancy or just after birth, using open ended questions. Audiotaped responses were analyzed by two investigators. Two dimensions and six themes emerged. In the dimension of Personal Pregnancy Experience, ‘‘Grieving Multiple Losses’’ elucidates that parents grieve the loss of their normal pregnancy, healthy baby and future parenting. ‘‘Arrested Parenting’’ describes their sudden interruption in the normal process of becoming a parent. The theme ‘‘My Baby is a Person’’ reflects parents’ unanimous desire to honor and legitimize the humanity of their unborn baby. In the dimension of Interactions of Others, three themes were found. ‘‘Fragmented Health Care’’ describes parent’s disjointed and distant encounters with multiple providers. ‘‘Disconnected Family and Friends’’ describes the lack of understanding of what the families were experiencing. ‘‘Utterly Alone,’’ which crosses both dimensions, expresses how the parents’ sense of social isolation adds to their personal sense of loss and loneliness. Recommendations are made for palliative care’s role in respecting and validating the experience of parents living through a doomed pregnancy

Support Groups Helping Women Through Pregnancies after Loss

Pregnancies following perinatal loss are full of fears and anxieties. Standards of care or interventions are not generally available, however support groups exist across the country. This study explored several pregnancy-after-loss support groups. Data were collected through participant observation of meetings, individual interviews, questionnaires, and artifacts. Five paradoxes were identified reflecting conflicts between common cultural expectations and the women’s own perspectives about pregnancy: birth/death, pregnancy equals/does not equal baby, head/heart, public/private, and hope/fear. According to participants, the groups helped members recognize their commonalities, remember their earlier babies who died, develop caring relationships, and learn new coping skills. Key outcomes included “making it through” their pregnancies, finding ways to reconcile the cultural paradoxes, and relating better with their current, live babies

Perinatal loss: Response from author

I appreciate this opportunity to have a dialogue about perinatal loss, subsequent pregnancies, and the state of our science in these areas. The writer thoughtfully questions several important points inherent in my study (reported in September/October 2003 JOGNN)

Watching & Worrying: Early Pregnancy after Loss Experiences

Purpose- To describe women's early pregnancy after loss experiences (up to 25 weeks gestation), to document the timing and frequency of their common discomforts and events, and to explore changes in these over time. Study Design: Longitudinal, qualitative descriptive, and triangulated (data, methods, analyses). Methods- Qualitative data were collected from 82 women pregnant after a past perinatal loss, who were followed through their 25th week gestation. Field notes were taken on all women; 75 women recorded events of their pregnancy through text and stickers on an investigator-supplied calendar. Thematic analysis was done from field notes and hand-written calendar entries; content analysis was conducted on sticker-entered events and symptoms. Results- Themes identified in the data were Growing Confident, Fluctuating Worry, Interpreting Signs, Managing Pregnancy, and Having Dreams. The first four themes comprise the see-saw nature of these pregnancies. Managing Pregnancy includes the subthemes of Being Hypervigilant, Seeking Reassurance, and Relying on Internal Beliefs. The theme of Having Dreams was a serendipitous finding, in the sense that women reported their dreams without prompting, but the data did not reach saturation. Future research in this area is suggested. Calendar stickers indicate that fatigue and headaches are the most commonly reported discomforts. Fetal movement, felt by all the women by 25 weeks gestation, was very reassuring. Clinical Implications- Nurses should understand that women who have experienced a previous pregnancy loss have omnipresent worry and anxiety during a subsequent pregnancy, and seek reassurance that their pregnancy and baby are okay. Therefore, the frequent calls and visits to healthcare providers from these women represent their most common and comforting way of coping with their worry

Emotional cushioning in pregnancy after perinatal loss

Women pregnant again after prior perinatal loss fear another loss and thus protect their emotions and avoid prenatal bonding. This phenomenon, emotional cushioning, appears to be a complex self-protective mechanism and is proposed here as a unique combination of circumstances and responses used by women to cope with the anxiety, uncertainty, and sense of vulnerability experienced in these subsequent pregnancies. Related literature is reviewed to clarify and circumscribe what emotional cushioning is. In this mixed-methods study, a convenience sample of women pregnant after perinatal loss (N=63) completed the Pregnancy Anxiety Scale during and following pregnancy and responded to questions regarding ‘holding back their emotions’ in pregnancy. The purpose was to describe the range and prevalence of emotional cushioning, to compare pre- and post-natal reports of emotional cushioning, and to examine relationships between emotional cushioning and pregnancy anxiety pre- and post-natally. The majority of women (58.7%) reported some emotional cushioning. Emotional cushioning questions were significantly and positively correlated with pregnancy anxiety. Clinical and research implications are discussed