Which Cultural Policy? Whose Cultural Policy? Players and Practices in a Scottish Context

This research is concerned with how cultural policy is made in contemporary Scotland. Focussed on deciphering and understanding the actions, behaviours, meanings and performances of those involved in cultural policy making and how a cultural policy community is created and maintained, a qualitative research approach was adopted. As such, the research is based on semi-structured interviews with fifteen key players from the cultural policy community The influence and application of a range of theoretical perspectives shaped my data analysis and research outcomes in significant ways, leading me away from an initial positivist approach - where I had hoped for a ‘cultural policy making toolkit’ to emerge from the data - to a more nuanced understanding of the complex and unpredictable dynamics at play in cultural policy making. In particular, writings broadly defined as within the postmodern camp - namely those of Foucault, Derrida, Deleuze and Guattari - provided the possibility of new paradigms for the discussion and understanding of cultural policy making, leading me to unexpected insights into cultural policy making processes. Key findings relate to the characters and their performances within the cultural policy community as well as the spaces where cultural policy is created. Firstly, the significance and impact of key players emerged as having less to do with their perceived status, influence or professional positions, than their ability to construct a ‘cultural policy’ identity, attune themselves to, engage with and affect an ever changing and fluid policy environment. Paradoxically, the data revealed that those who appeared at first sight to be the most powerful and influential often emerged as the least so. Notably, the most effective players seemed to be those who invested in their sense of self and social identities and roles, clearly articulated values, principles and beliefs, bringing an authenticity to their performances in the cultural policy sphere. In addition these players demonstrated an almost intuitive understanding of the power of myth and storytelling in the construction of cultural policy. Similarly, the most significant cultural policy spaces were not where I had thought them to be - for example, public agency boards and political committees - but rather in the more amorphous spaces of gossip, ‘off-the-record’ comments, newspaper commentary and opinions, networks and the assumed meanings in both the said and unsaid. My data also reveal an active engagement in the ‘public domain’ by the cultural policy community, a space that is constructed and defined by meanings, signs and values - the substance and language of cultural policy. Finally, it is the performances of actors in the cultural policy spaces that bring cultural policy into being. The data disclose the power of speaking and writing in shifting and disrupting perceptions, views and interpretations, and in creating different spaces of encounter and creativity, leading to new understandings and unintended cultural policy directions. Indeed, my data suggest that it is more often than not the accidental happenings, productive outcomes of inadvertent actions, incubation of ideas and serendipity, that lead to the most effective and affective cultural policy outcomes - rather than the formulaic and process driven approaches required of local and national government and its agencies in the name of public accountability. The main implications of my research and recommendations for future action include: the desirability of wider dissemination of cultural policy research to practitioners, and an increase in practitioner-led research; recognition of the diversity and potential of atypical and informal cultural policy spaces; and the need for professional development opportunities and programmes to take cognisance of the latent resource inherent in practitioners who, with some encouragement, confidence-boosting and on occasion guidance in developing themselves as ‘readers’ of cultural policy discourse, could contribute to a more active and engaged cultural policy community

Gaining insights on the influence of attention, anxiety, and anticipation on pain perception

Purpose: This article highlights the influence of attention and pain anticipation on pain attenuation. Pain-related trait anxiety was found to moderate the effect that attention strategies impose on pain perception. This article may contribute to clinical treatments quality, where pain attenuation effect is desired. Participants and methods: One hundred seven participants, comprising of 72 (67%) females and 35 (33%) males between the age of 17 and 48 (M=22.6, SD =4.36), were used in the analysis. The current study measured the effect of pain anticipation and attention on three aspects of pain perception: threshold, tolerance, and perceived pain intensity. Pain anticipation was manipulated by varying the amount of information given to participants about a future pain stimulus. Attention was manipulated through a sensory focusing task and a distraction task. Participants were randomized into 1) InfoControl group with distraction task trial (n=30), 2) InfoControl group with attention to pain trial (n=26), 3) InfoExtra group with distraction task trial (n=26), or 4) InfoExtra group with attention to pain trial (n=25). The pain stimulus was delivered in a form of heat. The moderating effects of pain-related trait anxiety on these variables were also investigated using Pain Anxiety Symptom Scale Short Form. Results: Two structural equation models revealed that anticipation is not a predictor of pain perception and neither did it interact with pain-related trait anxiety. However, attention strategies do significantly relate to pain perception. Furthermore, pain-related anxiety was a significant moderator of attention and pain attenuation. These findings imply that the effectiveness of attention strategies in attenuating pain is affected by individuals' pain-related trait anxiety. Conclusion: The results suggest the importance of appointing the appropriate attention strategy to different individuals with varying level of trait anxiety. Future explorations are necessary to develop a more specific understanding on the nature of information and distractions on pain perception

Application of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy in treating common psychiatric disorders: study protocol for a scoping review

Introduction Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is a well-known intervention for treating borderline personality disorder, and has been increasingly adapted for other disorders. Standard DBT consists of four treatment modes, delivered over a year. Adaptations to DBT include changes to modes of delivery, treatment length, and skills modules taught to clients, or incorporating interventions from other evidence-based therapies. There is a need to synthesise existing evidence on DBT so that stakeholders-clinicians, researchers and policymakers-can understand how it has been provided for various psychiatric conditions, and whether it has been effective. Methods and analysis This study proposes a scoping review conducted according to Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) procedures, to map and summarise the literature on DBT interventions for treating a range of psychiatric concerns. Electronic databases (ie, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, EBSCOhost and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses), conference proceedings and the US National Institutes of Health Ongoing Trial Register will be searched for intervention studies that involve a control or comparison group, and that report quantitative data on pre/post-measures for psychiatric symptom severity. The initial search was conducted on 18 September 2020, and data charting has not commenced. An update will be performed in September 2022, pending this protocol's publication. Data charting will collect individual studies' characteristics, methodology and reported findings. Outcomes will be reported by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for Scoping Reviews. Ethics and dissemination No ethical approval is required for this study. The goal of dissemination is to keep DBT stakeholders abreast on latest updates in clinical applications of DBT. Findings from this research are intended to inform a more specific topic of study (eg, a meta-analysis), to further aid in the development of DBT interventions for psychiatric populations

Cultural policy? - whose cultural policy? : players and practices in a Scottish context

This research is concerned with how cultural policy is made in contemporary Scotland. Focussed on deciphering and understanding the actions, behaviours, meanings and performances of those involved in cultural policy making and how a cultural policy community is created and maintained, a qualitative research approach was adopted. As such, the research is based on semi-structured interviews with fifteen key players from the cultural policy community The influence and application of a range of theoretical perspectives shaped my data analysis and research outcomes in significant ways, leading me away from an initial positivist approach - where I had hoped for a ‘cultural policy making toolkit’ to emerge from the data - to a more nuanced understanding of the complex and unpredictable dynamics at play in cultural policy making. In particular, writings broadly defined as within the postmodern camp - namely those of Foucault, Derrida, Deleuze and Guattari - provided the possibility of new paradigms for the discussion and understanding of cultural policy making, leading me to unexpected insights into cultural policy making processes. Key findings relate to the characters and their performances within the cultural policy community as well as the spaces where cultural policy is created. Firstly, the significance and impact of key players emerged as having less to do with their perceived status, influence or professional positions, than their ability to construct a ‘cultural policy’ identity, attune themselves to, engage with and affect an ever changing and fluid policy environment. Paradoxically, the data revealed that those who appeared at first sight to be the most powerful and influential often emerged as the least so. Notably, the most effective players seemed to be those who invested in their sense of self and social identities and roles, clearly articulated values, principles and beliefs, bringing an authenticity to their performances in the cultural policy sphere. In addition these players demonstrated an almost intuitive understanding of the power of myth and storytelling in the construction of cultural policy. Similarly, the most significant cultural policy spaces were not where I had thought them to be - for example, public agency boards and political committees - but rather in the more amorphous spaces of gossip, ‘off-the-record’ comments, newspaper commentary and opinions, networks and the assumed meanings in both the said and unsaid. My data also reveal an active engagement in the ‘public domain’ by the cultural policy community, a space that is constructed and defined by meanings, signs and values - the substance and language of cultural policy. Finally, it is the performances of actors in the cultural policy spaces that bring cultural policy into being. The data disclose the power of speaking and writing in shifting and disrupting perceptions, views and interpretations, and in creating different spaces of encounter and creativity, leading to new understandings and unintended cultural policy directions. Indeed, my data suggest that it is more often than not the accidental happenings, productive outcomes of inadvertent actions, incubation of ideas and serendipity, that lead to the most effective and affective cultural policy outcomes - rather than the formulaic and process driven approaches required of local and national government and its agencies in the name of public accountability. The main implications of my research and recommendations for future action include: the desirability of wider dissemination of cultural policy research to practitioners, and an increase in practitioner-led research; recognition of the diversity and potential of atypical and informal cultural policy spaces; and the need for professional development opportunities and programmes to take cognisance of the latent resource inherent in practitioners who, with some encouragement, confidence-boosting and on occasion guidance in developing themselves as ‘readers’ of cultural policy discourse, could contribute to a more active and engaged cultural policy community.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Teaching with dogs: learning about learning through hands-on experience in dog training

This paper summarizes a pilot study of an experiential learning technique that was designed to give undergraduate students a greater understanding of the principles and theories of learning and behavior, which is traditionally taught only in a lecture-based format. Students were assigned the role of a dog trainer, and they were responsible for designing and administering empirically- and theoretically-based training regimens to shelter dogs to teach them new behaviors that would make them more adoptable. Results from student feedback and their performance on assessments suggest that this activity was well-received by the students both for the learning benefit and enjoyment aspect, and this translated to a moderate level on their assessments. Details about how the learning and behavior class was made into an experiential learning course, the outcomes of this experience, and suggestions for improving the educational benefit of this experiential activity are discussed. This hands-on program offers a new alternative for teaching learning and behavior. Future offerings of this course and others like it present ideal opportunities for researching the effectiveness of more experiential methods of teaching and learning

Failure to observe extinction cue effect in humans

A series of experiments were conducted to demonstrate an extinction cue effect in humans using a conditioned suppression task. All studies showed null effects despite various modifications. These null results stand in contrast to several demonstrations of an extinction cue effect in rodents. Conclusions regarding the feasibility of this effect in humans will be discussed as well as possible difference between human and rat information processing

Involving relatives in ICU patient care: Critical care nursing challenges

Aims and objectives: To identify the barriers critical care nurses experience to relative involvement in intensive care unit patient care. Background: Previous studies have discussed the experiences of relatives visiting an intensive care unit, the needs of relatives in the intensive care environment, critical care nurse and relative interaction, intensive care unit visiting policies and the benefits of including relatives in patient care. The barriers that critical care nurses experience to relative involvement in patient care have received minimal exploration. Design: Critical care nurses were recruited for a mixed methods study. An explanatory mixed method design was used, with two phases. Phase 1 was Quantitative and Phase 2 was Qualitative. Methods: Data collection occurred over five months in 2012-2013. Phase 1 used an online questionnaire (n = 70), and semi-structured interviews (n = 6) were conducted in Phase 2. Phase 1 participants were 70 critical care nurses working in Australian intensive care units and six critical care nurses were recruited from a single Sydney intensive care unit for Phase 2. Through sequential data collection, Phase 1 results formed the development of Phase 2 interview questions. Results: Participants reported various barriers to relative involvement in critically ill patient care. Factors related to the intensive care unit patient, the intensive care unit relative, the critical care nurse and the intensive care environment contributed to difficulties encompassing relative involvement. Conclusions: This study has identified that when considering relative involvement in patient care, critical care nurses take on a paternalistic role. The barriers experienced to relative involvement result in the individual critical care nurse deciding to include or exclude relatives from patient care. Relevance to clinical practice: Knowledge of the barriers to relative involvement in critically ill patient care may provide a basis for improving discussion on this topic and may assist intensive care units to implement strategies to reduce barriers

Pavlovian Conditioning

[Extract] Pavlovian conditioning, also known as classical conditioning, is a reliable training procedure that results in an organism responding to a stimulus that previously did not evoke a response. It involves pairing an initially innocuous stimulus, such as a light or tone, with another stimulus that naturally provokes a response, such as food or an electrical shock. The previously neutral stimulus comes to control responding and typically evokes the same behavior that the biologically significant stimulus provoked, albeit weaker. Once a stimulus acquires behavioral control, it is known as a conditioned stimulus (CS) because it required conditioning, or training, to elicit the behavioral response that the unconditioned stimulus (US) naturally evokes. The innate reaction to the US is called the unconditioned response (UR), and the acquired response to the CS is called a conditioned response (CR)

Protection from extinction provided by a conditioned inhibitor

Three conditioned suppression experiments with rats as subjects investigated the influence of higher order associations in determining the response potential of a target stimulus. In these experiments, a Pavlovian conditioned inhibitor was compounded with the target cue during extinction treatment. In Experiment 1, strong suppression was observed to the target cue that was given extinction treatment in the presence of a conditioned inhibitor, relative to a target that was extinguished with an associatively neutral cue or was extinguished alone, suggestive of enhanced protection from extinction provided by a conditioned inhibitor. This effect was replicated in a sensory preconditioning preparation in Experiment 2; in Experiment 3, in a sensory preconditioning preparation, this protection effect was retroactively attenuated when the conditioned excitor used to train the conditioned inhibitor was extinguished following extinction of the target. This provides evidence that, at least in a sensory preconditioning preparation, stimuli that are only indirectly associated with the target cue can contribute to the response potential of that target