Identifying and applying psychological theory to setting and achieving rehabilitation goals: development of a practice framework

Goal setting is considered to be a fundamental part of rehabilitation; however, theories of behaviour change relevant to goal-setting practice have not been comprehensively reviewed. To identify and discuss specific theories of behaviour change relevant to goal-setting practice in the rehabilitation setting. (ii) To identify 'candidate' theories that that offer most potential to inform clinical practice. The rehabilitation and self-management literature was systematically searched to identify review papers or empirical studies that proposed a specific theory of behaviour change relevant to setting and/or achieving goals in a clinical context. Data from included papers were extracted under the headings of: key constructs, clinical application and empirical support. Twenty-four papers were included in the review which proposed a total of five theories: (i) social cognitive theory, (ii) goal setting theory, (iii) health action process approach, (iv) proactive coping theory, and (v) the self-regulatory model of illness behaviour. The first three of these theories demonstrated most potential to inform clinical practice, on the basis of their capacity to inform interventions that resulted in improved patient outcomes. Social cognitive theory, goal setting theory and the health action process approach are theories of behaviour change that can inform clinicians in the process of setting and achieving goals in the rehabilitation setting. Overlapping constructs within these theories have been identified, and can be applied in clinical practice through the development and evaluation of a goal-setting practice framework

Biochemical and pharmacological studies of the metabolism of dynorphin 1-8

The metabolism of the opioid peptide [3H]dynorphin 1-8 by slices of central nervous system (c.n.s.) and peripheral tissues, from the rat and guinea-pig has been studied. Rat spinal cord rapidly degraded [3H]dynorphin 1-8, the N-terminal tyrosine residue being most susceptible to hydrolysis and therefore forming the major metabolite. Pre-treatment of the metabolizing tissue with a standard cocktail of enzyme inhibitors decreased the degradation of [3H]dynorphin 1-8 at both the N- and C-termini. However, inclusion of this enzyme inhibitor cocktail revealed the activity of a further enzyme, an endopeptidase, capable of cleaving the leucine5–arginine6 bond within the octapeptide liberating the opioid pentapeptide [Leu]enkephalin. This pattern of metabolism was observed across all rat brain regions and periphery. [Continues.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AT EXTENDED CAMPUS SITES: A MIXED METHODS STUDY

Much community college research suggests that student engagement enhances academic performance and persistence, yet there has been little research that has focused on the impact of student engagement in the growing area of extended campus sites. The purpose of this mixed method study was to compare student engagement levels between the main campus and the extended site of three community colleges. The quantitative portion of this study explored significant differences between the sites based on variables in the 2011 Community College Survey for Student Engagement (CCSSE) survey. Then, through 13 semi-structured interviews, the qualitative portion examined the perceptions of extended site faculty and staff. Findings indicated that extended campus sites and their students experienced greater student engagement than anticipated. The null hypotheses of differences among the engagement variables by campus location were partially rejected. Statistically significant differences were found for the following composite variables: active and collaborative learning, student effort, and student & faculty interaction. There were no significant differences for academic challenge or support for learners. Interview data from site administrators and instructors from the three extended campus sites offered insight about student engagement at community college extended campus sites. The core areas identified supported CCSSE Benchmark areas; plus, discussed the roles that faculty and facilities have on student engagement at extended campus sites. This study suggests that students at extended campus sites may feel more connected to each other and to their faculty than to college facilities or programs. The findings from this study lend strong support to theories of engagement offered by Tinto, Austin and others who maintain that connections are the key element. This study also suggests three institutional conditions to attain higher levels of engagement at community colleges which support extended campus sites: (1) communication, interactions and relationships, (2) integration of student support and academics, and (3) extended campus development. In summary, administrators at community colleges may want to consider that community college engagement is less about specific support services, activities, and extra-curricular events, and more about ensuring that the facilities, services and programs are provided to connect students to each other and to faculty

Current Issues and New Directions in Psychology and Health: What happened to behaviour in the decade of behaviour?

This editorial addresses two key aspects of the investigation of behaviour: the science and the application. On the one hand, researchers and policy makers recognise a need for good scientific evidence about behaviour and behaviour change, but are slow to turn to psychology for such evidence. On the other hand, there is a gap in scientific thinking about behaviour and behaviour change

Self-Regulatory Processes, Motivation to Conserve Resources and Activity Levels in People With Chronic Pain : A Series of Digital N-of-1 Observational Studies

Funding Information: GM was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from the University of Strathclyde. Acknowledgments We would like to thank Dr. Martin Dunbar for providing advice regarding study procedure and recruitment. We thank the pain management team for their help during the data collection.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Analysing motivation to do medicine cross-culturally : the international motivation to do medicine scale

Vaglum, Wiers-Jensen & Ekeberg (1999) developed an instrument to assess motivation to study medicine. This instrument has been applied in different countries but it has not been studied cross-culturally. Our aims were to develop a Motivation to do Medicine Scale for use in international studies and to compare motivations of UK and Spanish medical students (UK: n= 375; Spain: n= 149). A cross-sectional and cross-cultural study was conducted. The Vaglum et al. (1999) Motivation to do Medicine Scale (MMS) was used. The original MMS factor structure was not supported by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Exploratory Factor Analyses within each country identified four factors: 'People', 'Status', 'Natural Science' and 'Research'. Students scored higher on the 'People' and 'Natural Science' than on the other factors. The UK sample scored higher than the Spanish sample on the 'Research' factor and there were greater difference between genders in Spain for both 'People' and 'Research' factors. The scale is suitable for use in cross-cultural studies of medical students' motivation. It can be used to investigate differences between countries and may be used to examine changes in motivation over time or over medical disciplines

Using impairment and cognitions to predict walking in osteoarthritis: A series ofn-of-1 studies with an individually tailored, data-driven intervention

Objectives First, this study compares the ability of an integrated model of activity and activity limitations, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to predict walking within individuals with osteoarthritis. Second, the effectiveness of a walking intervention in these individuals is determined. Design A series of n-of-1 studies with an AB intervention design was used. Methods Diary methods were used to study four community-dwelling individuals with lower-limb osteoarthritis. Data on impairment symptoms (pain, pain on movement, and joint stiffness), cognitions (intention, self-efficacy, and perceived controllability), and walking (step count) were collected twice daily for 12 weeks. At 6 weeks, an individually tailored, data-driven walking intervention using action planning or a control cognition manipulation was delivered. Simulation modelling analysis examined cross-correlations and differences in baseline and intervention phase means. Post-hoc mediation analyses examined theoretical relationships and multiple regression analyses compared theoretical models. Results Cognitions, intention in particular, were better and more consistent within individual predictors of walking than impairment. The walking intervention did not increase walking in any of the three participants receiving it. The integrated model and the TPB, which recognize a predictive role for cognitions, were significant predictors of walking variance in all participants, whilst the biomedical ICF model was only predictive for one participant. Conclusion Despite the lack of evidence for an individually tailored walking intervention, predictive data suggest that interventions for people with osteoarthritis that address cognitions are likely to be more effective than those that address impairment only. Further within-individual investigation, including testing mediational relationships, is warranted. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? N-of-1 methods have been used to study within-individual predictors of walking in healthy and chronic pain populations An integrated biomedical and behavioural model of activity and activity limitations recognizes the roles of impairment and psychology (cognitions) Interventions modifying cognitions can increase physical activity in people with mobility limitations What does this study add? N-of-1 methods are suitable to study within-individual predictors of walking and interventions in osteoarthritis An integrated and a psychological model are better predictors of walking in osteoarthritis than a biomedical model There was no support for an individually tailored, data-driven walking interventio

Determinant variables in seasonal migration cessation

Past research into the seasonal migration of the elderly has mainly focused on how health and economic systems are affected by this group as well as how social and kinship ties are maintained by active participants. Deteriorating health has been implicated in past studies as a major variable in cessation intentions. This research focuses on why cessation has already taken place. It makes a contribution to existing seasonal migration literature through exploration of several variables determining cessation. Findings indicate that although health concerns are a major contributing variable to cessation decisions, a significant percentage lose interest in the activity after participating for extended periods of time. This loss of interest supports Atchley’s continuity of aging theory in that this once pleasurable behaviour, initiated in mid-life, is redefined in later years and loses its significance as a pursuable activity

Associating object names with descriptions of shape that distinguish possible from impossible objects.

Five experiments examine the proposal that object names are closely linked torepresentations of global, 3D shape by comparing memory for simple line drawings of structurally possible and impossible novel objects.Objects were rendered impossible through local edge violations to global coherence (cf. Schacter, Cooper, & Delaney, 1990) and supplementary observations confirmed that the sets of possible and impossible objects were matched for their distinctiveness. Employing a test of explicit recognition memory, Experiment 1 confirmed that the possible and impossible objects were equally memorable. Experiments 2–4 demonstrated that adults learn names (single-syllable non-words presented as count nouns, e.g., “This is a dax”) for possible objectsmore easily than for impossible objects, and an item-based analysis showed that this effect was unrelated to either the memorability or the distinctiveness of the individual objects. Experiment 3 indicated that the effects of object possibility on name learning were long term (spanning at least 2months), implying that the cognitive processes being revealed can support the learning of object names in everyday life. Experiment 5 demonstrated that hearing someone else name an object at presentation improves recognition memory for possible objects, but not for impossible objects. Taken together, the results indicate that object names are closely linked to the descriptions of global, 3D shape that can be derived for structurally possible objects but not for structurally impossible objects. In addition, the results challenge the view that object decision and explicit recognition necessarily draw on separate memory systems,with only the former being supported by these descriptions of global object shape. It seems that recognition also can be supported by these descriptions, provided the original encoding conditions encourage their derivation. Hearing an object named at encoding appears to be just such a condition. These observations are discussed in relation to the effects of naming in other visual tasks, and to the role of visual attention in object identification