Applying discursive approaches to health psychology

Objective: The aim of this paper is to outline the contribution of two strands of discursive research, glossed as ‘macro’ and ‘micro’, to the field of health psychology. A further goal is to highlight some contemporary debates in methodology associated with the use of interview data versus more naturalistic data in qualitative health research. Method: Discursive psychology is a way of analysing talk as a social practice which considers how descriptions are put together and what actions they achieve. Results: A selection of recent examples of discursive research from one applied area of health psychology, studies of diet and obesity, are drawn upon in order to illustrate the specifics of both strands. Whilst both approaches focus on accountability, ‘macro’ discourse work is most useful for identifying the cultural context of talk and can demonstrate how individuals are positioned within such discourses, and examine how such discourses are negotiated and resisted. ‘Micro’ discursive research pays closer attention to the sequential organisation of constructions and focuses on naturalistic settings which allow for the inclusion of an analysis of the health professional. Conclusion: Diets are typically depicted as an individual responsibility in mainstream health psychology but discursive research highlights how discourses are collectively produced and bound up with social practices

Body dissatisfaction, appearance investment and wellbeing: how older obese men orient to 'aesthetic health' [forthcoming]

Most research on male body image to date has focused on young men using quantitative methods. The study reported here is based on qualitative interviews with a sample of older men (n = 30) on a weight management programme, and we asked them about body-related feelings. The interviews were all transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Our results indicate that although body weight was typically minimised, body image was a key concern, with many examples of body consciousness and body dissatisfaction evident. On the other hand, post-programme weight loss was associated with a transformative shift in body image, with the men emphasising enhanced body confidence, self-esteem and psychological wellbeing. We conclude by highlighting the need to recognise and address appearance issues and/as health concerns for middle-aged and older men

Lady Betty : Old English Dance

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-ps/3194/thumbnail.jp

The Wayside Brook : Idyl

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-ps/1707/thumbnail.jp

Dorothy : Old English Dance

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-ps/1497/thumbnail.jp

Ion-trap cavity QED system for probabilistic entanglement

Laser systems and a linear radiofrequency (rf) Paul trap with an integrated co-axial cavity have been developed for experiments in cavity QED and probabilistic entanglement. Single 40Ca+ ions and large Coulomb crystals have been trapped routinely and laser cooled with long trapping lifetimes. A technique to achieve precise overlap of the pseudopotential minimum of the rf-field with the cavity mode has been implemented through variable capacitors in the resonant rf-circuit used to drive the trap. Three-dimensional micromotion compensation has been implemented. An 894 nm laser has been frequency stabilised to a Pound-Drever-Hall cavity which is in turn stabilised to atomic Cs using polarisation spectroscopy. The Allan variance of the error signal has been reduced to less than a kilohertz on timescales greater than a second. A novel implementation of the scanning cavity transfer lock has been developed to transfer the stability of the 894 nm laser to the 397 nm ion cooling and 866 nm repumping lasers. The bandwidth of the system has been increased to 380 Hz and the Allan variance of the error signal has been reduced to less than ten kilohertz on timescales of greater than a second. The pseudopotential minimum of the rf field has been overlapped optimally with the optical cavity mode through mapping of the fluorescence from cavity-field repumped ions as a function of their displacement. Coupling to the cavity mode has been confirmed by observation of resonant fluorescence into the cavity mode using the cavity-assisted Raman transition process. The thesis demonstrates that the setup is ready for the controlled production of single photons with pre-determined polarisation states, and progression onto new schemes to entangle multiple ions that are coupled to the optical cavity mode

Patterns of contribution to citizen science biodiversity projects increase understanding of volunteers’ recording behaviour

The often opportunistic nature of biological recording via citizen science leads to taxonomic, spatial and temporal biases which add uncertainty to biodiversity estimates. However, such biases may also give valuable insight into volunteers’ recording behaviour. Using Greater London as a case-study we examined the composition of three citizen science datasets – from Greenspace Information for Greater London CIC, iSpot and iRecord - with respect to recorder contribution and spatial and taxonomic biases, i.e. when, where and what volunteers record. We found most volunteers contributed few records and were active for just one day. Each dataset had its own taxonomic and spatial signature suggesting that volunteers’ personal recording preferences may attract them towards particular schemes. There were also patterns across datasets: species’ abundance and ease of identification were positively associated with number of records, as was plant height. We found clear hotspots of recording activity, the 10 most popular sites containing open water. We note that biases are accrued as part of the recording process (e.g. species’ detectability) as well as from volunteer preferences. An increased understanding of volunteer behaviour gained from analysing the composition of records could thus enhance the fit between volunteers’ interests and the needs of scientific projects