Caring deception : community art in the suburbs of Aotearoa (New Zealand) : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

In Aotearoa (New Zealand), community art practice has a disadvantaged status and a poorly documented national history. This thesis reinvigorates the theory and practice of community art and cultural democracy using adaptable and context-specific analyses of the ways that aesthetics and ethics can usefully co-exist in practices of social change. The community art projects in this thesis were based in four suburbs lying on the economic and spatial fringes of Aotearoa. Over 4 years, I generated a comparative and iterative methodology challenging major binaries of the field, including: ameliorative vs. disruptive; coloniser vs. colonised; instrumental vs. instrumentalised; and long term vs. short term. This thesis asserts that these binaries create a series of impasses that drive the practice towards two new artistic categories, which I define as caring deception and the facade. All the projects I undertook were situated in contested space, where artists working with communities overlapped with local and national governments aiming for CBD and suburban re-vitalisation, creative city style initiatives, community development, grassroots creative projects, and curated public-art festivals. I worked within and around these structures, by practicing a methodology of caring deception. I applied a selection of artistic terms of engagement to vernacular structures such as public fountains, festival marquees, popup venues and community centres to negotiate deceit, resentment and care in the making of the art work. This thesis asserts that the methodology of caring deception creates a social ethics in action that can become embodied in the form of the art work

Don’t miss, don’t miss, d’oh! Performance when anxious suffers specifically where least desired

We present two novel tests of Wegner�s (1994) theory of ironic processes of mental control using a hockey penalty shooting task (Study 1) and a dart-throwing task (Study 2). In Study 1 we aimed to address a significant limitation of ironic effects research in a performance setting by differentiating non-ironic performance error from specifically ironic performance error. When instructed not to miss in a specific direction, anxious performers did so a significantly greater number of times; importantly, there was no difference in non-ironic error, which provides the first specific support for Wegner�s theory in a performance setting. In Study 2, we present the first examination of the precision of ironic errors. When anxious, participants performed not only more ironically but also performed more precisely in the to-be-avoided zone than when they were not anxious. We discuss the results in the context of the importance of specific instructions in coaching environment

Great expectations: Different high-risk activities satisfy different motives

Research on people�s motives for engaging in high-risk activities has typically been viewed through the single-focused lens of sensation seeking. We provide evidence that comprehensively challenges that view. First, we develop and confirm the structure of a 3-factor measure of motives: the Sensation Seeking, Emotion Regulation, and Agency Scale (SEAS; Study 1). We then use the SEAS to provide evidence of differential motives for 2 high-risk activities: skydiving and mountaineering. The motive for skydiving is strongly associated with sensation seeking; the motive for mountaineering is strongly associated with emotion regulation and agency but not with sensation seeking (Study 2). We also show that these conclusions cannot be drawn from existing measures of personality and sensation seeking (Study 3). Finally, individuals who are motivated by emotion regulation and agency needs also have greater expectations regarding their emotion regulation and agency. It is these greater expectations that most successfully discriminate mountaineers from skydivers and control participants (Study 4). It is concluded that researchers should no longer consider risk takers as a homogenous sensation-seeking group and that they should consider risk taking as a potential model of human endeavor. The SEAS can be used as a measure of motives for behavior whenever sensation seeking, agency, or emotion regulation is thought to be at the core of such motives, and the results are discussed in the context of encouraging personality researchers to consider the specific spontaneous behaviors that motivate different peopl

Ironic effects of performance are worse for neurotics

Objectives To conduct the first examination of neuroticism as a predictor of (1) the incidence of what Wegner (1989, 2009) terms ironic processes of mental control and (2) the precision of ironic performance errors under high- and low-anxiety conditions. Design Across two studies we employed a repeated-measures design. Method In a football penalty-shooting task (Study 1) and a dart-throwing (Study 2) task, under high-anxiety and low-anxiety conditions, participants gained maximum points for hitting a target zone and fewer points for hitting a designated non-ironic error zone. Additionally, we instructed participants to be particularly careful not to hit a designated ironic error zone, because such hits would score minimum points. Results Across both studies within-subjects moderation analyses revealed a consistent moderating effect of neuroticism on the incidence of ironic errors in the high-anxiety condition. Specifically, when anxious, neurotics displayed a significant increase in ironic performance error and a significant decrease in target hits. Importantly, non-ironic error did not differ across anxiety conditions. Additionally, Study 2 results revealed that neuroticism moderated the precision of ironic errors when anxious. Specifically, when anxious, neurotics� ironic error zone hits were significantly farther from the target zone and significantly farther into the ironic error zone than their relatively emotionally stable counterparts� errors. Conclusion We provide the first evidence that neuroticism moderates both the incidence and precision of ironic performance errors. These results will enable practitioners in coaching environments to make evidence-based predictions and interventions regarding which individuals are most prone to ironic performance breakdown when anxious

The darker side of personality:Narcissism predicts moral disengagement and antisocial behavior in sport

Despite a plethora of research on moral disengagement and antisocial behavior, there is a dearth of literature that explores personality in the context of these undesirable attitudes and behaviors. We provide the first examination of personality, specifically narcissism, as a predictor of moral disengagement and antisocial behavior in sport. Given that narcissism is negatively related to empathy and positively related to feelings of entitlement, it is more likely for narcissists to disengage morally and to behave antisocially. We thus hypothesized that narcissism would predict antisocial behavior via moral disengagement. Across 12 team contact sports (n = 272), bootstrapped mediation analyses confirmed this indirect effect, which remained significant when controlling for motivational climate, social desirability, sex and sport type. Coaches and practitioners would do well to consider the darker side of personality in targeting moral disengagement and its behavioral consequences in team sports.</jats:p

Prescription Drug Abuse

Background. In the United States, the leading cause of injury death is from prescription drug overdose. The most commonly abused prescription medications are (a) pain relievers (opioids), (b) CNS depressants (tranquilizers, sedatives, hypnotics), and (c) stimulants. Opioids are a class of drugs that includes both heroin and prescription pain relievers. CNS depressants are for managing anxiety and stimulates are used in ADHD. A consequence of abuse is drug overdose death, with opioids being the leading cause. Opioids are safe for short term use but have a strong potential to be abused resulting in addiction. In order to understand this crisis, it is critical to examine: (a) demographics, (b) reasons for abuse, and (c) the provider of drugs for targeted prevention. Methodology. Information was gathered utilizing the search engines (a) Journal of the American Medical Association, (b) EBSCO host, (c) Google Scholar, and (d) the LIU library database. Search terms included: (a) prescription drug abuse, (b) prescription drug overdose, (c) United States, and (d) demographics. All publications were from 2010 to 2018 and in English. Results. Mental health disorders put an individual at greater risk for abuse, especially when an opioid is prescribed in conjunction with: (a) an antidepressant, (b) antipsychotic, or (c) benzodiazepine. In examining specific demographics, (a) non-Hispanic males are more likely to abuse prescription stimulants and tranquilizers, (b) Hispanic males are more likely to abuse prescription painkillers, and (c) non-Hispanic females are more at risk to abuse prescription sedatives. Young adults from the age 18 to 25 years old were found to be the largest population that abuses (a) opioid pain relievers, (b) ADHD stimulants and (c) anti-anxiety drugs. From 2004-2011 emergency department visits related to prescription drug abuse rose 114%. Prescription drug abuse (28%) outpaces illicit drug (25%) use in emergency department visits. Among the prescription medicines, pain relievers have shown to be the most problematic with 75.2% of all pharmaceutical overdose deaths being from opioids. Prescription pain relievers are frequently abused to (a) alleviate pain inappropriately (62.3%), (b) feel good or get high (12.9%), (c) relax or relieve tension (10.8%), (d) as a coping mechanism (3.9%), and (f) aid in sleep (3.3%). Prescription pain relievers are typically received from (a) a friend/relative (53%), (b) a healthcare provider (37.5%), or (c) bought from a stranger (6%). Conclusions. Over 80% of Americans will see a healthcare provider within the year which provides them with the opportunity to screen for prescription drug abuse at the bedside. Patients must be counseled on the use and storage of their prescriptions to prevent redistribution to unintended audiences. Health practitioners should utilize the electronic prescription drug monitoring program before prescribing scheduled drugs and evaluate the patient’s medication history to prevent dangerous drug interactions. If prescription pain relievers are indicated, then it should be prescribed for short term use at a low dose without refills. Prescribers should offer close follow up and consider alternative methods for chronic pain relief such as acupuncture and physical therapy

Meiotic DSB patterning: A multifaceted process

Meiosis is a specialized two-step cell division responsible for genome haploidization and the generation of genetic diversity during gametogenesis. An integral and distinctive feature of the meiotic program is the evolutionarily conserved initiation of homologous recombination (HR) by the developmentally programmed induction of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). The inherently dangerous but essential act of DSB formation is subject to multiple forms of stringent and self-corrective regulation that collectively ensure fruitful and appropriate levels of genetic exchange without risk to cellular survival. Within this article we focus upon an emerging element of this control—spatial regulation—detailing recent advances made in understanding how DSBs are evenly distributed across the genome, and present a unified view of the underlying patterning mechanisms employed

Not all risks are equal: The risk taking inventory for high-risk sports

Although high-risk sport participants are typically considered a homogenous risk-taking population, attitudes to risk within the high-risk domain can vary considerably. As no validated measure allows researchers to assess risk taking within this domain, we validated the Risk Taking Inventory (RTI) for high-risk sport across four studies. The RTI comprises seven items across two factors: deliberate risk taking and precautionary behaviors. In Study 1 (n = 341), the inventory was refined and tested via a confirmatory factor analysis used in an exploratory fashion. The subsequent three studies confirmed the RTI's good model-data fit via three further separate confirmatory factor analyses. In Study 2 (n = 518) and in Study 3 (n = 290), concurrent validity was also confirmed via associations with other related traits (sensation seeking, behavioral activation, behavioral inhibition, impulsivity, self-esteem, extraversion, and conscientiousness). In Study 4 (n = 365), predictive validity was confirmed via associations with mean accidents and mean close calls in the high-risk domain. Finally, in Study 4, the self-report version of the inventory was significantly associated with an informant version of the inventory. The measure will allow researchers and practitioners to investigate risk taking as a variable that is conceptually distinct from participation in a high-risk spor

Who takes risks in high-risk sport? The role of alexithymia

People who have difficulty identifying and describing their emotions are more likely to seek out the experience of emotions in the high-risk domain. This is because the high-risk domain provides the experience of more easily identifiable emotions (e.g., fear). However, the continued search for intense emotion may lead such individuals to take further risks within this domain, which in turn would lead to a greater likelihood of experiencing accidents. Across three studies, we provide the first evidence in support of this view. In Study 1 (n = 762) alexithymia was associated with greater risk taking and a greater propensity to experience accidents and close calls. In Study 2 (n = 332) and Study 3 (n = 356) additional bootstrapped mediation models confirmed these relationships. The predictive role of alexithymia remained significant when controlling for sensation seeking (Study 1) and anhedonia (Study 2 and Study 3). We discuss the practical implications of the present model as they pertain to minimizing accidents and close calls in the high risk domain