The Visual Matrix Method: Imagery and Affect in a Group-based Research Setting

The visual matrix is a method for researching shared experience, stimulated by a sensory stimulus relevant to a research question. It is led by imagery, visualization and affect, which in the matrix take precedence over discourse. The method enables the symbolization of imaginative and emotional material, which might not otherwise be articulated and allows "unthought" dimensions of experience to emerge into consciousness in a participatory setting. We describe the process of the matrix with reference to the study "Public Art and Civic Engagement" (FROGGETT, MANLEY, ROY, PRIOR & DOHERTY, 2014) in which it was developed and tested. Subsequently, examples of its use in other contexts are provided. Both the matrix and post-matrix discussions are described, as is the interpretive process that follows. Theoretical sources are highlighted: its origins in social dreaming; the atemporal, associative nature of the thinking during and after the matrix which we describe through the Deleuzian idea of the rhizome; and the hermeneutic analysis which draws from object relations theory and the Lorenzerian tradition of scenic understanding. The matrix has been conceptualized as a "scenic rhizome" to account for its distinctive quality and hybrid origins in research practice. The scenic rhizome operates as a "third" between participants and the "objects" of contemplation. We suggest that some of the drawbacks of other group-based methods are avoided in the visual matrix—namely the tendency for inter-personal dynamics to dominate the event

Reducing risk of foodborne illness in older adults: interventions targeting at-home and foodservice handling behaviors

The United States population is aging, creating a higher number of people and proportion of the population at increased risk for foodborne illness. OA awareness and behavior when purchasing and preparing foods inside the home affects food safety risk in this population. A national trend in eating outside the home also places foodservice workers in a key role for interventions focused on foodborne disease prevention in OA. By targeting both OAs and foodservice workers, both projects in this thesis intend to reduce food safety risk in OAs by increasing familiarity and knowledge about food safety and food handling. For the first project, three SMT-based online food safety mini-modules were created for and pilot-tested with community-dwelling OAs. The modules were developed based on a needs assessment of OAs. The mini-modules were effective in promoting familiarity with food safety behaviors and were well-received, supporting the development of future SMT-based online education in this target audience. For the second project, a minimal-text poster intervention was placed in 8 foodservice operations with sample collection before, 1 month after, and 3-4 months after the intervention. LG samples were taken at three stages of preparation. Samples were screened for Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157 and Staphylococcus aureus and enumerated for aerobic plate counts (APC), coliforms, and fecal coliform (FC) counts. All samples were negative for pathogens tested; APC and coliform counts were not significantly different before and after intervention (P \u3c0.05). After intervention, FC counts in samples of LGs from hospitals and restaurants were significantly lower than before intervention (P \u3c 0.0004). The reduction in FC after intervention suggests that minimal-text food safety posted messages may decrease food safety risk in foodservice establishments. Overall APC results combined with behavioral compliance results, however, suggest that further research and more education is needed to improve effectiveness of the intervention and improve food handling behavior in the participating sites

Between Art and Social Science: scenic composition as a methodological device

The scenic composition (SC) is a methodological device enabling the synthesis and articulation of researchers' own complex experiences of events witnessed during data collection. Positioned between art and social science, it makes use of literary conventions to synthesise "experience near" accounts of data for interpretation. This article explains how the SC is composed by drawing on associative thinking and illustrates its use within a specific case study. The conceptual basis of the SC is discussed with reference to the work of LORENZER, WINNICOTT and BION. This is the first study in which four compositions, each by a different researcher, have been used to provide a multi-faceted view of a complex event, a live webcast. The compositions are presented along with researchers' reflections. Common themes and significant differences relating to life situations, histories and dispositions of the researchers emerge. The differences were expressed through choice of literary genres, which are common cultural resources. We ask what was achieved through the use of SCs compared with a thematic analysis of the webcast, and find that apart from synthesising and presentational functions, they give access to a multi-sensory range of researchers' experiences, including unconscious elements which were then available for reflexive interpretation by an interpretation panel