Autoethnography in vocational psychology : wearing your class on your sleeve

This paper addresses reflective practice in research and practice and takes the issue of consciousness of social class in vocational psychology as a working example. It is argued that the discipline’s appreciation of social class can be advanced through application of the qualitative research method autoethnography. Excerpts from an autoethnographic study are used to explore the method’s potential. This reflexive research method is presented as a potential vehicle to improve vocational psychologists’ own class consciousness, and to concomitantly enhance their capacity to grasp social class within their own spheres of research and practice. It is recommended that autoethnography be used for research, training, and professional development for vocational psychologists.

Attachment in relation to affect regulation and interpersonal functioning among substance use disorder inpatients

Attachment theory has been conceptualised as an affect regulation theory, proposing that attachment is associated with the expression and recognition of emotions as well as interpersonal functioning. Previous research has reported affect regulation difficulties in substance use disorders and addiction has been considered an attachment disorder. However, scarce empirical research exists on the relationship of attachment in relation to affect regulation and interpersonal functioning in those with substance use problems. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate potential associations between attachment, negative mood regulation (NMR) expectancies, fear of intimacy and self-differentiation in substance abusers. The revised adult attachment scale (RAAS), the NMR expectancies scale, the fear of intimacy scale and the differentiation of self inventory were administered to a sample of 100 substance use disorder inpatients. Attachment accounted for significant variance in NMR expectancies and was also a strong predictor of fear of intimacy. The predictive utility of attachment also extended to self-differentiation, suggesting that attachment was strongly related to overall self-differentiation score, Emotional reactivity, Emotional cut-off and I position. These findings support attachment theory suggesting that attachment is associated with and predicts affect regulation abilities and difficulties in interpersonal functioning in a sample of substance use disorder inpatients. The inclusion and assessment of attachment appears to be important in the development of treatment programmes for substance abusing individuals.

Restructuring instructional material in vocational education to enhance learning

This paper reviews research findings regarding the design of instructional material and its effectiveness in facilitating learning. Firstly, a discussion of memory processes engaged in when learning from different types of instructional material is presented. Secondly, referring to empirical research, the implications of the above discussion for vocational education instruction, and in particular, for engineering graphics, CNC programming and learning to use equipment from manuals are presented.

Mood and interpersonal functioning in heavy smokers

Male and female adult heavy smokers (n = 96) and non-smokers (n = 123) were compared on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), Adult Attachment Scale (AAS), Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS), Negative Mood Regulation (NMR) Scale and Affect Intensity Measure (AIM). Compared with non-smokers, smokers scored significantly higher on DASS-Stress, DASS-Anxiety, and DASS-Depression, and significantly lower on NMR, AAS-Depend and AAS-Close. Smokers also scored marginally higher on FIS. Results suggest mood and relationship dysfunction in smokers, similar to the findings of a previous investigation of detoxified inpatients undergoing treatment for substance (alcohol, heroin, or methamphetamine) dependence.

Work-related subjective experiences among community residents with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

Objective: To develop a self-report scale of subjective experiences of illness perceived to impact on employment functioning, as an alternative to a diagnostic perspective, for anticipating the vocational assistance needs of people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders. Method: A repeated measures pilot study (n1 = 26, n2 = 21) of community residents with schizophrenia identified a set of work-related subjective experiences perceived to impact on employment functioning. Items with the best psychometric properties were applied in a 12 month longitudinal survey of urban residents with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n1 = 104; n2 = 94; n3 = 94). Results: Construct validity, factor structure, responsiveness, internal consistency, stability, and criterion validity investigations produced favourable results. Work-related subjective experiences provide information about the intersection of the person, the disorder, and expectations of employment functioning, which suggest new opportunities for vocational professionals to explore and discuss individual assistance needs. Conclusion: Further psychometric investigations of test-retest reliability, discriminant and predictive validity, and research applications in supported employment and vocational rehabilitation, are recommended. Subject to adequate psychometric properties, the new measure promises to facilitate exploring: individuals' specific subjective experiences; how each is perceived to contribute to employment restrictions; and the corresponding implications for specialized treatment, vocational interventions and workplace accommodations.

An Investigation of Organic Factors in the Neuropsychological Functioning of Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder

The hypothesis to be tested in this study was that the cognitive deficits that have been documented in patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are largely the consequence of organic insult, either developmental or acquired. Using a cross–sectional design, 80 subjects (males and females) who met the criteria for BPD participated in the study. They completed a battery of neuropsychological tests and a comprehensive interview assessing organic status as well as measures of the potentially confounding factors of current levels of depression and anxiety. It was expected that BPD-patients with a probable history of organic insult would perform significantly worse than would BPD patients without such a history. Analyses of the results provided partial support for the hypothesis. Subjects with both BPD and a history of organic insult were significantly more impaired on several measures including measures of attention than were BPD only subjects. The results suggested that the impaired cognitive performance of persons diagnosed with BPD may, in part, be attributed to organic factors.

Vocational education and training in schools : career advisers' perceptions and practices

This paper explores the currently highly topical issue of Vocational Education and Training in Schools (VETiS). Specifically, it focuses upon career advisers' perceptions of VETiS, their advising practices as pertaining to this program and their views of others' perceptions of VETiS. It draws upon a national research project and data derived from interviews conducted with career advisers during the course of the project. The paper demonstrates that career advisers perceive VETiS in a favorable light on the whole, and they advocate the practice of advising all students to do VETiS if students desire to do so. That said, the paper goes on to highlight tensions apparent in the career advisers' perceptions of, and subsequent advice-giving practices regarding VETiS - particularly in terms of the potential benefits it affords all students. It becomes clear that careers advisers have different agendas for advising different students - academic and non-academic students - to undertake VETiS as a course of study. Finally, the paper demonstrates the ways in which career advisers become complicit in the marginalisation of VETiS programs and the status of VET.

Test of a model of the effects of parental illness on youth and family functioning

Objective: Parental illness (PI) may have adverse impacts on youth and family functioning. Research in this area has suffered from the absence of a guiding comprehensive framework. This study tested a conceptual model of the effects of PI on youth and family functioning derived from the Family Ecology Framework (FEF; Pedersen & Revenson, 2005). Method. A total of 85 parents with multiple sclerosis and 127 youth completed questionnaires at Time 1 and 12 months later at Time 2. Results. Structural equation modeling results supported the FEF with regards to physical-illness disability. Specifically, the proposed mediators (role redistribution, stress, and stigma) were implicated in the processes that link parental disability to several domains of youth adjustment. The results suggest that the effects of parental depression (PD) are not mediated through these processes; rather, PD directly affects family functioning, which in turn mediates the effects onto youth adjustment. Family functioning further mediated between PD and youth well-being and behavioral-social difficulties. Conclusions. Although results support the effects of parental-illness disability on youth and family functioning via the proposed mediational mechanisms, the additive effects of PD on youth physical and mental health occur through direct and indirect (via family functioning) pathways, respectively.

Get Into Vocational Education (GIVE) Gladstone Pilot Project : Final Report to Rio Tinto Alcan Community Fund

This report describes the Get Into Vocational Education (GIVE) pilot project run at Gladstone Central State School from September to December 2010. The report describes the aims, budget, and timeline of the project and its findings in relation to each of the three major objectives of the project, namely (a) build awareness of, interest in, and familiarity with trades as a future vocation and opportunity for advancement; (b) enhance literacy, numeracy and science knowledge and performance; and (c) provide motivation and engagement to stay on at school and build towards a productive future. The clear findings of the GIVE Gladstone Year 4 pilot project are that, for students at risk in terms of school attendance, engagement and learning: (1) awareness of trades, literacy, mathematics and science knowledge, and motivation and engagement all improve and, in most cases, dramatically improve, in the GIVE structure; (2) this improvement involves transfer to situations and concepts not directly addressed in the project; and (3) the crucial factor in the GIVE structure that gives the improvement is the integration of classroom work with trades experiences and not the classroom and trades experiences themselves (although it is better if these are good).

Get Into Vocational Education (GIVE) Rockhampton Region Pilot Project : Final Report to The John Villiers Trust

This report describes the Get Into Vocational Education (GIVE) pilot project run in the Rockhampton Region at two schools in 2011. The report includes a description of the project, including its aims, budget, and timeline; and the findings in relation to each of the three major objectives of the project, namely (a) build awareness of, interest in, and familiarity with, trades as a future vocation and opportunity for advancement; (b) enhance literacy, numeracy and science knowledge and performance; and (c) provide motivation and engagement to stay on at school and build towards a productive future. The clear findings of the GIVE Rockhampton Region pilot project are that, for students at risk in terms of school attendance, engagement and learning: (1) awareness of trade practices in horticulture, hospitality, retail, and design and engineering, literacy, mathematics and science knowledge, and motivation and engagement all improve and, in most cases, dramatically improve, in the GIVE structure; and (2) the crucial factor in the GIVE structure that gives the improvement is the integration of classroom work with trades experiences and not the classroom and trades experiences themselves (although it is better if these are good).

Assessing intellectual functioning in young adolescents : how do the WISC-IV and SB5 compare?

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and the Stanford-Binet – Fifth Edition (SB5) are two of the most commonly used intelligence tests for children and adolescents. No comparative studies of the WISC-IV and SB5 have yet been published. In the current study the WISC-IV and SB5 were administered in counterbalanced order to 30 typically-developing 12- to 14-year-old adolescents. There was a significant difference between Full Scale IQs on the two measures, with scores being higher on the WISC-IV. A significant difference was also found between Verbal IQs and there were large score differences for some participants. The paper concludes that the WISC-IV and SB5 cannot be presumed to be interchangeable measures of intelligence.

Get Into Vocational Education (GIVE) : motivating underperforming students

This study explores the effects of a vocational education-based program on academic motivation and engagement of primary school aged children. The Get Into Vocational Education (GIVE) program integrated ‘construction’ and the mathematics, English and science lessons of a Year 4 primary classroom. This paper focuses on investigating the components of the GIVE program that led to student changes in mathematical academic motivation and engagement resulting in outstanding gains in NAPLAN Numeracy results. The components proposed to have contributed to effectiveness of the GIVE program are: teacher and trainer expectations, task mastery and classroom relationships. These findings may be useful to researchers and educators who are interested in enhancing students’ mathematical academic motivation.