The Multi-Faceted Experience of Empathy in Intellectual Disability Settings: An IPA Study

This research thesis explored the concept of empathy. The specific purpose was to further understand the idea of empathy in relation to the experience of male support workers who provide residential care to adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) and challenging behaviour. The thesis aimed to provide some insights into how support workers develop and extract meaning from their experiences of relationships with clients and the impact of this on their own self-care, namely, self-compassion. Since personal accounts of experience were required, a qualitative methodology was employed, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith, 2004). This methodology was selected as it allows for the exploration and interpretation of idiographic lived experience and meaning making. 8 experienced support workers were interviewed using a semi structured interview. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data. These included: 1. Making sense of the others inner world; 2. Processes that enhance empathic practice; 3. Tensions and conflicts, and 4. Management of distressing feelings. Differing accounts of interpreting the needs of clients were identified which helped participants understand, make sense of their interpersonal experience and participate in their role. These included utilising academic knowledge and senses, particularly sight and hearing, which were seemingly complemented by a level of reflective practice. Additionally, to make sense of the experience of a client, they appeared to put themselves in their position, suggesting a form of empathy. Participants appeared to engage in a process of reflection on their relationships with clients, which helped them think about what they had learned about the person’s needs, moreover, this process enabled them to identify some of their own responses and feelings. However, participants seemed to struggle to recognise the occurrence or impact of distressing emotional experience and to express their feelings, possibly in response to a deep sense of responsibility and fear of transferring emotional distress to others. This dilemma of holding two potentially conflicting views of experience seemed to inhibit self-compassion. Although not specifically testing theories of empathy, from the overall findings, it could be suggested that empathy may be a dynamic, transient process that is influenced by reflexivity, values and context. The context in which participants discussed their practice, and situated within their accounts, suggested a sense of confusion and uncertainty. Consequently, it is suggested this impacted on how participants understood and related to clients, and to themselves. There were some specific implications for Counselling Psychology practice, mostly concerning training and supervision. These included recommendations for staff training and supervision, systemic organisational intervention, policy development, recommendations for revisions to models of specialist care frameworks and clinical training.

La retroalimentación facial y su efecto en la evaluación de publicidad de humor

La hipótesis de retroalimentación facial planteada por Tomkins en 1962 sustenta que la activación de algunos músculos faciales envía información sensorial al cerebro y se induce entonces una experiencia emocional en el sujeto. Partiendo de dicha teoría y de investigaciones que la sustentan, el presente estudio se propuso confirmar el efecto de la emoción inducida a través de la retroalimentación facial sobre la evaluación de cinco tipos de humor en publicidad. Para ello se realizó un experimento con 60 hombres y 60 mujeres, que fueron asignados aleatoriamente a una de dos condiciones: estimulación de sonrisa –músculos hacia arriba- o inhibición de sonrisa –músculos hacía abajo-, mientras evaluaban 16 imágenes de publicidad de humor. A partir del análisis de los resultados se encontraron diferencias significativas entre las condiciones; en línea con la hipótesis formulada, los participantes expuestos a la condición estimulación de sonrisa –músculos hacía arriba- evaluaron más positivamente los comerciales. También se encontraron diferencias significativas en función del sexo y los tipos de humor evaluados. El estudio ofrece evidencia empírica de la teoría propuesta hace más de medio siglo y su efecto en el ámbito de la publicidad actual.

Dialogical mindfulness in supervision role-play

Aims: This exploratory pilot study investigated Mindfulness-based Role-play (MBRP) supervision to find out how therapists would experience the approach, and to what extent they would find it useful, particularly in relation to empathy toward clients. Method: Thirteen therapists participated in a workshop, introducing mindfulness and MBRP supervision, and subsequently had one individual MBRP supervision session. Data collection and analysis: Qualitative data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and analysed with regard to participants' supervision experiences by means of a modified version of the Consensual Qualitative Research method. Findings: Participants predominantly had positive emotional and cognitive responses to their supervision experiences. The main supervision outcomes were empathy with the client's emotional experience, enhanced awareness of functioning as a therapist, and thoughts about how to proceed in therapy. A subset of participants also reported observed effects in therapy with clients. Conclusions: Even taking into account the methodological limitations of the study, these findings are promising and suggest that further research into the MBRP supervision approach is warranted.

Cross-cultural language learning and web design complexity

Accepting the fact that culture and language are interrelated in second language learning (SLL), the web sites should be designed to integrate with the cultural aspects. Yet many SLL web sites fail to integrate with the cultural aspects and/or focus on language acquisition only. This study identified three issues: (1) anthropologists’ cultural models mostly adopted in cross-cultural web user interface have been superficially used; (2) web designers deal with culture as a fixed one which needs to be modeled into interface design elements, so (3) there is a need for a communication framework between educators and design practitioners, which can be utilized in web design processes. This paper discusses what anthropology can contribute to language learning, mediated through web design processes and suggests a cultural user experience framework for web-based SLL by presenting an exemplary matrix. To evaluate the effectiveness of the framework, the key stakeholders (learners, teachers, and designers) participated in a case scenario-based evaluation. The result shows a high possibility that the framework can enhance the effective communication and collaboration for the cultural integration.

The role of other people and emotion for blood donation : an altruistic social service

Blood donation is a critical part of health services with a viable blood supply underpinning an effective health program in any country. Typically blood is provided by voluntary donations from citizens and is therefore reliant on the goodwill and altruistic commitment of donors. In Australia, like many other developed nations, there are many challenges in maintaining a sufficient and sustainable blood supply. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service Donor and Community research group aim is to understand the barriers, motivations and perceptions of donors. Blood donation is a ‘people-processing’ service (Lovelock 1983, Russell-Bennett et al 2013) with the marketing exchange relating to bodily fluid rather than money and is an altruistic social service that has no direct benefit for the customer donor rather the benefit is for other people and society (Kotler and Zaltman 1971). Emotion has been shown to be a motivator and a barrier in a variety of Blood Service studies, this is a key insight that is further explored in the current study. Other key social factors that impact blood donor behavior are classified as social because they involve perceptions of other people’s beliefs and responses (such as moral or subjective norms), peer pressure, other people’s expectations and other people as a form of support. Given that emotions are social phenomena (Parkinson 1996), this study focuses on the role of other people in the blood donation process and how other people relates to the emotional experience of blood donors. We argue in this paper that overcoming emotional barriers to blood donation by leveraging the role of other people will influence low donation rates in Australia. To date, there has been little evidence in service research that identifies. In this paper we explore how other people influence the emotional experience of donors and how, donor emotions create the need for other people as a coping resource.

The role of design in the future of digital channels: Conceptual insights and future research directions

Purpose In the past channel literature has looked to other disciplines in developing and refining their theories, models and methods in order to evolve the field. This paper traces such history and highlights the substantial changes caused by the digital age. In light of this, the inclusion of design theory into future channel management is presented to overcome existing concerns. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive review of literature on the history of channels, the emotional experience (people), limitations of digital innovation (technology) and the role of design (business) has been conducted to create a new approach, built upon the theory of the techno-economic innovation model. Findings The findings of this study propose design-led channel management as a new research area, providing novel research questions and future research directions. The inclusion of design and emotion theories indicates that the future of digital channel design requires a deeper understanding of customers and needs to go beyond technological advances. Theoretical implications The findings provide an opportunity to explore dynamic theories and methodologies within the field of design that will broaden the horizons and challenge existing notions in channel literature. Originality/value This paper is the first paper that introduces the theory of Emotionate, as the next evolution of channel literature. The value of Emotionate lies in providing a new design-led process of integrating emotion to provide advice to practitioners as well as identifies research areas for academia, thereby extending the reach and richness of this emerging research field.

Emotionally intense science activities

Science activities that evoke positive emotional responses make a difference to students’ emotional experience of science. In this study, we explored 8th Grade students’ discrete emotions expressed during science activities in a unit on Energy. Multiple data sources including classroom videos, interviews and emotion diaries completed at the end of each lesson were analysed to identify individual student's emotions. Results from two representative students are presented as case studies. Using a theoretical perspective drawn from theories of emotions founded in sociology, two assertions emerged. First, during the demonstration activity, students experienced the emotions of wonder and surprise; second, during a laboratory activity, students experienced the intense positive emotions of happiness/joy. Characteristics of these activities that contributed to students’ positive experiences are highlighted. The study found that choosing activities that evoked strong positive emotional experiences, focused students’ attention on the phenomenon they were learning, and the activities were recalled positively. Furthermore, such positive experiences may contribute to students’ interest and engagement in science and longer term memorability. Finally, implications for science teachers and pre-service teacher education are suggested.

Methodological and Empirical Advances in the Quantitative Analysis of Spontaneous Responses in Psychophysiological Time Series

The aim of the present study was to advance the methodology and use of time series analysis to quantify dynamic structures in psychophysiological processes and thereby to produce information on spontaneously coupled physiological responses and their behavioral and experiential correlates. Series of analyses using both simulated and empirical cardiac (IBI), electrodermal (EDA), and facial electromyographic (EMG) data indicated that, despite potential autocorrelated structures, smoothing increased the reliability of detecting response coupling from an interindividual distribution of intraindividual measures and that especially the measures of covariance produced accurate information on the extent of coupled responses. This methodology was applied to analyze spontaneously coupled IBI, EDA, and facial EMG responses and vagal activity in their relation to emotional experience and personality characteristics in a group of middle-aged men (n = 37) during the administration of the Rorschach testing protocol. The results revealed new characteristics in the relationship between phasic end-organ synchronization and vagal activity, on the one hand, and individual differences in emotional adjustment to novel situations on the other. Specifically, it appeared that the vagal system is intimately related to emotional and social responsivity. It was also found that the lack of spontaneously synchronized responses is related to decreased energetic arousal (e.g., depression, mood). These findings indicate that the present process analysis approach has many advantages for use in both experimental and applied research, and that it is a useful new paradigm in psychophysiological research. Keywords: Autonomic Nervous System; Emotion; Facial Electromyography; Individual Differences; Spontaneous Responses; Time Series Analysis; Vagal System

Orienting to emotion in computer-mediated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Exploring emotions is a defining feature of psychotherapy. This study explores how therapists explore emotions when they cannot see or hear their clients. In analysing 1,279 sessions of online text-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) we focused on therapists’ commiserations (e.g., “I’m sorry to hear that”) and their affective inferences (e.g., “that sounds very scary for you”). Both practices routinely prefaced moves to pursue a range of therapeutic activities, many of which did not prioritise sustained focus on the emotion that had just been oriented to. By separating message composition from message transmission, the modality used for these therapy sessions enabled therapists to combine orientations to emotion with attempts to shift the focus of discussion. Our analysis finds that although physically co-present and computer-mediated psychotherapy share a common focus on emotional experience, the modality used for therapy can be relevant in the design and use of these orientations. Data are in British English.

A study on fear memory retrieval and REM sleep in maternal separation and isolation stressed rats

As rapid brain development occurs during the neonatal period, environmental manipulation during this period may have a significant impact on sleep and memory functions. Moreover, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep plays an important role in integrating new information with the previously stored emotional experience. Hence, the impact of early maternal separation and isolation stress (MS) during the stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) on fear memory retention and sleep in rats were studied. The neonatal rats were subjected to maternal separation and isolation stress during postnatal days 5-7 (6 h daily/3 d). Polysomnographic recordings and differential fear conditioning was carried out in two different sets of rats aged 2 months. The neuronal replay during REM sleep was analyzed using different parameters. MS rats showed increased time in REM stage and total sleep period also increased. MS rats showed fear generalization with increased fear memory retention than normal control (NC). The detailed analysis of the local field potentials across different time periods of REM sleep showed increased theta oscillations in the hippocampus, amygdala and cortical circuits. Our findings suggest that stress during SHRP has sensitized the hippocampus amygdala cortical loops which could be due to increased release of corticosterone that generally occurs during REM sleep. These rats when subjected to fear conditioning exhibit increased fear memory and increased, fear generalization. The development of helplessness, anxiety and sleep changes in human patients, thus, could be related to the reduced thermal, tactile and social stimulation during SHRP on brain plasticity and fear memory functions. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Percepción de las prácticas parentales y experiencia de emociones positivas en adolescentes

Resumen: Esta investigación tuvo por objetivo conocer, mediante un diseño ex post facto, cómo influyen las prácticas parentales percibidas por el adolescente sobre su capacidad de experimentar emociones positivas. Participaron 210 adolescentes argentinos de ambos sexos, de entre 14 y 16 años. Para obtener los datos se utilizó el Cuestionario de Emociones Positivas (Schmidt, 2008), y la Versión Abreviada de una Adaptación Argentina del Children’s Report of Parental Behavior Inventory (Richaud de Minzi, 2005). Los resultados revelaron que el control patológico y la autonomía extrema materna obstaculizan la experiencia de ciertas emociones positivas en los hijos. Con relación a las prácticas paternas, la combinación del control patológico, la baja aceptación y la autonomía extrema otorgada dificulta la experiencia emocional de los hijos.

As relações entre raiva e habilidades sociais em indivíduos com transtornos alimentares

Os Transtornos Alimentares (TA) são caracterizados por graves perturbações no comportamento alimentar, geralmente de início precoce e curso duradouro. Vários fatores estão associados a sua etiologia, como fatores familiares, socioculturais, biológicos e psicológicos. Alguns autores demonstraram existir correlação entre gravidade nos comportamentos alimentares inadequados, baixos níveis de assertividade, altos níveis de hostilidade autodirigida e dificuldade em expressar a raiva. Além disso, a raiva tem sido relacionada principalmente aos episódios de compulsão alimentar e métodos compensatórios. A literatura, já há algum tempo reconhece o papel central do afeto negativo na etiologia e manutenção da compulsão alimentar. A teoria da regulação do afeto pressupõe que os episódios de compulsão alimentar estão associados a uma dificuldade para regular as emoções de forma adaptada, configurando-os como uma estratégia inadequada para aliviar sofrimento e reduzir afetos intensos. Pesquisadores indicam que um terço das mulheres com compulsão alimentar, comem em resposta a emoções negativas, mais especificamente a raiva, depressão e ansiedade. A compulsão alimentar teria como função regular a experiência emocional, reduzindo a consciência da emoção. A raiva também tem sido associada a déficits em habilidades sociais. A literatura sugere que os indivíduos socialmente habilidosos são mais propensos a manejar com a emoção da raiva do que aqueles com déficits em habilidades sociais e resolução de problemas, e que muitos dos tratamentos efetivos para raiva e comportamento agressivo incluem o desenvolvimento dessas habilidades. Assim como elevados níveis de raiva estão associados a comportamentos alimentares disfuncionais, evidências apontam para a relação entre déficits em habilidades sociais e gravidade do comportamento alimentar. A literatura mostra que no tratamento da raiva, o treinamento de habilidades sociais tem sido bastante efetivo. Dessa forma, identificar de que forma a raiva se relaciona ao comportamento alimentar inadequado , bem como aos déficits em habilidades sociais se torna relevante para a criação de programas de intervenção que tenham como objetivo ensinar o indivíduo a manejar com a raiva e frustração, aumentando assim, a capacidade de resolução de problemas e diminuindo a ocorrência de comportamentos alimentares inadequados. Portanto, o objetivo desse estudo é avaliar as relações entre habilidades sociais e a raiva em pacientes com Bulimia Nervosa e Transtorno da Compulsão Alimentar Periódica. Em função das críticas ao uso de questionários de auto-informe em pesquisas, essa tese foi dividida em três estudos. O primeiro foi uma revisão sistemática da literatura que teve como propósito avaliar as relações entre níveis disfuncionais de raiva e compulsão alimentar em pacientes com bulimia nervosa e TCAP. O segundo estudo avaliou as relações entre níveis de habilidades sociais, raiva disfuncional e gravidade da compulsão alimentar em amostra clínica, através de questionários de autorrelato. E por fim, o terceiro estudo teve como objetivo identificar pensamentos automáticos e comportamentos associados a emoção da raiva através de entrevista estruturada, composta por cinco questões abertas. Os resultados de cada estudo serão discutidos, assim como sua implicação no tratamento dos TA

中职生的成就动机与行为问题的关系

Achievement motive is human’s social motive. In some sense, one’s all-life achievements are decided by his/her achievement motive. By which we can conclude that achievement motive has close connection with individual emotional experience. People pursuing success experience more positive emotion and less negative one, and have good behavioral adaptability. This study aims at explore the relation between achievement motive and behavior problems in the secondary vocational education schools through questionaries (the achievement motivation scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale，State-Trait Anxiety Inventory，Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression Scale and middle school students'behavior questionnaire). There were 1005 students whose age ranged from 14to21 years completed the questionnaires. The main conclusions of this thesis are as follows: (1) Achievement motive of student in the secondary vocational education schools is significantly lower than that of students in the senior high school. (2) Students in the secondary vocational education schools show more obvious emotion and Externalizing behavior problems than those of the senior high schools. (3) Students’ motivation for pursuing success in the secondary vocational education schools has negative correlation with emotion and Externalizing behavior problem, while the motivation for avoiding failure has positive correlation with the emotion and Externalizing behavior problem. Achievement motivation has negative correlation with emotion and Externalizing behavior problem. (4) Students’ achievement motivation shows obvious gender difference in the secondary vocational education schools. The avoiding failure element shows upward trend with the grades increasing and the difference is obvious. While the students’ achievement motive in the secondary vocational education schools shows significantly downward trend with the grades increasing. Whether holding a post at school has influence on the students’ achievement motivation, and the difference is significant. (5) Students’ Externalizing behavior problem in the secondary vocational education schools shows obvious gender difference. Whether holding a post at school has influence on the students’ Externalizing behavior problem, and depression and loneliness, and the difference is significant. Key words: Students in the Secondary Vocational Education Schools, Achievement Motivation, Behavior Problem, Emotion Problem, Externalizing Behavior Problem (Note: In this study, the behavior problems include not only the externalizing behavior problems, but also emotion problems.)

成年女儿照料老年父母的心理体验及关系质量作用的研究

Previous researches about family caregiving revealed that caregiving has both negative and positive effects on caregivers’ well-being. Based on Lawton’s two-factor model, this study aims at examining how caring for old parents would affect adult daughters’ psychological well-being. According to Lawton, objective stressors as caregiving would arouse two different kinds of caregivers’ subjective appraisal, i.e., negative appraisal and positive appraisal, which in turn correlate with the negative and positive dimensions of caregivers’ psychological well-being, respectively. There were two main purposes of this study: a) to verify both the negative and positive paths in the two-factor model and their relatively independence; and b) to examine the effects of relationship quality between caregiver and care-recipient on those paths. The results are as follows: 1) Caregiving stressors have significant positive predictive effect on caregivers’ negative appraisal, but have no direct effect on caregivers’ positive appraisal. 2) Caregivers’ negative appraisal has significant positive predictive effect on their negative emotional experience, while caregivers’ positive appraisal has significant positive predictive effect on their positive emotional experience. 3) Certain dimensions of relationship quality, including the Appreciation and General Appraisal, have significant negative predictive effect on caregivers’ negative appraisal, and have significant positive predictive effect on caregivers’ positive appraisal. 4) The Appreciation dimension of relationship quality moderates the path from caregiving demands to caregivers’ burden; and the General Appraisal of relationship quality moderates the path from caregivers’ positive appraisal to life satisfaction. Based on the above results, the researcher concluded that a) both the negative path and positive path exist in caregiving process, and they are relatively independent from each other; and b) relationship quality does moderate certain paths in the model. Meanwhile, the main effect of relationship quality on caregivers’ experience is also significant and more remarkable. This study attempts to explain these results in terms of coping resources. Both relationship quality and many other factors might be explained as resources that caregivers utilize to cope with stress of caregiving. With more resources, caregivers tend to appraise more positively, and less negatively, and vice versa. However, the resources which might affect caregivers’ positive appraisal, as well as the ways they work, may be different from that affect caregivers’ negative appraisal.

工作幸福感的结构、测量及作用机制

With the emergence and development of positive psychology, happiness has been the focus of academia and business. However, there is no uniform measure of happiness, because of many different theories of happiness, which are not compatible with others. It bounds the further development of happiness theory. It is also the same with the research of work well-being, which refers to the emotional experience and quality of psychological functioning of employee in the workplace. Subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) are two major theories of happiness. Prior research has demonstrated the integration of these two theories theoretically, but still needs more empirical support. Besides, in line with the development of positive psychology, a body of knowledge about positive leadership is advocated. Transformational leadership is treated as one kind of positive leadership, since it emphasizes the leader’s motivational and elevating effect on followers. But the extent to which the transformational leadership can enhance work well-being, and what the mechanism is, these are the questions need to be explored. Based on the integration of SWB and PWB, this research tried to investigate the structure, measurement and mechanism of work well-being, and combining with the theory of transformational leadership, this study also tried to investigate the relationship between transformational leadership and work well-being. The structure and measurement of work well-being, the relationships between work well-being and job characteristics (including job resources and job demands), the relationships among transformational leadership, job resources, work well-being and corresponding outcomes, the relationships among transformational leadership, job demands, work well-being and corresponding outcomes, and the relationships among transformational leadership, group job characteristics, group work well-being and corresponding group outcomes were explored by using content analysis, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) discussion, and structural questionnaire surveys. More than 7000 subjects were surveyed, and Explore Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirm Factor Analysis (CFA), Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) and other statistics methods were used. The following is the major conclusions. Firstly, work well-being is a two high-order factors structure, which includes affective well-being (AWB) and cognitive well-being (CWB). AWB is similar to SWB, and CWB is similar to PWB. Besides, the construct of AWB includes sub-dimensions of positive emotional experience and negative emotional experience. And the construct of CWB consists of work autonomy, personal growth, work competent, and work significance. Secondly, the relationships between job characteristics and AWB and CWB are different. On one hand job demands are directly related to AWB, and are indirectly related to CWB through the full mediation of AWB, on the other job resources are directly related to CWB, and are indirectly related to AWB through the full mediation of CWB, which means AWB and CWB reciprocally influences each other in the model of job demands-resources. These results were concluded as the process model of work well-being. Thirdly, AWB and CWB are positively related to many workplace outcomes, including job satisfaction, group satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention, job performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and general psychological health and general physiological health. Fourthly, transformational leadership is indirectly related to CWB through the full mediation of job resources, and is related to AWB through the partial mediation of job demands. Meanwhile, transformational leadership is related to many workplace outcomes through the mediation of job characteristics and work well-being. These results implied that transformational leadership is indeed one kind of positive leadership. Fifthly, in the group level, transformational leadership is indirectly related to group CWB through the full mediation of group job resources, and is related to group AWB through the full mediation of group job demands. Group AWB has positive influence on group CWB, but not vice versa. Group job characteristics and group work well-being fully mediate the relationships between transformational leadership and intragroup cooperation and group performance.