Communication in investigative and legal settings:integrated approaches from forensic psychology, linguistics and law enforcement

Communication in Forensic Contexts provides in-depth coverage of the complex area of communication in forensic situations. Drawing on expertise from forensic psychology, linguistics and law enforcement worldwide, the text bridges the gap between these fields in a definitive guide to best practice. •Offers best practice for understanding and improving communication in forensic contexts, including interviewing of victims, witnesses and suspects, discourse in courtrooms, and discourse via interpreters •Bridges the knowledge gaps between forensic psychology, forensic linguistics and law enforcement, with chapters written by teams bringing together expertise from each field •Published in collaboration with the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group, dedicated to furthering evidence-based practice and practice-based research amongst researchers and practitioners •International, cross-disciplinary team includes contributors from North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, and from psychology, linguistics and forensic practice

Architectural aspects of self-aware and self-expressive computing systems:from psychology to engineering

Work on human self-Awareness is the basis for a framework to develop computational systems that can adaptively manage complex dynamic tradeoffs at runtime. An architectural case study in cloud computing illustrates the framework's potential benefits.

Beginnings : ventricular psychology

From Platonic and Galenic roots, the first well developed ventricular theory of brain function is due to Bishop Nemesius, fourth century C.E. Although more interested in the Christian concept of soul, St. Augustine, too addressed the question of the location of the soul, a problem that has endured in various guises to the present day. Other notable contributions to ventricular psychology are the ninth century C.E. Arabic writer, Qusta ibn Lūqā, and an early European medical text written by the twelfth century C.E. author, Nicolai the Physician. By the time of Albertus Magnus, so-called medieval cell doctrine was a well-developed model of brain function. By the sixteenth century, Vesalius no longer understands the ventricles to be imaginary cavities designed to provide a physical basis for faculty psychology but as fluid-filled spaces in the brain whose function is yet to be determined

Stress, burnout and coping strategies in the emergency and intensive care hospital departments

Doctors and nurses working at the accident and emergency (A&E), and intensive care departments are at risk of burnout. They often spend substantial time in intense interactions with other people, centered on patients? health problems (physical, psychological and social) that may lead to feelings of anger, anxiety and frustration, and eventually to burnout. Burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment (Maslach & Jackson, 1981) The purpose of this chapter is to assess work stressors, burnout and stress-coping mechanisms among doctors and nurses at the A&E and intensive care departments. A quantitative design using the survey approach was used to collect data from a sample of 200 participants with a response rate of 71% (n=154) Work stressors were associated with burnout in both doctors and nurses. Workload was the most salient work stressor in the sample. Nurses experienced more stress (M=1.5, SD=0.4) than doctors (M=1.2, SD=0.4) in all the work stressor variables examined. The A&E department was reported as more stressful than the intensive care department. Avoidance-oriented and task-oriented coping were the most and the least frequently reported coping strategies respectively. Additionally, only emotion-oriented coping strategy was significantly different between doctors and nurses, and this strategy was also significantly positively correlated with all the variables in the adapted nursing stress scale, and the three burnout variables. Death and dying was most strongly correlated with emotion-oriented coping. This chapter provides an assessment of stress, burnout and coping experienced by both doctors and nurses within the A&E and intensive care departments. Methods that may mitigate stress in these environments may be adequate staffing, supportive management, stress management programs, as well as improvement in communication strategies between doctors and nurses.

Improving the management of behaviour that challenges associated with dementia in care homes:protocol for pharmacy-health psychology intervention feasibility study

INTRODUCTION: The inappropriate use of antipsychotics in people with dementia for behaviour that challenges is associated with an estimated 1800 deaths annually. However, solely focusing on antipsychotics may transfer prescribing to other equally dangerous psychotropics. Little is known about the role of pharmacists in the management of psychotropics used to treat behaviours that challenge. This research aims to determine whether it is feasible to implement and measure the effectiveness of a combined pharmacy-health psychology intervention incorporating a medication review and staff training package to limit the prescription of psychotropics to manage behaviour that challenges in care home residents with dementia. METHODS/ANALYSIS: 6 care homes within the West Midlands will be recruited. People with dementia receiving medication for behaviour that challenges, or their personal consultee, will be approached regarding participation. Medication used to treat behaviour that challenges will be reviewed by the pharmacist, in collaboration with the general practitioner (GP), person with dementia and carer. The behavioural intervention consists of a training package for care home staff and GPs promoting person-centred care and treating behaviours that challenge as an expression of unmet need. The primary outcome measure is the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home version (NPI-NH). Other outcomes include quality of life (EQ-5D and DEMQoL), cognition (sMMSE), health economic (CSRI) and prescribed medication including whether recommendations were implemented. Outcome data will be collected at 6 weeks, and 3 and 6 months. Pretraining and post-training interviews will explore stakeholders' expectations and experiences of the intervention. Data will be used to estimate the sample size for a definitive study. ETHICS/DISSEMINATION: The project has received a favourable opinion from the East Midlands REC (15/EM/3014). If potential participants lack capacity, a personal consultee will be consulted regarding participation in line with the Mental Capacity Act. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences.

Advancing the psychology of entrepreneurship:a review of the psychological literature and an introduction

This article provides a narrative review of psychology of entrepreneurship research published in leading psychology journals, based on which we develop an organising framework for future psychological contributions to this field. Furthermore, we introduce the manuscripts collected in this special issue. Our review identified five research areas, broadly corresponding with basic psychological domains, namely personal differences; careers; health and well-being; cognition and behaviour; and leadership; as well as three cross-cutting themes: gender issues; genetic and biological foundations; and context. With the aim to stimulate integration across different approaches and disciplines, we propose a framework to understand how psychologists can offer innovative contributions to the multi-disciplinary entrepreneurship literature. This includes a focus on the entrepreneur embedded in and in interaction with his or her immediate and wider context; attention to different types of entrepreneurs; and a focus on dynamic within-person processes evolving over time.

Implications of a theoretical framework on stress and burnout for the development of graduate nursing education curricula

This study had two purposes: (a) to develop a theoretical framework integrating and synthesizing findings of prior research regarding stress and burnout among critical care nurses (CCRNs), and (b) to validate the theoretical framework with an empirical study to assure a theory/research based teaching-learning process for graduate courses preparing nursing clinical specialists and administrators.^ The methods used to test the theoretical framework included: (a) adopting instruments with reported validity, (b) conducting a pilot study, (c) revising instruments using results of the pilot study and following concurrence of a panel of experts, and (d) establishing correlations within predetermined parameters. The reliability of the tool was determined through the use of Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient with a resulting range from.68 to.88 for all measures.^ The findings supported all the research hypotheses. Correlations were established at r =.23 for statistically significant alphas at the.01 level and r =.16 for alphas.05. The conclusions indicated three areas of strong correlation among the theoretical variables: (a) work environment stressor antecedents and specific stressor events were correlated significantly with subjective work stress and burnout; (b) subjective work stress (perceived work related stress) was a function of the work environment stressor antecedents and specific stressor events, and (c) emotional exhaustion, the first phase of burnout, was confirmed to be related to stressor antecedents and specific stressor events. This dimension was found to be a function of the work environment stressor antecedents, modified by the individual characteristics of work and non-work related social support, non-work daily stress, and the number of hours worked per week. The implications of the study for nursing graduate curricula, nursing practice and nursing education were discussed. Recommendations for further research were enumerated. ^

Judging psychology experts: Can judges and attorneys distinguish between clinical and experimental psychologists?

A trial judge serves as gatekeeper in the courtroom to ensure that only reliable expert witness testimony is presented to the jury. Nevertheless, research shows that while judges take seriously their gatekeeper status, legal professionals in general are unable to identify well conducted research and are unable to define falsifiability, error rates, peer review status, and scientific validity (Gatkowski et al., 2001; Kovera & McAuliff, 2000). However, the abilities to identify quality scientific research and define scientific concepts are critical to preventing "junk" science from entering courtrooms. Research thus far has neglected to address that before selecting expert witnesses, judges and attorneys must first evaluate experts' CVs rather than their scientific testimony to determine whether legal standards of admissibility have been met. The quality of expert testimony, therefore, largely depends on the ability to evaluate properly experts' credentials. Theoretical models of decision making suggest that ability/knowledge and motivation are required to process information systematically. Legal professionals (judges and attorneys) were expected to process CVs heuristically when rendering expert witness decisions due to a lack of training in areas of psychology expertise.^ Legal professionals' (N = 150) and undergraduate students' (N = 468) expert witness decisions were examined and compared. Participants were presented with one of two versions of a criminal case calling for the testimony of either a clinical psychology expert or an experimental legal psychology expert. Participants then read one of eight curricula vitae that varied area of expertise (clinical vs. legal psychology), previous expert witness experience (previous experience vs. no previous experience), and scholarly publication record (30 publications vs. no publications) before deciding whether the expert was qualified to testify in the case. Follow-up measures assessed participants' decision making processes.^ Legal professionals were not better than college students at rendering quality psychology expert witness admissibility decisions yet they were significantly more confident in their decisions. Legal professionals rated themselves significantly higher than students in ability, knowledge, and motivation to choose an appropriate psychology expert although their expert witness decisions were equally inadequate. Findings suggest that participants relied on heuristics, such as previous expert witness experience, to render decisions.^

CLIMA ORGANIZACIONAL E BURNOUT: UM ESTUDO COM SERVIDORES PÚBLICOS FEDERAIS

As condições inadequadas vivenciadas nas organizações afligem não só os trabalhadores da iniciativa privada, pois são igualmente encontradas no segmento estatal, contrariando a expectativa de que o aparato governamental eliminaria as condições insalubres e criaria outras melhores nas quais prevalecesse à promoção de saúde. Diante desse panorama questionou-se porque, uma vez que, pelo menos do ponto de vista da sociedade leiga, esses servidores estão submetidos a condições privilegiadas de trabalho. O presente estudo objetivou identificar e descrever possíveis relações entre o clima organizacional e o burnout em servidores públicos de uma instituição federal de ensino. Objetivou-se ainda descrever o clima organizacional predominante. A pesquisa realizada teve cunho quantitativo, tipo estudo de caso e exploratória. A coleta de dados deu-se por meio das escalas ECO (escala de clima organizacional), ECB (escala de caracterização do burnout) e um questionário sociodemográfico, todos os instrumentos autoaplicáveis eletronicamente disponíveis à instituição. Participaram do estudo 201 servidores públicos federais, com idade média de 37 anos, majoritariamente de nível superior e casados. Os resultados revelaram que cerca de um quarto dos participantes raramente experimentaram burnout, no entanto outra quarta parte deles frequentemente experimentaram altos níveis de burnout, resultado bastante expressivo. Os servidores perceberam clima organizacional mediano, destacando-se a boa coesão entre os colegas de trabalho e a percepção de baixa recompensa. Merece destaque a grande dispersão entre as percepções de clima, o que permite inferir haver subclimas não identificados nesta investigação, possivelmente ocasionados por uma força de clima fraca e pela participação dos servidores de unidades de ensino geograficamente distintas, geridas por gestores locais com relativa autonomia. Os resultados dos cálculos de correlação revelaram que, quanto menos os participantes percebem apoio da chefia e da organização, coesão entre colegas, e mais controle/pressão, mais exaustos se sentem, mais desumanizam as pessoas com quem tratam e mais se decepcionam no trabalho e vice-versa. Conforto físico menor está associado a maior desumanização e a mais decepção no trabalho e vice-versa; e que controle/pressão, relaciona-se positiva e fracamente com desumanização e vice-versa. Desta forma, a hipótese de que existe associação entre burnout e clima organizacional foi confirmada. Os resultados também revelaram que os servidores com burnout, perceberam pior clima organizacional que os seus pares sem burnout, confirmando a segunda hipótese. Esses servidores também se mostraram neutros quanto à percepção de apoio da chefia e conforto físico; não percebem controle pressão, nem recompensa; todavia percebem coesão entre os colegas. Esses resultados sugerem que os participantes têm se apoiado nessas relações para suportar a indiferença e ausência de estímulos experimentados no trabalho. Os resultados obtidos nesse estudo permitiram concluir que o clima organizacional é fraco, provavelmente influenciado por uma cultura organizacional fraca, explicando a heterogeneidade da percepção do clima organizacional pelos servidores. Além disso, embora haja burnout entre poucos participantes, há que se atentar que cerca de um quarto deles, encontra-se acometido desta síndrome e isto poderá contagiar os demais.

The importance of character : virtue ethics and psychology

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

The Burden of Burnout: An Assessment of Burnout Among Internal Medicine Residents After the 2011 Duty Hour Changes.

This study sought to determine burnout prevalence and factors associated with burnout in internal medicine residents after introduction of the 2011 ACGME duty hour rules. Burnout was evaluated using an anonymized, abbreviated version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Surveys were collected biweekly for 48 weeks during the 2013-2014 academic year. Burnout severity was compared across subgroups and time. A score of 3 or higher signified burnout. Overall, 944 of 3936 (24%) surveys were completed. The mean burnout score across all surveys was 2.8. Categorical residents had higher burnout severity than noncategorical residents (2.9 vs 2.7, P = .005). Postgraduate year 2 residents had the highest burnout severity by year (3.1, P < .001). Residents on inpatient rotations had higher burnout severity than residents on outpatient or consultation rotations (3.1 vs 2.2 vs 2.2, P < .001). Night float rotations had the highest severity (3.8). Burnout remains a significant problem even with recent duty hour modifications.

The importance of character : virtue ethics and psychology

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

An integrated psychology virtual research ethics committee

Research and professional ethics are an integral part of every Psychology degree, as this is seen as a key graduate learning outcome for students leaving to become clinicians working with clients and patients. The development of these skills is embedded in teaching, but they culminate in the final year of a degree when final year students must gain formal ethical approval for their final research project. Decision as to the ethical appropriateness of research are made by a Departmental Research Ethics Committee, which considers all research project proposals submitted by staff and students within the department. One of the challenges of this practice is the scale of work involved for committee members (Doyle & Buckley, 2014) who are all faculty members, and the tracking of applications and decisions, alongside the quality assurance required to ensure that all applications are treated fairly and equally. The time involved in performing this work is often underestimated by Universities, and the variety and complexity of decisions requires extensive discussion and negotiation. Traditionally, these decisions are reached by committee discussions, however this presents logistical difficulties as it requires meetings with quorate attendance. The University of Westminster launched a virtual tool in 2014 to facilitate the management of the Research Ethics Committee, to help track the progress of applications and to allow discussions to occur and be managed virtually. The Department of Psychology adopted the tools in September 2014 to deal with all ethics applications. Here we report on how this virtual committee has affected the role and practices of a working committee that deals with over 300 applications per year, and how an online ethics procedure has facilitated an integrated developmental approach to ethical education.