Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Own Perspective (own + perspective)
Selected AbstractsGenetic and environmental influences on Anxious/Depression during childhood: a study from the Netherlands Twin RegisterGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 8 2005D. I. Boomsma For a large sample of twin pairs from the Netherlands Twins Register who were recruited at birth and followed through childhood, we obtained parental ratings of Anxious/Depression (A/D). Maternal ratings were obtained at ages 3 years (for 9025 twin pairs), 5 years (9222 pairs), 7 years (7331 pairs), 10 years (4430 pairs) and 12 years (2363 pairs). For 60,90% of the pairs, father ratings were also available. Multivariate genetic models were used to test for rater-independent and rater-specific assessments of A/D and to determine the genetic and environmental influences on individual differences in A/D at different ages. At all ages, monozygotic twins resembled each other more closely for A/D than dizygotic twins, implying genetic influences on variation in A/D. Opposite sex twin pairs resembled each other to same extent as same-sex dizygotic twins, suggesting that the same genes are expressed in boys and girls. Heritability estimates for rater-independent A/D were high in 3-year olds (76%) and decreased in size as children grew up [60% at age 5, 67% at age 7, 53% at age 10 (60% in boys) and 48% at age 12 years]. The decrease in genetic influences was accompanied by an increase in the influence of the shared family environment [absent at ages 3 and 7, 16% at age 5, 20% at age 10 (5% in boys) and 18% at age 12 years]. The agreement between parental A/D ratings was between 0.5 and 0.7, with somewhat higher correlations for the youngest group. Disagreement in ratings between the parents was not merely the result of unreliability or rater bias. Both the parents provided unique information from their own perspective on the behavior of their children. Significant influences of genetic and shared environmental factors were found for the unique parental views. At all ages, the contribution of shared environmental factors to variation in rater-specific views was higher for father ratings. Also, at all ages except age 12, the heritability estimates for the rater-specific phenotype were higher for mother ratings (59% at age 3 and decreasing to 27% at age 12 years) than for father ratings (between 14 and 29%). Differences between children, even as young as 3 years, in A/D are to a large extent due to genetic differences. As children grow up, the variation in A/D is due in equal parts to genetic and environmental influences. Anxious/Depression, unlike many other common childhood psychopathologies, is influenced by the shared family environment. These findings may provide support for why certain family therapeutic approaches are effective in the A/D spectrum of illnesses. [source] Social cognition and the brain: A meta-analysisHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 3 2009Frank Van Overwalle Abstract This meta-analysis explores the location and function of brain areas involved in social cognition, or the capacity to understand people's behavioral intentions, social beliefs, and personality traits. On the basis of over 200 fMRI studies, it tests alternative theoretical proposals that attempt to explain how several brain areas process information relevant for social cognition. The results suggest that inferring temporary states such as goals, intentions, and desires of other people,even when they are false and unjust from our own perspective,strongly engages the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ). Inferring more enduring dispositions of others and the self, or interpersonal norms and scripts, engages the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), although temporal states can also activate the mPFC. Other candidate tasks reflecting general-purpose brain processes that may potentially subserve social cognition are briefly reviewed, such as sequence learning, causality detection, emotion processing, and executive functioning (action monitoring, attention, dual task monitoring, episodic memory retrieval), but none of them overlaps uniquely with the regions activated during social cognition. Hence, it appears that social cognition particularly engages the TPJ and mPFC regions. The available evidence is consistent with the role of a TPJ-related mirror system for inferring temporary goals and intentions at a relatively perceptual level of representation, and the mPFC as a module that integrates social information across time and allows reflection and representation of traits and norms, and presumably also of intentionality, at a more abstract cognitive level. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Next of kin's conceptions of the quality of care in the psychiatric setting: A phenomenographic studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 5 2007Agneta Schröder ABSTRACT:, The next of kin play a decisive role in the care provided for patients. This and their unique experience of psychiatric care make it important to include them when defining quality of care. The aim of the present study was to describe how next of kin perceive the concept of quality of care in the case of psychiatric care. Twelve next of kin were included in a qualitative interview study and a phenomenographic approach was used for the analysis of the interviews. The next of kin described quality of care mainly from their own perspective but also to a large extent from the patient's perspective as well. Five descriptive categories resulted: dignity, security, participation, recovery, and health-promoting surroundings. Good relations and communication between staff, patients, and next of kin emerged as the central factors regarding the quality of psychiatric care. The next of kin asked for information about psychiatric illnesses and wanted to cooperate in the care. They avoid telling others about their family member's psychiatric illness because of a feeling of shame and guilt. Staff education regarding such feelings and stigmatization could be useful in furthering the understanding of the next of kin's distress and developing interventions to alleviate it. Clinical practice can be improved by guidelines and instruments developed on the basis of this study. [source] Rheumatoid arthritis patient education: RA patients' experienceJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 14 2009Paula Mäkeläinen Aim and objective., The purpose of this paper is to describe the content of patient education as portrayed and evaluated by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Background., Rheumatology nurses have an important role in educating and supporting RA patients. However, there is a lack of knowledge of the RA patients' own perspective of patient education. Design., Survey. Method., Data for this study were collected from 173 RA patients from 11 hospitals and 23 health centers using open-ended questions. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of the patients described the content of patient education and eighty-one percent (81%) evaluated it expressing their experience and satisfaction with it. Data were analysed using descriptive and non-parametric statistical tests. Results., Rheumatology nurses mostly gave their RA patients information about how to use the anti-rheumatic drugs prescribed to them (26%). About half (51%) of the patients were satisfied with patient education. However, every fourth patient (24%) was not satisfied, the main reason for the dissatisfaction being that nurses did not focus on the patient's emotional support. The patients of over 57 years of age and those who had suffered from RA for over five years were more satisfied with their education than the others. Conclusions., It is important that rheumatology nurses, besides passing on medical treatment-related information, concentrate on RA patients' emotional well-being. Relevance to clinical practice., The results provide a useful insight into RA patient education. Nurses should avoid merely passing on information in a routine workmanlike way. It is important that they take time to discuss their patients' feelings and worries especially with newly diagnosed patients. RA patient education should balance patients' information needs with their need for emotional support. [source] Writing the West: Critical Approaches to ShaneLITERATURE COMPASS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 1 2007Ruth Griffin Representations of the American West have perhaps resonated most strongly in the western film genre, yet at the same time, the literary western is a highly developed and sophisticated genre in its own right. Meanwhile, critical approaches to the West have become increasingly wide-ranging, spanning historical/literary studies; film/cultural studies; genre; gender studies; philosophy, structuralism and, most recently, post-modernism. In light of such critical diversity, this article places a literary text alongside a western film in order to illustrate and demonstrate potential critical approaches to the western. To this end it takes Jack Schaefer's novel Shane as its case study with two main organising principles in mind. Firstly, analysis of the text demonstrates the ways in which critical methods and theoretical debates can be applied to the literary western. As a result, I assess, for example, the convention which applies historical co-ordinates to fictional representations, as well as the challenges posed by alternative modes of critique. Secondly, the novel is placed alongside the filmic adaptation in order to demonstrate the fluid nature of western forms and the critical approaches which can be used to analyse them. Finally, I offer my own perspective, suggesting that the methodologies and textual forms explored in the article signal the need for trans-disciplinary critical approaches which reflect both the simplicity and the diversity of the western as a whole. [source] Psychometric performance and clinical meaningfulness of the Patient Assessment of Constipation , Quality of Life questionnaire in prucalopride (RESOLOR®) trials for chronic constipationNEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY & MOTILITY, Issue 2 2010D. Dubois Abstract Background, The Patient Assessment of Constipation,Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) is a self-reported questionnaire measuring health-related quality of life (HRQL) of constipated patients and was used as secondary endpoint in three identical double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trials. These 12-week trials in subjects with severe chronic constipation evaluated the effects of prucalopride, a selective 5-HT4 agonist given orally once daily. Methods, To consolidate the main treatment effect results observed in the prucalopride trial populations, analyses were undertaken on the pooled data of the three trials to confirm the psychometric properties of the PAC-QOL and to provide guidance for the interpretation of the clinical significance of its scores. Key Results, The evaluation of the psychometric properties confirmed the PAC-QOL reliability, validity and responsiveness to measure the impact of chronic constipation symptoms on HRQL in the prucalopride trials. The 1-point improvement in PAC-QOL scores used as target response level for the main treatment effect analyses was validated as a relevant definition of response for treatment group comparisons. Cumulative distribution curves, drawn for each treatment group to provide more complete information on treatment effects than single minimal important difference point estimates, demonstrated consistent superior effects of prucalopride over placebo on all PAC-QOL scores. Conclusions & Inferences, The PAC-QOL questionnaire is a useful measurement tool to assess, from a patient perspective, the potential therapeutic value of chronic constipation treatments in clinical trials and, by directly reflecting the patient's own perspective on constipation and its treatment, eventually also for informing daily medical practice. [source] Phenomenal characteristics of autobiographical memories for positive, negative, and neutral eventsAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Arnaud D'Argembeau We investigated memory qualities for positive, negative, and neutral autobiographical events. Participants recalled two personal experiences of each type and then rated their memories on several characteristics (e.g. sensorial and contextual details). They also reported whether they ,see' the events in their memories from their own perspective (,field' memories) or whether they ,see' the self engaged in the event as an observer would (,observer' memories). Positive memories contained more sensorial (visual, smell, taste) and contextual (location, time) details than both negative and neutral events, whereas negative and neutral memories did not differ on most dimensions. Positive and negative events were more often recollected with a field perspective than neutral events. Finally, participants were classified in four groups according to the repressive coping style framework. Emotional memories of repressors were not less detailed than those of the other groups. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Children's Sensitivity to Their Own Relative Ignorance: Handling of Possibilities Under Epistemic and Physical UncertaintyCHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2006Elizabeth J. Robinson Children more frequently specified possibilities correctly when uncertainty resided in the physical world (physical uncertainty) than in their own perspective of ignorance (epistemic uncertainty). In Experiment 1 (N=61), 4- to 6-year-olds marked both doors from which a block might emerge when the outcome was undetermined, but a single door when they knew the block was hidden behind one door. In Experiments 2 (N=30; 5- to 6-year-olds) and 3 (N=80; 5- to 8-year-olds), children placed food in both possible locations when an imaginary pet was yet to occupy one, but in a single location when the pet was already hidden in one. The results have implications for interpretive theory of mind and "curse of knowledge." [source] Taking Stock of Corporate Governance Research While Looking to the FutureCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2009Igor Filatotchev ABSTRACT Manuscript Type: Editorial Research Question/Issue: This essay identifies some key issues for the analysis of corporate governance based on the articles within this special review issue coupled with our own perspectives. Our aim in this issue is to distil some research streams in the field and identify opportunities for future research. Research Findings/Results: We summarize the eight papers included in this special issue and briefly highlight their main contributions to the literature which collectively deal with the role and impact of corporate boards, codes of corporate governance, and the globalization of corporate governance systems. In addition to the new insights offered by these reviews, we attempt to offer our own ideas on where future research needs to be targeted. Theoretical Implications: We highlight a number of research themes where future governance research may prove fruitful. This includes taking a more holistic approach to corporate governance issues and developing an inter-disciplinary perspective by building on agency theory while considering the rich new insights offered by complementary theories, such as behavioral theory, institutional theory and the resource-based views of the firm. In particular, future corporate governance research needs to be conducted in multiple countries, particularly in emerging economies, if we want to move closer to the journal's aim of producing a global theory of corporate governance. Practical Implications: Our analysis suggests that analytic and regulatory approaches to corporate governance issues should move from a "one-size-fits-all" template to taking into account organizational, institutional and national contexts. [source] The uptake of applied ecologyJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2002S. J. Ormerod Summary 1We asked 229 authors who have published recently in the Journal of Applied Ecology (1999,2001) whether their papers made management or policy recommendations and whether they had evidence of consequent uptake. 2A total of 108 respondents working in the UK (34%), Europe (30%), the Americas (12%), Australasia (11%), Asia (7%) and Africa (6%) reported on 110 papers. They represented agro-ecosystems (35%), temperate forests or woodlands (16%), savanna, grass or arid lands (11%), rivers or wetlands (10%), estuaries or marine systems (7%) and tropical forests (5%). The major organisms were invertebrates (27%), birds (24%), mammals (21%) and higher plants (21%). Topics apparently under-represented in recent coverage include ecosystem science, urban areas, soils, mountain systems, fish, amphibians and lower organisms such as algae. 3Almost all papers (99%) carried recommendations and for 57% there was evidence of uptake in the broad categories of ,environmental management or models', ,information, training and education' and ,monitoring and assessment'. Most uptake involved large geographical scales through habitat or species management plans (32% of cases), effects on reserve design or designation (6%), and effects on agri-environmental policy (5%). The development of further research (11%), the communication of methods to other ecologists (9%), the dissemination of recommendations to practitioners or agencies (7%), and uptake in training or education (5%) were important uses of information. 4Prestige from publication in the Journal of Applied Ecology aided several authors in convincing end-users of research value. User involvement in research as participants or funders was widespread (> 42% of papers), a fact which almost certainly promotes uptake along with the parallel dissemination of management messages. We view applied issues as an important interface between end-users and ecologists of value to ,both' communities but suggest that improved communication will further benefit the sponsorship and application of ecological science. 5The major reason offered for lack of uptake was that it was still too soon after publication (21% of respondents). Costs, difficulty of implementation, the scale of the problem, and ,challenges to existing thinking' each figured in more than one response. 6For some respondents, papers were led by curiosity rather than the need for direct application. Several authors published in the Journal to share ideas internationally, or said that recommendations were general, conceptual or long-term rather than specific. The editors of the Journal of Applied Ecology recognize the seminal importance of contributions that affect policy incrementally and conceptually as much as those with specific application. 7These data provide evidence that ecological science is aiding environmental management and policy across a wide range of regions, ecosystems and types of organisms; rather than merely detecting problems, applied ecology is offering solutions both directly and more diffusely through conceptual advance. We invite the user community to offer their own perspectives about the value of research-led publications such as this Journal, about how links between researchers and users might be strengthened, and about how the uptake of applied ecology might be further advanced. [source] Adolescent motherhood: a Q-methodological re-evaluation of psychological and social outcomesJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Jan Richards Abstract Traditionally, adolescent motherhood has been associated with numerous negative social, psychological and societal outcomes. However, in recent years there has been a gradual acceptance that there are many positive features to adolescent motherhood, but methodological issues have been identified within the field. This study aimed to examine adolescent motherhood from the mothers' own perspectives, exploring their attitudes towards the issues that they described as being important in their lives, by using Q-methodology in an attempt to counter some of these methodological limitations. The mothers within the study appeared to be coping positively in their role in that levels of symptomatology, as determined from questionnaire assessment, appeared to be relatively low and they indicated through Q-sort analysis that motherhood had been beneficial to their lives. Three independent factors (clusters of attitudes) were identified within the sample (N,=,23) which differed over the dimensions of: employment, social support, coping, partner co-habitation, financial support, maternal role satisfaction, aspirations for the future, as well as the nature of the relationship with their child(ren)'s father and their satisfaction with the fathers' role. The significance of these findings with regard to educational and social services is discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Quality of life in old age: An investigation of well older persons in Hong KongJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Sheung-Tak Cheng What might add quality to life during the last period of the life cycle? In study I, five focus groups of elderly participants representing different ages and socioeconomic backgrounds provided descriptions of quality of life (QOL) from their own perspectives. These descriptions formed the basis of a questionnaire that was administered to a representative, random sample of older persons in Hong Kong (N = 1,616) in study II. The study II sample was further randomly split into two. Exploratory factor analysis on sample A identified four factors: generativity, interpersonal (including intergenerational) relations, physical functioning, and material life. Results of confirmatory factor analysis on sample B showed that the 4-factor QOL model provided a good fit to the data, and that the constructs measured were identical (invariant) between older men and women and between the young-old and the old-old. In study III, the findings were disseminated back to an independent sample of older persons meeting in focus groups, who provided verbal confirmations to the model. The findings shed light on possible community psychology interventions to promote wellness in the elderly. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 32: 309,326, 2004. [source] ,You can do Nasty Things to your Brothers and Sisters without a Reason': Siblings' Backstage BehaviourCHILDREN & SOCIETY, Issue 5 2008Samantha Punch This article contributes to the recent, but still limited, literature on the sociology of sibship. It argues that during childhood the ambivalent love/hate nature of sibship is played out through the sharing of knowledge, time and space. It draws on the work of Goffman to illustrate that children's sibling interactions tend to consist of backstage, rather than frontstage, performances. The article is based on children's own perspectives from a sample of 90 children aged 5,17 drawn from 30 families of mixed socioeconomic backgrounds in central Scotland. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||