Ben Fletcher

The impact of a stress management programme on staff well-being and performance at work

Abstract Stress management programmes were implemented for direct care staff in two group homes for people with learning disabilities. Staff working in three similar homes were used as controls. Assessments were made of anxiety and depression levels and demands, supports and constraints at work. Staff in the intervention houses were also observed at work to determine who they were interacting with, the nature and type of the interaction and the amount of time spent on different aspects of the job. This information was used to inform and develop an intervention aimed at the groups of staff involved. Goals were set with the aim of reducing levels of anxiety and depression in staff and these were subject to review. Reassessment in intervention houses showed reductions in anxiety and increased perceived support when compared to controls. There were also changes in some observational measures, particularly increased positive interactions and assistance given to clients, and formal education programmes. These r...

How visual images of chocolate affect the craving and guilt of female dieters

This study asks whether exposure to images of chocolate induces cravings and guilty feelings in females. A further aim was to examine whether these effects are heightened in the case of dieters. The participants, 85 females, saw a series of enticing media images, either of chocolate or of non-food products. Two thirds of the sample were dieting or had dieted in the past; 15% had been on seven or more diets. After viewing the images all participants completed the Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire (ACQ) [Benton, Greenfield, & Morgan (1998). The development of the attitudes to chocolate questionnaire. Personality and Individual Differences, 24(4), 513-520]. The different conditions affected only those who dieted. Dieters had significantly higher ACQ scores after viewing the chocolate images than the non-dieters. It is suggested that dietary restriction increases desire for forbidden foods, in the form of craving, and may induce negative affect such as guilt, anxiety and depression.

A conceptual model of the fashion process – part 1: The fashion transformation process model

The purpose of this paper is to present a new framework to conceptualise the fashion process called “the fashion transformation process model”. This model integrates much previous research about the fashion process, fills important gaps that the symbolic interactionist (SI) theory of fashion omits, and makes a number of new predictions about the translation of social trends into specific lifestyles and individual differences. Those new emerging lifestyles are interpreted by fashion designers into fashion concepts and then translated into fashion commodities. The model proposes two important fashion forces: the “differentiating force” and the “socialising force”. These operate at different levels (macro and micro) and through different fashion practitioners. Two empirical studies investigate the framework: a case study at the macro level and a survey interview study at the micro level. The studies provide excellent support for the reconceptualisation and, in particular, suggest that individual psychological factors might be given a new prominence in the overall fashion process and the way in which new fashions emerge.

The influence of clothing on first impressions: Rapid and positive responses to minor changes in male attire

Purpose – Clothing communicates information about the wearer and first impressions can be heavily influenced by the messages conveyed by attire. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of minor changes in clothing on the perception of a male model, in the absence of facial information with limited time exposure.Design/methodology/approach – In an on‐line study, 274 participants rated four images on five dimensions (confidence, success, trustworthiness, salary and flexibility). The man was depicted wearing a bespoke (made‐to‐measure) and a regular (off‐the‐peg) suit, which differed only in minor details. Participants saw the faceless images for a maximum five seconds.Findings – The man was rated more positively on all attributes apart from trustworthiness when pictured in the bespoke suit. The earnings of participants also played a role in perception, with higher earners giving lower ratings to both suit types.Practical implications – Minor clothing manipulations can give rise to significant...

When talking doesn't help : An investigation of microcomputer-based group problem solving

Original article can be found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09594752 Copyright Elsevier Ltd. DOI: 10.1016/0959-4752(92)90008-A [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]

A conceptual model of the fashion process – part 2: An empirical investigation of the micro‐subjective level

This paper presents two separate empirical investigations of a new conceptual model of fashion – the “fashion transformation process model” presented in part 1 (this issue). One important strand of that model is the role played by individual wearers in the transformation of fashion. This level is defined as the micro‐subjective level. There are two important forces that operate at this level – known as the “differentiating” and “socialising” forces. In the first study, 300 people were given questionnaires that considered a whole variety of fashion aspects, and also included a tool to distinguish between four types of consumers: fashion innovators, early fashion adopters, fashion followers and laggards. The results clearly confirmed these classifications and, importantly, confirmed the dominance of the differentiating force on fashion choices for “innovators”, and the socialising force for “followers” and “laggards”.The second study, involving interviewing 40 females, was concerned to investigate how new fashions might be adopted. The innovators were, again, shown to be motivated by quite different forces to fashion followers, in the choices they made. The study confirms an important aspect of the new conceptual model – the micro‐subjective level forces. The dynamic role played by the individual also shows why fashion has to be continuously innovative and what forces operate to ensure primary markets respond to the majority of wearers.

Dynamic assessment of learning ability improves outcome prediction following acquired brain injury

Primary purpose: There is a need to improve the prediction of outcome following acquired brain injury. The previous focus has been on specifying the relative contribution of such variables as pre-morbid intellectual ability, socioeconomic status, severity of injury and performance on neuropsychological assessments. To date, findings remain discrepant and often inconclusive. The present study examined whether dynamic assessment testing scores predict outcome. Research design: Both standard and dynamic assessment of 77 individuals with acquired brain injury was performed. Dynamic assessment identifies the learning potential of the individual, rather than measuring their statically assessed cognitive ability. The individuals potential to learn the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), with guided instruction and feedback, was assessed and compared with standardized static measures. Results: Using Rasch analysis, individual learning potential was determined and, unlike the standard WCST scores, was predictive of integration into the community following brain injury. Conclusion: It is concluded that dynamic testing potentially may offer advantages over the traditional standard cognitive tests in predicting the outcome for people with brain injuries.

EXPLORING THE VIEWS OF PATIENTS NOT ON THE TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

BACKGROUND Not all patients are suitable for kidney transplantation; however, little is known about the views and attitudes of patients who are not on the waiting list for transplantation. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the views and attitudes of patients who are not on the waiting list regarding the process of transplant allocation. METHODS A grounded theory approach was used to develop theories from patient views, opinions and attitudes. Patients receiving dialysis, and not on the waiting list at a United Kingdom renal unit were identified by the renal counsellor and invited to take part. Five patients formed a focus group to enable construction of an interview schedule. Patients (n=10, different from those in the focus group) were interviewed until themes became saturated. Interview transcripts generated conceptual categories. RESULTS Seven conceptual categories emerged regarding access to transplantation. Patients experience emotions of loss relating to transplantation exacerbated by restrictions imposed by dialysis. Patients find coping mechanisms, accept their situation and trust that clinical decisions were equitable. CONCLUSIONS Patients trust their carers and support an efficacy argument when considering scarce resources. Communication should be improved to ensure clarity and understanding of clinical decisions.

Using computers to help pupils tell the time, is feedback necessary?

Abstract A series of three experiments have been conducted which have examined the way that various forms of feedback influence childrens progress in learning to tell the time as a result of computer‐based training. The first study indicated that delays in presentation of feedback was not of assistance and this is different from some of the findings in the literature about adult learning. Somewhat surprisingly, the experiment also revealed that children in both a feedback condition and in a condition which did not provide feedback improved their post‐test performance after working on a computer. The second experiment examined whether various features of the computer presentations could account for this finding, but no evidence was found to support the various hypotheses. The third experiment compared different forms of feedback. Once again, children in the no‐feedback control group performed as well as those who received feedback. These counterintuitive findings are discussed in relation to Karmiloff‐Smi...

Same Traits, Different Variance: Item-Level Variation Within Personality Measures

Personality trait questionnaires are regularly used in individual differences research to examine personality scores between participants, although trait researchers tend to place little value on intra-individual variation in item ratings within a measured trait. The few studies that examine variability indices have not considered how they are related to a selection of psychological outcomes, so we recruited 160 participants (age M = 24.16, SD = 9.54) who completed the IPIP-HEXACO personality questionnaire and several outcome measures. Heterogenous within-subject differences in item ratings were found for every trait/facet measured, with measurement error that remained stable across the questionnaire. Within-subject standard deviations, calculated as measures of individual variation in specific item ratings within a trait/facet, were related to outcomes including life satisfaction and depression. This suggests these indices represent valid constructs of variability, and that researchers administering behavior statement trait questionnaires with outcome measures should also apply item-level variability indices.