The experiences of recently diagnosed HIV-positive individuals, as shared on an online forum
- Authors: Wylde, Charlotte Anne
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: HIV-positive persons Social networks , HIV infections Diagnosis Psychological aspects , HIV infections Social aspects , HIV infections Electronic discussion groups , Internet Social aspects , Stigma (Social psychology) , Phenomenological psychology
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60222 , vital:27756
- Description: An HIV-positive diagnosis can be an overwhelming and traumatic experience. This study explores the experiences of receiving an HIV-positive diagnosis. Employing an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a sample of the initial posts from threads on an online forum, was collected and explored, in order to determine the dominant themes from the experiences expressed in the posts, as well as the support sought from the forum. The online forum was accessed as an unobtrusive observer, and posts from January to December 2015 were explored. The online forum provides a platform for disclosure following an HIV-positive diagnosis, when anxiety and fear of stigma can impact on an individual’s ability to disclose to their social support network of family and friends. The experiences expressed on the online forum reflect the emotional, mental and physical impact of an HIV-positive diagnosis on an individual. The findings in this study reflected themes of shock, guilt and hopelessness, and concerns and fears regarding disclosure and stigma associated with HIV, as well as the importance of social support for the coping mechanisms of individuals after receiving an HIV-positive diagnosis. This research demonstrates the importance of Internet accessibility for information and support for chronic illnesses, such as HIV, and the role of the online forum platform for providing a safe environment for individuals recently diagnosed HIVpositive.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Wylde, Charlotte Anne
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: HIV-positive persons Social networks , HIV infections Diagnosis Psychological aspects , HIV infections Social aspects , HIV infections Electronic discussion groups , Internet Social aspects , Stigma (Social psychology) , Phenomenological psychology
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60222 , vital:27756
- Description: An HIV-positive diagnosis can be an overwhelming and traumatic experience. This study explores the experiences of receiving an HIV-positive diagnosis. Employing an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a sample of the initial posts from threads on an online forum, was collected and explored, in order to determine the dominant themes from the experiences expressed in the posts, as well as the support sought from the forum. The online forum was accessed as an unobtrusive observer, and posts from January to December 2015 were explored. The online forum provides a platform for disclosure following an HIV-positive diagnosis, when anxiety and fear of stigma can impact on an individual’s ability to disclose to their social support network of family and friends. The experiences expressed on the online forum reflect the emotional, mental and physical impact of an HIV-positive diagnosis on an individual. The findings in this study reflected themes of shock, guilt and hopelessness, and concerns and fears regarding disclosure and stigma associated with HIV, as well as the importance of social support for the coping mechanisms of individuals after receiving an HIV-positive diagnosis. This research demonstrates the importance of Internet accessibility for information and support for chronic illnesses, such as HIV, and the role of the online forum platform for providing a safe environment for individuals recently diagnosed HIVpositive.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Language Learning Anxiety: a bometric investigation of stress and language learning using wearable devices
- Authors: MacDonald, William Tait
- Date: 2022-10-04
- Subjects: Language and languages Study and teaching Psychological aspects , Wearable technology , Heart rate monitoring , Stress (Psychology) Testing , Anxiety Testing
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327133 , vital:61084 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327133
- Description: As Sapolsky (2015) notes, stress research has long been characterised by definitional debates that gave rise to a lack of agreement between theorists. An example of this definitional confusion can be seen in the area of Language Learning Anxiety, where there appears to be confusion in the literature over terms such as anxiety and stress. This study investigated the link between stress and language learning using wearable devices measuring heart rate variance, as a means of establishing the feasibility of using this new technology in stress research. The results indicate that the contextualised longitudinal data delivered by wearable devices mitigates against the current dominant paradigm in Language Learning Anxiety, which postulates a straight-line negative correlation between stress and learning. Instead, the inverted U stress relationship proposed by theorists such as Hebb (1955) seem to be a better fit for the data. The nature of the contextualised data generated in this study allowed for comparisons between participants’ stress readings in academic contexts, such as language and non-language classes, and their free time. The findings suggest that certain long-held assumptions about heightened stress in academic contexts may not hold true. While the findings of this study did not reach the levels of statistical significance, they constitute proof of concept that the type of contextualised data delivered by wearable devices may allow for a new type of stress research that incorporates contextualising longitudinal perspectives on participants’ stress levels. In this study the inclusion of contextualising data led to fundamentally different conclusions about the relationship between stress and language learning. The same may be true of many areas of stress research. The findings presented in this study have broader paradigm-altering implications not only for educational policy, but also for stress research in general. Perhaps equally important was that the type of data delivered by wearable devices was qualitatively different from that normally associated with quantitative studies. This presented challenges in data analysis in this study, but also opens intriguing possibilities regarding a means of reconciling the qualitative and quantitative split in research modalities. The use of wearable devices is not without issues, and some of the issues, ranging from practical considerations to ethical conundrums, are presented for the reader’s consideration and to inform future researchers regarding potential pitfalls. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-04
- Authors: MacDonald, William Tait
- Date: 2022-10-04
- Subjects: Language and languages Study and teaching Psychological aspects , Wearable technology , Heart rate monitoring , Stress (Psychology) Testing , Anxiety Testing
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327133 , vital:61084 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327133
- Description: As Sapolsky (2015) notes, stress research has long been characterised by definitional debates that gave rise to a lack of agreement between theorists. An example of this definitional confusion can be seen in the area of Language Learning Anxiety, where there appears to be confusion in the literature over terms such as anxiety and stress. This study investigated the link between stress and language learning using wearable devices measuring heart rate variance, as a means of establishing the feasibility of using this new technology in stress research. The results indicate that the contextualised longitudinal data delivered by wearable devices mitigates against the current dominant paradigm in Language Learning Anxiety, which postulates a straight-line negative correlation between stress and learning. Instead, the inverted U stress relationship proposed by theorists such as Hebb (1955) seem to be a better fit for the data. The nature of the contextualised data generated in this study allowed for comparisons between participants’ stress readings in academic contexts, such as language and non-language classes, and their free time. The findings suggest that certain long-held assumptions about heightened stress in academic contexts may not hold true. While the findings of this study did not reach the levels of statistical significance, they constitute proof of concept that the type of contextualised data delivered by wearable devices may allow for a new type of stress research that incorporates contextualising longitudinal perspectives on participants’ stress levels. In this study the inclusion of contextualising data led to fundamentally different conclusions about the relationship between stress and language learning. The same may be true of many areas of stress research. The findings presented in this study have broader paradigm-altering implications not only for educational policy, but also for stress research in general. Perhaps equally important was that the type of data delivered by wearable devices was qualitatively different from that normally associated with quantitative studies. This presented challenges in data analysis in this study, but also opens intriguing possibilities regarding a means of reconciling the qualitative and quantitative split in research modalities. The use of wearable devices is not without issues, and some of the issues, ranging from practical considerations to ethical conundrums, are presented for the reader’s consideration and to inform future researchers regarding potential pitfalls. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-04
Don’t let the little man live in your head for free: an interpretive phenomenological analysis of seafarers with reportedly high levels of well-being
- Authors: Brown, Lauren Natalie
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Seafaring life Psychological aspects , Sailors Mental health , Well-being , Phenomenology , Work environment
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327653 , vital:61140 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327653
- Description: The mental health of seafarers has become a growing issue of concern and has attracted the attention of researchers in recent times. Seafarers are predominantly men, spend months at sea with little to no contact with loved ones ashore, and usually must reside in confined spaces that often contain substantial levels of noise and heat. The underlying causes of mental illness among seafarers are known. Some of the causes include sleep deprivation, occupational stress, marital/relationship problems, fatigue, the threat of piracy, psychosocial workload, loneliness, social isolation, separation from families, lack of shore leave, cultural issues, and job security. Despite these stressors, there are many men and women seafarers who flourish in the industry and enjoy their careers. Very little research has been conducted into the well-being practices of those seafarers who enjoy high levels of well-being. This study explores the lived experiences of a group of seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being, as well as their experiences of workplace stressors and mental health interventions offered by the industry. This study is an interpretive phenomenological analysis, which is epistemologically underpinned by phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography. Results revealed four focus areas: general lived experiences across two worlds and how this relates to identity, what seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being experience as stressors, well-being practices of these seafarers and how these seafarers experience and make sense of mental health interventions they have come across. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Brown, Lauren Natalie
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Seafaring life Psychological aspects , Sailors Mental health , Well-being , Phenomenology , Work environment
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327653 , vital:61140 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327653
- Description: The mental health of seafarers has become a growing issue of concern and has attracted the attention of researchers in recent times. Seafarers are predominantly men, spend months at sea with little to no contact with loved ones ashore, and usually must reside in confined spaces that often contain substantial levels of noise and heat. The underlying causes of mental illness among seafarers are known. Some of the causes include sleep deprivation, occupational stress, marital/relationship problems, fatigue, the threat of piracy, psychosocial workload, loneliness, social isolation, separation from families, lack of shore leave, cultural issues, and job security. Despite these stressors, there are many men and women seafarers who flourish in the industry and enjoy their careers. Very little research has been conducted into the well-being practices of those seafarers who enjoy high levels of well-being. This study explores the lived experiences of a group of seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being, as well as their experiences of workplace stressors and mental health interventions offered by the industry. This study is an interpretive phenomenological analysis, which is epistemologically underpinned by phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography. Results revealed four focus areas: general lived experiences across two worlds and how this relates to identity, what seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being experience as stressors, well-being practices of these seafarers and how these seafarers experience and make sense of mental health interventions they have come across. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
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