Sport providers should be concerned with the participant experience, and in particular extraordinary experiences, as they have the potential to shift participant behaviors and attitudes to those desired by sport organizations. Extraordinary experiences are characterized by interpersonal interactions, separation from the usual, and feelings of self-transformation or personal growth (Arnould & Price, 1993). Due to the power, intensity, and transformative effects of these experiences, they can generate lasting shifts in beliefs and attitudes (Schouten, McAlexander & Koenig, 2007). This research project examined the relationship between the extraordinary experience and the personal transformation by examining the characteristics of the experience and impacts on participants. Texas 4000 is a community of cancer fighters who “train, fundraise, educate, and bring hope to those with cancer” for one year before their experience culminates with a 4,000 mile bike ride. University students apply to participate, and once accepted they begin planning, fundraising, volunteering and training for their ride to Alaska. Along the ride, they interact with members of the communities they pass through to spread “hope, knowledge, and charity.” Over 400 individuals have completed the ride within the last ten years. For this study, alumni participated in in-depth interviews about their experience and how it impacted their life. Participant impacts included feelings of empowerment, new perspectives and appreciations, a sense of meaning and purpose, and strong relationships that resulted in a sense of community with other riders, the organization, and the larger cancer community. Importantly, participants’ history and backgrounds influenced how participants interacted with the community and the impacts that they felt. Additionally, the extraordinary experience of the ride created enduring change in participants; the preparation for the extraordinary experience was not as impactful and merely allowed participants to develop the necessary skills to participate in the summer ride. / text

In 1946 the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that in order to promote overall health in a given population, it is necessary to identify factors that contribute to health and well-being, and not to solely focus on methods to reduce vulnerability to distress. Over 50 years later the WHO (2006) identified the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) community as a specific sub-population that requires particular investment in finding ways to reduce their observed higher rates of distress and suicidality. During this same half-century, U.S. colleges and universities transitioned from being fundamentally mono-cultural student bodies to becoming more multicultural in nature. In essence, each college’s student body is now a population of populations. One prominent population among the larger student body is the LGBTQ college student community. Furthermore, the LGB portion of this college sub-population has been identified as an under-researched subset of the larger LGBTQ population (Russell et al., 2011). This is because past research has been limited by drawing primarily upon non-college adolescent LGBTQ samples and has over generalized its findings by the inclusion of the Transgender and Questioning populations, which have been observed to report even higher rates of distress and suicidality than the LGB community (Clements-Nolle et al. 2006; Goldblum et al. 2012). This study is designed to refine our understanding of the LGB college sub-population by first examining if trends of increased acquired vulnerability for distress and suicidality found in studies of the adolescent LGBTQ population (Garofalo, Wolf, Kessel, Palfrey, & DuRant, 1998; Russell & Toomey, 2010; Haas et al., 2011; King et al., 2008) also exist in the LGB college sub-population. Second, in line with the World Health Organization’s goal of identifying protective qualities capable of enhancing and preserving one’s state of well-being and resilience, this study will be the first to examine if Sense of Coherence (SOC) serves as a moderating factor on LGB college students’ vulnerability to distress and suicidality, and thereby, contributes to overall well-being and health. Through this study, we hope to achieve a better understanding of LGB students’ vulnerability to distress and suicidality during the college years, as well as to examine the applicability of the SOC construct for health promoting interventions in the college population. / text

The social and neurosciences are moving toward a conceptualization of the psychological construct of sense of place in relation with spatial cognition, place imageability, and meaning. To help advance progress, this dissertation proposes a conceptual framework of sense of place that includes variables of spatial navigational strategy (i.e., egocentric and allocentric) and place imageability using notions of edges, paths, landmarks, districts, nodes. Three studies using different methods tested the proposed framework. Study 1 used a questionnaire and an interview-based protocol analysis to examine whether navigational strategy associated with participants’ levels of sense of place for recalled urban neighbourhoods. Preliminary work investigating whether sense of place and spatial navigation varied with place imageability was also done using qualitative analyses. Participants used more egocentric and allocentric strategies during cognitive map navigation when sense of place was stronger compared to when they recalled places for which they felt weak or neutral levels of sense of place. Seven categories were revealed from participants’ qualitative descriptions of urban place visualizations after completing three sense of place scales (i.e., home-sense, compactness, environment, safety, vibrancy, design, and aesthetics) and differed depending on sense of place condition. Study 2 enabled participants to articulate recollections of settings for which they felt different strengths of sense of place via a cognitive mapping task. Results reinforced the notion that individuals who experience a strong level of sense of place for an urban environment also recall more of the physical features that make it imageable. Existing literature was confirmed by this study’s results that paths and landmarks are integral to urban place imageability. Study 3 gathered information about community members’ current representations of their urban neighbourhood. Results supported hypotheses based on results of Studies 1 and 2. Nodes, edges, and landmarks were found to be particularly meaningful to residents’ spatial understanding of their neighbourhood. The fact that more allocentric strategies than egocentric strategies were used in each of the three place imageability conditions (compared to non-significant differences in sense of place conditions in Study 1) highlights compelling future research questions concerning the three variables of the proposed conceptual framework of sense of place. Similar to Study 1, qualitative analyses in Study 3 revealed paths as the predominant meaningful place imageable feature noted by residents. Thematic information about the features in each area reported to have meaning for residents indicate the categories of environment, aesthetics, and design as most prevalent. As a whole, this dissertation can inform future environmental psychology research, as well as the practices of urban planners, as they consider spatial navigation and place imageable attributes in relation to the psychological construct of sense of place in urban environments. Planners and researchers alike may benefit from this dissertation as they respond to human spatial needs while facilitating a sense of attachment and identity toward, and compatibility with, city spaces. Finally, findings may assist social scientists in clarifying how sense of place develops in urban neighbourhoods, and how it is experienced over time. / Graduate

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I detta examensarbete har jag studerat hur elever i år 6 tänker vid decimalform inom taluppfattningens område. Begreppet taluppfattning är ett mycket brett område där det dessutom finns många olika uppfattningar om vad som ingår i begreppet. Därför har jag fokuserat mitt arbete på övergången från heltal till decimaltal. Syftet med undersökningen är att belysa vikten av att lärare har goda matematiska och metodiska kunskaper, hur elever utvecklar sin taluppfattning och förhoppningsvis ge lite tips och idéer som kan användas i undervisningen med elever. Studien omfattar en litteraturgenomgång som behandlar begreppet taluppfattning där jag delat upp kapitlet i tre underrubriker: Vad innebär det att elever har en grundläggande taluppfattning? Hur utvecklar elever en god taluppfattning? Vilka speciella svårigheter finns vid övergången från heltal till decimaltal? Under metoddelen skriver jag om hur pilot- och huvudundersökningen gjordes innan läsaren får ta del av undersökningarnas resultat. Resultatet av undersökningen är att många elever har svårt för övergången från heltal till decimaltal. Det finns tre moment i förståelsen av positionssystemet som tycks orsaka större svårigheter och det är platssiffrans värde, multiplikation med tal mindre än ett och uppskattning av rimligheten av svaret i en beräkning. Uppsatsen innehåller också ett avsnitt om vad vi lärare kan göra för att underlätta elevers förståelse för övergången från heltal till decimaltal.

Suicide ideation is a growing phenomenon that can be observed in stressful environments such as those of a correctional official, and it is a cause for concern. Suicide ideation is seen as the first step of suicidal behaviour and refers to thoughts, cognitions and overt intent to kill oneself. The root causes for correctional officials experiencing such a severe state of hopelessness that they feel death must be the only escape, can be ascribed to different factors. The objective of this research is to establish the relationship between psychological strengths, stress and suicide ideation of employees of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS). Three concepts of psychological strength namely locus of control, sense of coherence and affect as independent variables, were compared, with suicide ideation as a dependant variable. The relationship between suicide ideation and stress as an independent variable was also established. A cross-sectional design was used. A simple random sample (n=157) was taken from correctional officers from a management area in the Freestate Province. The Work Locus of Control Scale, Orientation to Life Questionnaire, Affectometer 2, and the Adult Suicide Ideation Questionnaire were administered. In addition, the Correctional Officer Stress Inventory was developed and administered. Principal component and factor extraction with Oblique rotation, Cronbach alpha and inter-item correlation coefficients, factor analysis, a discriminant analysis and a stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Results showed that positive affect and external locus of control were associated with suicide ideation. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Continuous changes in the security systems around the world, along with the increased pressure to perform may result in feelings of distrust, strain in interpersonal relations, psychological strain, fatigue and tension, all affecting the well-being of employees, especially among protection services members. Work wellness becomes an important aspect when focusing on the safety of people to whom the protection services delivers a service, as well as when the focus is on the safety of these members. Burnout and work engagement are specific focus areas in this regard. To measure burnout and work engagement, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments. Along with burnout and work engagement there are other focus areas that can have a direct influence on these dimensions, namely the perception of organisational politics. The impact of perceptions of organisational politics on burnout and work engagement can be moderated or mediated by sense of coherence. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between work wellness, organisational politics and sense of coherence through the development of a model of work wellness for protection services members comprising of burnout, work engagement, organisational politics and sense of coherence. The research method consists of a literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data. An availability sample (N = 341) from protection services members was taken. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Perceptions of Organisational Politics (POPS), Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OTLQ) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SPSS-programme and AMOS. The statistical methods utilised in the article consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling methods. vii Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a two factor model of burnout, consisting of burnout (exhaustion and cynicism) and professional efficacy which represented the data quite well after certain items were left out. In previous research among protection services members two factors in the UWES could also be extracted namely vigour/dedication and absorption. The MBI-GS and UWES both showed acceptable internal consistencies. The analysis of Pearson correlations in this study showed that burnout is negatively related to Vigour/dedication and sense of coherence. Professional efficacy is positively related to Vigour/dedication and absorption. Vigour/Dedication is positively related to absorption and sense of coherence. Prolonged exposure to things like criminal aspects, life-and-death decision making and general political behaviour at organisational level, can result in feelings of burnout. Negative perceptions of organisational politics resulted in higher levels of burnout experienced by protection services members. Sense of coherence mediated the effect of organisational politics on work wellness. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The aim of this research was to determine the way in which informal caregivers of HIV/AIDS patients experience their task as caregivers as well as to identify factors, or general resistance resources, which exercise an influence on their psychological well-being, and more specifically on their sense of coherence. The stressors encountered by informal caregivers of HIVIAIDS patients have previously been investigated thoroughly in a number of studies. The tasks of informal caregivers very often encompass much more than what would be, for example, included in the nursing context and therefore exceed the limits applying to the formal sector. Stressors to which caregivers are exposed include physical, financial and emotional aspects. It has been proved that this state of affairs has a negative impact on their physical health conditions as well as their psychological well-being. Caregivers do, however, at times report a certain extent of growth experienced by them which can be related to the care giving situation. The salutogenic perspective allows for a study of the origin of health and has, for the purposes of this study, been applied to obtain an alternative description of the caregivers' experiences. According to this perspective health does not merely mean the absence of disease, but also refers to health being influenced by an individual's management of stressful events. When an individual, even if confronted with stressful circumstances, has adequate general resistance resources at his/her disposal, a strong sense of coherence can develop and this will have a positive influence on his/her psychological well-being. In the South African context little if any literature can be found on the salutogenic factors that may affect informal caregivers of HIV/AIDS patients. The investigation of this study was based on an availability sample consisting of 8 informal caregivers of HIVIAIDS patients. A one shot cross sectional design with triangulation of data assessment techniques was used. The researcher obtained data with regard to the caregivers' sense of coherence by means of the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC) (Antonovsky, 1987). Semistructured interviews were conducted with all the caregivers involved and a qualitative analysis followed. The results revealed that informal caregivers' sense of coherence was much lower than- that of a group of nurses (formal caregivers) as described by Cilliers (2003). One of the reasons for this significant difference could be the lack of a structured setting or environment in which caregivers still have to perform their duties and responsibilities. According to the results a variety of factors exercising a negative impact on informal caregivers' sense of coherence could be identified. These included (a) stress, (b) exposure to unfamiliar situations, and (c) a lack of counselling skills. Within the framework of the salutogenic perspective there were, however, different factors also known as general resistance resources, that exercised a positive impact on the caregivers' sense of coherence. Among these the following could be counted: (a) spirituality, (b) insight into interpersonal situations, (c) utilisation of social support systems, and (d) multi-disciplinary cooperation. It would therefore seem that informal caregivers do possess general resistance resources which enable them to persevere with their tasks as caregivers in spite of the stressors they encounter on a daily basis. One of the recommendations that can be posed after having carried out this study and after having analysed the results, is the compilation as well as the evaluation and implementation, of a psycho-education training programme for informal caregivers, with special emphasis on such general resistance resources. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Desde hace más de 100 años, la prevalencia de hernia inguinal recidivada (10-20% de todas las hernias operadas), no se ha modificado. Recientemente, se ha introducido el concepto de "Hernioplastia sin Tensión" (HST) para la reparación de la hernia inguinal, mediante la implantación de una malla de material sintético cubriendo los defectos sobre la fascia transversalis, sin otras modificaciones anatómicas, obteniéndose un índice de recidiva prácticamente nulo. Con el propósito de comparar las propiedades de los biomateriales de uso clínico mas frecuente, implantamos subcutáneamente sobre la pared abdominal anterior de la rata Wistar (200-250g), retales de malla de polipropileno ( Prolene®-PP), politetrafluoroetileno expandido ( Gore-Tex®-PTFE) y poliglactin 910 ( Vicryl®-P910). Siguiendo la normativa de la " American Society for Testing and Materials", (ASTM), los animales fueron repartidos en tres grupos y sacrificados a la semana, 4 semanas y 12 semanas, obteniendo las muestras del conjunto pared muscular + malla. Cada muestra fue dividida en dos partes, una para estudio histológico y otra para estudio biomecánico.Los resultados fueron evaluados por un observador neutral mediante una escala semicuantitativa de grados. Los tres tipos de malla desencadenaron una reacción inflamatoria mínima, sobre los tejidos de experimentación. La fibrosis desencadenada, fue progresiva en las tres mallas y en todo momento más marcada en el P910.Las muestras del conjunto malla+ pared muscular obtenidas a las 4 semanas, fueron traccionadas con un dinamómetro de precisión Instron®, a velocidad constante, generando curvas de fuerza tensil - tiempo, hasta el momento de la ruptura. En todos los casos la resistencia a la ruptura fue mayor en las muestras ensayadas que en la pared musculoaponeurótica indemne de la rata. Con el doble propósito de comprobar la eficacia de la técnica de HST mediante la implantación de una malla de Prolene®, en términos de tolerancia, morbilidad y recidiva, y de comprobar las ventajas del tratamiento bajo anestesia local y en régimen ambulatorio de la hernia inguinal, en términos económicos y de grado de satisfacción de los pacientes, emprendimos nuestro estudio clínico prospectivo. Entre Junio 90 y Junio 92, 139 pacientes (17-85 años) portadores de hernia inguinal, en uno (n=118) o ambos lados (n=21), fueron seleccionados por un mismo cirujano para ser tratados ambulatoriamente en un solo acto operatorio (n=122) o en dos sesiones por separado (n=17), constituyendo un total de 156 casos operatorios. Estos pacientes, previa evaluación preoperatoria, recibieron instrucciones verbales y por escrito sobre el preoperatorio domiciliario. El día de la operación, acudieron al hospital con un acompañante responsable, con vehículo propio, fueron instalados en la habitación donde pasarían el postoperatorio inmediato, preparados para el quirófano e intervenidos bajo anestesia local, mediante HST. Una o dos horas mas tarde, los pacientes que estaban en condiciones (90% casos) fueron alta hospitalaria con instrucciones sobre el postoperatorio domiciliario. El cirujano responsable del alta, llamaba por teléfono la noche de la intervención y al día siguiente, por la mañana. Los pacientes fueron revisados entre el 4º - 7º día postoperatorio y posteriormente al mes, tres meses y una vez al año. Durante el seguimiento (15 pacientes perdidos, 10%), un mismo cirujano completó un cuestionario de cada paciente para evaluar el resultado del tratamiento de satisfacción.Con seguimiento de 2 meses a dos años (X=11), se registró una recidiva y un total de 20 complicaciones postoperatorias (14.3%), sin ninguna intolerancia a la malla de Prolene®. El grado de dolor y ansiedad experimentado por los pacientes, fue mínimo en más de 90% de los pacientes, siendo la anestesia local mejor tolerada en pacientes añosos que en los más jóvenes. / Straps of (2 x 0.5 cm) of polypropylene (PP), PTFE and 910-polyglactin (910-P), were inserted subcutaneously over the anterior abdominal wall on 15 Wistar rats (200-250g). Animals were sacrificed at one; four and 12 weeks after operation, and samples of abdominal wall + mesh were obtained for histological and mechanical study. All meshes developed minimal inflammation. One week after surgery, the smallest amount of granulation tissue was observed around PP. 910-P disappeared around the fourth week and developed a greater fibrosis than PP and PTFE. Samples of abdominal wall + mesh obtained four weeks after operation were tested for tensile strength. In all cases, tensile strength was greater in these samples than in the undisturbed abdominal wall of the rat (control = 1.2+/- 0.5 kg/cm). However, tensile strength with PP (8.9 +/- 0.65) and PTFE (9.4 +/- 1.3) was greater than with 910-P (1.7+/- 0.74).One hundred-thirty-nine patients (age 17-85) were selected by the same surgeon for ambulatory treatment of unilateral (118) or bilateral (21) inguinal hernia. The latter group were treated in one (4) or two (17) operations, with a total of 156 cases. All cases were operated on under local anaesthesia by the technique of tension-free-hernioplasty, by placement of a polypropylene mesh. In 141 cases (90%), the patient was discharged home on the same day of operation. There was no operative mortality and only one case of recurrence in this series (follow up = 2-24 months; 90% of patients). There were 20 postoperative complications (14.3%), with no intolerance of the prosthetic mesh. Patients were requested to fill in questionnaires to asses the degree of pain and anxiety experienced before, during and after the operation. Pain anxiety was minimal in more than 90% cases, local anaesthesia showing better tolerance among older patients.