Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

A l'aide de l'imagerie fonctionnelle par résonance magnétique cérébrale (IRMf), il est possible de localiser in vivo les aires visuelles corticales dites "de bas niveau" , sur la base de leur propriété de rétinotopie. La cartographie rétinotopique est un préliminaire essentiel pour interpréter les résultats de nombreuses études sur le traitement de l'information visuelle. Il est donc important de s'assurer de sa robustesse. Nous avons obtenu des cartes rétinotopiques à partir d'acquisitions sur un imageur à 3 T, et mesuré l'accroissement de la variance des signaux fonctionnels induit par l'augmentation du champ magnétique utilisé. Nos résultats confi rment que cet accroissement n'est pas uniquement du à l'augmentation du bruit physiologique, mais aussi à une amélioration de la part de variance attribuable aux stimuli visuels. L'inconvénient majeur de la séquence d'acquisition EPI que nous utilisons est sa sensibilité aux hétérogénéités de champ magnétique qui induit des distorsions géométriques dans les images. Nos analyses révèlent que la méthode de correction des distorsions que nous utilisons évite des erreurs importantes de localisation corticale des activations fonctionnelles, et contribue à la robustesse des études dans les aires visuelles de bas niveau. Sur base des cartes rétinotopiques, nous avons mis en place un cadre novateur de représentation de données individuelles, dans la perspective d'une étude de groupe. Ce cadre permet de s'a ffranchir de la variabilité fonctionnelle inter-individuelle importante des aires visuelles de bas niveau, et de visualiser les résultats d'une étude de groupe dans un système de coordonnées uni fié. Nous avons estimé la robustesse de cette approche et l'avons appliquée à deux études portant sur le traitement local et global de l'information visuelle.

Suppressing unwanted stereotypes ironically leads suppressors to think and behave in a more stereotypical manner than controls. Suppression studies typically test for rebound with target groups that perceivers may feel entitled to stereotype (e.g., skinheads) or that are associated with negative stereotypes (e.g., African Americans). In contrast, stereotypes of the aid-related poor are expected to contain ambivalent content: a mix of both positive and negative stereotypic information. Since this content may affect perceivers’ cognitive processes of stereotype activation, application, suppression and rebound, it was expected that stereotype rebound effects (e.g., judgments and behaviours) for the aid-related poor would differ from those reported for previously tested target groups. Stereotype rebound effects for this target group might occur as: a) positive responses, such as approach behaviour or positive judgments, b) occur as negative responses, such as avoidance behaviour or negative judgments, or c) not be evidenced in suppressors’ responses. Four experiments were designed to explore the effects of stereotype suppression, and to examine stereotype rebound effects in perceivers who suppressed (i.e., were asked not to think stereotypically) their stereotypes of the aid-related poor. In the first experiment (N = 29), there was no evidence of stereotype suppression in suppressors’ essays about a poor African youth. In the second experiment (N = 24) however, suppressors sat significantly closer than controls to the alleged seat of an African student (a reverse rebound effect). In the third experiment (N = 35), suppressors again showed evidence of approach behaviour when interacting with African poor individuals, and demonstrated avoidance behaviour when interacting with African wealthy individuals. Experiment 4 (N = 70) used implicit measures of stereotyping; participants were asked to name the ink colour of stereotypic and nonstereotypic trait words presented immediately following two category primes. Suppressors tended to be faster than controls to name the colour of positive trait words and slower than controls to name the colour of negative trait words that were stereotypic of the African poor target group. This difference in response times implies that, for suppressors only, the salient stereotype features being primed were positive rather than negative; thus eliciting a positive rebound effect. Stereotype rebound effects may therefore not always be evidenced by higher levels of negative or prejudiced responding in suppressors, but can also appear as positive evaluations and approach behaviours. Findings from this research (i.e., stereotype rebound effects can be either positive or negative) have important implications for those viewers of aid advertisements who suppress unwanted stereotypes, especially as rebound effects for the aid-related poor are associated with unconscious behavioural and cognitive responses.

94 items was developed that encapsulate what children notice in their classrooms as affecting the emotional environment and the language they use to describe it. Study 3 had 63 adults use a modified decision task to sort the 94 items into groups of their selection of similarity and dissimilarity. The analysis of these data revealed 11 clusters of items and 3 underlying dimensions - Teacher Affect, Teacher Expectations and Style, and Classroom Dynamics. Each dimension has two opposing ends, and each of the 94 items can be viewed on a three dimensional map showing their relationship to each of the other 93 items along these 3 underlying dimensions. The visual graphic makes these dimensions easy to interpret for those who are likely to be organising classroom environments. This research shows that when given a chance to talk about their experiences in classrooms, students can explain what they value in a classroom, what they will remember about school, and what influences them and their learning.

While the focus of rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often on management of physical and cognitive impairments, emotional and behavioural changes in the person with the injury may represent major hurdles in adjustment following injury. Mood, anxiety and adjustment disorders are common following TBI. A manualised cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) treatment programme was developed that incorporated provision of education on consequences of TBI, used cognitive and behavioural strategies to recognise and manage emotional reactions to injury, and promoted achievement of personal goals. Participants were nine people with TBI referred to Massey University Psychology Clinic Wellington, for psychotherapy to assist in managing symptoms of psychological distress or adjustment difficulties following injury. Measures used included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to monitor progress in reduction of symptoms of Anxiety and Depression; the Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS) to assess competency across areas of day-to-day living; and the Homework Rating Scale Second Edition (HRS-II) to assess the value of homework assignments for participants. Results were presented graphically in group format and in the form of individual case studies outlining progress in achieving individual goals. There was considerable variation in the responses of participants to treatment. When anxiety and depression were secondary to other referral issues such as fatigue and pain that remained high over treatment sessions, there was limited movement on HADS Anxiety and Depression scores. The small number of participants impacted on the ability to detect differences between Patient and Informant ratings on the PCRS or to demonstrate increased levels of awareness over treatment sessions. Consistent completion of Homework assignments proved difficult for participants. Factors that impacted on achievement of personal goals included ongoing levels of fatigue and pain, levels of personal expectation, interpersonal and organisational skills, insight into emotional reactions, and good family and social support. There is a part for a CBT approach in adjusting to changes following TBI, particularly in assisting with reassessing expectations following injury.

Although emotional labour has been studied extensively among work populations such as doctors, detectives and adventure tourism guides, there has been no known research on the psychology of actors and acting within an emotional labour framework. This investigation had two purposes. The first was to extend what is currently known about two emotional labour strategies: surface acting, the regulation of observable expressions of emotions, and deep acting, the regulation of felt emotions, to include actual actors. The dependent variables used in this study were job and life satisfaction. The second purpose was to examine whether having a sense of community moderated the relationship between surface acting, deep acting and the dependent variables. Responses from 89 professional, amateur and community theatre actors were analysed. Pearson’s correlation coefficients showed a significant relationship between surface acting and the dependent variables. Hierarchical regression results showed a significant moderation effect for sense of community on the relationship between deep acting and life satisfaction. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Eleven male and 10 female freelance production workers were interviewed about their experiences of life within the New Zealand film industry. Respondents’ accounts contrast sharply with glamorous images of the industry portrayed in the media. Respondents enjoyed the creative challenges, camaraderie, excitement, and intensity of their working lives and identified strongly with their work. However, they also experienced continual financial insecurity, unpredictable and demoralising periods of unemployment, and recurrent problems maintaining a reasonable work-life balance. Many of the older respondents cited these factors as their main reason for attempting to find work outside the industry. Female production workers appeared to pay a particularly high price for their involvement in the industry and often sacrificed other areas of their lives for their careers. Women frequently compensated for this imbalance by becoming even more career focussed, thus compounding the problems in non-work areas of their lives. Respondents’ accounts are interpreted in relation to current structural conditions, working practices, and power imbalances within the New Zealand film industry. It is argued that freelance production workers’ complex psychological relationship with their work is simultaneously a product of their work environment and helps to perpetuate industry conditions which disadvantage the workforce.

A manualised cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme was culturally adapted for use with adult Maori clients with depression who were receiving treatment from Te Whare Marie, a Maori Mental Health service that covers the greater Wellington region. The manual was developed in consultation with local and international literature pertaining to CBT with minority groups and the recommendations of an advisory team. The treatment programme integrated significant Maori concepts with the traditional strategies associated with CBT. The intervention was trialled with 16 Maori clients from Te Whare Marie with a primary diagnosis of depression. Case study and group analysis indicated that the adapted intervention was effective in reducing depressive symptomatology and negative cognition, and increasing general wellbeing in four culturally relevant dimensions. Differences between pre- and post- treatment scores were statistically significant in each of these areas. The intervention did not have a significant impact on the construct of cultural identity. Participants expressed high levels of satisfaction with the treatment, and in general the adaptations were positively received. Treatment was characterised by particularly low dropout rates with 15 of the 16 participants attending seven or more sessions. These results were discussed with reference to their implications for effective delivery of clinical service delivery to Maori consumers of mental health services in New Zealand.

The primary aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention provided by Massey University Concussion Clinic for individuals following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI). Concussion Clinics were set up across New Zealand to provide early intervention and assessment for individuals with MTBI to prevent long term complaints. Treatment outcomes at these clinics have not been empirically examined before. The current study compared the levels of post concussion symptoms, anxiety, depression, and psychosocial functioning between an intervention and a control group using a quasi-experimental design. In addition, reasons for nonattendance to the clinic, and participants’ perceptions of their recovery were also explored. The main outcome measures used were the Rivermead Postconcussion Symptoms Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Sydney Psychosocial Reintegration Scale-2. Outcomes were initially assessed soon after injury or referral to the clinic and then three months later. Participants were recruited from the Palmerston North Hospital Emergency Department and the Massey University Concussion Clinic. With 20 participants in the intervention group and 15 in the control group, the main results showed that the Concussion Clinic intervention significantly decreased the level of anxiety and depression reported by participants in the intervention group over the control group. Greater improvements in post concussion symptoms and psychosocial functioning were also indicated in the intervention group. Additional findings suggest difficulty with transportation as a reason for nonattendance, which could be a potential barrier to recovery. Furthermore, participants highlighted the benefits of attending the service and its role in their recovery. Important issues relating to the referral processes were also identified. Findings of the current study suggest that the Concussion Clinic intervention is effective in improving recovery for those accessing the service. Nevertheless, these results must be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size. Further research is warranted to examine the effectiveness of the Concussion Clinics with larger samples, and the current study may serve as a valuable pilot for these future investigations.

Abstract A Kleinian Analysis of Organisations: Implications for Employee Health and Well-Being. This dissertation considers research that was conducted into the impact of organisational style of operation upon the health and well-being of individual employees. A Kleinian analysis of organisations, from a psychoanalytic perspective, highlights the defining characteristics of different organisations within the study. The intent of the thesis is to argue that the different types of organisations impact upon the health and well-being of their employees. Six organisations were studied using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Extensive interviews were conducted with 120 employees from those organisations. A Kleinian Analysis Questionnaire and a Kleinian Analysis Rating Scale (new psychoanalytic techniques aimed at promoting dialogue with employees) assisted in the analysis and positioning of the organisations. The findings suggested that organisations can be distinguished in Kleinian terms and that these differences produce a range of health effects for employees. In the qualitative parts of this research extensive discussions took place with the employees of organisations considered to be in either the Depressive position or the Paranoid – Schizoid positions. Using the Kleinian Analysis Questionnaire (KAQ), a great deal was revealed about the emotional lives of their organisations and the impact of these realities on their own individual emotional lives and on their mental and physical health. Organisational employee assistance programs (EAPs) were considered in terms of how support was extended to employees within the studied organisations and how the efficacy and utilization of EAPs were affected by organisational classification of either Depressive or Paranoid-Schizoid. A range of quantitative measures were employed in the study and included the broad health measures SF-36, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life - Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW) and the Work Environment Scale (WES). Employees in the Depressive organisations described their workplaces as open, encouraging, creative, flexible and democratic in process. They described how the stated values and mission statements of their organisations were consistent with their own personal values and how their work as described by Gabriel (2002) enhanced their sense of self esteem and self image. There were abundant examples of their organisations providing support, described in psychoanalytic terms as ‘containment’. The quantitative results, in part, supported the qualitative results by demonstrating that the employees of Depressive organisations had a better rate of recovery from psychological issues arising from personal and workplace matters. In contrast, employees from Paranoid – Schizoid organisations described their workplaces as defensive, blaming, scapegoating, rigid and concrete, where organisational behaviour was often inconsistent with the organisation’s stated values and mission statements. They described some of the competitive activity as inconsistent with their own personal values and at times giving rise to anxiety. This discord had reflections on the emotional health of individuals. This was borne out in the quantitative aspects of the study which also found that the mental health of individuals and their rate of recovery from psychological issues were adversely affected by the lack of ‘containment’ afforded to them by their organisations. The results strongly demonstrated the value of EAPs as mechanisms of support for employees and revealed differences in the impact upon health and well-being of employees between the two Kleinian organisational types in addition to differences in the levels of utilization and involvement. Keywords: Kleinian Analysis; Health Implications; Employee Assistance Programs; Containment Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classifications (ANZSRC): 150305:50%; 150311:25%; 179999:25%