<p>The aim of this study was to examine how clients who have or have previously had a drug- and/or alcohol addiction experienced interchanges with social workers. In this study, eight semi-structured interviews were made with respondents from an out-patient clinic in a small town in Sweden. Questions were asked regarding clients’ experience of the social workers' attitudes during the initial meeting as well as all continuing meetings. Other possible variables that affected the interchanges, either positively or negatively, including how the clients wanted to be treated, were also explored. Theories used in the interpretation of the results were power and an interactional perspective. The power at the social bureau is unevenly dispensed in favor of the social worker and they should use that power in a non-offending way. Good communication is essential to avoid misconceptions and to make the interaction work well between social workers and clients. The results showed that concepts such as being listened to, mutual trust between client and social worker, and that the clients felt respected, were all important. Aspects that had a negative effect were mistrust from the social worker, lack in professionalism as well as the clients’ attitudes. Most respondents were satisfied with the way they were being treated.</p> / <p>Syftet med föreliggande studie var att undersöka hur klienter som har eller har haft en alkohol- och/eller drogproblematik upplever bemötandet på socialkontoret. För att få svar på syftet undersöktes klienters upplevelser av bemötandet vid sitt första möte och under fortsatta möten. Även faktorer som påverkar bemötandet positivt eller negativt samt hur de skulle vilja bli bemötta undersöktes. För att få svar på syftet gjordes åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med respondenter från en öppenvårdsmottagning i en liten ort i Mellansverige. Teorier som använts vid tolkningen av resultatet var makt och interaktionistiskt perspektiv. Makten på socialkontoret är ojämnt fördelad till handläggarens fördel, det är viktigt att makten används enligt socialtjänstens riklinjer för att inte kränka klienten. Bemötandet uppstår i interaktionen mellan människor, och det är viktigt att kommunikationen mellan handläggare och klient fungerar för att inte missförstånd ska uppstå. Resultatet visade att det som var viktigt för ett bra bemötande var att respondenterna blev lyssnade på, att det fanns ett ömsesidigt förtroende mellan klient och handläggare och att de blev respekterade. Det som kunde påverka bemötandet negativt var misstro från handläggaren, brister i professionaliteten och klientens egen attityd. De flesta var dock i stort sett nöjda med bemötandet på socialkontoret.</p>

One of the contributing factors to the current nursing shortage is job dissatisfaction due to conflict in the workplace. In order to develop strategies to reduce conflict, research is needed to understand the causes and outcomes of conflict in nursing work environments. This study tested a theoretical model linking antecedent variables (core self-evaluation, complexity of nursing care, unit size, interactional justice, managerial support, unit morale) to intragroup conflict, followed by conflict management, and ultimately, job stress and job satisfaction. A predictive, non-experimental design was used in a random sample of 277 acute care nurses in Ontario. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to analyze the hypothesized model. Final analysis revealed relatively good fit of data to the hypothesized model (Chi-square = 211.7, df = 80, CFI = .92, RMSEA=0.07). Lower core self-evaluation, higher complexity of nursing care, lower interactional justice, and poor unit morale resulted in higher intragroup relationship conflict, and ultimately a less ‘agreeable’ conflict management style, higher stress and job dissatisfaction. Conflict management style partially mediated the relationship between conflict and job satisfaction. Job stress also had a direct effect on job satisfaction and core self-evaluation had a direct effect on job stress. The study results suggest that conflict and its associated outcomes is a complex process, affected by dispositional, contextual and interpersonal factors. Nurses’ core self-evaluations, complexity of nursing care and relationships with managers and nursing colleagues influences the level of conflict they experience. How nurses manage conflict may not prevent the negative effects of conflict on job stress and job satisfaction, however learning to manage conflict using collaboration and accommodation may help nurses feel more satisfied with their jobs. In addition, education programs that contribute to an individual’s ability to feel more confident about their ability to manage conflict may help them cope more effectively with the stress generated by conflict.

Canadian statistics on patient safety in acute care hospitals are alarming. Hospital safety concerns are not isolated to patient safety. Occupational safety is also important. With increasing shortages of nurses, stress in the work place is growing. Nurses report high levels of absenteeism of 14.5 days per year. The importance of a just and fair culture and the role of nurse leaders have been emphasized in safety literature. Although deemed important, studies of nurse leaders and patient outcomes are limited. The influence of interactional justice in the workplace on nurse and patient safety has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to test and refine a model developed from the literature which explains the impact of perceived interactional justice, relational leadership, and quality of nurse manager – clinical nurse relationships on the nursing work environment and ultimately patient and nurse safety outcomes. The model was tested on a random sample of 266 Ontario acute care registered nurses. Findings indicated the model reasonably fit the observed data, however could benefit from further refinement. The addition of 2 pathways (span of control to nurses’ intent to leave and number of medication errors to nurse emotional exhaustion) and trimming of the insignificant paths improved the overall model fit. The resulting model indicates that resonant leadership style and interactional justice improves the quality of nurse leader-nurse relationships which in turn improves quality of the nurses’ work environment and safety climate. A positive safety climate led to a decrease in the number medication errors and nurses’ intentions to leave their unit. A higher quality work environment predicted lower nurse emotional exhaustion. Additionally, higher numbers of medication errors led to an increase in nurse emotional exhaustion. This suggests that distress may be associated with making a medication error or fear of consequences. As well, larger manager spans were associated with less nurse intent to leave. As the span increased, the number of support personnel also increased. Contrary to other research findings, this result suggests that supportive personnel may mitigate the effect of large manager spans of control on nurses’ intent to leave their units.

One of the contributing factors to the current nursing shortage is job dissatisfaction due to conflict in the workplace. In order to develop strategies to reduce conflict, research is needed to understand the causes and outcomes of conflict in nursing work environments. This study tested a theoretical model linking antecedent variables (core self-evaluation, complexity of nursing care, unit size, interactional justice, managerial support, unit morale) to intragroup conflict, followed by conflict management, and ultimately, job stress and job satisfaction. A predictive, non-experimental design was used in a random sample of 277 acute care nurses in Ontario. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to analyze the hypothesized model. Final analysis revealed relatively good fit of data to the hypothesized model (Chi-square = 211.7, df = 80, CFI = .92, RMSEA=0.07). Lower core self-evaluation, higher complexity of nursing care, lower interactional justice, and poor unit morale resulted in higher intragroup relationship conflict, and ultimately a less ‘agreeable’ conflict management style, higher stress and job dissatisfaction. Conflict management style partially mediated the relationship between conflict and job satisfaction. Job stress also had a direct effect on job satisfaction and core self-evaluation had a direct effect on job stress. The study results suggest that conflict and its associated outcomes is a complex process, affected by dispositional, contextual and interpersonal factors. Nurses’ core self-evaluations, complexity of nursing care and relationships with managers and nursing colleagues influences the level of conflict they experience. How nurses manage conflict may not prevent the negative effects of conflict on job stress and job satisfaction, however learning to manage conflict using collaboration and accommodation may help nurses feel more satisfied with their jobs. In addition, education programs that contribute to an individual’s ability to feel more confident about their ability to manage conflict may help them cope more effectively with the stress generated by conflict.

Canadian statistics on patient safety in acute care hospitals are alarming. Hospital safety concerns are not isolated to patient safety. Occupational safety is also important. With increasing shortages of nurses, stress in the work place is growing. Nurses report high levels of absenteeism of 14.5 days per year. The importance of a just and fair culture and the role of nurse leaders have been emphasized in safety literature. Although deemed important, studies of nurse leaders and patient outcomes are limited. The influence of interactional justice in the workplace on nurse and patient safety has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to test and refine a model developed from the literature which explains the impact of perceived interactional justice, relational leadership, and quality of nurse manager – clinical nurse relationships on the nursing work environment and ultimately patient and nurse safety outcomes. The model was tested on a random sample of 266 Ontario acute care registered nurses. Findings indicated the model reasonably fit the observed data, however could benefit from further refinement. The addition of 2 pathways (span of control to nurses’ intent to leave and number of medication errors to nurse emotional exhaustion) and trimming of the insignificant paths improved the overall model fit. The resulting model indicates that resonant leadership style and interactional justice improves the quality of nurse leader-nurse relationships which in turn improves quality of the nurses’ work environment and safety climate. A positive safety climate led to a decrease in the number medication errors and nurses’ intentions to leave their unit. A higher quality work environment predicted lower nurse emotional exhaustion. Additionally, higher numbers of medication errors led to an increase in nurse emotional exhaustion. This suggests that distress may be associated with making a medication error or fear of consequences. As well, larger manager spans were associated with less nurse intent to leave. As the span increased, the number of support personnel also increased. Contrary to other research findings, this result suggests that supportive personnel may mitigate the effect of large manager spans of control on nurses’ intent to leave their units.

This dissertation investigated Taiwanese English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners' incidental noticing and their subsequent language learning in relation to learner proficiency level and dyadic type in a text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC) environment. Sixty participants were included to form 30 dyads. At random, eight low-intermediate and eight advanced nonnative English speakers (NNESs) were paired with 16 native English speakers (NESs) to form 16 NES-NNES dyads; another 14 advanced NNESs and 14 low-intermediate NNESs were paired to form 14 mixedproficiency NNES-NNES dyads. The results revealed that the synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) medium could, in general, enhance the occurrence of learners' incidental noticing and their subsequent second language (L2) learning regardless of learners' proficiency levels and dyadic types. No significant differences were found in the amount of the language-related episodes (LREs) produced by the NES-NNES dyads when compared to the NNES-NNES dyads. With regard to the number of LREs generated by the learners of different proficiency levels, the results showed that: (1) in the NESNNES dyads, no significant difference was found between the low-intermediate and advanced learners, and (2) in the NNES-NNES dyads, the low-intermediate learners produced a significantly greater number of LREs than their advanced interlocutors. In terms of the effect of interlocutors' proficiency levels on the number of LREs produced by the learners, the results revealed that: (1) the low-intermediate learners in the NESNNES dyads produced a significantly greater number of LREs than the low-intermediate learners in the NNES-NNES dyads, and (2) the advanced learners in the NES-NNES dyads also produced a significantly greater number of LREs than the advanced learners in the NNES-NNES dyads. With respect to the learners' performance on both posttests, the results of chi-square analyses showed that: (1) no significant differences were found both within and across the two dyadic types, and (2) no significant differences were found between learners of different proficiency levels within and across both NES-NNS and NNES-NNES dyads. Logistic regression analyses revealed that five LRE characteristics (type, source, complexity, proficiency, and successful uptake) in the NES-NNES dyads and three LRE characteristics (proficiency, timing and successful uptake) in the NNES-NNES dyads were shown to be significant predictor variables of the learners' subsequent L2 learning. Successful uptake was the most prevalent predictor variable of the learners' subsequent L2 learning across the two dyadic types. Besides, proficiency appeared to be the second prevalent variable but played a different role in these two dyadic types. Considering the language aspects focused in the LREs, negotiations on the linguistic features of grammar, vocabulary, and spelling were much more prevalent than the pragmatic aspects of language.

Antalet personer insjuknade i demenssjukdom stiger, från 25 miljoner år 2000 till vad som beräknas uppgå till 63 miljoner år 2030. Demens kan beskrivas som en global störning av intellektuella funktioner där den kognitiva förmågan inklusive kommunikation är påverkad. Högtekonologiska hjälpmedel som kommunikativt stöd för personer med demens är i nuläget ett outforskat område med begränsad evidens där få studier har genomförts.Syftet med föreliggande studie var att kartlägga vilka samtalsfenomen som förekom mellan en person med demens och dennes samtalspartners med och utan surfplatta med applikationen Book Creator. Ytterligare ett syfte var att undersöka en av samtalspartnernas upplevelse av att kommunicera med personen med demens. Studien genomfördes på ett boende för personer med demenssjukdom där sammanlagt nio samtal spelades in, sex samtal utan surfplatta med applikationen Book Creator och tre samtal med surfplatta med applikationen Book Creator. Materialet omfattade 2 h och 25 min och transkriberades enligt samtalsanalytiska principer med fokus på specifika samtalsfenomen. Fem fenomen identifierades; initiativtagande, gemensam grund, koherens, ofullständig gemensam grund och icke-koherens. Frekvensen av dessa förekommande fenomen kalkylerades i procent i förhållande till det totala antalet talarturer.Resultaten visade att de samtalsfenomen som inbegrep ofullständig gemensam grund och icke-koherens med en marginell skillnad förekom i mindre frekvens i samtal med applikationen Book Creator. Personen med demens tog initiativ i lika hög utsträckning i samtal med och utan applikationen och det föreföll slutligen inte föreligga några skillnader avseende gemensam grund och koherens mellan deltagarna i samtalet med respektive utan applikationen. Det kunde även urskiljas att personen med demens kunde hantera applikationen Book Creator på egen hand med visst stöd. Samtalspartnerns upplevelser av kommunikativa svårigheter hos personer med demens, strategier för att bemöta dessa och ett behov av ökad utbildning om kommunikativt bemötande ligger i linje med tidigare forskning. / The number of people who are affected by dementia is expected to increase, from 25 million in the year 2000 to approximately 63 million in the year 2030. Dementia can be described as a global disorder of intellectual functions, where the cognitive ability including communication is affected. High technological communication aids that support people with dementia in their communication are currently an underexplored area with limited evidence. The aim of the present study was to identify interactional phenomena occurring in interaction involving one person with dementia with and without a tablet with the application Book Creator. A further aim was to examine how the conversation partner experienced the communication of the person with dementia. The study was conducted in a residential care facility for people with dementia where a total of nine conversations were recorded, six conversations without the application and three conversations with the application. The material comprised 2 hours and 25 minutes and was transcribed according to Conversation Analytic principles. Five phenomena were identified: initiative, common ground, coherence, incomplete common ground and non-coherence. The frequency of occurrence of these phenomena was calculated in percentage of their occurrence in relation to total number of turns.The result in the present study indicated that the interactional phenomena involving incomplete common ground and non-coherence occurred in a reduced frequency in conversations with the application Book Creator. The person with dementia took the initiative to the same extent in interactions with and without the application. There appeared to be no differences regarding common ground and coherence between the participants in the conversation with and without the application. The analysis also revealed that the person with dementia could handle the tablet with the application Book Creator on her own with some support. The results are in accordance with research regarding communicative difficulties in people with dementia, strategies to address these difficulties and the need of increased training in communicative treatment in dementia.

The purpose of this study was to research the therapeutic outcomes achieved by a five year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome (AS), by means of non-directive processes of child centred play therapy (CCP) and sand tray play therapy (STP). In this investigative-descriptive qualitative research design, a saturated, holistic, intrinsic single case study was used as research method. The therapeutic process, events and outcomes of a unique single case within the context of AS, non-directive play therapy and the interactional-pattern analysis (IPA), are described. This study was motivated by the fact that the researcher disposed of data for a unique single case study that could contribute meaningfully to the need for a research database that describes effective therapeutic interventions and outcomes with children with AS. From the perspective of Rogerian person-centred theory (RPT), the literature study focused on an integrated discussion of AS, CCP and STP by means of 17 interpersonal variables of the interactional-pattern analysis (IPA). The following data sources was investigated: interviews with parents and teachers; CCP-sessions of J recorded on video; photos of some of J’s STP-sessions and the therapists’ process notes. Triangulation was used to evaluate the various categories of therapeutic outcomes from different viewpoints and to give meaning to them. The conclusions indicated that this boy with AS had used the non-directive processes of CCP and STP to achieve various therapeutic outcomes in the areas of: imaginary play; dramatic play; social interaction with the therapist, parents, family, teachers, his peer group and with strangers; traumatic experiences during visits to the doctor and bath times; identification, expressing and regulating emotions; and minimising acting out behaviour. Therapeutic outcomes have been demonstrated in 8 IPA-variables, namely: empathy, defining of relationships, potential to evoke acceptance or rejection, sincere interest and congruent conduct, control, emotional distance, problem solving and aspects relating to the presenting problem. The conclusion was reached that the conduct of the boy with AS as well as his mother and the therapist, played a mutual role in achieving his therapeutic outcomes within the 17 IPA-variables. The unstructured process of the non-directive play (CCP and STP) was utilised by a young child with AS to achieve therapeutic outcomes that relate to his everyday existence. A final conclusion is that involving the boy’s mother in his therapy and utilising an adapted Filial play program, enabled the mother to make emotional contact with her son and to diminish conflict between them. Guidelines for therapists are suggested with regard to non-directive responding in therapeutic contexts as found in this study. Furthermore, the contribution of this research to Psychology as science and discipline, is presented. Limitations of this study are indicated and recommendations for further research are made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psigologie))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-14T12:43:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 650388 bytes, checksum: 43d0446e04debb7e6771c7333537ba20 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-06-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The current paper has as its object of study the investigation of teacherstudent s interaction in Portuguese classrooms environment. We intend to demonstrate that the interactional context in which Portuguese classes occur is considered unproductive and that the verbal interaction between teacher and students is like a battle field, because we believe the existing discussions do not help the learning process. The theoretical support of this research centers on the Interactional Sociolinguistics and Verbal Interaction Theory (Bortoni- Ricardo, Koch, Goffman) and on the Zone of Proximal Development Theory (Vygotsky), among others. In order to obtain the trustful results, the data was collected from audio recordings of Portuguese classes and questionnaire answers from teachers and students of two high school second grade groups from a public state school in João Pessoa-PB. The analysis of the data is based in a interpretative methodology which aims to understand how teacher-student interaction occurs in mother tongue classes and how positively this reflects in the learning-teaching process of Portuguese language. The results confirmed that the classroom dialogical interaction is unproductive most of the times, since it does not positively reflect in the learning process of Portuguese language. It was also possible to notice the difficulty that exists in this interactive process, because the classroom, most of the times, reflects the difficult relationship between teacher and student and consequently it influences the teachinglearning process. / O presente trabalho tem como objeto de estudo a investigação da interação professor-aluno em um contexto da sala de aula de Português. Pretendemos demonstrar que o contexto interacional em que ocorrem as aulas de Língua Portuguesa é tido como improdutivo e a interação verbal entre professor e aluno é como um campo de batalhas, pois acreditamos que as discussões existentes não favorecem o processo de aprendizagem. A fundamentação teórica da pesquisa centrou-se na Sociolinguistica Interacional e Interação Verbal (Bortoni-Ricardo, Koch, Goffman) e na Zona de Desenvolvimento Proximal (Vygotsky), entre outros. Para obter resultados confiáveis, os dados foram coletados a partir de gravações de aulas de Português e de respostas de questionários fornecidas por professores e alunos de duas turmas do 2º ano do Ensino Médio de uma escola da rede estadual pública de ensino da cidade de João Pessoa-PB. A análise dos dados é baseada em uma metodologia interpretativa que visa entender como ocorre a interação entre professor-aluno na aula de língua materna e como isso reflete no processo de ensinoaprendizagem. Os resultados confirmaram que a interação dialógica na sala de aula é improdutiva, em sua maioria, pois não reflete positivamente no processo de aprendizagem de Língua Portuguesa. Constatamos também a dificuldade que existe nesse processo interativo, pois a sala de aula, muitas vezes, acaba refletindo a difícil relação existente entre professor-aluno e, conseqüentemente, influencia o processo de ensino-aprendizagem.

This study deals with the employee fairness perceptions of their performance management system in a South African organisation. The concept of justice, with particular reference to procedural, distributive and interactional justice, is used as a guide in assessing employee perceptions of fairness of the organisations’ performance management system. A qualitative approach was used to gain an in-depth understanding of employee perceptions of fairness based on their personal experiences of the organisation’s performance management system. Data was obtained through extensive semi structured interviews with 20 employees who had been with the organisation and participated in the performance management system for 5 or more years. All interviews were transcribed and assessed using a thematic analysis. The overall findings show that there are negative fairness perceptions of the performance management system as assessed according to the three organisational justice factors of procedural, distributive and interactional justice. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology) / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)