Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Cognitive Science, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 5, 2010). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-04, Section: B, page: 2590. Adviser: John E. Bates.

This thesis reports research undertaken to explore a school community’s imaginings for secondary education for future generations. The research was designed to trouble the seemingly straightforward constructs of imagination and creativity, not merely to trace or audit their inclusion in the secondary curriculum, but rather to invite a secondary school community to put these constructs to work in exploring their imaginings and desires for good education 25-30 years ahead. The objectives used to structure the research involved: tracing the discourses of imagination and creativity in education curriculum policy; exploring a school community’s experiences and perceptions of secondary education; examining a school community’s imaginings for future secondary education; and exploring a school community’s desires for a future ‘curriculum for excellence’. The research was carried out during the development phase of Curriculum for Excellence (Scottish Executive 2004a) in Scotland which is explicit in its desire to provide opportunities for school communities to be/come imaginative and creative. This is not a new aspiration as imagination and creativity are familiar and enduring constructs in education. At a policy level the resurgence of interest in (imagination and) creativity is closely aligned to a desire for economic sustainability. The focus of my study is to explore how the concepts of imagination and creativity might become an impetus for the school community to think differently about good education for future generations. The study took place in a large comprehensive school community in a rural town in Scotland. Groups of participants, including pupils, parents, early-career teachers, mid-career teachers and school managers were drawn from across the school community. The method of data collection was adapted from Open Space Technology (Owen 2008) to provide an unstructured forum for participants to discuss their experiences and imaginings. A theoretical framework which offered a way of thinking differently about the data was devised from readings of concepts drawn from Deleuze (1995) and Deleuze and Guattari (2004) and used to analyse the school community’s perceptions, imaginings and desires. The findings suggest that whilst the new curriculum seems to open up a space for imagination and creativity the school community’s imaginings tend to be orientated to past experiences and/or closely aligned to the policy imaginary which appears to close down openings and opportunities for becoming. However there was a discernible desire in the school community for ‘good’ education in a fair and equitable system which appeared to be less narrowly focused on economic imperatives than that of the policy. I argue that there is a need for a new way of thinking about future education within current structures and systems which I have conceptualised as an ‘edu-imaginary interruption’. The thesis concludes with some reflections on the potential forms of such interruptions to impact on research and professional practice.

<p> Understanding the role of the public school teacher and how that role has changed over recent history is critical to comprehending the nature of teaching and teachers in American schools. This 2-phase, hypothesis-generating study was undertaken to develop a deeper understanding of the role of the teacher and, in particular, the ways that role has remained stable or changed across the historical process. It explored how the role of the teacher is construed by current, experienced teachers through personal construct systems and through their shared enactments of a social construct system proposed as an extension to personal construct theory. Departing from the traditional disciplinary approaches that have characterized much of the previous research on this topic and which have been limited in scope and method by their associated paradigms, this study adopted an interdisciplinary, mixed methods approach that integrated the perspectives of several disciplines and professional fields. It employed the repertory grid technique (RGT) from personal construct theory to elicit personal constructs from 16 experienced teachers in intensive RGT interviews to identify shared constructs. Those shared constructs were then employed as an inferred social construct system in an anonymous online survey of experienced practicing teachers (<i>n</i> = 258) to identify the ways in which that social construct system is enacted in construing the role of the teacher across the historical process, envisioning the future role of the teacher, and perceiving the ideal role. Latent class analysis indicated heterogeneity in teachers' views regarding the role and substantial perceived change across recent history, suggesting a lack of role consensus. The study also compared the participants' views of the ideal role of the teacher with their expectations for the future. The findings have implications for future research and for educational theory, policy, and practice.</p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> education history, repertory grid technique, teacher role</p>

<p> This 3-month intensive single case study of Rey (pseudonym), a 16-year-old male client and his family highlights the impact of the local wraparound program in Santa Cruz County (WRAP) on a participating probation youth of immigrant background. A holistic lens helped understand the interactive spheres that made up Rey's world. The theoretical considerations reviewed&mdash;both individual and systems orientations&mdash;suggested a more complete view of the complex interrelated factors that made up the participant's reality. The literature review covered social ecology; community psychology; wraparound; the local cultural, historical, and ethnographical background; attachment; complex trauma; emotion regulation; interconnectedness; family therapy; and coherence. There is a session-by-session synopsis of Rey's interactions with the program, followed by an analysis of the sessions as they related to his defense, receiving support, connectedness, participation, exploration, and emotion regulation. The holistic model offered detailed insight into Rey's experiences during his work with WRAP. Although the results are individualized, the focus on the single participant allowed for sensitization and increased awareness regarding WRAP's impact on Rey's world. The use of the holistic model and the themes that emerged should be examined in further research with different populations and diverse sociocultural surroundings.</p>

<p> Innovation is essential for organizational survival and effectiveness and often requires a balance between managing existing competencies, skills, and resources, and pursuing newer and radical aspirations. Organizational leaders play an important role in fostering innovation in the workplace and striking a unique equilibrium between these competing priorities to maximize individual creativity and organizational innovation outcomes. By employing path analyses, this study examined the relationship between two leadership styles&mdash;transformational leadership (TFL) and leader-member exchange (LMX) and two forms of organizational innovation (exploration and exploitation). The study also investigated the role that individual and organizational variables played in explaining the leadership-innovation relationship. </p><p> Results suggested positive but non-significant relationships between leadership styles and organizational innovation due to the high correlations and overlap between the two leadership styles. Follower autonomy was positively and significantly related to exploration innovation. When analyzed separately, positive and significant associations were found for both leadership styles and organizational innovation. Results of this study suggest the equal importance of transformational and relational styles of leadership towards fostering both forms of organizational innovation. In particular, organizational support for innovation was found to mediate the leadership-innovation relationship, suggesting the importance of social mechanisms in translating the effects of leadership into innovation outcomes for the organization.</p>

<p> There is currently widespread debate in the psychological community with regards to research on and provision of evidence-based practices. The American Psychological Association recently developed clinical and research guidelines for the implementation and investigation of culturally appropriate treatment interventions. As of 2000, there were 562 tribal entities recognized and eligible or funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Ogunwole, 2002). This United States Indigenous contingent continues to be marginalized by diagnostic classification and treatment interventions that perpetuate or discount the role of cultural oppression (Gone, 2009). Whereas current literature speaks to a relationship between colonization and intergenerational trauma (Gone &amp; Alc&aacute;ntara, 2007; Duran &amp; Duran, 1995), the reenactment of this relationship in the Evidence-Based paradigm is under-researched (Smith-Morris, 2007). </p><p> This integrative literature review (ILR) ucovers the benefits of Talking Circle for Native and Native-minded persons and communities. Advocates for the implementation of culturally-appropriate diagnostic, treatment, and research methodologies report that inclusion assists in healing socio-historical wounds (Gone &amp; Alc&aacute;ntara, 2007; Sue, Zane, Hall, &amp; Berger, 2009). This is extremely relevant for contemporary Indigenous individuals, families, and communities. </p><p> The current study presents the viability of Talking Circle for slowing the transmission of trauma by offering a compelling argument supporting its evidence-based nature through a comparison of available research on trauma-informed treatment models with published findings on Talking Circle. Assumptions, literature review, critique of the literature review, and commentary on and appraisal of potentially translatable healing rituals supports a postcolonial driven conceptual model for the treatment of the soul wound, the Native equivalent of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Disorder of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS). </p><p> This ILR assists in substantiating the logical inclusion of Talking Circle into the existing set of available evidence-based PTSD treatment interventions (as outlined in Jennings, 2004, 2008). Providing this conceptual model via an ILR allows for adequately assessing the specific aspects of the research on intergenerational trauma, available interventions, and existing needs. This project illuminates, in a multilayered way, the role of Talking Circle in indigenous life and for healing intergenerational trauma, the soul wound, in the Native community.</p>

<p> Obesity has recently become a worldwide epidemic, with 75% of American adults overweight and 33% classified as obese (World Health Organization, 2005). The rise in obesity has brought a similarly marked focus on weight loss. While weight loss is often achievable, prior medical research has shown maintaining weight loss to be the largest hurdle, with roughly 95% of individuals regaining back the weight loss within a 5 year period (Berry &amp; Canetti, 2009). Despite this, relatively little research has been conducted investigating the psychological and relational characteristics of individuals that successfully maintain major weight loss, and the impact drastic weight loss has on relationships, family systems and romantic relationships. Consequently, systems therapists wishing to support an individual and their families throughout the weight loss process are left without empirical or theoretical guidance. The purpose of this study was to contribute to the development of a theory of drastic weight loss maintenance that explains identity and relationships changes that unfold before, during and after weight loss within successful weight loss maintainers. Unstructured, open-ended qualitative interviews were conducted with five former contestants of NBC's television program <i>The Biggest Loser.</i> Overall, weight loss experiences fell into two broad categories of personal narrative/identity and systemic/relationship themes. Narrative therapy's concept of personal narratives was used to classify narrative/identity themes as the dominant themes and beliefs within a personal narrative. Systemic/relationship themes included themes in intergenerational backgrounds, family systems and relationships. Themes amongst those participants who were successful at weight maintenance were also compared to participants who were struggling to maintain their weight loss results. A sequential model outlining how narrative/identity themes and systemic/relationship themes combine in order to create successful long-term weight maintenance after drastic weight loss is proposed. Clinical and research implications for couple, family and individual psychotherapy are also discussed.</p>

<p> The effects of a six-week mindfulness class on racial stereotype bias, attention, and working memory was measured by the Implicit Association Test (IAT), Attention Network Task (ANT), and Automated Operation Span Task, respectively. Explicit racism (Modern Racism Scale, Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Social Dominance Orientation), mindfulness (Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire), depression, anxiety, and stress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale) were also examined. Sixty traditional-aged undergraduate women participated in this study (20 completed the mindfulness course and the remaining completed a non-MBSR physical education course). The results revealed that training was not associated with decreased racial stereotype bias on the IAT. Training was associated with increased performance in attention-switching on the ANT. In both groups, explicit racism and working memory predicted racial bias at time 1, and explicit racism predicted change in racial bias between times 1 and 2. Unexpectedly, increase in mindfulness (FFMQ) approached prediction of an increase in racial bias across both groups. In summary, the findings contradict the hypothesis that participation in a six-week mindfulness course will reduce stereotype application and activation.</p>

<p>Cette &eacute;tude &agrave; pour objectif l'&eacute;valuation des rapports entre les attributs de la personnalit&eacute; et le type d'interaction conjugale concernant la gestion des finances. La qualit&eacute; de l'attachement au conjoint, &agrave; titre de r&eacute;flexion du niveau de d&eacute;veloppement de la personnalit&eacute;, est cens&eacute; &ecirc;tre le principal d&eacute;terminant de mutualit&eacute; en ce qui concerne la gestion des finances. La nature de cet attachement a &eacute;t&eacute; &eacute;valu&eacute;e &agrave; l'aide du Test d'apperception th&eacute;matique (TAT) ainsi que de l'Inventaire des sentiments familiaux (Inventory of Family Feelings, IFF). L'on s'attend &agrave; ce que les personnes qui manifestent une orientation plus marqui&eacute;e envers leur conjoint qu'envers leurs parents ou leurs pairs fasse preuve de mutualit&eacute; &agrave; l'&eacute;gard de la gestion de leurs finances. </p><p> L'auteur a interview&eacute; individuellement un &eacute;chantillon de trente couples mari&eacute;s. Elle leur a fait subir le TAT et le IFF en vue de d&eacute;terminer leur orientation vis-&agrave;-vis des personnes importantes autour d'eux et leur a pos&eacute; diverses questions concernant la mani&egrave;re dont ils organisent leurs finances ainsi que leur attitude et leurs sentiments &agrave; cet &eacute;gard. L'&eacute;chelle Dyadic d'adaptation a aussi &eacute;t&eacute; incluse afin d'evaluer leur adaptation mentale. </p><p> Les r&eacute;sultats indiquent que l'orientation vis-&agrave;-vis du conjoint &agrave; l'opposition des parents ou des pairs (&eacute;valuation effectu&eacute;e &agrave; l'aide du TAT) &eacute;tait en corr&eacute;lation &eacute;lev&eacute;e et exclusive avec les &eacute;chelles de comportement ainsi que les &eacute;chelles affectives de la gestion des finances. Des r&eacute;sultats similaires, mais moins exclusifs, ont &eacute;t&eacute; obtenus lors de la seconde &eacute;valuation de l'attachement relatif &agrave; autrui, l'inventaire des sentiments familiaux. Ces r&eacute;sultats se situent dans le cadre de la th&eacute;orie des rapports vis-&agrave;-vis d'autrui dans la pens&eacute;e psychanalytique. </p><p> La dominance de l'attachement au conjoint, plus marqu&eacute; que celui aux parents ou aux pairs, vu &agrave; titre de d&eacute;veloppement de la personnalit&eacute;, peut &ecirc;tre consid&eacute;r&eacute;e comme &eacute;tant une base pour la structure du pouvoir conjugal. L'hypoth&egrave;se, qui veut les mod&egrave;les d'interaction conjugale d&eacute;pendent fondamentalement de la personnalit&eacute; des conjoints, a &eacute;t&eacute; appuy&eacute;e dans le cadre des param&egrave;tres de cette &eacute;tude. L'&eacute;valuation de la mutualit&eacute; lors de l'interaction du couple peut &ecirc;tre consid&eacute;r&eacute;e comme &eacute;tant un concept plus &eacute;tendu que le pouvoir. </p><p> Les r&eacute;sultats post-hoc indiquent que l'adaptation maritale fait l'object d'une corr&eacute;lation consid&eacute;rable avec les deux &eacute;chelles de gestion mutuelle des finances. Des r&eacute;sultats semblables ont &eacute;t&eacute; obtenus par les chercheurs am&eacute;ricains, alors que les chercheurs non-am&eacute;ricains sont arriv&eacute;s &agrave; des r&eacute;sultats oppos&eacute;s. L'adaptation maritale fait &eacute;galement preuve d'une forte corr&eacute;lation avec la dominance de l'orientation vers le conjoint plut&ocirc;t que vers les pairs - &eacute;valu&eacute;e &agrave; l'aide du TAT et du IFF, ainsi que d'une forte corr&eacute;lation avec la dominance du conjoint plut&ocirc;t que celle des parents - &eacute;valu&eacute;e &agrave; l'aide du TAT et pour la direction hypoth&eacute;tique selon le IFF. Ces r&eacute;sultats concordent avec les r&eacute;sultats pr&eacute;alables obtenus &agrave; la suite d'&eacute;tudes sur les familles. </p>

<p> Common themes that arise in working with adolescent mothers are the lack of involvement from incarcerated adolescent fathers and the scarcity of services available for them. This grant proposal targets incarcerated adolescent fathers and their families to establish healthy, long-lasting relationships through the provisions of educational and parenting skills. Children with adolescent fathers who are incarcerated suffer the most consequences. Thus, efforts promoting father involvement intent to also ameliorate child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment. Parenting Skills for Young Dads in Detention (PSYDD), provides psycho-educational and supportive services through a 10-week program, along with a father-child relationship-building component to focus on improving the quality of relationships between the fathers, their children, and the mothers of their children. The proposed program will promote the strengthening of family ties. The actual funding and submission of this grant proposal were not requirements for the successful completion of this project.</p>