Youths who attempt suicide may have many negative feelings about themselves which are manifested in a low level of self-acceptance. This factor is often overlooked in specific assessment and intervention measures while socio-economic and situational variables are treated. Nurses, because of their location in schools, are in a unique position to recognize and intervene with the potentially suicidal youth. Nurses however may have difficulty in recognizing the youth with poor self-acceptance. This exploratory study was undertaken in order to answer the question: 'is a low level of self-acceptance in youths age sixteen to twenty-five correlated with suicide attempts?' The answer was sought from information obtained from youths' self-reports on the Berger Scale of Self-Acceptance and the California Psychological Inventory. These tests were administered to thirty youths divided into three groups. Group A were suicide attempters seen in the emergency ward of a large general hospital, group B were non-suicide attempters seen in the emergency ward and group C were chosen from the community. An analysis of variance was carried out to discover if there was a significant difference in self-acceptance among the three groups. The findings supported the overall conclusion: youths between ages sixteen and twenty-five who attempted suicide had a significantly lower self-acceptance than control group youths. The variable of hospitalization did not effect self-acceptance. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Nursing, School of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to investigate further the nature of the relationship between creativity and some factors previously found to be involved in creative expression and to explore the possible relationship of some other factors to creativity.

The problem of the present study was to determine the relationships between peer- and self-evaluations on a social roles measurement and the relationships between these evaluations and sociometric rankings.

This study was conducted in order to investigate the hypothesis that the vocational rehabilitation training situation is itself therapeutic. The training situation is of course attempting to complete the final phase of rehabilitation by actually helping the handicapped individual to go out into the world again as a productive human being.

The purpose of this thesis is to see if a significant change in the self concept of college students can be brought about through short term group counseling.

The question of ability grouping in education has achieved prominence, especially in recent years. Much of the emphasis placed on grouping students according to ability rather than chronological age is a product of modern times and progressive education. Although not accepted by all educators, there is a definite movement toward such a procedure in public schools today. It is held by the advocates of ability grouping that students will benefit more in a situation where they proceed at a rate prescribed by their ability rather than a hypothetical average or norm. Several well-controlled studies (3, 33, 44) have shown that in situations where students are grouped homogeneously according to respective ability there is an increase in achievement. All of these studies have compared performance and achievement under both systems of grouping and have showed that the homogeneously grouped students benefit more than students in a social promotion situation. The stand taken by the advocates of ability grouping is therefore expressed in terms of achievement and academic advantages. This, for the most part, comprises the reason for preference over traditional social promotion. The argument against ability grouping is based primarily on social injustice to the student. Although this argument finds little support in terms of well-controlled research and empirical evidence, several articles (5, 17, 54) illustrate why many educators oppose ability grouping on the basis of social injustice. There is little disagreement as to the merits of such a procedure in terms of student achievement, however. The concern lies rather in pupil adjustment in situations where he learns at a rate prescribed by his ability among only those possessing similar ability. Theoretically, this places students in all of the ability levels in restricted environments which in turn limits social interaction. If students do not learn to adjust to diverse social situations in the school and during these critical years of development, where and when will they learn? This is a major question raised by those who oppose ability grouping. The possibility that ability grouping might not only inhibit adjustment in social situations, but also have a negative effect upon the self concept of students is also characteristic of this argument. An example of this would be the slow learner who is placed in a group which proceeds at a slower rate than that of others his age. This student recognizes that his performance and ability are inferior to those students in other groups. It is possible that in such a situation the student might acquire feelings of inferiority which may persist and develop into more serious emotional disorders later. This, the opposition to ability grouping would maintain, is of major concern.

Within the framework of ecological psychology, environments are places, defined as landscapes of affordances, or the array of potential actions that can be executed. The feedback between direct perception-action and use of affordances results in the sense of presence in place. According to previous research, increased presence has been correlated with greater attachment and connectedness with the place as well as beneficial psychological states in a campus setting. However, it is unclear what factors, such as demographics, may influence differences in engagement with campus affordances, and hence, presence among individuals. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between campus presence, demographic factors, and social self-concept. Participants completed a survey that assessed their demographics, aspects of self-concept, degree of campus engagement and their sense of presence on campus.

No description available.

Research question: How do you people with schizophrenia and their carers live with a diagnosis of schizophrenia? Research aim: To gain a greater understanding of the meaning and experience of schizophrenia. The objective of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of schizophrenia. Sample: Self-selected sample of 35 participants (22 people with schizophrenia and 13 carers) recruited from the local community. . Data collection: 33 unstructured audiotaped interviews conducted in participants¿ own homes. In addition some participants completed diaries. Interviews were conducted in two stages: in stage one 10 participants were interviewed, transcripts were analysed and probes were fine tuned and in stage two these probes were used in the remaining interviews. Data analysis: Verbatim transcripts were analysed using the coding paradigm proposed by Strauss (1987), in conjunction with Burnard¿s (1991) 14 stage model of analysis. Inductive coding was used and respondent validation was completed. Findings: Stress was described as a major cause of schizophrenia. Some participants with schizophrenia described moving on in their lives, a factor associated with having a positive self-concept. Other participants with schizophrenia reported feeling stopped in their lives, which was associated with acceptance of the diagnosis, and having a negative self-concept. The most severe problems they reported were social and psychological. Male and female participants with schizophrenia were treated differently. Some participants with schizophrenia sought support while others chose isolation. Mental health nursing care was reported as coercive and disempowering. Carers described conflict within families, carer burden, and stress. Those who had been caregiving for longer appeared to have adapted and now experienced less stress and burden than others. Younger carers and carers who have been caregiving for a shorter time and were less willing to accept the caregiving role, reported more burden and stress. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a positive self-concept may be necessary to move on after the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The inability to move on may be a result of a negative self-concept or disempowering care. There was no partnership and no shared understanding of schizophrenia, or of care, between these participants with schizophrenia and nurses, or between these participants with schizophrenia and their carers, or between carers and nurses. Many of the participants¿ self-identified needs were not met. A new attitude displaying reluctance about a caregiving role may be emerging.

No description available.