Previous research has indicated that depression and thinking style (rumination versus distraction) interact to influence cognitive processing. Depressed ruminators produce more categoric autobiographical memories (AM) (i.e., a summary of repeated memories), and also demonstrate poorer SPS performance than depressed distracters and matched controls. The quality of AM retrieval during SPS is also related to the effectiveness of SPS solutions such that categoric AM retrieval during SPS contributes to poorer SPS. Therefore, the first aim of this thesis was to extend previous work by further investigating how an induced rumination/distraction influences subsequent AM retrieval during SPS and SPS performance. The first two studies examined how thinking style influences SPS and AM retrieval during SPS in a dysphoric (study 1) versus clinically depressed sample (study 2). The results indicated that rumination has a detrimental effect on SPS in both dysphoric and clinically depressed samples, with more pronounced effects in the clinical group. Rumination also appeared to influence AM retrieval during SPS for the clinically depressed group but not the dysphoric group. Moreover, in both samples, SPS performance was associated with the type of AM retrieval involved in the SPS process. As most studies investigating cognitive processes in depression have focused on Western people, a second aim of this thesis was to examine the association between thinking style, AM retrieval and SPS performance in depression from a cross-cultural perspective. The first cross-cultural study (Study 3) looked at AM retrieval on the AMT cueing task and the second cross-cultural study (Study 4) investigated whether these associations between thinking style, SPS and AM retrieval would vary across different cultures. Culture interacted with depression to influence AM retrieval on the AMT cueing task. However study 4 demonstrated that there seemed to be no interaction between culture, rumination and depression on SPS performance and AM retrieval during SPS.

Educational Psychology / Built from a diverse background of theatre-based education and social change theories, drama-based instruction (DBI) employs active, kinesthetic learning strategies to engage students in classroom activities. Much of DBI is grounded in scaffolding students through a Describe, Analyze, and Relate (DAR) thinking process. DAR requires students to consider information in a systematic way, leading them through the steps of Bloom’s Taxonomy and moving from lower-order to higher-order thinking skills. Examining information at this deeper level is a process similar to the automatic thought-stopping mechanism of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). As in CBT, rather than making hasty assumptions, students are guided through steps that allow them to analyze details and to examine stimuli thoroughly. Yet the context of DBI is different from many CBT therapeutic settings because DBI is situated in a classroom environment. DAR is delivered as a whole-class intervention with peer interaction occurring throughout the thinking and questioning process. Social perspective-taking involves one individual’s efforts to discern the thoughts and feelings of another individual, a skill that has been linked to more effective problem solving. When teachers offer structured exposure to thought-stopping and perspective-taking processes, students gain practice with social perspective-taking and problem-solving skills. The current study proposed a multiple baseline, single-case design to explore how practice using the Describe, Analyze, Relate (DAR) questioning technique affects students’ capacity to engage in social perspective-taking and social problem-solving. The school in this study participated in a year-long, campus-wide initiative to train teachers in how to use DAR across subjects and grade levels. Two fourth grade teachers, one fifth grade teacher, and one visual arts teacher were identified as demonstrating proficiency in the DAR technique. In each of the three core teachers’ classes, a letter was sent home explaining the project and requesting opt-in from interested parents. From those who responded, students with special education placements were removed, then two students were randomly selected per class. The researcher met individually with the selected participants to conduct repeated measures of the Interpersonal Negotiating Strategies Interview for baseline, intervention, and follow-up phases of the study over the course of the 2012-2013 school year. Additionally, participants’ teachers were asked to complete the Social Skills subscale of the Behavior Assessment System for Children for each phase of data collection. Post-intervention interviews were conducted with the teachers to assess for their perceptions of the DAR strategy and DBI-based pedagogy in general. Visual analysis was used to assess the effectiveness of the treatment on student social perspective-taking and problem-solving. Overall, the quantitative results of the current study did not conclusively link DAR with social perspective-taking and problem-solving. However, the qualitative data from teacher interviews yielded positive feedback related to the utility of DAR questioning on improving higher-order thinking in their students. Further research is necessary to clarify and deepen understanding of this effect. / text

A presente tese aborda o debate especializado entre arquitetos no âmbito cultural paulistano, no período de 1945 a 1965. Mais especificamente, se refere aos discursos enfocando o problema social e suas relações com o campo em questão, entrecortados pelo rápido processo de modernização que se verifica no segundo pós-guerra. Partimos da premissa de que este processo liberou um conjunto de energias que se fez representar, principalmente, por um conjunto de instituições e canais de interlocução, tais como órgãos corporativos, instituições de ensino, museus, revistas, eventos especializados, etc. Tais instâncias foram responsáveis por fomentar um amplo debate acerca da condição profissional de arquiteto e suas relações com transformações mais amplas em curso naquele momento notadamente, a modernização econômico-industrial e a crescente urbanização do país , apontando pautas insurgentes e propostas para resolução das mesmas. Este conjunto de problemas sociais levou a disciplina, por vezes, a sair de sua especificidade, e a flertar com áreas afins do conhecimento, como a economia, o direito, a geografia, engenharia e as ciências sociais, dentre outras. Assim, o objetivo da presente tese é investigar este processo naquele contexto específico, analisá-lo e aferir quais são as questões insurgentes do diálogo esboçado. Para tanto, partimos do levantamento, sistematização e análise tanto das interpretações disponíveis na historiografia quanto de materiais documentais (acervos, arquivos públicos e corporativos, periódicos), bibliográficos e primário-empíricos (entrevistas), de forma a cotejálos com as hipóteses iniciais, buscando uma interpretação da questão alinhada com o campo da história social da cultura. / This thesis addresses the specialized debate among architects in the cultural realm of São Paulo, from 1945 to 1965. More specifically, it refers to the discourses focusing the \"social problem\" and its relationship to the referred field, punctuated by the rapid modernization process verified in the second postwar. We start from the premise that this process has released a set of energies represented mainly by a group of institutions and channels of debate, such as corporate entities, educational institutions, museums, magazines, specialized events, etc. Such instances were responsible for fostering a broad debate about the professional condition of the architect and its relationship to broader transformations taking place at that time notably, the economic and industrial modernization and the growing country urbanization pointing insurgent questions and proposals for its resolution. This ensemble of \"social\" issues led, for sometimes, the architectural discipline out of its specificity, flirting with relating areas such as economics, law, geography, engineering and social sciences, among others. Therefore, the thesis aims to investigate this process, analyzing it in that specific context and assessing the resulting questions of that dialogue. To do so, one starts from the survey, systematization and analysis of both the available interpretations in historiography as documental (collections, public and corporate archives, periodicals), bibliographical and primary-empirical materials (interviews), in order to confront them with the beginning hypothesis, and seeking to produce an interpretation aligned with the field of the social history of culture.

A presente tese aborda o debate especializado entre arquitetos no âmbito cultural paulistano, no período de 1945 a 1965. Mais especificamente, se refere aos discursos enfocando o problema social e suas relações com o campo em questão, entrecortados pelo rápido processo de modernização que se verifica no segundo pós-guerra. Partimos da premissa de que este processo liberou um conjunto de energias que se fez representar, principalmente, por um conjunto de instituições e canais de interlocução, tais como órgãos corporativos, instituições de ensino, museus, revistas, eventos especializados, etc. Tais instâncias foram responsáveis por fomentar um amplo debate acerca da condição profissional de arquiteto e suas relações com transformações mais amplas em curso naquele momento notadamente, a modernização econômico-industrial e a crescente urbanização do país , apontando pautas insurgentes e propostas para resolução das mesmas. Este conjunto de problemas sociais levou a disciplina, por vezes, a sair de sua especificidade, e a flertar com áreas afins do conhecimento, como a economia, o direito, a geografia, engenharia e as ciências sociais, dentre outras. Assim, o objetivo da presente tese é investigar este processo naquele contexto específico, analisá-lo e aferir quais são as questões insurgentes do diálogo esboçado. Para tanto, partimos do levantamento, sistematização e análise tanto das interpretações disponíveis na historiografia quanto de materiais documentais (acervos, arquivos públicos e corporativos, periódicos), bibliográficos e primário-empíricos (entrevistas), de forma a cotejálos com as hipóteses iniciais, buscando uma interpretação da questão alinhada com o campo da história social da cultura. / This thesis addresses the specialized debate among architects in the cultural realm of São Paulo, from 1945 to 1965. More specifically, it refers to the discourses focusing the \"social problem\" and its relationship to the referred field, punctuated by the rapid modernization process verified in the second postwar. We start from the premise that this process has released a set of energies represented mainly by a group of institutions and channels of debate, such as corporate entities, educational institutions, museums, magazines, specialized events, etc. Such instances were responsible for fostering a broad debate about the professional condition of the architect and its relationship to broader transformations taking place at that time notably, the economic and industrial modernization and the growing country urbanization pointing insurgent questions and proposals for its resolution. This ensemble of \"social\" issues led, for sometimes, the architectural discipline out of its specificity, flirting with relating areas such as economics, law, geography, engineering and social sciences, among others. Therefore, the thesis aims to investigate this process, analyzing it in that specific context and assessing the resulting questions of that dialogue. To do so, one starts from the survey, systematization and analysis of both the available interpretations in historiography as documental (collections, public and corporate archives, periodicals), bibliographical and primary-empirical materials (interviews), in order to confront them with the beginning hypothesis, and seeking to produce an interpretation aligned with the field of the social history of culture.

Objective: The concept of recovery has become an integral part of modern mental health care. Understanding the outcomes and underlying mechanisms of key recovery interventions, such as Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), is essential in order to expand the theoretical understanding of recovery and inform how to target recovery in treatment. Therefore a systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the mental health outcomes of WRAP for adults. The empirical study then explored three constructs in relation to WRAP and recovery. These were social problem solving, cognitive defusion and social identification. Method: The systematic review of the mental health outcomes of WRAP was conducted by searching four databases, contacting the authors of WRAP research and seeking evaluative information from organisations that deliver WRAP. Fourteen relevant studies met the inclusion criteria. Whereas, the empirical study recruited participants on a trans-diagnostic basis from across Scotland. Using a quantitative cross sectional design, 109 participant's completed 5 self-report questionnaires. These were the Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs about WRAP Questionnaire (WRAP beliefs), the Recovery Assessment Scale - Short (RAS-S), the Social Problem Solving Inventory - Revised - Short (SPSI-R-S), the Four Item Measure of Social Identification (FISI) and the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ). Correlation, regression and mediation analysis were used to explore relationships, and in particular, the predictors and mediators of recovery. Results: The systematic review provided strong evidence that WRAP has a significant positive impact on hope and also reduces the symptoms of mental illness. However, whether WRAP improves personal levels of recovery was unclear and a possible risk of disempowerment was found. Promising preliminary mental health outcomes in the areas of confidence in managing mental health, quality of life, service use, self-advocacy and knowledge attitudes and beliefs about recovery were highlighted. Only studies that did not use peer facilitators failed to find significant increases in hope compared to treatment as usual control groups. In the empirical study, the results indicated that all the constructs examined were correlated to recovery. In the regression analysis, WRAP beliefs, social problem solving and cognitive defusion also demonstrated a predictive relationship with recovery. Mediation analysis indicated that, social problem solving mediated two distinct relationships. One between WRAP beliefs and recovery, and another between cognitive defusion and recovery. The social problem solving subscales also showed how the two predictors relate to recovery through social problem solving in different ways. Social identification with the WRAP group did not significantly predict or mediate recovery. Conclusions: The systematic review indicated having peer facilitators delivering WRAP is key to helping participants foster hope and that a further randomised control trial could help clarify if improved personal recovery is an outcome of WRAP. It additionally suggested how the relationship between WRAP beliefs and recovery could be explored, as per the design of the empirical study. Findings from the empirical study implied that improving participants' social problem solving and cognitive defusion should be specifically targeted in WRAP delivery. The studies combined indicate that to achieve the best recovery results interventions, like WRAP, should target inspiring hope through peer support, improving knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about recovery and cognitive defusion from unhelpful thoughts.

Non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal behavior are prevalent in young adults, and often constitute a continuum of self-destructiveness. Not all those who self-injure, however, engage in suicidal behaviors with intent to die, perhaps due to protective intrapersonal characteristics. We examined the role of one such potential buffer, social problem-solving ability, as a moderator of the association between non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal thoughts and attempts, hypothesizing that individuals with greater social problem-solving ability would report fewer suicidal behaviors in relation to self-harm. An ethnically diverse sample was recruited from a large, Northeastern urban university, and completed self-report questionnaires assessing non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal behaviors, and social problem-solving ability. Multivariate hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. For the entire sample, individuals with higher social problem-solving abilities reported fewer suicidal behaviors associated with non-suicidal self-injury. In ethnically stratified analyses, social problem-solving significantly moderated the relationship between self-injury and suicidal behaviors for Whites and Hispanics only. Promotion of problem-solving skills may weaken the linkage between self-injury and potential for future suicidal behaviors for some individuals; however, culture-specific differences in this effect may exist.

Individuals with problem solving deficits, and higher levels of neuroticism and hopelessness, are at increased risk for suicide, yet little is known about the interrelationships between these vulnerability characteristics. In a sample of 223 low-income, primary care patients, we examined the potential mediating role of hopelessness on the relation between neuroticism and suicidal behavior, and the potential moderating role of social problem solving ability. Participants completed self-report questionnaires: Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and NEO Five Factor Inventory. Models were tested using bootstrapped moderated mediation techniques. There was a significant indirect effect of neuroticism on suicidal behavior through hopelessness, and this indirect effect was moderated by social problem solving ability. Patients with greater neuroticism also manifest greater levels of hopelessness and, in turn, more suicidal behavior, and these relations are strengthened at lower levels of social problem solving. Interventions that increase social problem solving ability and reduce hopelessness may reduce suicide risk.

The present study sought to examine how social problem solving and sexual assault are involved in suicidal risk in a sample of 221 female college students. Specifically, we were interested to examine whether sexual assault may play an additive as well as interactive role in the prediction of suicidal risk (viz., hopelessness and suicidal behaviors) above and beyond social problem solving. Results from regression analyses indicated that deficits in social problem solving, especially low positive problem orientation, and sexual assault were important and unique predictors of suicidal risk in female students. Moreover, we found support for a Social Problem Solving × Sexual Assault interaction in predicting hopelessness. Significant interactions emerged specifically for negative problem orientation and impulsivity/carelessness style. Some important implications of the present findings are discussed.

The objective of this study was to examine the combined moderating effects of life stress and loneliness on the association between social problem solving ability (SPS) and suicidal behaviors. We assessed SPS, suicidal behavior, loneliness, and stressful life events in a sample of 385 ethnically diverse college students. Overall, only loneliness moderated the association between SPS and suicidal behaviors. Across ethnic groups, loneliness moderated the association between SPS and suicidal behavior for Blacks, Whites, and Asians; life stress was a moderator for Hispanics. For most individuals, loneliness increases the strength of the association between poor problem-solving and suicidal behaviors. For Hispanics, life stress exacerbates this relationship. Ethnically-specific prevention strategies targeting loneliness and life stress may promote effective problem-solving, reducing suicide risk.

Thesis (M.A.)--Queensland University of Technology, 2004. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Mar. 25, 2006). Includes bibliographical references (p. 117) and filmography (p. 118).