A review of the literature shows that the wearing of a mask has been hypothesised to bring about four main psychological effects: disinhibition, transformation, facilitation of the expression of aspects of the wearer's Self, and various psycho-somatic changes. Several different explanations have been proposed as to why each of these effects come about. Using theoretical and empirical research, the thesis explores in detail the hypothesis that a mask can disinhibit its wearer, and that this disinhibition comes about because the mask-wearer feels less identifiable. The findings show that a mask can significantly reduces its wearer's feelings of identifiability, and that it can also significantly reduce its wearer's public selfawareness as a consequence of changes in attentional focus. However, the empirical evidence suggests that the mask's disinhibiting effect is limited to situations in which an individual wants to behave in a particular way, but inhibits that behaviour out of a concern with 'maskable' facets of their public self. Concomitantly, the findings suggest that, if an individual wants to behave in a way for which they require 'mask-able' facets of the public self, then the wearing of a mask may be experienced as inhibiting. This thesis also examines the hypothesis that a mask can transform its wearer, and that this occurs through the self-attribution process outlined by Kellerman and Laird (1982). The thesis provides strong empirical support for both these hypotheses, showing that the wearing of a mask can make individuals feel less like their usual self and more like the character represented in the mask. However, the empirical evidence suggests that this latter effect only occurs under conditions in which an individual is specifically focused on their masked appearance. A final chapter discusses the theoretical and applied implications of these findings, with specific reference to the use of masks in therapeutic practice.

No description available.

The thesis provides a qualitative analysis of an autobiographical play based on journals written by a mentally challenged woman. The analysis is founded on authentic personal experience, the script of the play and a video recording of its performance. The empirical section is preceded by a theoretical introduction focused on mental disability in relation to theatre. The empirical section begins with the question: What can we learn about a mentally disabled person through theatre? The analytical process consists of three levels: a content analysis of the performance, an analysis of the author's perspective and the viewpoint of an implied spectator. The analysis shows that the story contains common autobiographical topics and the author barely reflects her disability. The creative perspective consists of the process of adapting the story into a play. Theatre also plays a therapeutic role and raises awareness. There is an imaginary window on the boundary between the stage and the audience, one that the author opens from within and the viewer from without. During the course of the play, the implied spectator becomes confronted with their prejudice and an accumulation of ambivalent feelings. This process ends in a catharsis and a genuine encounter with the actor's world and her spontaneity. KEY WORDS...

Sophocles’ Ajax and Philoctetes can be read as allegories of warriors who experience war trauma. The ancient Greeks already knew of the effects of war trauma through prior literature, and the plays were produced during a period of great violence and upheaval. Ajax shows how a shame-inducing betrayal causes a warrior to go berserk, and consequently withdraw from his community and commit suicide. Philoctetes shows that a betrayal, combined with the loss of a comrade, can cause the warrior to become isolated and emotionally vulnerable. His only means of being reintegrated into society is through mutual understanding with members of that society, and closure with his dead comrade. These plays were produced for therapeutic benefit, as shown by the comparative evidence found in psychodrama, dramatherapy, and the Theater of War productions of the two plays. / Graduate / 0294 / 0621 / 0465 / jrbinus@aol.com

Thesis (MDram)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / This thesis explores the potential of group dramatherapy as an effective therapeutic intervention with children who are experiencing psychological difficulties related to their situations of poverty. It has been found that living in poverty causes children to grow up in an environment that is damaging to their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual development. The emotional issues that such children could experience and that are focused on in this study, are those of a negative self-concept and low self-esteem. The psychological difficulties and the different life stages that children or adolescents might be experiencing could contribute to difficulties in the verbal expression of thoughts and feelings. As a result the potential of a non-verbal therapeutic medium such as dramatherapy was explored with this client group. The use of dramatherapy to treat these emotional problems is first explored theoretically and then practically through the use of a case study. The case study takes the form of a participatory research study and this involved a dramatherapy intervention with a group of six participants at a school in Cape Town. The dramatherapy group was led by myself and two other Masters students from the University of Stellenbosch under the supervision of our lecturer, Heather Schiff, who is a trained dramatherapist as well as a clinical psychologist. During the dramatherapy sessions, drama structures were utilised with the aim that they might bring about a stronger sense of self for the group’s participants. Through the case study one can determine that the dramatherapy sessions did seem to bring about changes in some of the group participants, with regards to the perception and presentation of the self and increased self awareness and self-esteem. At the end of the dramatherapy sessions the group participants seemed to have a more realistic perception of themselves and also seemed to have developed with regards to self expression. It is also hoped that by expressing themselves through different dramatic techniques, the group members were also able to develop a fuller understanding of who they are.

This diploma thesis deals with risk behaviour of adolescents and possibilities of its prevention by means of prevention. The aim of the thesis is to identify and map the most common forms of risk behaviour, which occurs in the age cohort of 18-19 years, i.e. at the threshold of adulthood, among high school students (from their point of view). The thesis also deals with the possibilities of prevention of this behaviour provided within the area of preventive work (from the perspective of prevention methodologists). Using the form of multiple case studies, the thesis uses both quantitative research methods, which comprise structured questionnaires for pupils of selected secondary schools from the same urban area, as well as qualitative, which represent semi-structured interviews with prevention methodologists. The theoretical part of the thesis, based on relatively extensive literature available, characterizes the developmental period of adolescence, socialization of the child, presents a summary of the usual types of risk behaviour of adolescents and describes the system of prevention. The empirical part presents the research itself, formulates research questions, characterizes the research sample and presents the respondents' schools, then presents the results of statistical processing of collected...

The subject of my task deals with the work of disabled theatre performers with the aim to analyze and describe the entire process of creation of a theatre performance in an amateur assemble. Furthermore, the benefit of the dramatic production for both personal as well as social development of the disabled performers, derived from the theoretical assumptions, was evaluated. The work at first highlights the features and classification of the metal retardation degree and is trying to inform about very special expressive approaches in both therapeutics and pedagogy. Much attention is paid to the drama-related therapies, such as dramatherapy and especially teatrotherapy which will underline the outcome of the whole creation process - a performance. The dramatic production itself, set within the framework of the expressive abovementioned therapies, is influenced by the way of the dramatic education and, therefore, its fundamental principles and methods of its creation are presented as well. Through the common instruments employed in the quality research, i.e. the observations and interviews with the participants in the drama-creation scheme, the whole process of the performance creation from rehearsal to the premiere is explored. The research was conducted in a Prague research body dealing with leisure...

Esta pesquisa enfoca como fenômeno subjetivo, expresso na realidade atual do ser humano, a experiência de ser ex- esposa, relevante mas ainda carente de estudos compreensivos pertinentes quanto à sua significação no mundo contemporâneo. A escolha em realizar uma pesquisa em Psicologia Clínica, recorrendo à metodologia fenomenológica existencial via a narrativa, aconteceu, por entender que esse modo de pesquisar pode apresentar-se como um caminho de grande fertilidade teórica e mordência analítica para a compreensão do sentido vivido pela mulher contemporânea na experiência de ser ex-esposa. A oficina sociopsicodramática foi a modalidade de intervenção/investigação clínica escolhida para a-colher a narrativa. As sujeitos/narradoras foram seis mulheres que, após uma relação conjugal interrompida, apresentavam variadas situações e expressões da experiência de ser ex-esposa. A própria metodologia revelou-se capaz de promover as condições de elaboração dessa experiência, à medida que possibilitou a presença do cuidar do escutar/dizer da experiência de ser ex-esposa na contemporaneidade, bem como a articulação considerativa com o desvelar do próprio ser-no-mundo do humano. Nesse sentido, destaca-se o caráter interventivo e interpretativo desta pesquisa clínica psicológica. A compreensão das formas falada e dramática de narrativa colhida apontou para um possível significado sentido para a experiência de ser ex-esposa: encarnar o seu projeto de existir como cuidado de ser-si-mesma-com-os-outros / The present research deals with the experience of being ex wife as a relevant subjective phenomenon, expressed in the actual reality of human being, although, yet, careless by appropriate comprehensive studies about its meaning in the contemporaneous world. The existential phenomenological methodology by the way of the narrative was chosen to conduct a Clinical Psychology research, taking into account that such mode of research may present a fertile theoretical and analytical path to guide toward the comprehensive sense of the experience of being ex wife for the contemporaneous women. A sociopsychodramatical workshop was taken as the clinical interventive modality to facilitate the narrative as expression. The subjects/narrators were six women that, after lived an interrupted conjugal relationship, presented various situations and expressions of the experience of being ex wife. The methodology reveals itself capable of promoting the conditions of the elaboration of experience, possibilited by the expressed care of listening/saying toward the experience of being ex wife, such as the considerative articulation of the opening it as the proper being-in-the world of the human being. In this way, this psychological clinical research emphasizes its interventive and interpretative character. The comprehension of the spoken and dramatical forms of the obtained narrative pointed to a possible felt meaning for the experience of being ex wife: to embody her own project for existing as a care of being-herself-with-others

O presente estudo teve por objetivo geral investigar junto a psicoterapeutas que trabalham com crianças, de diferentes abordagens teóricas (Psicodrama, Gestalt terapia e Centrada no Cliente), como está sendo experienciada essa prática clínica. Para tanto, foram entrevistadas 6 (seis) psicoterapeutas, com experiência profissional que variou de 10 (dez) a 30 (trinta) anos, sendo 2 (duas) de cada abordagem. A entrevista foi semidirigida e compreendeu as seguintes dimensões: sentimentos experimentados como terapeuta infantil, obstáculos enfrentados, recursos utilizados, necessidades sentidas, avaliação da especialidade e um encerramento livre. As entrevistas foram realizadas de forma individual e foram gravadas e transcritas. Após leitura das repostas nas dimensões citadas, observou-se que não houve diferenças nas repostas dadas pelas participantes relacionadas à especialidade na qual atuam. De maneira geral pode-se dizer que: 1) os sentimentos experimentados foram de valorização ao trabalho com a criança pelo seu caráter preventivo, além de gratificante e bonito por propiciar o crescimento de cada indivíduo, porém, ao mesmo tempo experimentam frustração, solidão e impotência, principalmente quando os pais não colaboram; 2) os obstáculos enfrentados referem-se à dificuldade de conseguir a aliança com os pais, o pequeno número de profissionais que atuam nessa especialidade e a escassez de pesquisas e literatura; 3) os recursos utilizados perpassam pela rede social da criança (pais, parentes, amigos) e, quanto aos recursos técnicos, utilizam brinquedos estruturados e não estruturados, testes e técnicas; 4) as necessidades sentidas incluem a busca constante de atualização, revisão através de supervisões e trocas entre os profissionais, bem como de congressos e cursos, 5) a avaliação que fazem da área é que ela é mais difícil porque requer o esforço físico do profissional, o entendimento da linguagem da criança, tanto verbal como não verbal, e a questão cultural de que tudo que se refere a criança é menos valorizado. No caminhar através dos diversos autores que embasaram o estudo encontrou-se na abordagem construcionista social/narrativa uma postura ética diferenciada na prática terapêutica com a criança e seus familiares. Acredita-se que as dificuldades são minimizadas e os resultados mais efetivos quando a criança é também trabalhada junto com a família, seja mediante a terapia familiar, seja por encontros familiares breves. / The present study has as the general objective to investigate with child psychotherapists of different theoretical approaches (Psychodrama, Gestalt and Client Centered therapy), how the clinical practice is being experienced. To do so, 6 (six) child psychotherapists, having a professional experience ranging from 10 (ten)to 30 (thirty) years, being 2 from each approach were interviewed. The interview was semi-directed and comprised the following dimensions: feelings experienced as a child psychotherapist, obstacles faced, used resources, necessities felt, evaluation of the speciality and a last question for additional information. The interviews were conducted individually and were taped and transcribed. After reading the answers of the above quoted dimensions, we can conclude that there were no differences in the responses given by the participants related to the speciality in which they work. In a general way we can say that: 1) The feelings experienced were of valuing the work with children due to its preventive character, in addition to that, it is gratifying and nice because it favors the person growth, though, at the same time the therapists feel the frustration, solitude and impotence, especially when the parents do not cooperate; 2) The obstacles faced reter to the difficulty of getting an alliance with the parents, the small number of professionals working in this area and the lack of research and related literature; 3) The used resources passed by the social network of the child (parents, relatives, friends), and regarding the technical resources, structured and non structured toys, tests and several techniques were used; 4) The necessities felt include the constant search for updating, revision through supervisions and exchange of experience with other professionals, as well as, congresses and courses; 5) The evaluation they have on the area is that, it is more difficult because it requires physical effort of the professional, the understanding of the child's language, not only verbal but also non verbal, and the cultural issue that everything that refers to children is does not receive the same value. Browsing through the several authors in whom the studies were based on, we found in the social/narrative constructionist approach a distinguished ethical position in the therapeutic practice with the children and their families. We also hold the position that the difficulties are minimized and the results more effective when the child and the family work together, either with family therapy, or brief family meetings

This thesis deals with usage of drama in psychotherapy. The introductory part refers to drama and theatre, their connection to ritual, their history and mostly to their theory. The Important terms of theatre theory in general and thoughts of chosen theatre theorists, relevant to this work are included in this part. The possibilities of drama techniques as psychotherapeutical instruments and their utilization within chosen therapeutical movements are defined in psychotherapy part. The conclusion of the theoretical part is dedicated to psychodrama and dramatherapy. There are some of important ideas concerning the usage of drama in psychotherapy summarized within the final interview with the dramatherapist.