My recent work as an artist is centred around a search for what Heidegger calls an “experience with language”—moments in which our awareness of language spikes and our relationship with it changes. Where I found the most potential is on the sound/sense continuum of the human voice, and it is an oscillation between the extremes of this continuum that defines my recent works. This paper examines these works and their underpinning ideas, but focuses on the culminating project of my thesis: Solo for Self-Talk Chamber. For this project, I spoke aloud to myself for fourteen hours, one hour at a time, in a purpose-built room. The process was documented and exhibited as a book work, a video and a performance, all of which are discussed in detail.

My recent work as an artist is centred around a search for what Heidegger calls an “experience with language”—moments in which our awareness of language spikes and our relationship with it changes. Where I found the most potential is on the sound/sense continuum of the human voice, and it is an oscillation between the extremes of this continuum that defines my recent works. This paper examines these works and their underpinning ideas, but focuses on the culminating project of my thesis: Solo for Self-Talk Chamber. For this project, I spoke aloud to myself for fourteen hours, one hour at a time, in a purpose-built room. The process was documented and exhibited as a book work, a video and a performance, all of which are discussed in detail.

Psychosocial research is increasingly focused on attachment, specifically on the potential mechanisms associating attachment with psychological functioning (Cassidy & Shaver, 2016). In past decades, attachment research has sought to better understand the development of individual psychological distress as well as relationship distress, given its major impacts on the overall well-being of individuals. It is worth noting that researchers have identified specific intrapersonal and interpersonal factors that are important variables to consider in the link between attachment and both individual distress and relationship dissatisfaction (Ensel & Lin, 1991; Hobfoll, 2002). However, little attention has been paid to investigating these mechanisms using a dyadic approach in order to gain a better understanding of reciprocal impacts within couple relationships. Since dyadic research methods have not been commonly utilized for understanding distress within an attachment framework, this has limited our understanding of the effect partners have on one another. Consequentially, the importance of dyadic effects has possibly been minimized in research. The present thesis, composed of two main studies, aims to verify if self-esteem and dyadic trust help explain the link between insecure romantic attachment (attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and individual and relationship distress using actor-partner interdependence mediation model analyses. The studies presented in the present thesis were approved by the University of Ottawa’s Research Ethics Board. The first study was comprised of two separate studies, both of which aimed to assess a conceptual model examining whether low self-esteem mediates the relationship between insecure romantic attachment and high psychological distress using two independent samples within unique periods in adulthood: a young adult student sample and a sample of couples in later adulthood who are parents. The first sample consisted of 485 Canadian university students (414 females; M age= 19.83 years) who were all in a couple relationship for at least 6 months at the time of participation. Bootstrapping procedures were utilized to assess indirect effects, and results supported our hypothesized model. As such, low self-esteem mediated the relationship between insecure romantic attachment and high psychological distress for both men and women. The second sample consisted of 35 couples in later adulthood who are parents (70 individuals, M age = 41.04 years). An actor-partner interdependence meditational model was tested to assess actor, partner, and indirect effects. Results showed that low male self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between male attachment anxiety and high male psychological distress. Similarly, low female self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between female attachment anxiety and high female psychological distress. Interestingly, high female self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between female attachment avoidance and low female psychological distress. Unexpectedly, low self-esteem in women fully mediated the relationship between female attachment anxiety and low male psychological distress. In the same vein, high self-esteem in women partially mediated the relationship between female attachment avoidance and high male psychological distress. The second study investigated whether low dyadic trust mediates the relationship between insecure romantic attachment and low relationship satisfaction in a third independent community sample of heterosexual couples engaged in a relationship for at least 12 months. The sample consisted of 199 Canadian couples ranging from young to later adulthood (398 individuals, M age = 31.02 years). An actor-partner meditational model was used to test hypothesized relations. Results revealed that lower dyadic trust partially explained the relationship between both male and female attachment avoidance and male attachment anxiety with lower relationship satisfaction. Findings from these studies have major implications for both clinical applications as well as future research directions. Specifically, gaining a better understanding of the role of romantic partners in the overall well-being of individuals can confirm as well as guide couple therapy conceptualizations and techniques. Uncovering existing dyadic patterns can also help support romantic relationship theories and shape future research avenues.

This study examines the perceived stigma of poverty by assessing individuals' negative feelings about being poor (internalized stigma), and their beliefs about whether others treat them as stigmatized (experienced stigma). In a combined sample of low-income women (N = 210), we tested a dual-pathway model to explain how these perceived stigma dimensions are related to depression among the impoverished. We proposed that interpersonal (i.e., impaired support availability and heightened fear of support request rejection) and infrapersonal factors (i.e., impaired self-esteem) differentially mediate the relationship of internalized and experienced poverty stigma with depression. Structural equation modeling partially supported the model: internalized stigma and depression were partially mediated by self-esteem and fear of rejection, while experienced stigma was related to depression through fear of rejection only. In other words, internalized and experienced perceived stigma activate separate and similar mechanisms to influence depression among the poor.

This study examines self-talk within a communication framework and context. The effects of different types of self-talk on emotion are explored. Specifically, this research looks at different types of self-talk based on the language and message aspects of the self-talk including: valence of self-talk (negative vs. positive), and self-talk content (using name vs. second-person pronoun [you] for self-reference). The relative effects of these different types of self-talk on emotion are investigated within the context of interpersonal anger. For control, the study contrasts the effects of self-talk with the effects of thought. Additionally, this study looks at the effects of the different types of self-talk and thought on subsequent interpersonal communication outcomes (perceived satisfaction and effectiveness of written interpersonal communication as well as willingness to communicate interpersonally). Results indicated that valence of self-talk and thought has significant impact on emotional outcomes. Results also indicated an interaction effect between valence and the self-talk/thought manipulation on negative affect. Positive self-talk decreased negative affect more than positive thought. Further results demonstrated a mediated effect of self-talk on subsequent interpersonal communication outcomes. Positive self-talk led to less anger after interpersonal communication which led to greater perceptions of interpersonal communication effectiveness and satisfaction and increased willingness to communicate interpersonally.

The aim of this research is to develop a range of procedures for enhancing conversational skills. From a review of theoretical analyses of social encounters a model of conversational process is developed to describe mechanisms by which interactants construct, maintain and revise cognitive models of their social environment. From this model, three dimensions of conversational competence are derived and a training paradigm devised incorporating the process of cognitive reflection by which functional properties of models are displayed to interactants. This paradigm provides a rationale for discrete intervention strategies to effect changes on each dimension of competence. Preliminary studies report attempts to implement the first intervention strategy in a friendship relationship and workshop group. Using the "conversational cycle" and repertory grid techniques, procedures are developed to exhibit critical interpersonal events and their relationship to modelling processes. The main studies investigate the second and third intervention strategies by developing serial repertory grid methods to exhibit the functional properties of centrality to self-cognition and stability of construction. The training paradigm is elaborated to include these properties at three levels of organisation, and a sequential Bayesian analysis is developed to determine the extent of centrality and stability of construction. The training paradigm is tested in two case-studies and evidence of increases in insight, centrality and elaboration of personal construction are found. This methodology is extended to incorporate repertory grids produced by two interactants yoked by element sample and tested in a case-study of a married couple. Evidence of increased insight and self-partner reconstruction is found, but predictions concerning increased self-partner distinctiveness are contraindicated. These findings suggest that evaluative criteria may not be coincident with subjective strategies, and alternative evaluation methodologies are proposed.

This study investigated eight and nine year old children’s capabilities to develop skills in the intrapersonal intelligence domain as defined by Howard Gardner. A group of twenty-seven, seven to nine year olds were introduced to a program specifically designed to foster their self-knowledge as learners and their self-management skills in the English learning environment. The students were introduced to activities that would help them to identify their own relative strengths and limitations and use this knowledge to negotiate a learning environment that would best suit their own learning needs. This program included developing skills in goal setting and identification of personal learning strategies. It also sought to improve work habits and student on- task behaviours and encourage self-monitoring, self-evaluation and self-reflection. The results obtained evidenced a considerable improvement in the students’ self knowledge and how this impacted on their perceptions of themselves as learners. The students grew increasingly aware of their own relative strengths and used this information to negotiate their learning environment, to identify strategies that worked for them and to take increasingly more responsibility for their own learning. As a result of the findings of this study, there are clear implications that if students are provided with opportunities to develop accurate intrapersonal intelligence, this improved awareness of ‘self’ can have an impact on successful learning. This study indicates that if teachers provide students with opportunities to investigate and learn about themselves as learners, to build skills in goal setting and to identify personal learning strategies, then an increase in self-knowledge and self-management will impact positively on the students’ capacity to learn successfully. Consequently, programs and strategies designed to promote students’ intrapersonal intelligence may become a valuable part of school practice and curricula.

In this study the important issue of unilateral forgiveness is researched. Chapter one contains the problem, research questions, objectives, methodology and central theoretical argument which involves the following: the healthy (faith mature) treatment of unilateral forgiveness, in the absence of the offender's remorse, as a essential element in the healing process in recovering for the emotional wounded person. This is the reason why such a person should be guided pastorally. In chapter 2, the aspect of basic-theory is being looked into, which entails the following: The Old Testament example of forgiveness in Jonah, and also forgiveness and repentance in the New Testament, and four passages namely Luke 17:3-4, Matt 18:15,21-22; Mark 11-25 6:12-15 and Matt 6: 12-15 were discussed. Afterwards, penitence and forgiveness in Judaism and Christianity were also investigated where conditional and unconditional pardon came into question. The various dimensions of forgiveness -that is from the divine side, human side and intrapersonal were researched. Finally God's purpose for forgiveness was discussed. Chapter three fostered the meta-theoretical aspect of the study. A brief history was given of the psychology of forgiveness and the relationship between theology and psychology were examined. The definition of forgiveness also received attention in order to better understand the concept. The reason for forgiveness, and the consequences of anger, (a core element of unforgiveness) on the total person, the physical, neurological, psychological, and psychiatry sides were discussed. Attention were given to therapy where the process of forgiveness, with two different models were discussed namely Pyramid Model of Worthington and the Concept of prosesmodel of Enright & Fitzgibbons. The chapter ends with reconciliation and inner preparation to unilateral forgiveness. In chapter four the empirical research received the focus, which included the value of empirical research, different paradigms, the choice of an approach, and the nature and characteristics of qualitative research. Thereafter, data collection, including basic personal interviews, parameters of the interview, questionnaire design, sampling design and identification of themes for interviews, got attention The discussion of the interview results were concluded with a preliminary conclusion from the empirical research to end this chapter. In chapter 5 attention was given to the practical theoretical perspectives with regard to unilateral forgiveness. Because Zerfass's model were used in the study, particular attention had been given to examining of the effect of Zerfass's model. Then a summary were given of the findings of Scriptural perspective, relevant sciences, empirical research and practical theoretical guidelines in brief. It concludes with a summarized report of findings in respect of unilateral forgiveness, practical theory and proposed guidelines. The study ended in chapter six where the final conclusion regarding the research on unilateral forgiveness were given and topics were proposed for further research. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

In this study the important issue of unilateral forgiveness is researched. Chapter one contains the problem, research questions, objectives, methodology and central theoretical argument which involves the following: the healthy (faith mature) treatment of unilateral forgiveness, in the absence of the offender's remorse, as a essential element in the healing process in recovering for the emotional wounded person. This is the reason why such a person should be guided pastorally. In chapter 2, the aspect of basic-theory is being looked into, which entails the following: The Old Testament example of forgiveness in Jonah, and also forgiveness and repentance in the New Testament, and four passages namely Luke 17:3-4, Matt 18:15,21-22; Mark 11-25 6:12-15 and Matt 6: 12-15 were discussed. Afterwards, penitence and forgiveness in Judaism and Christianity were also investigated where conditional and unconditional pardon came into question. The various dimensions of forgiveness -that is from the divine side, human side and intrapersonal were researched. Finally God's purpose for forgiveness was discussed. Chapter three fostered the meta-theoretical aspect of the study. A brief history was given of the psychology of forgiveness and the relationship between theology and psychology were examined. The definition of forgiveness also received attention in order to better understand the concept. The reason for forgiveness, and the consequences of anger, (a core element of unforgiveness) on the total person, the physical, neurological, psychological, and psychiatry sides were discussed. Attention were given to therapy where the process of forgiveness, with two different models were discussed namely Pyramid Model of Worthington and the Concept of prosesmodel of Enright & Fitzgibbons. The chapter ends with reconciliation and inner preparation to unilateral forgiveness. In chapter four the empirical research received the focus, which included the value of empirical research, different paradigms, the choice of an approach, and the nature and characteristics of qualitative research. Thereafter, data collection, including basic personal interviews, parameters of the interview, questionnaire design, sampling design and identification of themes for interviews, got attention The discussion of the interview results were concluded with a preliminary conclusion from the empirical research to end this chapter. In chapter 5 attention was given to the practical theoretical perspectives with regard to unilateral forgiveness. Because Zerfass's model were used in the study, particular attention had been given to examining of the effect of Zerfass's model. Then a summary were given of the findings of Scriptural perspective, relevant sciences, empirical research and practical theoretical guidelines in brief. It concludes with a summarized report of findings in respect of unilateral forgiveness, practical theory and proposed guidelines. The study ended in chapter six where the final conclusion regarding the research on unilateral forgiveness were given and topics were proposed for further research. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

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