An associate degree in nursing is obtained in the community college setting and is designed to be completed in 2 years of full-time study. Approximately 70% of practicing registered nurses (RNs) are educated at the associate degree or diploma (vocational training) level with only 15% moving on to achieve a degree past the associate level. The purpose of this phenomenological research is to study the lived experiences of registered nurses who obtained an associate degree in nursing and, while working in a health care setting, returned to school to attain a baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN). Data gathered during individual interviews will provide documentation of the benefits of attaining a BSN as well as identifying barriers that associate degree RNs must overcome to pursue a BSN education.

The thought of learning another language makes some people cringe, while others display neutral to positive reactions. To understand the complex experiences of students learning a new language, this study investigated the affective psychological development encompassing language anxiety (LA) among nonnative Englishspeaking college students in the United States (US). The purpose of this study was to identify LA, while keeping in mind that some of the LA experiences may be moderate to none, and to explore the nature of this phenomenon. Ten university students from nine different countries were interviewed concerning their experiences learning and functioning in English in the US. While only a few studies have reviewed the nature of LA encompassing the possible existence of facilitating LA, this study investigated both the positive and negative effects of anxiety on second language learning. The answer to the research question, "How do college students in the US whose native languages are not English experience LA" was pursued by using qualitative analyses. The results indicated a new construct of LA, identity frustration, and its relationships to the other LA constructs already specified in the literature. The study also suggested the timing when students cease to translate between the two languages to be the point where they experience a lower level of LA. In addition, four other themes emerged. They are culturerelated LA; the recursive nature of LA; relationships among selfexpectation, selfconfidence, and LA; and facilitating LA, termed euphoric language tension.

Although there is a recognized need for counseling Muslims and underutilization of mental health services by this population is assumed, research regarding the attitudes of Muslims towards counseling is scarce. This qualitative study explored Muslim women's attitudes towards counseling and utilization of counseling services. The influence of religiosity and religious coping as well as the Muslim women's perception of the Imam-counselor liaison, and the influence of the liaison on counseling-seeking attitudes have been examined. Participants consisted of 10 purposefully selected Muslim women from each of five distinct socio-racial categories, including White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Arab. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews and the administration of a demographic questionnaire. Data analysis involved phenomenological exploration and hermeneutical interpretations of the participants' meaning. The findings indicated that attitudes towards counseling do not indicate actual use of the services. Rather, utilization of religious coping, availability of family and friend support, accessibility of Muslim counselors and counseling within the Muslim community, and the Imamcounselor liaison have a significant impact on counseling-seeking attitudes of the Muslim women. Additionally, the findings indicated variation of counseling utilization among socioracial groups. All non-U.S.-born Arab, Asian, Hispanic, and Black participants reported no use of professional counseling, whereas U.S.-born White, Black, and Hispanic participants and one non-U.S.-born White participant reported utilization of the services. However, rather than linking ethnicity alone to use of counseling, other factors need to be considered as well. The Imam-counselor liaison seems to hold promise towards closing the gap in delivery and utilization of counseling services by Muslims. The findings generated a greater awareness of the xi importance for the inclusion of religious beliefs and practices in therapeutic conversation with Muslim female clients. It is my hope that the findings will facilitate reflection on current counselor and counselor educator practices, and lead to changes that will enhance service provision to this population. In sum, it is hoped that the revealed pertinent areas will be considered within both the counseling room and the classroom.

M.A. / The Nice Guy Paradox is a provocative perception that is commonly expressed within society and the mass media. According to this perception, nice guys are less successful in their relationships with women than other men. The Nice Guy Paradox causes much frustration and confusion for self-proclaimed nice guys. In addition, the implications of this perception may negatively influence the way in which men relate to women. For instance, the Nice Guy Paradox implies that if men want to be successful with women, they should not be nice guys. In the last 15 years, a few psychological studies have opted to focus on the Nice Guy Paradox. These studies are almost all quantitative in nature. In fact, a literature search only found one small qualitative study devoted to this topic. Most of the existing research on the Nice Guy Paradox attempts to answer the question “Do nice guys really finish last?” in the absence of exploratory research aimed at better understanding this perception. For this reason, most existing research on the Nice Guy Paradox can be argued to be somewhat presumptuous and its usefulness in trying to understand this phenomenon is questionable. In an attempt to compensate for the shortcomings of existing research on the Nice Guy Paradox, this study endeavors to capture the unique experience of this social phenomenon through the utilization of a phenomenological method of inquiry. In this way, this research attempts to yield a fresh and foundational understanding of the Nice Guy Paradox. Three female university students were sourced and interviewed for the purposes of this study. These participants had all had relationship experience, as well as experience of the Nice Guy Paradox at the time of the interviews. In order to obtain optimally rudimentary experiences of the Nice Guy Paradox, open-ended interviews were conducted. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and non-verbal cues were indicated where necessary. These transcriptions constitute the raw data of the study. They were analyzed using a specific phenomenological, stepwise method. The data analysis produced central themes that were discussed in relation to literature findings in order to consolidate their validity and to position the findings of this study in relation to existing theory and research. On the basis of these central themes, an essential structure of the participants’ experiences of the Nice Guy Paradox was synthesized. According to this structure, the nice guys referred to by the Nice Guy Paradox characteristically lack confidence, try too hard to please women and are submissive in relationships. These men are mistreated and rejected by women for the following reasons. Firstly, nice guys allow themselves to be mistreated because of their submissive tendencies. Secondly, relationships with these men are not challenging and exciting. Thirdly, women find nice guy characteristics irritating and frustrating. Fourthly, nice guys lack certain characteristics including dominance, strength, physical attractiveness, confidence, leadership and social status, which women find attractive. Also according to this structure, the Nice Guy Paradox applies more strongly to younger people than older people. In addition, niceness in isolation is a desirable trait in a man. However, the other nice guy characteristics are unattractive to women. This research holds value since it constitutes the first comprehensive phenomenological, insight-orientated study on the Nice Guy Paradox. On the basis of the new understanding that this study yields, recommendations with regard to practical application have been put forward. In addition, suggestions for future research have been provided.

A busca pela autenticidade tem sido considerada um importante fenômeno contemporâneo, assim como o cultivo das sensações como critério de subjetivação. As análises empreendidas no seio da fenomenologia clássica disponibilizam uma descrição rigorosa do ser humano, buscando compreendê-lo em sua complexidade estrutural, dotada das dimensões da corporeidade, psique e espírito que se mostram interdependentes, além de apontar para vivências comunitárias como constitutivas de si mesmo provando-se uma perspectiva com grande potencial para renovar a problematização da temática. Edith Stein (1891-1942), discípula de Husserl, discute o tema da corporeidade e da tomada de posição voluntária de maneira aprofundada, chegando a se referir a um tipo de posicionamento onde emerge aquilo que é autenticamente individual. A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo examinar a noção de autenticidade na Fenomenologia de Edith Stein, discutindo o indispensável comparecimento da corporeidade como sua condição de possibilidade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, bibliográfica, onde elegemos como textos principais de nossa análise as seguintes publicações de Edith Stein: O problema da empatia (1917); Psicologia e Ciências do Espírito: contribuições para uma fundamentação filosófica (1922); Sobre a ideia de formação (1930); A estrutura ôntica da pessoa e a problemática do seu conhecimento (1930-32); Introdução à Filosofia (1919-32/2001); A estrutura da pessoa humana (1932-33) e A filosofia existencial de Martin Heidegger (1936). Vários outros textos de Stein também foram utilizados para aprofundamento dos temas identificados, bem como de outros pesquisadores comentadores da obra steiniana. A noção de autenticidade comparece gradativamente na obra steiniana. A individualidade é examinada partindo dos aspectos universais, da consideração do sujeito transcendental, e segue até a identificação do núcleo da alma, aspecto original e singular que é ativado em vivências específicas e insere um selo de autenticidade em diversas vivências do fluxo da consciência. Os relacionamentos interpessoais, sobretudo aqueles propriamente comunitários, possibilitam o reconhecimento das características mais singulares diante do outro. A individualidade autêntica é vivida enquanto processo, discutido em termos steinianos como processo de formação da personalidade e processo de individuação, apontando para uma autenticidade que apenas pode ser reconhecida no ato. Cada pessoa é autêntica a sua maneira, o que implica também um necessário posicionamento ético diante da expressão das características de personalidade mais habituais. Confrontando com a tradição heideggeriana, Stein destacou que a autenticidade deve ser analisada considerando o ser pessoal, a relação de comunidade como facilitadora, a diversidade de disposições afetivas não exclusivamente a angústia como via de mobilização da individualidade autêntica, bem como a experiência religiosa autêntica como via de possibilidade da realização da autenticidade individual. Os achados advindos da noção de autenticidade na obra de Edith Stein disponibilizam, a partir da Psicologia Fenomenológica, novos recursos teóricos para a atuação do profissional psicólogo nas diversas áreas, como Psicologia da Saúde, Psicologia da Educação, Psicologia do Esporte, Psicologia Clínica, entre outras. Novos horizontes na compreensão de temas contemporâneos onde a relação entre autenticidade e corporeidade se apresentam, como é o caso da epidemia de suicídio, das questões relacionadas ao gênero e das práticas corporais, também podem ser assumidos na compreensão desses temas. / The search for authenticity has been considered an important contemporary phenomenon, as well as the cultivation of sensations as a criterion of subjectivation. The analyzes carried out within the classical phenomenology provide a rigorous description of the human being, seeking to understand it in its structural complexity, endowed with the dimensions of corporeity, psyche and spirit that are interdependent, in addition to pointing to community experiences as constitutive of oneself - proving a perspective with great potential to renew the problematization of the theme. Edith Stein (1891-1942), a disciple of Husserl, discusses the subject of corporeity and voluntary positioning in an in-depth way, coming to refer to a type of positioning where emerges that which is authentically individual. The present research aims to examine the notion of authenticity in the Phenomenology of Edith Stein, discussing the indispensable attendance of corporeity as its condition of possibility. It is a qualitative, bibliographical research, where we chose as main texts of our analysis the following publications of Edith Stein: The problem of empathy (1917); Psychology and Sciences of the Spirit: contributions to a philosophical foundation (1922); On the idea of formation (1930); The ontic structure of the person and the problematic of his knowledge (1930-32); Introduction to Philosophy (1919-32 / 2001); The Structure of the Human Person (1932-33) and The Existential Philosophy of Martin Heidegger (1936). Several other texts by Stein were also used to deepen the themes identified, as well as other commentators of the Stein\'s work. The notion of authenticity gradually appears in Stein\'s work. Individuality is examined from the universal aspects of the consideration, of the transcendental subject, and goes on to identify the core of the soul, an original and singular aspect that is activated in specific experiences and inserts a seal of authenticity into various experiences of the flow of consciousness. Interpersonal relationships, especially those of the community itself, enable the recognition of the most singular characteristics before the other. Authentic individuality is experienced as a process, discussed in Stein\'s terms as a process of personality formation and individuation process, pointing to an authenticity that can only be recognized in the act. Each person is authentic in his own way, which also implies a necessary ethical positioning before the expression of the most habitual personality traits. Confronting the heideggerian tradition, Stein stressed that authenticity should be analyzed by considering the personal being, the relationship of community as facilitator, the diversity of affective dispositions - not exclusively anguish - as a way of mobilizing authentic individuality, as well as religious experience authentic as a way of realizing individual authenticity. The findings of the notion of authenticity in the work of Edith Stein provide, from the Phenomenological Psychology, new theoretical resources for the professional psychologist in the different areas, such as Health Psychology, Education Psychology, Sports Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and others. New horizons in the understanding of contemporary issues where the relationship between authenticity and corporeality are presented, as is the case of the suicide epidemic, issues related to gender and corporal practices, can also be assumed in the understanding of these themes.

O estudo buscou dois objetivos: 1) conhecer o sentido dado por atletas à sua prática esportiva, tendo como referencial teórico a perspectiva fenomenológica existencial; 2) questionar alguns conteúdos próprios à Psicologia do Esporte, na tentativa de contrapor a experiência real do atleta às teorias propostas por esse campo de conhecimento, procurando apontar alguns de seus possíveis limites. Encontrou-se que o sentido dado pelos atletas à sua prática esportiva é absolutamente singular e que não pode ser definido com precisão, nem apreendido como conceito, por ser particular, de difícil verbalização e, como fenômeno, permanece em constante movimento de revelação e ocultamento. Desse modo, as categorizações e os conceitos utilizados pela Psicologia do Esporte se mostraram pouco compatíveis com a experiência real dos atletas. Assim, considera-se uma forma de cuidado psicológico que procure compreender, eticamente, como o sentido dado à prática configura o próprio projeto ser atleta no mundo esportivo particularizado pela experiência de cada um. / The study searched two objectives: 1) to know the meaning given for athletes to their sports practice, theoretically supported by the existential phenomenology perspective; 2) to question some proper contents of Sport Psychology, in the attempt to confront the athletes real experience to the theoretical proposals in that field of knowledge, trying for to point out some of its possible limits. It have been found that the direction given for the athletes to their sports practice is absolutely singular and cannot be defined with precision, nor apprehended as concept, cause it is particular, sometimes unspeakable and, as phenomenon, remains in constant movement between revelation and hide. Therefore, used characterizations and concepts from Sport Psychology show little compatible with the athletes real experience. Thus, other mode for psychological care is needed, ethically considering how a given sense to practice configures the own project being athlete in sportive world, particularized by oneselfs experience.

Este estudo busca desvelar o que é isto a prática da profissional enfermeira em hospitais públicos, segundo abordagem fenomenológica na tentativa de compreender as experiências vividas pelas enfermeiras no cotidiano de hospitais públicos. O processo de compreensão está fundamentado na fenomenologia social de Alfred Schütz, o que possibilitou desvelar a ação social da profissional enfermeira. O acesso às vivências das enfermeiras deu-se através de entrevista não diretiva diante da questão orientadora: Poderia me dizer como é o seu trabalho como enfermeira aqui no hospital? A análise das descrições permitiram a compreensão do típico da prática da enfermeira revelando revestir-se de grande complexidade. Os graus de complexidade são derivados da intensa relação face a face que acontece no ato de cuidar de outro na sua singularidade; das relações com as outras práticas de atenção a saúde; das limitações da formação técnica da enfermeira que se mostra insuficiente para dar conta dos fenômenos sociais presentes no mundo vivido no hospital; dos enfrentamentos cotidianos diante dos avanços científicos e tecnológicos que exigem reflexão profissional para incorporar-los no cuidado. A fenomenologia social de Alfred Schütz contribuiu para compreender a ação social das enfermeiras como grupo que se insere numa trama de relações sociais intersubjetivas derivadas da coexistência e convivência de uma temporalidade e um espaço comum de trabalho. / This study aimed to uncover the practice of nursing professionals in public hospitals, adopting a phenomenological approach, in an attempt to understand the experiences of nurses in the daily reality of public hospitals. The understanding process is based on the social phenomenology of Alfred Schütz, which allowed us to uncover the social action of nursing professionals. Access to nursing experiences was obtained through non-directive interviews, in view of the question: Could you tell me how your work is as a nurse here at the hospital? The analysis of their descriptions allowed for the understanding of what is typical about nursing practice, which revealed to be highly complex. The complexity levels derive from the intense face-to-face relation that occurs in caring for the singularity of others; from the relations with other health care practices; from limitations in technical nursing formation, which reveals to be insufficient for dealing with the social phenomena present in the hospital world; from the daily confrontations with scientific and technological advances, which require professional reflection to be incorporated into care. The social phenomenology of Alfred Schütz contributed to the understanding of nurses’ social actions as a group that is inserted in a web of intersubjective social relations, which derive from the coexistence and experience of a common time and work space.

How does spatial organization of objects affect the perceptual processing of a scene? Surprisingly, little research has explored this topic. A few studies have reported that, when simple, homogenous stimuli (e.g., dots), are presented in a regular formation, they are judged to be more numerous than when presented in a random configuration (Ginsburg, 1976; 1978). However, these results may not apply to real-world objects. In the current study, fewer objects were believed to be on organized desks than their disorganized equivalents. Objects that are organized may be more likely to become integrated, due to classic Gestalt principles. Consequently, visual search may be more difficult. Such object integration may diminish saliency, making objects less apparent and more difficult to find. This could explain why, in the present study, objects on disorganized desks were found faster. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The purpose of this phenomenological multi-case study and three-person interview, was to discover what select prominent African-American scientists perceived were obstacles to overcome to be successful leaders in their professional lives, and the opportunities that aided in their professional growth. Through the addition of the threeperson interview, the researcher discovered commonalities between the perceived obstacles and opportunities of current science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals and the perceptions of selected historically prominent scientists. This study examined documents of the period and relics of prominent African- Americans who were in STEM fields and lived from 1860 to 1968. A description of the setting that influenced how the scientists perceived the phenomenon was written with the approach being anchored in the social constructivist tradition. Commonalities emerged through coding experiences of the individuals, which yielded patterns to help explain the phenomenon. By investigating their perceptions, insight was gained into understanding the attributes, tools and skills, and tailored experiences that encouraged Thomas Burton, Kelly Miller, George Carver, Daniel Williams, Matthew Henson, Ernest Just, Charles Drew, Percy Julian, William Cobb, and Benjamin Peery to achieve success in STEM fields between 1860 and 1968. The significance of the study is multifaceted: understanding the obstacles that African-American scientists had to overcome in their professional lives can result in the development of science educators who are better informed regarding the appropriate types of assistance that can be provided to aid their students in overcoming obstacles. This can hopefully increase their opportunities to succeed within the science field. This study can result in the development of science educators who are more sensitive in addressing the needs of the developing minority student, and can encourage, educate, and enlist more individuals to enter into the dialogue regarding the disparity of minority representation in STEM fields. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:37:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ELIANE MARIA DE ABREU.pdf: 2025011 bytes, checksum: 18b8bb2db9cabbeb42f55821ff4f24bf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-09-29 / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / This thesis reflects on the possible relation between the creative processes of the musicians and their experiences of spirituality. Our goal is to understand how musician live out their experiences of spirituality and how these experiences are related to their creative processes. To achieve this goal, initially, we present the concepts of spirituality and creativity, identified with the subjective aspects of human experience. Secondly, a discussion of the musician's creative processes and their relationship to the experiences of spirituality is elaborated. Then, we present the analysis of the semi-conducted interviews, in a phenomenological perspective. They have allowed further reflection on the theme of discussing music and spirituality as a way to push the boundaries as well as creative experiences / Esta dissertação reflete sobre a possível relação entre os processos criativos dos músicos e as suas experiências de espiritualidade. O objetivo é compreender como os músicos vivenciam as experiências de espiritualidade e como as relacionam com seus processos criativos. Para alcançar este objetivo, inicialmente, são apresentados os conceitos de espiritualidade e criatividade, identificados com os aspectos subjetivos da vivência humana. Em um segundo momento, é elaborada uma reflexão sobre os processos criativos do músico e sua relação com as experiências de espiritualidade. Em seguida, são apresentadas as análises das entrevistas semi-dirigidas, realizadas sob a perspectiva fenomenológica. Elas permitiram complementar a reflexão sobre o tema discutindo a música e a espiritualidade como modo de ultrapassar limites e como vivências de criatividade