This study explores the experiences of retirement village residents as they move from an independent to a supported living environment within a retirement village. It focuses on residents’ perceptions of their transitions and adopts a qualitative approach to understand the nature of their transitions and the way in which they are experienced. A grounded theory framework is used in order to capture the meanings that participants apply to concepts such as home, and to the physical, social, personal and veiled spaces in which they live. The findings from the study reveal that as residents’ health fails, the impact of increasing dependence is such that their sense of social and personal autonomy is gradually eroded. The research also provides insights into residents’ expectations and fears surrounding end of life. In many ways the experiences of the residents in supported living environments do not differ greatly from those of residents in any aged care facility. One major finding of this research, however, is the debilitating impact on well-being that occurs as a consequence of these transitions from independent to supported living, taking place within one physical location – the retirement village – a physical space which promises prospective residents the opportunity for active and positive ageing.

No description available.

Studies on the mental health of female military service members have mostly examined risk factors for negative outcomes rather than exploring what promotes psychological well-being. The theory of ‘salutogenesis’, or, ‘the origin of health’, strives to understand why many individuals are able to remain well amidst stressful conditions (Antonovsky, 1996). The present research explored how female soldiers engage in mental health maintenance. In Study 1, associations between negative psychological outcomes and social support, coping strategies, and spirituality/religious attendance were examined in a representative sample of female service members in the Canadian Forces. Differences from men with respect to these relationships were also investigated. Results showed that social support was the only protective correlate for multiple outcomes in women, while both social support and active coping were psychologically beneficial for men. Spirituality, avoidance coping, and self-medication were all associated with an increased likelihood of several outcomes in women, and the pattern of findings was similar overall in men. In Study 2, semi-structured interviews were conducted with active duty female members in the Canadian Forces in order to understand how women who had been on at least one deployment and who had not received mental health services in the past year, a proxy for current mental health, made sense of their military experiences. Transcripts were analyzed for nine participants using narrative analysis. A sense of belonging was found to be of utmost salience to the women, with several participants negotiating and constructing places that felt like home base to them, and with different degrees of attachment to the military versus civilian world. The findings of this work are discussed within the context of focusing prevention and intervention efforts on increasing belongingness, social cohesion, and a sense of home in the military for female service members.

Följande studie avser att undersöka relationen mellan engagemang, belöning och välbefinnande på arbetsplatsen. Siegrist (1996) förklarar sambandet genom Effort-Reward Imbalance model (ERI), något som denna studie kombinerar med Dieners (1986) teori om subjektivt välbefinnande. 156 personer deltog i enkätstudien, där 97 var kvinnor. Enkäterna var utformade med påståenden där deltagarna fick skatta sina svar. Datan analyserades genom en multipel regressionsanalys, korrelationer och t-test. I den multipla regressionen framkom det att hög insats/ låg belöning och överengagemang inte var signifikanta prediktorer utav variansen i subjektivt välbefinnande. Genom korrelationer kunde man utläsa att tre hypoteser visade signifikanta resultat, medan en hypotes inte visade något signifikant resultat genom stora t-test i avseende på huruvida kvinnor skattar högre nivå av överengagemang än män. Studien bidrog till en ökad förståelse för obalansen mellan hög insats/ låg belöning och överengagemang och dess betydelse för individens subjektiva välbefinnande.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between psychological wellbeing and uniqueness seeking behaviour. Early research in psychology has primarily followed a pathogenic approach, focusing on the way in which stressful life events predispose an individual to negative health outcomes. More recently a number of theorists and researchers have adopted a salutogenic approach, which refers to the origins of physical and mental health and explores the factors that assist individuals to maintain psychological and physical well-being in the face of stressful situations (Antonovsky. 1979 & 1987; Pallant & Lae, 2002). Uniqueness seeking is a relatively new construct that seems to be part of the repertoire of strengths an individual uses to improve psychological well-being. Theorists postulate that moderate needs for uniqueness are experienced more positively than extremely high or extremely low needs for uniqueness. (Lynn & Snyder, 2002 and Snyder & Fromkin, 1980). The study aims to determine the difference in psychological well-being in individuals with varying needs for uniqueness; to explore the perceptions and subjective experience of uniqueness seeking; and to explore the role uniqueness seeking plays in consumer behaviour. The psychometric properties of two scales measuring uniqueness will also be investigated, as they have not previously been used in a South African sample. To achieve these aims an availability sample of 187 students completed self-report measures of psychological well-being and uniqueness seeking behaviour namely, the Orientation to Life Scale (Antonovsky. 1987), the Self Attributed Need for Uniqueness Scale (Lynn and Harris, 1997b) and the Desire for Unique Consumer Products Scale (Lynn and Harris, 1997a). Sixteen of these students participated in focus groups in order to explore the participants' subjective experience of being unique. A further 13 participants took part in focus groups in order to explore the role uniqueness seeking plays in consumer behaviour. The measures were found to be reliable in this particular group and the means and standard deviations calculated were comparable with those mentioned in literature. No direct relationship between psychological well-being and uniqueness seeking was found, nor was it found that differences in psychological well-being exist between individuals with a moderate sense of uniqueness and individuals with a high or low sense of uniqueness. Individuals perceive uniqueness to be a quality that emerges naturally through the expression of the self and that actively seeking to be unique or not is rather due to a poor self-image. It was further found that individuals would go to some length to protect their sense of uniqueness, that most individuals preferred a sense of moderate uniqueness to either extremely high or extremely low sense of uniqueness, and that most individuals are satisfied with their level of uniqueness. Individuals described feeling happy and more confident when they perceived themselves to be unique. These individuals believe that the stage of life they are in and significant others play a role in determining the way in which uniqueness will have meaningful expression for them. Uniqueness seeking does not play as big a role in consumer behaviour as was expected, however, it does influence the consumption of consumer goods to a certain extent. It is therefore concluded that uniqueness seeking influences psychological well-being indirectly by the relationship it has with self-image. self-identity, self-confidence, group identifications, and subjective happiness. These findings have implications for future research in that the need for a valid and reliable instrument measuring uniqueness for use in South African samples is highlighted. The findings further clarify the uniqueness seeking construct thus contributing to the literary database of constructs that play a role in psychological well-being. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Shoal Lake, Ontario has a complex history of resource developments and policy and legislation that has impacted Iskatewizaagegan No. 39 Independent First Nation (IIFN) socially, economically and culturally and continues to influence the community’s contemporary fishing practices. The purpose of this research is to explore the linkages between contemporary fishing practices and IIFN members’ well-being. The study employs a mixed-method approach by utilizing a combination of household survey, semi-structured and open-ended interviews with expert IIFN fishers as well as participation in contemporary fishing practices. It presents both material and non-material benefits of contemporary IIFN fishing practices. Results indicate that IIFN members actively partake in fishing activities and continue to rely on fish as an essential part of their diet. Fishing practices also provide avenues for IIFN to convey cultural knowledge, strengthen social cohesion and help articulate a sense of Iskatewizaagegan identity. As such, they are integral to the community’s physical and psychological health as well as Iskatewizaagegan culture and spirituality.

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The initial intention of this arts-informed research study was to implement art classes for people with Alzheimer‟s disease, and to examine its impact upon new learning at cognitive, procedural and affective levels of experience. While these goals persist – indeed adult educational theory and quality of life are central to this thesis – the research focus gradually shifted from a constructivist view of the Alzheimer‟s learner to a phenomenological view of the relationship between teacher and student. Its power to facilitate the growth of reciprocity and bolster identity within the learning context, whether one-to-one or in small group settings, became more apparent as the research progressed. This revealed the potential of arts-based educational programs to build mutual trust and reciprocity with and among the participants. In turn, these qualities contributed to the expression of positive feelings, improved self-esteem,and communication in people with Alzheimer‟s.

国立情報学研究科で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。