bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Functional Perspective as a Lens for Understanding Groups
Authors: Wittenbaum Gwen M. , Hollingshead Andrea B. , Paulus Paul B. , Hirokawa Randy Y. , Ancona Deborah G. , Peterson Randall S. , Jehn Karen A. , Yoon Kay
Published: May 2004

The functional perspective is a normative approach to describing and predicting group performance that focuses on the functions of inputs and/or processes. The aim of theory and research from this perspective is to understand why some groups are successful and others are not. This article investigates theory and, to a lesser extent, research of small groups based on the functional perspective. The authors present the underlying theoretical assumptions and review theories that fit into the functional perspective from several representative areas of research. They conclude by outlining notable strengths and weaknesses associated with viewing groups from this perspective and propose some directions for future theory development.
Investigating Conflict, Power, and Status Within and Among Groups
Authors: Sell Jane , Lovaglia Michael J. , Mannix Elizabeth A. , Samuelson Charles D. , Wilson Rick K.
Published: May 2004

This article investigates the concepts and perspectives of conflict, power, and status developed across the disciplines of political science, psychology, and sociology. Although the different disciplines, at times, have different assumptions about actors and interactions, there is a great deal of similarity. This similarity allows one to uncover some general principles that apply to group behavior. This article advocates and illustrates using institutional rules to analyze the research within and across areas.
Network Theory and Small Groups
Authors: Katz Nancy , Lazer David , Arrow Holly , Contractor Noshir
Published: May 2004

This article describes the network approach to small groups. First, the core constructs that compose social network research are explained. The primary theories that provide the intellectual underpinning of the network approach are described, including theories of self-interest, theories of social exchange or dependency, theories of mutual or collective interest, cognitive theories, and theories of homophily. Highlights of the empirical work examining the internal and external networks of small groups is summarized. Finally, the primary challenges researchers face when applying the network perspective to small groups, and the primary benefits that can accrue to researchers who adopt that perspective, are enumerated.
The Uses of Teaching Games in Game Theory Classes and Some Experimental Games
Authors: Shubik Martin
Published: May 2004

The use of lightly controlled games, primarily in classes in game theory, is discussed. The value of such games is considered from the viewpoint of both teaching and experimentation.
Language Teaching through Role-Play: A Hungarian View
Authors: Halápi Magdolna , Saunders Danny
Published: May 2004

This article explores the introduction of new teacher training methods at the Centre for English Teacher Training (CETT) at the University of Budapest, along with its partner schools. A particular interest has emerged in the use of role-play to make language learning more student centered and interactive, thereby creating a more spontaneous and realistic learning environment that prepares teacher trainees and their students for social interaction via the medium of a foreign language. The article concludes with a summary of main findings about the perception of role-play activity based on in-depth interviews with 10 trainee teachers linked with the CETT program.
Why Virtual, Why Environments? Implementing Virtual Reality Concepts in Computer-Assisted Language Learning
Authors: Schwienhorst Klaus
Published: May 2004

The research area of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) has recently shifted from seeing the computer as a tool or partner to seeing it as a virtual environment where learners can collaborate and interact with a wide variety of native speakers. In addition, CALL has also increasingly benefited from the theoretical framework of learner autonomy, although it has frequently been misunderstood as self-directed learning. In light of these developments, terms such asvirtual andenvironment need to be defined. So far, the large tradition of virtual reality (VR) research and its concepts has largely been neglected in CALL and second language acquisition (SLA) research. However, a critical and reflective analysis ofVRtools and their underlying concepts shows that learner autonomy and VR are in fact an ideal combination for language learning: first, by raising language and linguistic awareness; second, by supporting interaction and collaboration with peers and native speakers; and third, by providing an experimental, learner-centered learning environment. The article concludes with a summary of design principles for CALL software.
On Foot in SIM City: Using SIM Copter as the Basis for an ESL Writing Assignment
Authors: Coleman Douglas W.
Published: May 2004

This article describes a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) simulation-based activity for ESL writing using SIM COPTER. Participants have two roles: (a) a pilot who must locate an assigned destination and write directions how to walk there and (b) a visitor who must use another participant’s directions to get to an unknown destination. Superficially an exercise in writing simple street directions, the activity requires a serious consideration of audience initially beyond most beginning ESL student writers. The activity makes the concept of audience more accessible by concretizing it. It is argued that ESL texts do not adequately deal with the concept of audience. CALL simulation-based writing activities provide an ideal way to do so in a realistic, communicative way.
ISAGA 2001: On the Edge of the Millennium
Authors: Spindler Laraine , Leigh Elyssebeth
Published: May 2004

A short account is given of the 32nd annual international conference of the International Simulation and Gaming Association, September 2001, Bari, Italy. Described here are the site of Bari, the conference theme, the program, the opening session, the keynote sessions, round table discussions, concurrent sessions, and the social events.
A Grounded Theory for Teaching Entrepreneurship Using Simulation Games
Authors: Hindle Kevin
Published: May 2004

A practical teaching difficulty provided the opportunity to turn a problem into a useful case study with generic implications for the pedagogical effectiveness of simulation games in teaching entrepreneurship. Students playing the simulation game submitted written assessments that became the units of analysis for a single-case research project. Analysis produced a grounded theory consisting of four attribute categories and associated properties required of a simulation game to make it an effective teaching device in entrepreneurship contexts. The theory provides at the very least a useful checklist for teachers of entrepreneurship and, potentially, a basis for developing a quality standard for educational simulation games.
ISAGA 2002: Interactive Learning through Gaming and Simulation
Authors: Spindler Laraine , vandeWestelaken Marleen
Published: May 2004

The weather and the striking Scottish environment provided an excellent backdrop for the joint ISAGA/ SAGSET International Conference held in Edinburgh in August 2002. This conference brought together more than 150 academics, practitioners, and researchers in diverse fields of practice from more than 25 countries. This report provides a brief taste of the depth and variety of papers and experiences available at a conference designed to integrate the multiple perspectives of these two major international experiential learning associations. Conference activities included papers and presentations from many fields of practice with opportunities to experience and critique simulation and game designs, share research initiatives, engage in debate on critical issues, and discuss conceptualizations of this important area of learning. These academic activities were balanced by a number of social ones providing opportunities to experience Scotland’s culture and renewfriendships with colleagues. The organizers received many accolades for the excellence of the program and the conference organization. It was indeed a memorable conference.
Tinsel Town: A Top Management Simulation Involving Distributed Expertise
Authors: Devine Dennis J. , Habig Jennifer K. , Martin Kathryn E. , Bott Jennifer P. , Grayson Allison L.
Published: May 2004

Games and simulations are increasingly used as tools by group researchers and team development specialists, but many involve undesirable trade-offs. TINSEL TOWNis a business simulation designed to be engaging, moderately complex, easy to administer, quickly and objectively scored, and iterative in nature. Groups of four act as the top management team of a fictionalmovie studio, with each member representing a different function within the company. The team’s collective task is to maximize the studio’s profit over three simulated years (i.e., decision periods) by choosing screenplays to produce and setting marketing levels for each film based on a limited budget. Each member has access to some common information provided to all members as well as some unique role-specific information. The simulation models the distributed expertise often found in organizational decision-making teams and expands the options available to those interested in understanding and improving team decision-making effectiveness.
Creating Effective Learning Environments and Learning Organizations through Gaming Simulation Design
Authors: Kriz Willy C.
Published: May 2004

Creating effective learning environments plays an important role in supporting organizational learning, changing individual and social interpretation patterns of reality, developing knowledge and competencies, and changing the sociotechnical systems of organizations. This article describes gaming simulation and the design of simulation games as a design-in-the-small approach that has always been a powerful method and is instrumental in modeling and changing social systems while aiming at their sustainable development. Gaming simulation as an interactive-learning environment propels the principles of problem-oriented learning into action and enhances a shift of existing organizational cultures and structures and in this way contributes to the design-in-the-large processes of organizations. The training program for systems competence through gaming simulation demonstrates that interactive design of simulation games supports change processes in the educational organizations.
A Case Study in the Design of Interactive Narrative: The Subversion of the Interface
Authors: Bizzocchi Jim , Woodbury Robert F.
Published: May 2004

There is a potential conflict in the design of interactive narratives. The exercise of interaction in digital environments, including games, may interfere with the experience of story. The article uses the interactive CDROMCEREMONYOFINNOCENCE as a case study in the resolution of this potential conflict. It frames the design of this interactive narrative as the reconciliation of two independent design domains: the design of narrative and interactive design. Narrative design seeks a state of immersive surrender to the work. In contrast, interaction privileges choice and its consequences according to the logic of the interactive world. CEREMONY OF INNOCENCE uses two tactics to overcome this disjuncture. The first is the broad infusion of narrative sensibilities in the detailed design of the work’s subsidiary craft (sound, graphics, moving images, and text). The second tactic is to suborn certain design specifics of the interactive interface to the goals of narrative design.
Gaming and Simulation: Principles of a Science of Design
Authors: Klabbers Jan H. G.
Published: May 2004

The science of design deals with synthesis. It is both the world of engineering and the world of social construction of reality,as for example in education, policy making,or ganization, and management. Science is concerned with analysis and decomposition. Engineering and technology pay attention to natural objects: objects that refer to matter. Their claims about material artifacts are universal and therefore context independent. Constructionism deals with objects that are established by our practices. Both branches of the science of design emphasize the building metaphor of assembling parts,the systematic arrangements of elements,whic h become part of a whole. In this article,the author pays attention to organized complexity, especially to complex adaptive systems and their emergence from double interacts between individuals. The author elaborates on the idea of reflexive actors in social systems,faces of knowledge, and the interplay between design-in-the-large and design-in-the-small.
Reliability and Validity of the Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale
Authors: Massatti Richard R. , Vonk M. Elizabeth , Gregoire Thomas K.
Published: May 2004

The present study provides information on the reliability and validity of the Transracial Adoption Parenting Scale (TAPS), a multidimensional 36-item Likert-type scale that measures cultural competence among transracial adoptive (TRA) parents. The TAPS was theoretically developed and refined through feedback from experts in TRA adoption. A cross-sectional survey design was used with a national nonprobability sample of 1,411 TRA parents. Each parent completed the 53-item TAPS and three other instruments with which to examine criterion and construct validity. After a preliminary factor analysis of the 53-item TAPS, the authors found that 36 items were retained in six factors. The 36-item TAPS had excellent reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.91), concurrent and discriminant validity were supported. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the TAPS holds promise of being a psychometrically sound instrument with which to measure cultural competence among TRA parents. Further investigation is warranted.
Evaluation of a Psychoeducational Group for Seronegative Partners and Spouses of Persons with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Gordon-Garofalo Valerie L. , Rubin Allen
Published: May 2004

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a time-limited psychoeducational group intervention for cohabiting partners and spouses of persons with HIV/AIDS. The goals of the intervention were to decrease feelings of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and stigma and to increase perceived social support. A pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental research design was used. A total of 19 partners or spouses received treatment, and 9 partners or spouses were on a waiting list. Multivariate analysis of covariance provided inconclusive evidence of the model’s effectiveness for noninfected spousal and partner caregivers. Despite these results, treatment effect and power analyses support the viability of this treatment method.
Confidentiality Intervention: Effects on Provider-Consumer-Family Collaboration
Authors: Marshall Tina , Solomon Phyllis
Published: May 2004

This article discusses a model intervention clarifying confidentiality policies regarding releasing information to families or significant others was evaluated for its effectiveness in improving provider-consumer-family collaboration. The intervention was implemented in one agency, and a comparison agency continued with previously used procedures. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 59 providers and 68 families at baseline and 52 providers and 58 families upon termination of the study. The authors found that families with relatives receiving treatment from the intervention agency were significantly more likely to have had contact with providers during the course of the study than were families from the comparison agency. Families associated with providers who had higher fidelity to the intervention were also more likely to report more frequent provider contact, more information from providers, and more satisfaction with the amount of contact they had with providers. The authors conclude the model intervention, if faithfully implemented, may enhance collaboration between providers, consumers, and families.
A Multidimensional Assessment of a Batterer Treatment Program: an Alert to a Problem?
Authors: Buttell Frederick P. , Carney Michelle M.
Published: May 2004

This study’s goals were to (a) evaluate a batterer intervention program by investigating changes in psychological variables related to abuse (i.e., truthfulness, violence, lethality, control, substance use, and coping abilities) between pretreatment and posttreatment assessments of men involuntarily placed in treatment and (b) investigate the differential effectiveness of this same program for African American and Caucasian batterers. Arrest records were also evaluated 12 months following treatment completion to determine the association between changes on these psychological variables and recidivism. The study employed a secondary analysis of 76 treatment completers randomly selected from a larger pool of 184 men. Analysis failed to provide empirical support for the contention that both African American and Caucasian batterers would demonstrate significant changes in the desired direction on psychological variables related to violence as a result of participation in a treatment program. Implications of the findings for social workers were discussed.
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Residual Symptoms and Impairment in Schizophrenia
Authors: Bradshaw William , Roseborough David
Published: May 2004

This study evaluated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions in the treatment of persons with schizophrenia who experienced significant residual symptoms and impaired functioning despite their adherence to medication. The study used an aggregated AB single-system research design across 22 participants to evaluate change in clinical outcomes. Standardized measures of psychosocial functioning, severity of symptoms, attainment of treatment goals, and severity of the impact of illness on self-concept were used to assess change during the course of 18 months of treatment. Of the clients, 86% made statistically significant improvement in psychosocial functioning; 82% of the clientsmade statistically significant reduction in severity of psychiatric symptoms. All 22 clients exceeded the expected level of attainment of treatment goals. There was a statistically significant reduction in the negative impact of illness on sense of self. Findings support the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions in schizophrenia.
Evaluating Treatment Outcomes for African American and White Clients Receiving Treatment at a Community Mental Health Agency in the Rural South
Authors: Larrison Christopher R. , Schoppelrey Susan L. , Nowak Maria Goerecki , Brantley J. Frank , Leonard Meg , Crooke David , Barrett David , McCollum Andy
Published: May 2004

The present study examines the relationship between race and treatment outcomes among clients receiving services at a community mental health agency in the rural southeastern United States. A nonprobabilistic sample of clients completed the BASIS-32, a self-report summated rating scale, at an initial assessment and a series of three follow-up assessments conducted at 3-month intervals. The data were analyzed using a hierarchical linear model (HLM) consisting of an individual growth model and a between-client model examining possible differences in growth trajectories attributable to race, diagnosis, socioeconomic status, and gender. Clients’ symptomatology remained stable or decreased during the study period. Of the demographic variables examined, only diagnosis was significantly related to variation in treatment outcomes. No racial differences in treatment outcomes emerged. Although the findings must be considered preliminary, they do suggest that community mental health agencies can effectively respond to various ethnic, cultural, and racial groups by providing appropriate and individualized services.
The Validation of the Factor Structure of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-Expanded Version (BPRS-E) with Geriatric and Nongeriatric Psychiatric Inpatients
Authors: Panos Patrick T.
Published: May 2004

The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale-Expanded (BPRS-E) is a widely used outcome measure that assesses change in psychiatric symptoms. The focus of the present study was to clarify and determine the factor structure of the BPRS-E with geriatric and nongeriatric psychiatric inpatients. Two previous studies found different factor structures for the BPRS-E, raising questions regarding appropriate subscore interpretations. To carry out this exploratory study, factor analyses were conducted on the BPRS-E ratings of 564 adult patients (54 geriatric and 510 nongeriatric) at a state psychiatric hospital. Obtained results suggest that there is a stable factor structure within the BPRS-E that allows for the reliable and valid interpretation of subscores for geriatric and nongeriatric psychiatric inpatients by social work researchers and treatment providers.
Research Awards in the Society for Social Work and Research, 1996-2000
Authors: Craig Carlton D. , Cook Patricia G. , Fraser Mark W.
Published: May 2004

In 1995, the Society for Social Work and Research developed an awards program for outstanding social work research scholarship. The purpose of this study is to describe 5 years of exemplary social work research. This article presents the results of a document analysis of 299 journal articles nominated for outstanding research awards between 1996 and 2000. Articles were rated on a variety of characteristics such as research design, method, and analysis strategy. The authors found that survey methods predominate among nominated articles. However, half the award-winning articles described studies involving experimental or comparison groups and the design of interventions. Compared with survey methods, intervention research, which should obtain high priority in a practice profession, is less frequently nominated. Similarly, compared with quantitative methods, qualitative articles, which hold potential for informing practice, are less frequently nominated. Profiling exemplary research can be useful for understanding the current status of social work research.
Conjoint Interventions for Adult Victims and Children of Domestic Violence: A Program Evaluation
Authors: Sullivan Michael , Egan Marcia , Gooch Michael
Published: May 2004

This study documented the evaluation of a 9-week group intervention program designed to address the needs of both abused mothers and their children who have witnessed violence. The intervention was designed to increase parenting skills, address the needs of both parents and children regarding increasing coping abilities and safety planning skills, and decrease the effects of postviolence stress. Parents and children were divided into groups based on clinical cutoff scores for analysis. Overall, the group intervention was effective in reducing blame and trauma symptoms. Parents generally perceived the intervention more helpful for their children than for themselves, but scores indicated that parents' feelings of isolation, stress levels, and health problems decreased significantly at posttest. Practice implications suggest this group intervention is most effective with children who enter the program with behavior scores above the clinical cutoff scores.
Evaluating a Transitional Living Program for Homeless, Former Foster Care Youth
Authors: Rashid Sonja
Published: May 2004

The goals of this study were to (a) assess the outcomes of former foster care youth using transitional living programs and (b) compare outcomes achieved by former foster care youth who participated in an employment training program with similar youth who did not. The study sampled 23 former foster care youth using transitional living services in Northern California. Hourly wage, money saved, and employment status outcomes were examined at discharge, and housing outcomes were examined 6 months post discharge. Variables that demonstrated improvement post intervention include hourly wage, housing situation, employment, and money saved. At a 6-month follow-up, 90% of youth with known housing situations were in permanent, stable housing. Comparing youth with employment training and those without on hourly wage, youth with training had significantly higher hourly wages. Transitional living and employment training programs may be effective interventions for former foster care youth with few resources.
Psychosocial Treatment of Youth Suicide: A Systematic Review of the Research
Authors: Macgowan Mark J.
Published: May 2004

This article systematically reviews evidence for treatment of adolescent suicidality. In all, 10 empirical studies intended to reduce suicidal behaviors (e.g., suicide attempts) or suicidal ideation were reviewed. Each study's intervention was described and evaluated using two sets of independent criteria to assess the degree to which it was successful in reducing suicidality and the level of its empirical support (well established or probably efficacious). Most of the interventions were successful in reducing suicidality. However, no treatment met the criteria of well established and only two were probably efficacious. Most studies had important methodological limitations. Features of the promising interventions were summarized and methodological limitations highlighted. The number of interventions has increased in the past 10 years, but the research evidence remains weak. Recommendations are offered to strengthen the research, and the role of social workers in using these findings and advancing the research is discussed.
Influencing Social Workers to Use Research Evidence in Practice: Lessons from Medicine and the Allied Health Professions
Authors: Gira Emmanuelle C. , Kessler Michelle L. , Poertner John
Published: May 2004

This study sought to identify lessons for social workers from the health care research on influencing practitioners to use evidence-based practices (EBP). Research reviews of strategies to influence providers to use EBP arere summarized. Among the findings are that printed educational materials, the use of local opinion leaders, and continuous quality improvement are weak interventions. Educational outreach visits and audit and feedback showed weak to moderate effects, whereas certain types of continuing education and use of computers showed moderate effects. Although much needs to be learned about providing social workers with the latest research knowledge, a combination of strategies is more likely to be effective.
A Confirmatory Analysis of the Organ Donation Readiness Index: Measuring the Potential for Organ Donations Among African Americans
Authors: Rice Christopher , Tamburlin Judith
Published: May 2004

The need for transplant exceeds the number of available organs. Antigen compatible organs are particularly scarce for African Americans because of their proportionately lower rate of donations. This study presents a measure of organ donation readiness. Examination of the factor structure and a test of weak invariance were conducted on cross-sectional (n = 2,662) and longitudinal data (n = 1,316) in a community-based sample of African Americans. A second-order structural equation was used to model the relationship between three latent factors. The results corroborate earlier research and confirm a second-order model structure consisting of 3 factors (Fear, Knowledge, and Action) in a set of 9 self-report items. The second-order model specification provided a good fit to the data. Social workers involved in organ procurement efforts and counseling of family members may find the instrument a useful tool for identifying readiness for organ donation among African Americans.
Effects of Culturally Relevant Psychoeducation for Korean American Families of Persons with Chronic Mental Illness
Authors: Shin Sun-Kyung
Published: May 2004

This study is to identify culturally relevant treatment methods and to assess the effects of family psychoeducational intervention for Korean Americans who had a family member with mental illness. 48 Korean Americans with children with mental illness were randomly assigned to either an experimental group program that provided culturally sensitive psychoeducation or a control group that offered individual supportive therapy. The two groups were compared on pre- and posttreatment measures of understanding of mental illness, of family empowerment, and of coping skills. Compared with the control group, the psychoeducational group members significantly decreased stigma, improved empowerment during family crises, and increased coping skills. The findings suggest that a culturally relevant psychoeducational intervention is a useful short-term treatment modality for Korean Americans with children with mental illness and can be used by social work practitioners who work with Korean Americans in the field of mental health.
Reference List Accuracy in Social Work Journals
Authors: Spivey Christina A. , Wilks Scott E.
Published: May 2004

This exploratory study investigated the rate of citation errors in the reference lists of five social work journals. High error rates have been found in journals in fields such as medicine and psychology but have not yet been investigated in social work journals. A stratified, computer-generated random sample was selected (N = 500, 100 per journal), and each reference was verified against the original work for accuracy in six fields: article title, author name(s), journal title, pagination, volume, and year. In examining the total sample of 500 references across the five journals, 206 references (41.2%) contained at least one error. Suggestions for reduction of error rates are discussed, as are suggestions for future study in this area.
Intervention Research in Social Work: Recent Advances and Continuing Challenges
Authors: Fraser Mark W.
Published: May 2004

The purpose of this article is to review substantive and methodological advances in interventive research. Three substantive advances are discussed: (a) the growing use of a risk factor perspective, (b) the emergence of practice-relevant micro social theories, and (c) the increased acceptance of structured treatment protocols and manual. In addition, three methodological developments are discussed. They include new developments for dealing with attrition, for dealing with selection effects, and for decomposing complexities using text and numerical analyses. Arguing that intervention research holds the potential to unify research scholarship in social work, the conclusion discusses ongoing challenges associated with the implementation of new programs, variance in outcomes by method, reactivity to measurement, and construct validity in the context of culture.
A Multidimensional Evaluation of a Treatment Program for Female Batterers: A Pilot Study
Authors: Carney Michelle M. , Buttell Frederick P.
Published: May 2004

The purpose of the study was to conduct a preliminary evaluation of a batterer intervention program by investigating changes in psychological variables related to abuse (i.e., truthfulness, violence, lethality, control, and stress coping abilities) between pretreatment and posttreatment assessments in a sample of women involuntarily placed in treatment. This study evaluated arrest records for a period of 12 months following treatment completion to determine the association between changes on these psychological variables and recidivism. The study employed a secondary analysis of 26 treatment completers involuntarily referred into treatment for domestic violence offenses. Analysis indicated that treatment completers were less passive/aggressive and less likely to use physical force on their partners at the conclusion of the treatment program. Implications of the findings for social workers providing treatment services to female domestic violence offenders are explored and discussed.
Narratives of Identity: Re-presentation of Self in People Who Are Homeless
Authors: Boydell Katherine M. , Goering Paula , Morrell-Bellai Tammy L.
Published: May 2004

The problem of homelessness is a pressing social and health concern ascribed to the interaction between personal, social, economic, and service system resources. This article is based on a qualitative study of the experiences of 29 homeless individuals. In-depth interviews were conducted with single adult shelter users. Analysis revealed the self to be a process that was continually developing. Participants tacitly locate their self-concepts in the past, present, and future. These time frames reflect the form and content of self. They also reveal hopes, dreams, beliefs, and understandings about self. The ways in which homelessness discredits notions of self and personal identity, and the hierarchy of identity with which homeless individuals use to cope are also examined.
Coming out of Intensive Care Crazy: Dreams of Affliction
Authors: Richman Joel
Published: May 2004

The impetus for this article was the author’s experience of illness, necessitating 5 months of hospitalization, 7 weeks of which were spent in a coma in an intensive care unit (ICU). The origins and general characteristics of ICUs are noted. A pastiche of illness narrative is constructed to allow for the author’s own comment on his experience. The intensive care syndrome (ICS), a permeable category, continuing the aftermath of surgery and the social, psychological, mechanical, and pharmaceutical effects of the unit itself, is discussed. Dreams of affliction, a component of the ICS, are explored; the prior sociological history of the neglect of dreams, an essential universal, is also pointed out. The author’s dream forms and their shamanistic parallels are explored. In Foucauldian language, they are considered a product of the fragmentation of the cosmological spirit, whereas the author was a medical object and mechanical appendage. Nursing is in a strategic position to make patients’ dream narratives their own as an aid for understanding illness.
Compliance Communication in Home Health Care: A Mutually Reciprocal Process
Authors: Vivian Barbara G. , Wilcox James R.
Published: May 2004

The study described in this article examined the process of compliance gaining in home health care. The investigation focused on nurse-patient communication and the relational and content aspects of compliance communication. Six registered nurses and 25 adult patients from two cooperating home care agencies participated in this study. Observation during home visits and interviews with nurses and patients revealed a prosocial, collaborative model of compliance gaining. The findings show compliance communication to be embedded in nurse-patient conversations, with both nurse and patient engaging in control and affiliative behaviors. Implications for compliance research and the mutual-participation model of medical care are discussed.
Double Binds and the Reproductive and Mothering Experiences of HIV-Positive Women
Authors: Ingram Deborah , Hutchinson Sally A.
Published: May 2004

In spite of the increasing number of young women infected with HIV in the United States, little is known about the reproductive and mothering experiences of these women. The purpose of the grounded-theory research discussed in this article was to describe the reproductive and mothering experiences of HIV-positive women. Twenty HIV-positive women participated in 31 in-depth interviews. The grounded-theory method was used for data analysis. A communication pattern known in the psychiatric literature as a double bind was discovered to be a basic social psychological problem that affected the women’s experiences with reproduction and mothering. An understanding of the power and influence of these double binds permits health care professionals to plan patient-centered programs and to individualize care specifically for HIV-positive women.
Hoping to Maintain a Balance: The Concept of Hope and the Discontinuation of Anorexiant Medications
Authors: Volume Carlyn I. , Farris Karen B.
Published: May 2004

The secondary analysis of transcripts from a study of 9 women who used prescription anorexiant medications described in this article was conducted to discover the role that hope played in the women’s weight-loss initiatives. It was found that hope grew throughout the women’s weight-loss initiative but peaked once the medications were discontinued. Seven components of the concept of hope were described in the context of the women’s weight-loss experiences. Characteristics of hope in women who have discontinued anorexiant medications are different than those associated with hope in other contexts. A unique pattern of hope, hoping to maintain a balance, describes the women’s experiences as they strove to maintain the weight they had lost.
Creative Response to Alternative Medicine: Clients of a Modern Finnish Healer in a Northwestern Ontario City
Authors: Warkentin Raija
Published: May 2004

Antti Auttaja is a Finnish Canadian businessman who practices alternative medicine in a northwestern Ontario city. His healing method involves pressing his hands and fingers firmly but gently on the feet, wrists, stomach, chest, and other bodily areas of his clients, who recline on their backs on the floor, with pillows propped under their head and knees. His clients respect him and his healing ability, and as the questionnaire and interview data presented in this article clearly show, they feel he has helped them enhance their quality of life in a way that is unique to him and very special to them. He exemplifies a holistic healer working along the periphery of the modern biomedical system. His practice exemplifies the alternative medicine category of the domain of nonconventional medicine.
Predictive Genetic Testing in Diabetes: A Case Study of Multiple Perspectives
Authors: Shepherd Maggie , Hattersley Andrew T. , Sparkes Andrew C.
Published: May 2004

Genetic testing is now possible in maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY), an unusual genetic subtype of diabetes. To date, there has been no research into the implications of genetic testing for MODY families. The case study of the first known instance of predictive genetic testing for diabetes described in this article focuses on the perspectives of the family and the health care professionals involved in the decision-making process. Open-ended interviews were conducted before and after the predictive test. Content analysis highlighted four key areas: autobiographical experiences, motivations for testing, competing priorities in genetic counseling, and differing attitudes to predictive testing for children. Reactions to the predictive test result are presented. The implications of these findings for the provision of predictive genetic testing in diabetes are considered.
Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses of Psychological Distress: Methodological Complementarity and Ontological Incommensurability
Authors: Massé Raymond
Published: May 2004

Rigorous qualitative and quantitative methodologies have been used for the development of a multidimensional scale dedicated to the measurement of psychological distress. A comparison between the idioms of distress or the cultural forms through which French Quebecois express their distress (qualitative constructs) and the nonorthogonal factors derived from explanatory and higher order factorial analyses (quantitative constructs) illustrates the possibilities of complementarity between qualitative and quantitative approaches. The comparison shows that these two operationalizations of the concept of psychological distress are founded on incommensurable representations of distress. This article concludes that this representational dilemma of distress as a lived language or as an empirical reified entity leads to an ontological and a teleological incommensurability.
Losing the Plot: Narrative Construction and Longitudinal Childbirth Research
Authors: Miller Tina
Published: May 2004

This article seeks to explore the ways in which theories of narrative might be significant in the study of childbearing. The event of childbirth and the process of women becoming mothers have major significance for individual biographies and are publicly defined. The medicalization of childbearing and the placing of a natural event into a pathological illness model has repercussions for the ways in which women experience and make sense of the event. The complex interweaving of public and lay narratives that surround this period of transition can lead to bafflement and the eventual construction of personal counter narratives. The context in which narratives are managed is explored.
The Unsolicited Diary as a Qualitative Research Tool for Advanced Research Capacity in the Field of Health and Illness
Authors: Jones R. Kenneth
Published: May 2004

In this article, the place of diary method is examined in the context of qualitative tools. Although much neglected in qualitative methodology, there is considerable support for its use, and it is argued that unsolicited diary analysis as a qualitative tool has value as a social research method. Although it is commissioned or solicited diaries that are increasingly popular in health research, different kinds of diary usage are examined together with certain possible biases and weaknesses. Although framework analysis was originally developed for analyzing interview data, it is seen as an appropriate qualitative tool for the analysis of unsolicited diaries. The analysis of an unsolicited diary account of a patient suffering from cancer of the larynx is explored as a potential data source.
Rebuilding Life: The Experience of Living with AIDS after Facing Imminent Death
Authors: Trainor Andrea , Ezer Hélène
Published: May 2004

The study described in this article explored how 7 men who believed they were dying from an AIDS-related illness began the process of rebuilding their lives following a course of successful combination therapy. Using constant comparison within and across interviews, three major themes emerged. Back to living was the realization they were going to live. Realizingmy life has changed was associated with living with uncertainty, appearing healthy while living with AIDS, and letting go of their preoccupation with physical well-being. Readusting my life was associated with a change in daily routines, reevaluation of their sense of self, questioning their relationships, reengaging with society, and developing new life plans. Findings suggest that these participants felt living had become more difficult.
Living with Change: Elderly Women’s Perceptions of Having a Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Sutherland Bernice , Jensen Louise
Published: May 2004

The purpose of the study described in this article was to explore and describe elderly (70+ years) women’s perceptions of having a myocardial infarction (MI). Structured and unstructured, open-ended, face-to-face interviews with 11 women were used to collect qualitative data. The central theme that emerged was living with change. Five phases were revealed: searching for a diagnosis, being hit with the reality, discovering the nature of the change, adjusting to the change, and moving on with the change. Throughout these phases, the women were faced with the challenges of being in control, managing uncertainty, making sense, being independent, and sheltering others. The continuous process of change in their lives was taken for granted by these women. By having an understanding of the perspective of elderly women who have an MI, nurses will be more effective when caring for these individuals.
Effective and Ineffective Management of Incontinence: Issues Around Illness Trajectory and Health Care
Authors: Roe Brenda
Published: May 2004

In this article, findings from a study that investigated the impact of incontinence on individuals and the impact of effective and ineffective health interventions for the management of incontinence on patient careers and health care are reported. Twenty-seven participants whose incontinence was judged by health professionals as being successfully managed or unsuccessfully managed were interviewed. The participants were 19 women and 8 men (mean age: 61 years). Twenty-two participants experienced urinary incontinence, 4 people experienced both urinary and fecal incontinence, and 1 woman experienced fecal constipation. The findings have been set in the context of the management of chronic conditions and provide illuminating evidence that may be useful when reviewing health care and health services. People who were actively involved with their care and who were involved with decision making felt that their incontinence was being effectively managed. Multiple referrals and the marshaling and targeting of health professionals and services also appeared to be associated with effective management of incontinence.
Reflections on “Making Somebody Angry”
Authors: Herdman Elizabeth
Published: May 2004

This article presents an account of the methodological and ethical issues associated with a critical ethnographic study that focused on the problems of providing nondiscriminatory health care to people with HIV/AIDS. The focus is on the debates that followed the publication of the final report. The debates were centered around (a) formal objections by the chair of the institutional ethics committee to the standard procedure of a discussion of the methodological limitations imposed by the requirements of the conditions of access; (b) reactions by a small section of the medical profession to adverse findings, which were published in a professional medical journal and included an attack on both the methods used and the ethics of the researchers; and (c) the response of the media, which selectively sensationalized and distorted the findings. This discussion may provide further insight into the problems of gaining access to clinical settings for the purpose of conducting qualitative research.
Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Making Meaning—Three Challenges for Family Researchers
Authors: Munford Robyn , Sanders Jackie
Published: May 2004

This article explores three of the challenges that qualitative researchers face when working in the family health and well-being field. It is based on the authors’ experiences of an ongoing research program that involves research in a human services organization and a family-focused community study. The authors discuss three challenges in the context of this experience and highlight the ways in which they have resolved them within this research program. The first challenge centers on forming research questions. The second challenge concerns access and reciprocity. The final challenge involves research partnerships and teams. Partnerships can take many different forms and hold much potential in qualitative research. Participants can become research partners, or they can maintain more traditional roles as providers of information. Deciding which role participants should have and how to manage the resultant relationships become important tasks in qualitative research because of the intense levels of involvement that often characterize these sorts of research programs.
Journey of Providing Care in Hospice: Perspectives of Occupational Therapists
Authors: Rahman Hafsa
Published: May 2004

The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of occupational therapists with regard to their role in hospice and to examine whether occupational therapists experienced a conflict in supporting the dual status of living and dying for individuals with terminal illness. A qualitative analysis revealed the following themes: tuning in and comfort care, loss, working toward death, journey with patient, team player, use of occupational therapy, and dichotomous role. These themes demonstrated that occupational therapists played a significant role in hospice, helping individuals with terminal illness to live life fully and comfortably while facing death. The study found that occupational therapists used a holistic approach in their work by addressing the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual aspects of care.