title: The Return Trip Effect: A car simulator study examining anticipation

authors: Visser, Rick

abstract: The Return Trip Effect is the sense that travelling back from a location feels shorter than the initial outgoing trip. This phenomenon directly involves our subjective perception of time, which turns out to be imprecise and easily misguided. Previous research has shown that numerous factors influence our time perception, and subsequently the Return Trip Effect; these factors include familiarity, violation of expectations, novelty, anticipation, workload and ambiguity. This study aimed to further investigate the influence of anticipation on the Return Trip Effect using a driving simulator. The study used a quantitative experimental research design to achieve this objective, questionnaires were used to obtain the estimated times and the various cognitive states of the drivers. Seventy-four people participated in a one-hour structured experiment. The participants were randomly assigned into one of three conditions: an outgoing, return, or non-anticipation group. Participants drove on a simulated road for about twelve minutes to a midway point, and then returned on that same road back to the starting point. The participants answered questions at the halfway point and at the end point, these questions included estimated driving times and included different measures of participants’ cognitive load, such as boredom, mind-wandering, and excitement levels. The manipulated variable was the positioning of the anticipation during the experiment, which was either after the first trip or the second trip, the control group had no anticipation. The findings showed a strong Return Trip Effect overall, however no significant difference in trip magnitude was found between the three conditions. The results revealed that several other factors that may affect the Return Trip Effect.

text: The Return Trip Effect: A car simulator study examining anticipation The Return Trip Effect is the sense that travelling back from a location feels shorter than the initial outgoing trip. This phenomenon directly involves our subjective perception of time, which turns out to be imprecise and easily misguided. Previous research has shown that numerous factors influence our time perception, and subsequently the Return Trip Effect; these factors include familiarity, violation of expectations, novelty, anticipation, workload and ambiguity. This study aimed to further investigate the influence of anticipation on the Return Trip Effect using a driving simulator. The study used a quantitative experimental research design to achieve this objective, questionnaires were used to obtain the estimated times and the various cognitive states of the drivers. Seventy-four people participated in a one-hour structured experiment. The participants were randomly assigned into one of three conditions: an outgoing, return, or non-anticipation group. Participants drove on a simulated road for about twelve minutes to a midway point, and then returned on that same road back to the starting point. The participants answered questions at the halfway point and at the end point, these questions included estimated driving times and included different measures of participants’ cognitive load, such as boredom, mind-wandering, and excitement levels. The manipulated variable was the positioning of the anticipation during the experiment, which was either after the first trip or the second trip, the control group had no anticipation. The findings showed a strong Return Trip Effect overall, however no significant difference in trip magnitude was found between the three conditions. The results revealed that several other factors that may affect the Return Trip Effect.

year: 2023

title: Fathers' Help Seeking and Support: The Importance of Relationships for Mental Wellbeing

authors: Ghaleiha, Amin

abstract: Becoming a father is a major transition for men, and may be a source of happiness and fulfilment, as well as distress. Perinatal mental health research has traditionally focused on mothers, with paternal mental health receiving limited attention. Men are adopting more caregiving roles and increasing their parental involvement, while maintaining their traditional role as a key provider for the family. Balancing these roles may lead to experiences of psychological distress, and help-seeking can be important in alleviating the impacts of paternal distress. However, research on fathers’ help-seeking and mental health needs remains scarce. Therefore, this thesis sought to better understand fathers’ experiences of help-seeking, and facilitators and challenges of paternal help-seeking to support mental health.
Study 1 involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with 11 fathers about their experiences regarding transition to fatherhood and seeking support and advice in early years of parenthood. Fathers reported experiencing distress and uncertainty during the transition to parenthood; however, most did not believe their distress required seeking professional help. Fathers also used a variety of individual and interpersonal coping strategies. Partners were the most important source of emotional support for fathers, but some fathers felt it was inappropriate to seek their partner’s support while she was coping with the stress of pregnancy and new parenting. This study revealed that fathers viewed themselves in a rather traditional role of provider and as a source of emotional and financial stability for their family. This led to work-life balance stress and, for some, created a dilemma where they felt unable to seek emotional support from their most trusted person—their partner.
In study 2 the role of social support, particularly partner support, was explored in relation to paternal mental health and parenting. Data from fathers participating in Growing Up in New Zealand (N = 2601) were used, focusing on data waves during pregnancy and at child ages 9 months and 2 years. Concurrent partner support, and to a lesser degree, other informal support (friends and family) was related to lower paternal distress during pregnancy and at child age 9 months. Although significant, the magnitude of the association was small. There was no evidence of social support in infancy buffering a negative association between distress and parenting outcomes at child age 2 years.
Study 1 found that most fathers did not feel that their distress warranted a professional intervention. Following from this, study 3 investigated the relationships among mental health literacy (MHL), emotional distress, and fathers’ perceptions of barriers and modes of mental health help-seeking. Data were collected from a community sample of New Zealand and Australian fathers (N = 129). The study involved completing an online vignette survey, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 Items (DASS-21), and two open ended questions. Those with a high DASS-21 stress score were more likely to report the individual in the vignette as needing help or having a mental health problem. regardless of the accuracy of this choice. Additionally, more fathers were able to correctly recognise clear symptoms of depression (typical depression) compared to masked depression. Fathers described several informal and formal sources for support and internal and external barriers (e.g., stigma and time/cost) to help-seeking.
This thesis adds to the growing knowledge on fathers’ mental wellbeing by examining paternal help-seeking and distress as well the role of social support. Overall, the findings of this research are consistent with the limited amount of existing research suggesting that partner support has a unique role in paternal mental health. The findings also suggest greater emphasis on the role of relationships and social support in fathers’ mental health and help-seeking. The main implications of this thesis for health professionals who interact with young families are that paternal mental health requires greater clinical and social attention, and fathers with low levels of social support, poor work-life balance and mental health literacy, and traditional masculine beliefs on help-seeking may be at high risk of experiencing mental health difficulties.

text: Fathers' Help Seeking and Support: The Importance of Relationships for Mental Wellbeing Becoming a father is a major transition for men, and may be a source of happiness and fulfilment, as well as distress. Perinatal mental health research has traditionally focused on mothers, with paternal mental health receiving limited attention. Men are adopting more caregiving roles and increasing their parental involvement, while maintaining their traditional role as a key provider for the family. Balancing these roles may lead to experiences of psychological distress, and help-seeking can be important in alleviating the impacts of paternal distress. However, research on fathers’ help-seeking and mental health needs remains scarce. Therefore, this thesis sought to better understand fathers’ experiences of help-seeking, and facilitators and challenges of paternal help-seeking to support mental health.
Study 1 involved in-depth semi-structured interviews with 11 fathers about their experiences regarding transition to fatherhood and seeking support and advice in early years of parenthood. Fathers reported experiencing distress and uncertainty during the transition to parenthood; however, most did not believe their distress required seeking professional help. Fathers also used a variety of individual and interpersonal coping strategies. Partners were the most important source of emotional support for fathers, but some fathers felt it was inappropriate to seek their partner’s support while she was coping with the stress of pregnancy and new parenting. This study revealed that fathers viewed themselves in a rather traditional role of provider and as a source of emotional and financial stability for their family. This led to work-life balance stress and, for some, created a dilemma where they felt unable to seek emotional support from their most trusted person—their partner.
In study 2 the role of social support, particularly partner support, was explored in relation to paternal mental health and parenting. Data from fathers participating in Growing Up in New Zealand (N = 2601) were used, focusing on data waves during pregnancy and at child ages 9 months and 2 years. Concurrent partner support, and to a lesser degree, other informal support (friends and family) was related to lower paternal distress during pregnancy and at child age 9 months. Although significant, the magnitude of the association was small. There was no evidence of social support in infancy buffering a negative association between distress and parenting outcomes at child age 2 years.
Study 1 found that most fathers did not feel that their distress warranted a professional intervention. Following from this, study 3 investigated the relationships among mental health literacy (MHL), emotional distress, and fathers’ perceptions of barriers and modes of mental health help-seeking. Data were collected from a community sample of New Zealand and Australian fathers (N = 129). The study involved completing an online vignette survey, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 Items (DASS-21), and two open ended questions. Those with a high DASS-21 stress score were more likely to report the individual in the vignette as needing help or having a mental health problem. regardless of the accuracy of this choice. Additionally, more fathers were able to correctly recognise clear symptoms of depression (typical depression) compared to masked depression. Fathers described several informal and formal sources for support and internal and external barriers (e.g., stigma and time/cost) to help-seeking.
This thesis adds to the growing knowledge on fathers’ mental wellbeing by examining paternal help-seeking and distress as well the role of social support. Overall, the findings of this research are consistent with the limited amount of existing research suggesting that partner support has a unique role in paternal mental health. The findings also suggest greater emphasis on the role of relationships and social support in fathers’ mental health and help-seeking. The main implications of this thesis for health professionals who interact with young families are that paternal mental health requires greater clinical and social attention, and fathers with low levels of social support, poor work-life balance and mental health literacy, and traditional masculine beliefs on help-seeking may be at high risk of experiencing mental health difficulties.

year: 2024

title: Systemic racism and oppression in psychology: Voices from psychologists, academic staff, and students

authors: Waitoki, Waikaremoana

subjects: psychology

abstract: Psychology must reassess its training approach, as the current monocultural paradigm not only causes harm, but also fails to equip psychologists with the knowledge needed to provide culturally appropriate care for Māori, Pacific, Asian, and other minoritised groups. Findings from this report contribute to the growing evidence of the urgent need to address barriers preventing Māori, Pacific, Asian, and other minoritised groups from participating effectively in professional psychology programmes. This 
report calls for action for everyone in psychology to embrace the changes needed to improve the cultural safety of the discipline and hold ourselves accountable for supporting the development of Te Tiriti-aligned psychology.

text: Systemic racism and oppression in psychology: Voices from psychologists, academic staff, and students Psychology must reassess its training approach, as the current monocultural paradigm not only causes harm, but also fails to equip psychologists with the knowledge needed to provide culturally appropriate care for Māori, Pacific, Asian, and other minoritised groups. Findings from this report contribute to the growing evidence of the urgent need to address barriers preventing Māori, Pacific, Asian, and other minoritised groups from participating effectively in professional psychology programmes. This 
report calls for action for everyone in psychology to embrace the changes needed to improve the cultural safety of the discipline and hold ourselves accountable for supporting the development of Te Tiriti-aligned psychology.

year: 2024