title: Sick of social media scrolling?  A behavioural intervention to reduce problematic social media use via smartphone device

authors: Moffat, Zaida

subjects: concurrent multiple baseline design

abstract: Excessive social media use can be problematic, with risks for individuals including compromised health and wellbeing and disruptions to work and personal relationships. Currently there is a lack of empirically supported treatments for reducing problematic social media use. Stinson and Dallery (2023) recently demonstrated the success of a behavioural intervention in reducing social media use with nine university students in Florida. I aimed to conduct an approximate replication of their intervention with university students in New Zealand. I initially administered a modified Internet Addiction Test to 148 participants. Of these, 38 qualified and three completed the behavioural intervention study. Social media use was tracked through the screen time function of each participant’s smartphone. Once a stable baseline was established, participants began an intervention phase. The intervention was contingency management with automated notifications and the selection of three alternative activities. Results of this intervention indicate success in the reduction of social media use for two of three participants. However, a lack of evidence to suggest any increase in the duration of time spent in chosen alternative activities replaced social media use. These results raise further questions regarding the effects of environmental changes on the strength of contingency management reinforcement for participants during this intervention. Identifying key variables in the reinforcement of contingency management that successfully reduces social media use for participants could be beneficial to many groups, particularly students who may use social media to escape academic demands.

text: Sick of social media scrolling?  A behavioural intervention to reduce problematic social media use via smartphone device Excessive social media use can be problematic, with risks for individuals including compromised health and wellbeing and disruptions to work and personal relationships. Currently there is a lack of empirically supported treatments for reducing problematic social media use. Stinson and Dallery (2023) recently demonstrated the success of a behavioural intervention in reducing social media use with nine university students in Florida. I aimed to conduct an approximate replication of their intervention with university students in New Zealand. I initially administered a modified Internet Addiction Test to 148 participants. Of these, 38 qualified and three completed the behavioural intervention study. Social media use was tracked through the screen time function of each participant’s smartphone. Once a stable baseline was established, participants began an intervention phase. The intervention was contingency management with automated notifications and the selection of three alternative activities. Results of this intervention indicate success in the reduction of social media use for two of three participants. However, a lack of evidence to suggest any increase in the duration of time spent in chosen alternative activities replaced social media use. These results raise further questions regarding the effects of environmental changes on the strength of contingency management reinforcement for participants during this intervention. Identifying key variables in the reinforcement of contingency management that successfully reduces social media use for participants could be beneficial to many groups, particularly students who may use social media to escape academic demands.

year: 2025

title: The athleticism of drag queen practices and performance: A mixed-methods study of injury, prevention, and health care

authors: Diamond, Marisa

subjects: drag queen

abstract: Most research on drag performance has focused on gender and sexuality and/or performing arts. 
To date, very little has examined drag queens’ experiences of athleticism, injury, and injury care. This research provides insights into the physical experiences of professional drag queens, and the relationship of drag queens to health care, in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States. Specific areas of inquiry include: how drag queen performers of diverse gender identities, ages, experience levels, and athletic backgrounds experience the use of their bodies in their practice of drag; injury occurrence related to drag queen performance; and how drag queens perceive, access, and experience health care in direct connection to their drag practice. 
A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a survey (96 participants) and interviews with six drag queens from Aotearoa New Zealand the U.S. This research draws on Queer and feminist theory, as well as public health models, to inform data collection and analysis techniques. The findings reveal drag to be a physically demanding discipline: the majority of drag queens have experienced drag-related injuries, despite practicing personally developed body maintenance behaviours. Participants also expressed a lack of, and necessity for, widely available, fully accessible, and visible LGBTQ+ and drag culturally safe and resonant healthcare. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of the physical body in drag queen performance, as well as the health care needs of drag queens in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States. Utilization of research findings, along with cross-sector discussions, could inform community health best practices and policy development, to improve health care for this historically marginalized population.

text: The athleticism of drag queen practices and performance: A mixed-methods study of injury, prevention, and health care Most research on drag performance has focused on gender and sexuality and/or performing arts. 
To date, very little has examined drag queens’ experiences of athleticism, injury, and injury care. This research provides insights into the physical experiences of professional drag queens, and the relationship of drag queens to health care, in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States. Specific areas of inquiry include: how drag queen performers of diverse gender identities, ages, experience levels, and athletic backgrounds experience the use of their bodies in their practice of drag; injury occurrence related to drag queen performance; and how drag queens perceive, access, and experience health care in direct connection to their drag practice. 
A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a survey (96 participants) and interviews with six drag queens from Aotearoa New Zealand the U.S. This research draws on Queer and feminist theory, as well as public health models, to inform data collection and analysis techniques. The findings reveal drag to be a physically demanding discipline: the majority of drag queens have experienced drag-related injuries, despite practicing personally developed body maintenance behaviours. Participants also expressed a lack of, and necessity for, widely available, fully accessible, and visible LGBTQ+ and drag culturally safe and resonant healthcare. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of the physical body in drag queen performance, as well as the health care needs of drag queens in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States. Utilization of research findings, along with cross-sector discussions, could inform community health best practices and policy development, to improve health care for this historically marginalized population.

year: 2024

title: Outdoor learning in Aotearoa New Zealand: voices past, present, and future

authors: Cosgriff, Marg

subjects: culture

abstract: Many of the principles and practices that have influenced outdoor education in Aotearoa New Zealand find their genesis in the United Kingdom and North America. In recent times, many of these foundational assumptions have been called into question. This paper highlights how emerging 'local' voices are questioning and reframing how outdoor education is conceptualised and practiced. In large part this is due to a sense of distinctiveness borne from the bicultural foundations that underpin governance and policy-making. This paper explores how outdoor educators are developing pedagogies that acknowledge the particularities of our context, particularly the bicultural foundation of Aotearoa New Zealand. The paper highlights how social and cultural influences shape educational policy and how outdoor educators are responding, both theoretically and practically, to meet the needs of learners in an increasingly diverse society.

text: Outdoor learning in Aotearoa New Zealand: voices past, present, and future Many of the principles and practices that have influenced outdoor education in Aotearoa New Zealand find their genesis in the United Kingdom and North America. In recent times, many of these foundational assumptions have been called into question. This paper highlights how emerging 'local' voices are questioning and reframing how outdoor education is conceptualised and practiced. In large part this is due to a sense of distinctiveness borne from the bicultural foundations that underpin governance and policy-making. This paper explores how outdoor educators are developing pedagogies that acknowledge the particularities of our context, particularly the bicultural foundation of Aotearoa New Zealand. The paper highlights how social and cultural influences shape educational policy and how outdoor educators are responding, both theoretically and practically, to meet the needs of learners in an increasingly diverse society.

year: 2012