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Frontiers in Psychology 2021In the midst of a global pandemic, psychology has a duty to identify dispositional or character traits that can be cultivated in citizens in order to create resiliency...
In the midst of a global pandemic, psychology has a duty to identify dispositional or character traits that can be cultivated in citizens in order to create resiliency in the face of profound losses, suffering and distress. Dispositional joy holds some promise as such a trait that could be especially important for well-being during the current pandemic and its consequences. The concept of the Joyful Life may operate as bridge between positive psychology and humanistic, existential, and spiritual views of the good life, by integrating hedonic, prudential, eudaimonic and chaironic visions of the good life. Previous phenomenological research on state joy suggests that momentary states of joy may have features that overlap with happiness but go beyond mere hedonic interests, and point to the experience of a life oriented toward virtue and a sense of the transcendent or the sacred. However, qualitative research on the Joyful Life, or dispositional joy, is sorely lacking. This study utilized a dialogical phenomenological analysis to conduct a group-based analysis of 17 volunteer students, who produced 51 autobiographical narrative descriptions of the joyful life. The dialogical analyses were assisted by integration of the Imagery in Movement Method, which incorporated expressive drawing and psychodrama as an aid to explicate implicit themes in the experiences of the participants. The analyses yielded ten invariant themes found across the autobiographical narrative descriptions: Being broken, being grounded, being centered, breaking open, being uplifted, being supertemporal, being open to the mystery, being grateful, opening up and out, and being together. The descriptions of a Joyful Life were consistent with a meaning orientation to happiness, due to their emphasis on the cultivation of virtue in the service of a higher calling, the realization of which was felt to be a gift or blessing. The discussion examines implications for future research, including the current relevance of a joyful disposition during a global pandemic. Due to the joyful disposition's tendency to transform suffering and tragedy into meaning, and its theme of an orientation to prosocial motivations, the Joyful Life may occupy a central place in the study of resiliency and personal growth in response to personal and collective trauma such as COVID-19.
PubMed: 34366969
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648600 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2020The use of effective teaching strategies should be developed from teachers' reflections on educational needs. This study has a twofold objective: to identify needs in...
The use of effective teaching strategies should be developed from teachers' reflections on educational needs. This study has a twofold objective: to identify needs in teaching-learning processes in the university setting as well as to present and examine the effectiveness of four psychodramatic techniques: psychodramatic images, soliloquy, role-playing and . A qualitative design using thematic analysis was followed. All 128 teachers participating in the Training in Teaching Skills: Educational Psychodrama (nine courses) were evaluated. Teachers (62.5% women) were from different disciplines. Two semi-structured group interviews were conducted using the focus group procedure. Focus groups were held at the beginning and end of each course (18 in total). The phases of thematic analysis were used as discourse analysis strategies. Teachers reported the need to develop active teaching practices with large groups, strategies to motivate students and skills for conflict resolution with students. Concerning psychodramatic techniques, emphasis was placed on the psychodramatic images to promote active learning and group construction of contents, exploring previous ideas and as an evaluation resource. In addition, the structured use of role-playing was positively assessed. These results identify specific teaching needs and support the use of psychodramatic techniques as a valuable educational resource in higher education.
Topics: Female; Focus Groups; Humans; Male; Psychodrama; Students; Teaching; Universities
PubMed: 32492890
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17113922 -
A students' survey of cultural competence as a basis for identifying gaps in the medical curriculum.BMC Medical Education Oct 2014Assessing the cultural competence of medical students that have completed the curriculum provides indications on the effectiveness of cultural competence training in...
BACKGROUND
Assessing the cultural competence of medical students that have completed the curriculum provides indications on the effectiveness of cultural competence training in that curriculum. However, existing measures for cultural competence mostly rely on self-perceived cultural competence. This paper describes the outcomes of an assessment of knowledge, reflection ability and self-reported culturally competent consultation behaviour, the relation between these assessments and self-perceived cultural competence, and the applicability of the results in the light of developing a cultural competence educational programme.
METHODS
392 medical students, Youth Health Care (YHC) Physician Residents and their Physician Supervisors were invited to complete a web-based questionnaire that assessed three domains of cultural competence: 1) general knowledge of ethnic minority care provision and interpretation services; 2) reflection ability; and 3) culturally competent consultation behaviour. Additionally, respondents graded their overall self-perceived cultural competence on a 1-10 scale.
RESULTS
86 medical students, 56 YHC Residents and 35 YHC Supervisors completed the questionnaire (overall response rate 41%; n= 177). On average, respondents scored low on general knowledge (mean 46% of maximum score) and knowledge of interpretation services (mean 55%) and much higher on reflection ability (80%). The respondents' reports of their consultation behaviour reflected moderately adequate behaviour in exploring patients' perspectives (mean 64%) and in interaction with low health literate patients (mean 60%) while the score on exploring patients' social contexts was on average low (46%). YHC respondents scored higher than medical students on knowledge of interpretation services, exploring patients' perspectives and exploring social contexts. The associations between self-perceived cultural competence and assessed knowledge, reflection ability and consultation behaviour were weak.
CONCLUSION
Assessing the cultural competence of medical students and physicians identified gaps in knowledge and culturally competent behaviour. Such data can be used to guide improvement efforts to the diversity content of educational curricula. Based on this study, improvements should focus on increasing knowledge and improving diversity-sensitive consultation behaviour and less on reflection skills. The weak association between overall self-perceived cultural competence and assessed knowledge, reflection ability and consultation behaviour supports the hypothesis that measures of sell-perceived competence are insufficient to assess actual cultural competence.
Topics: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Clinical Competence; Communication; Curriculum; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Educational Measurement; England; Faculty, Medical; Feedback; Female; Humans; Male; Patient Simulation; Peer Group; Referral and Consultation; Role Playing; Students, Medical; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
PubMed: 25305069
DOI: 10.1186/1472-6920-14-216 -
Diagnosis (Berlin, Germany) Jun 2019Background Clinical reasoning (CR) is a core competency in medical education. Few studies have examined efforts to train faculty to teach CR and lead CR curricula in...
Background Clinical reasoning (CR) is a core competency in medical education. Few studies have examined efforts to train faculty to teach CR and lead CR curricula in medical schools and residencies. In this report, we describe the development and preliminary evaluation of a faculty development workshop to teach CR grounded in CR theory. Methods Twenty-six medicine faculty (nine hospitalists and 17 subspecialists) participated in a workshop that introduced a framework to teach CR using an interactive, case-based didactic followed by role-play exercises. Faculty participated in pre- and post-Group Observed Structured Teaching Exercises (GOSTE), completed retrospective pre-post assessments (RPPs), and made commitment to change statements (CTCs). Results In the post-GOSTE, participants significantly improved in their use of problem representation and illness scripts to teach CR. RPPs revealed that faculty were more confident in their ability and more likely to teach CR using educational strategies grounded in CR educational theory. At 2-month follow-up, 81% of participants reported partially implementing these teaching techniques. Conclusions After participating in this 3-h workshop, faculty demonstrated increased ability to use these teaching techniques and expressed greater confidence and an increased likelihood to teach CR. The majority of faculty reported implementing these newly learned educational strategies into practice.
Topics: Clinical Decision-Making; Education, Medical; Faculty, Medical; Humans; Medicine; Quality Improvement; Retrospective Studies; Role Playing; Staff Development
PubMed: 30849044
DOI: 10.1515/dx-2018-0059 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2020Non-pharmacological treatment (NPT) improves cognitive functions and behavioural disturbances in patients with dementia, but the underlying neural mechanisms are... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Non-pharmacological treatment (NPT) improves cognitive functions and behavioural disturbances in patients with dementia, but the underlying neural mechanisms are unclear. In this observational study, 21 patients with dementia received NPTs for several months. Patients were scanned using magnetoencephalography twice during the NPT period to evaluate NPT effects on resting-state brain activity. Additionally, cognitive functions and behavioural disturbances were measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-J) and a short version of the Dementia Behaviour Disturbance Scale (DBD-13) at the beginning and the end of the NPT period. In contrast to the average DBD-13 score, the average MMSE-J score improved after the NPT period. Magnetoencephalography data revealed a reduced alpha activity in the right temporal lobe and fusiform gyrus, as well as an increased low-gamma activity in the right angular gyrus. DBD-13 score changes were correlated with beta activity in the sensorimotor area. These findings corroborate previous studies confirming NPT effects on brain activity in healthy participants and people at risk of dementia. Our results provide additional evidence that brains of patients with dementia have the capacity for plasticity, which may be responsible for the observed NPT effects. In dementia, NPT might lead to improvements in the quality of life.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alpha Rhythm; Alzheimer Disease; Beta Rhythm; Cognition; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Dementia, Vascular; Exercise; Female; Gamma Rhythm; Horticultural Therapy; Humans; Magnetoencephalography; Male; Mental Status and Dementia Tests; Nursing Care; Parietal Lobe; Quality of Life; Role Playing; Temporal Lobe
PubMed: 32317774
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63881-0 -
Australian Family Physician Oct 2004
Topics: Communication; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Humans; Physician-Patient Relations; Role Playing
PubMed: 15532165
DOI: No ID Found -
Science and Engineering Ethics Dec 2020There is growing consensus that teaching computer ethics is important, but there is little consensus on how to do so. One unmet challenge is increasing the capacity of...
There is growing consensus that teaching computer ethics is important, but there is little consensus on how to do so. One unmet challenge is increasing the capacity of computing students to make decisions about the ethical challenges embedded in their technical work. This paper reports on the design, testing, and evaluation of an educational simulation to meet this challenge. The privacy by design simulation enables more relevant and effective computer ethics education by letting students experience and make decisions about common ethical challenges encountered in real-world work environments. This paper describes the process of incorporating empirical observations of ethical questions in computing into an online simulation and an in-person board game. We employed the Values at Play framework to transform empirical observations of design into a playable educational experience. First, we conducted qualitative research to discover when and how values levers-practices that encourage values discussions during technology development-occur during the design of new mobile applications. We then translated these findings into gameplay elements, including the goals, roles, and elements of surprise incorporated into a simulation. We ran the online simulation in five undergraduate computer and information science classes. Based on this experience, we created a more accessible board game, which we tested in two undergraduate classes and two professional workshops. We evaluated the effectiveness of both the online simulation and the board game using two methods: a pre/post-test of moral sensitivity based on the Defining Issues Test, and a questionnaire evaluating student experience. We found that converting real-world ethical challenges into a playable simulation increased student's reported interest in ethical issues in technology, and that students identified the role-playing activity as relevant to their technical coursework. This demonstrates that roleplaying can emphasize ethical decision-making as a relevant component of technical work.
Topics: Computers; Humans; Privacy; Role Playing; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 32613325
DOI: 10.1007/s11948-020-00250-0 -
BMC Medical Education Apr 2022Traditional lecture-based medical ethics and law courses deliver knowledge but may not improve students' learning motivation. To bridge this theory-to-practice gap and...
BACKGROUND
Traditional lecture-based medical ethics and law courses deliver knowledge but may not improve students' learning motivation. To bridge this theory-to-practice gap and facilitate students' learning effectiveness, we applied situated-learning theory to design an interdisciplinary court-based learning (CBL) component within the curriculum. Our study aimed to investigate students' learning feedbacks and propose a creative course design.
METHODS
A total of 135 fourth-year medical students participated in this course. The CBL component included 1 h of introduction, 1 h of court attendance, and 2 h of interdisciplinary discussion with senior physicians, judges, and prosecutors. After the class, we conducted a survey using a mixed-methods approach to gauge students' perceptions of engagement, performance, and satisfaction.
RESULTS
A total of 97 questionnaires were received (72% response rate). Over 70% of respondents were satisfied and felt that the class was useful except for role-playing activities (60%). More than 60% reported a better understanding of the practical applications of medical law. Approximately half (54%) reported less anxiety about medical disputes. 73% reported that the lecture provided awareness of potential medical disputes, and most respondents expressed an interest in medical law courses after the court visit (78%). 80% of the respondents were able to display empathy and apply mediation skills. Qualitative analyses showed that students demonstrated new knowledge, including recognizing the significance of the medical profession, distinguishing the importance of physician-patient communication, having confidence in the fairness of the justice system, and being willing to increase their legal knowledge.
CONCLUSIONS
CBL curriculum increases students' learning motivation in strengthening medical professionalism and medical law, develops students' empathy for patients and communication skills, as well as builds up students' trust in the justice system. This novel course design can be applied to teach medical ethics and law.
Topics: Curriculum; Education, Medical, Undergraduate; Ethics, Medical; Humans; Learning; Role Playing; Students, Medical
PubMed: 35428246
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-022-03349-z -
PloS One 2019This paper reports the development and baseline data of a vignettes-based measure of gender equality.
UNLABELLED
This paper reports the development and baseline data of a vignettes-based measure of gender equality.
METHODS
Vignettes were developed through 3-day long focus groups. After piloting in 13 sites and repiloting a revised version in 6 countries, responses were categorized by the construct tapped and a scoring system developed. Finalized vignettes were then tested in DR Congo, Ecuador and China.
RESULTS
Young adolescents can successfully respond to vignettes; and can differentiate self from hypothetical protagonists of same and opposite sex. Response differences by sex of respondent and protagonist were statistically significant across a range of scenarios and settings.
CONCLUSION
This is the first vignettes-based measure for young adolescents assessing young adolescent perceptions of relationships differentiated by sex of the protagonist.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Child; China; Civil Rights; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ecuador; Female; Focus Groups; Human Rights; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Psychology, Adolescent; Role Playing
PubMed: 31247045
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218863 -
The Permanente Journal 2020Delivering bad news is a difficult task for physicians, and medical schools do not always prepare future physicians for this inevitable task.
INTRODUCTION
Delivering bad news is a difficult task for physicians, and medical schools do not always prepare future physicians for this inevitable task.
OBJECTIVE
To examine training in breaking bad news, to improve medical students' competence and confidence in dealing with this important aspect of clinical practice.
METHODS
An exploratory study using a qualitative approach was done at a Brazilian public university's medical school, which receives 30 medical students per semester. Two focus groups were conducted in 2018, with 15 students per group, before and after the training. The intervention consisted of a 6-month (4 h/wk) course about breaking bad news offered to 30 third-year medical students. The communication course included the perspectives of health care professionals, patients, and their families; the SPIKES protocol and the "ABCDE" mnemonic for delivering bad news; general guidelines; and role-playing/simulation strategies to improve students' skills and reduce their personal limitations.
RESULTS
Results of the preintervention focus group demonstrated that only 30% of the students were aware of the importance of breaking bad news and of the existence of specific protocols to guide physicians in these situations. Findings from the postintervention focus group indicated that 90% of students understood the importance and began to apply protocols in their practice.
DISCUSSION
Breaking bad news is a challenge for undergraduate medical students. The results of our qualitative study showed that students' perceptions about their capability in delivering bad news increased significantly after regular and focused training. The knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired strengthened the students' self-reported ability to deal with situations requiring breaking bad news.
CONCLUSION
The activities offered helped students develop communication skills. They made connections between their formal training (communication and cognitive skills) and actual clinical practice in a community-based rotation. The knowledge and skills acquired gave them tools needed to deliver bad news in their future clinical practice.
Topics: Brazil; Clinical Competence; Communication; Curriculum; Emotions; Female; Focus Groups; Group Processes; Humans; Learning; Male; Physician-Patient Relations; Qualitative Research; Role Playing; Students, Medical; Truth Disclosure
PubMed: 32097117
DOI: 10.7812/TPP/19.157