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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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Articles 31 - 44 of 44
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
What Stresses University Students: An Interview Investigation Of The Demands Of Tertiary Studies, Vicki Bitsika, Christoper Sharpley, Vira Rubenstein
What Stresses University Students: An Interview Investigation Of The Demands Of Tertiary Studies, Vicki Bitsika, Christoper Sharpley, Vira Rubenstein
Vicki Bitsika
Although several previous scales have been developed to measure the presence and effects of the stressful demands encountered by university students, most of these have been validated with samples drawn from US universities, commonly using only undergraduate psychology students. In addition, many of the items used are from scales designed for application within general adult populations, with little focus upon the specific stressors met by students. In order to identify what are the major changes these students encounter that they find stressful, a sample of 32 university students from different degree areas within an Australian university was individually interviewed using …
'What Made Me Unhappy'. Experiences Of, And Responses To, Lifestyle Changes In Breast Cancer Patients, Vicki Bitsika, Christoper Sharpley, David Christie
'What Made Me Unhappy'. Experiences Of, And Responses To, Lifestyle Changes In Breast Cancer Patients, Vicki Bitsika, Christoper Sharpley, David Christie
Vicki Bitsika
Sixteen breast cancer patients were interviewed about any lifestyle changes they had experienced and their reactions to those changes. Data were collected and analysed via content analysis and then summary tabulations of patient responses until replication of responses was verified across patients. Results indicated that most patients suffered a reduction in recreation activities, unpleasant physical side effects from treatment and loss of feminine appearance characteristics, all of which were seen as decreases in previously available and valuable sources of social support and self-esteem. In response to these losses, patients reported a common coping strategy of avoidance or escape similar to …
The Diverse Neurogeography Of Emotional Experience: Form Follows Function, Christoper Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika
The Diverse Neurogeography Of Emotional Experience: Form Follows Function, Christoper Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika
Vicki Bitsika
The experience of emotion underlies emotional expression and consequent action. Although several theoretical models of emotion have suggested that emotional expression is reciprocally involved with sensory inputs and behavioural responses to environmental stimuli, these discussions have largely focused upon fear and its survival value to the organism. By describing research studies across a wide range of emotions and the specific brain regions that are associated with those emotions, this review raises the hypothesis that the “form” of emotional experience neurogeography has followed the “function” associated with developing complex emotional and behavioural responses to challenging environmental stimuli. This separation of emotions …
Causal 'Mapping' Of Depression And Anxiety Among Prostate Cancer Patients: A Preliminary Interview Study, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
Causal 'Mapping' Of Depression And Anxiety Among Prostate Cancer Patients: A Preliminary Interview Study, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
Vicki Bitsika
Background: Men with prostate cancer experience elevated levels of anxiety and depression, with some previous data suggesting that this is due to loss of previously-available social and personal reinforcing pleasant activities and abilities. Little is currently known about the range of activities/abilities that these patients lose, leaving open the question of how to best target lifestyle changes designed to help them overcome these negative effects on their mental health. This study used personal interviews to gather details of the pattern of lost activities/abilities from a sample of men with prostate cancer so that a self-report questionnaire might be developed for …
Positive (But Not Negative) Punishment Predicts Anxiety And Depression Among Prostate Cancer Patients: An Exploration Of The Behaviour Analytic Model Of Depression, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, David Christie
Positive (But Not Negative) Punishment Predicts Anxiety And Depression Among Prostate Cancer Patients: An Exploration Of The Behaviour Analytic Model Of Depression, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, David Christie
Vicki Bitsika
The relative power of Positive and Negative Punishment as predictors of anxiety and depression was investigated within the gender-specific population of Prostate Cancer patients. As well as being a more powerful predictor of total test scores, Positive Punishment was also a stronger predictor of the presence of clinical levels of anxiety and depression. Examination of the particular Positive Punishment events that were significantly associated with clinical anxiety and depression showed considerable overlap, supporting the concept of a combined anxiety-depression disorder. Suggestions for behavioural interventions with this patient group are made.
Helping Prostate Cancer Patients Understand The Causes Of Anxiety And Depression: Comparing Cancer-Caused Vs Patient Response Events, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
Helping Prostate Cancer Patients Understand The Causes Of Anxiety And Depression: Comparing Cancer-Caused Vs Patient Response Events, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
Vicki Bitsika
Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) patients have elevated anxiety and depression, often showing impairments in decision-making and weakened relationships with their partner and family. Although treatment for these psychological side-effects of PCa is strongly recommended, relatively little is known of the causal processes underlying them. This study compared cancer-based lifestyle changes vs patient behavioural responses to cancer as predictors of anxiety and depression among PCa patients. Methods: PCa patients (381) were surveyed for their responses to standardised anxiety and depression questionnaires, plus a questionnaire designed to assess the kinds of lifestyle changes that had occurred to them and their responses to …
Limitations Of Functional Analysis: The Case For Including Valued Outcomes Analysis In The Investigation Of Difficult Behaviour, Vicki Bitsika
Limitations Of Functional Analysis: The Case For Including Valued Outcomes Analysis In The Investigation Of Difficult Behaviour, Vicki Bitsika
Vicki Bitsika
Effective behaviour change is based on understanding the reasons for difficult behaviour. However, current functional analytic technology is often limited in its effectiveness in the clinical setting because the focus is on labelling and classifying behavioural outcomes rather than conducting a detailed analysis of the manner in which these outcomes assist the client to operate in the environment. The effectiveness of existing functional analytic techniques might be enhanced by moving the focus of the investigation from identifying the consequent variables that impact on behaviour to systematically exploring client–environment interactions as well as the manner in which the client experiences the …
Stress, Anxiety And Depression Among Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Stress, Anxiety And Depression Among Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Vicki Bitsika
In a replication of a previous study of the incidence and contributing factors in anxiety, depression and stress in Victorian parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a sample of 107 Gold Coast parents completed a questionnaire that assessed their demographic backgrounds, anxiety and depression scores on standardised inventories, and also tapped several aspects of those factors that may have contributed to their wellbeing. Over 90% of parents reported that they were sometimes unable to deal effectively with their child's behaviour. Nearly half of the participants were severely anxious and nearly two thirds were clinically depressed. Factors that …
Treating The Client Rather Than The Symptoms: Moving Beyond Manualised Treatments In Psychotherapy, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Treating The Client Rather Than The Symptoms: Moving Beyond Manualised Treatments In Psychotherapy, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley
Vicki Bitsika
There have been some challenges to the reliance upon data from randomised controlled clinical trials when identifying ‘evidence-based’ psychotherapy treatments. Similarly, data show that use of treatment manuals does not result in uniform and beneficial outcomes, that some evidence-based treatments are little better than non-specific counselling and that the search for those therapies or components that are effective has been largely fruitless. In an attempt to extend the debate about evidence-based treatments and drawing upon those aspects of cognitive and behavioural therapies that have been shown to be effective in most settings, this article describes valued outcomes analysis and therapy …
"But I'M Not Really Bad": Using An Idiographic Versus A Nomothetic Approach To Understand The Reasons For Difficult Behaviour In Children, Vicki Bitsika
Vicki Bitsika
The number of students who are identified as experiencing behavioural difficulties in the mainstream school setting is growing. However, current efforts by teachers to address these behavioural difficulties are seriously limited because of lack of training in the procedures for assessing and working with difficult behaviour. This paper will argue that the apparent failure of traditional "behaviour modification" in producing positive changes in difficult behaviour lies in its prescriptive application of general strategies to specific student problems. This approach to behaviour change is ineffective because it is not based on an understanding of the reasons for difficult behaviour. The functional …
An Exploratory Analysis Of The Use Of Cognitive,Adaptive And Behavioural Indices For Cluster Analysis Of Asd Subgroups, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Sharon Orapeleng
An Exploratory Analysis Of The Use Of Cognitive,Adaptive And Behavioural Indices For Cluster Analysis Of Asd Subgroups, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Sharon Orapeleng
Vicki Bitsika
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes symptoms that vary in severity and frequency between children. Consequently, multiple psychometric assessment procedures are recommended to detect an ASD, including scales which asses the presence and nature of ASD-related behaviour. However, to date, few studies have examined the relative and specific contribution which such behaviourally oriented scales can make to the diagnosis of individual children with ASD. Method Cluster analysis was used to explore the common characteristics of a group of 53 preschool and elementary school children with an ASD, based upon scores on tests of cognitive ability, adaptive behaviour and behavioural checklists …
The Contribution Of Anxiety And Depression To Fatigue Among A Sample Of Australian University Students: Suggestions For University Counsellors, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Ryan Bell
The Contribution Of Anxiety And Depression To Fatigue Among A Sample Of Australian University Students: Suggestions For University Counsellors, Vicki Bitsika, Christopher Sharpley, Ryan Bell
Vicki Bitsika
Responses to the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS: Zung, W. (1971). A rating instrument for anxiety disorders. Psychosomatics, 12, 371-379), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS: Zung, W. (1973). From art to science: The diagnosis and treatment of depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 29, 328-337) and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) developed by Krupp and colleagues (Krupp, L.B., LaRocca, N.G., Muir-Nash, J., & Steinberg, A.D. (1989). The fatigue severity scale: Application to patients with multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Archives of Neurology, 46, 1121-1123) were collected from 200 Australian university students to explore the links between these three disorders. Reliability …
'Why I Feel Bad': Refinement On The Effects Of Prostate Cancer Upon Lifestyle Questionnaire And An Initial Exploration Of Its Links With Anxiety And Depression Among Prostate Cancer Patients, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
'Why I Feel Bad': Refinement On The Effects Of Prostate Cancer Upon Lifestyle Questionnaire And An Initial Exploration Of Its Links With Anxiety And Depression Among Prostate Cancer Patients, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie
Vicki Bitsika
Objective: To psychometrically refine a standardized scale for identifying those lifestyle changes that were most likely to contribute to anxiety and depression among prostate cancer (PCa) patients.
Methods: Three hundred and eighty-one PCa patients who had received their initial diagnosis between one and 96 months completed a survey of background variables, anxiety and depression inventories and the 36-item Effects of Prostate Cancer upon Lifestyle Questionnaire (EPCLQ).
Results: Levels of anxiety (24%) and depression (26%) were similar to those previously reported for PCa patients. The EPCLQ was shown to have satisfactory psychometric properties and significantly predicted anxiety and depression scores and …
Beyond Nomothetic Classification Of Behavioral Difficulties: Using Valued Outcomes Analysis To Deal With The Behaviour Problems That Occur In The Classroom, Vicki Bitsika
Vicki Bitsika
The number of students who are labeled as having some form of behavioural disorder which requires specialized assistance in the regular school setting is growing. Current approaches to working with these students are often based on the standardized application of treatments designed to modify general symptoms rather than specific behaviours. It is noted that this approach to behaviour-change is limited because it does not seek to understand the reasons why particular behaviours are being used by students in particular settings. This paper will present an idiographic framework as an alternative approach to creating meaningful and long-term changes in the behavioural …