Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Women's Anger, Agression, And Violence, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

Themes of powerlessness, power, and paradox predominate in this reflection on more than 15 years of research on women's anger. Studies conducted in the United States, France, and Turkey are highlighted. These studies have negated several myths while illuminating the general rationality of women's anger: It is squarely grounded in interpersonal interactions in which people deny women power or resources, treat them unjustly, or behave irresponsibly toward them. The offenders are not strangers; rather they are their closest intimates. But few women learned healthy anger expression while growing up. Anger is a confusing and distressing emotion for women, intermingled with …

An Exploration Of Problematic Interviewee Behaviors In Qualitative Research, M. Collins, M. Shattell, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

The interview is a staple of many qualitative approaches. Although textbooks offer extensive guidance to researchers about conducting interviews, less guidance is available about problematic interviewee behaviors, such as flattery or statements indicative of social desirability response bias. In this study, a secondary analysis of 22 phenomenological interview transcripts, we sought to examine problematic interviewee behaviors. More than 300 pages of typed text were subjected to line-by-line scrutiny, yielding only six potential instances of the phenomenon. Each could be interpreted several ways. What appeared to be flattery could also be perceived as simple gratitude or appreciation. We concluded that problematic …

"A Fly In The Buttermilk:" Descriptions Of University Life By Successful Black Undergraduate Students At A Predominately White Southeastern University, M. Davis, Y. Dias-Bowie, K. Greenberg, G. Klukken, H.R. Pollio, Sandra Thomas, C.L. Thompson

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

Although many predominantly white universities exert great effort to recruit minority students, statistics regarding retention and graduation for these students are disturbing. Previous research indicates that academic concerns are not paramount in the attrition of minority students, suggesting that greater attention must be given educational experiences of black students over and above academic matters. Using in-depth phenomenological interviewing, 11 graduating seniors from diverse majors were asked to describe salient incidents of their university experience. These interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to hermeneutic interpretation by an interdisciplinary research group. Dominant in student descriptions of their experiences were five themes: (1) …

The Interaction Model Of Client Health Behavior As A Conceptual Guide In The Explanation Of Children's Health Behaviors, C.H. Robinson, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

This study used the Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (IMCHB) as a conceptual guide to explain the correlates of children's diet and physical activity and explore the relationships of sex with their diet and physical activity of the school-aged child. A descriptive correlational study was conducted on 371 fifth-grade students and their parents. Information on the family's demographics, health experience, social influence, and environmental resources was collected, as well as data on the children's intrinsic motivation, cognitive appraisal, and affective response to food/physical activity. Children's self-reports on diet and physical activity were collected, as were parents' self-reports on health …

School Connectedness, Anger Behaviors, And Relationships Of Violent And Nonviolent Youth, Sandra Thomas, H. Smith

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

PROBLEM: Youth violence research often focuses on risk factors arising from early familial interactions rather than school-related factors. METHODS: Via an Internet questionnaire, 282 girls and boys (ages 7-19, mean 15.3) from 47 states and Washington, DC, reported on school connectedness, interpersonal relationships, and anger behaviors. FINDINGS: Substantial percentages of violent youth did not perceive themselves to be liked by classmates and reported loneliness. If not liked by classmates, 80% hated school. Likers and haters of school differed on seven variables (all p < or = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient attention is paid to the alienation experienced by disliked and lonely students. Mental health nurses could play a pivotal role in fostering change in the social climate of schools and helping youth to achieve better anger management and social skills.

Men's Health And Psychosocial Issues Affecting Men, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

Contemporary scholars are calling on men to rethink "the male deal." As Samuels describes it, "In the male deal, the little boy, at around the age of 3 or 4. strikes a bargain with the social world in which he lives. If he will turn away from soft things, feminine things, maternal things...then the world will reward his gender certainty by giving him all the goodies in its possession." But the "deal" can have damaging effects, as shown in the studies reviewed in this article. Clinicians can help men to rethink the restrictions of the "male deal" so that they …

The Interaction Model Of Client Health Behavior As A Conceptual Guide In The Explanation Of Children's Health Behaviors, C.H. Robinson, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

This study used the Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior (IMCHB) as a conceptual guide to explain the correlates of children's diet and physical activity and explore the relationships of sex with their diet and physical activity of the school-aged child. A descriptive correlational study was conducted on 371 fifth-grade students and their parents. Information on the family's demographics, health experience, social influence, and environmental resources was collected, as well as data on the children's intrinsic motivation, cognitive appraisal, and affective response to food/physical activity. Children's self-reports on diet and physical activity were collected, as were parents' self-reports on health …

Men's Health And Psychosocial Issues Affecting Men, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

Contemporary scholars are calling on men to rethink "the male deal." As Samuels describes it, "In the male deal, the little boy, at around the age of 3 or 4. strikes a bargain with the social world in which he lives. If he will turn away from soft things, feminine things, maternal things...then the world will reward his gender certainty by giving him all the goodies in its possession." But the "deal" can have damaging effects, as shown in the studies reviewed in this article. Clinicians can help men to rethink the restrictions of the "male deal" so that they …

School Connectedness, Anger Behaviors, And Relationships Of Violent And Nonviolent Youth, Sandra Thomas, H. Smith

Sandra Thomas

PROBLEM: Youth violence research often focuses on risk factors arising from early familial interactions rather than school-related factors. METHODS: Via an Internet questionnaire, 282 girls and boys (ages 7-19, mean 15.3) from 47 states and Washington, DC, reported on school connectedness, interpersonal relationships, and anger behaviors. FINDINGS: Substantial percentages of violent youth did not perceive themselves to be liked by classmates and reported loneliness. If not liked by classmates, 80% hated school. Likers and haters of school differed on seven variables (all p < or = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient attention is paid to the alienation experienced by disliked and lonely students. Mental health nurses could play a pivotal role in fostering change in the social climate of schools and helping youth to achieve better anger management and social skills.

"A Fly In The Buttermilk:" Descriptions Of University Life By Successful Black Undergraduate Students At A Predominately White Southeastern University, M. Davis, Y. Dias-Bowie, K. Greenberg, G. Klukken, H.R. Pollio, Sandra Thomas, C.L. Thompson

Sandra Thomas

Although many predominantly white universities exert great effort to recruit minority students, statistics regarding retention and graduation for these students are disturbing. Previous research indicates that academic concerns are not paramount in the attrition of minority students, suggesting that greater attention must be given educational experiences of black students over and above academic matters. Using in-depth phenomenological interviewing, 11 graduating seniors from diverse majors were asked to describe salient incidents of their university experience. These interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to hermeneutic interpretation by an interdisciplinary research group. Dominant in student descriptions of their experiences were five themes: (1) …

Men's Anger: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Its Meaning In A Middle Class Sample Of American Men, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

This study explored the meaning of men's anger, using the methodology of eidetic (descriptive) phenomenology. A community sample of 19 middle-class American men, ranging in age from 20 to 50 years, participated in audiotaped interviews. Two prominent themes, right versus wrong and being controlled versus having control, were contextualized by the world in which masculinity has been socially constructed and emotion is regulated accordingly. Interwoven throughout anger narratives were descriptors of the intense physical arousal felt within the body. Time was an important contextual ground for men's anger experience, with sharp contrasts drawn between anger then and now. Findings suggest …

"None Of Us Will Ever Be The Same Again:" Reactions Of American Midlife Women To 9/11, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

According to terror management theory (TMT), an event that heightens awareness of death produces the need to defend against existential anxiety. The horrifying events of September 11, 2001 (9/11), created an unparalleled opportunity to apply TMT beyond the laboratory. This study examined post-9/11 stress (via perceived stress scale [PSS] scores) and interview responses of a diverse community sample of American midlife women (ages 35-60). Previous studies showed that many women have high stress during midlife, suggesting that 9/11 could have a unique impact on this segment of the U.S. population. Education of the sample ranged from 12 to 23 years. …

"None Of Us Will Ever Be The Same Again:" Reactions Of American Midlife Women To 9/11, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

According to terror management theory (TMT), an event that heightens awareness of death produces the need to defend against existential anxiety. The horrifying events of September 11, 2001 (9/11), created an unparalleled opportunity to apply TMT beyond the laboratory. This study examined post-9/11 stress (via perceived stress scale [PSS] scores) and interview responses of a diverse community sample of American midlife women (ages 35-60). Previous studies showed that many women have high stress during midlife, suggesting that 9/11 could have a unique impact on this segment of the U.S. population. Education of the sample ranged from 12 to 23 years. …

Men's Anger: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Its Meaning In A Middle Class Sample Of American Men, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

This study explored the meaning of men's anger, using the methodology of eidetic (descriptive) phenomenology. A community sample of 19 middle-class American men, ranging in age from 20 to 50 years, participated in audiotaped interviews. Two prominent themes, right versus wrong and being controlled versus having control, were contextualized by the world in which masculinity has been socially constructed and emotion is regulated accordingly. Interwoven throughout anger narratives were descriptors of the intense physical arousal felt within the body. Time was an important contextual ground for men's anger experience, with sharp contrasts drawn between anger then and now. Findings suggest …

Testing A Theory Of Decision Making Derived From King's Systems Framework In Women Eligible For A Cancer Clinical Trial, H.E. Ehrenberger, M.R. Alligood, Sandra Thomas, D.C. Wallace, C.M. Licavoli

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

The purpose of this study was to test an explanatory theory of decision-making in women eligible for a cancer clinical trial. The theory derived from King’s framework proposed that the concepts of uncertainty, role functioning, and social support relate to emotional health (hope and mood state), which in turn relates to the treatment decision. A correlational study design was used to test the theory in a sample of 40 women. Findings provided empirical evidence of the adequacy of King’s framework and supported, in part, theorized relationships among the critical factors. However, these factors did not illuminate the treatment decision.

What's Therapeutic About The Therapeutic Milieu?, Sandra Thomas, M. Shattell, T. Martin

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

While the milieu of an inpatient facility is considered a treatment modality, extant literature focuses on the staff's role in creating the milieu rather than the patient's perception of it. Not since Goffman's Asylums (1961) has there been an in-depth examination of the phenomenal world of the hospitalized psychiatric patient. In this study, eight inpatients (ages 23 to 58) on the acute psychiatric unit of a metropolitan general hospital participated in phenomenological interviews about their experience of the environment. The essential meaning of the hospital was refuge from self-destructiveness. Prominent aspects of patients' experience within the place of refuge were …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experience Of The Spouse Of A Heart Transplant Recipient, A.H. Mccurry, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

In this phenomenological study, in-depth interviews were used to obtain a description of spouses’ experiences in heart transplantation. Thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed four major, interrelated themes: death-life, vigilance, change, and gift. The experience was contextualized by the existential grounds of time and other people. Findings suggested that the changes inherent in the transplant experience have not been fully described in previous studies. The theme of death-life was dominant and pervasive in all interviews. As the threat of their husbands’ deaths became less prominent, wives reported difficulty letting go of their vigilance. Although the most outstanding gift was that …

Age Differences In Anger Frequency, Intensity, And Expression, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

BACKGROUND: Although research consistently indicates harmful effects of mismanaged anger, little attention has been given to age differences in the experience and expression of this emotion. It is plausible that, with age and experience, people have less intense anger or learn to manage it more constructively.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to examine age differences in anger frequency, intensity, and expression in a nonclinical sample of students, faculty, and staff who participated in a health fair at a large southeastern university.

STUDY DESIGN: This descriptive study involved a predominantly white sample, ranging in age from 18 to 76 …

Age Differences In Anger Frequency, Intensity, And Expression, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

BACKGROUND: Although research consistently indicates harmful effects of mismanaged anger, little attention has been given to age differences in the experience and expression of this emotion. It is plausible that, with age and experience, people have less intense anger or learn to manage it more constructively.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this project was to examine age differences in anger frequency, intensity, and expression in a nonclinical sample of students, faculty, and staff who participated in a health fair at a large southeastern university.

STUDY DESIGN: This descriptive study involved a predominantly white sample, ranging in age from 18 to 76 …

What's Therapeutic About The Therapeutic Milieu?, Sandra Thomas, M. Shattell, T. Martin

Sandra Thomas

While the milieu of an inpatient facility is considered a treatment modality, extant literature focuses on the staff's role in creating the milieu rather than the patient's perception of it. Not since Goffman's Asylums (1961) has there been an in-depth examination of the phenomenal world of the hospitalized psychiatric patient. In this study, eight inpatients (ages 23 to 58) on the acute psychiatric unit of a metropolitan general hospital participated in phenomenological interviews about their experience of the environment. The essential meaning of the hospital was refuge from self-destructiveness. Prominent aspects of patients' experience within the place of refuge were …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experience Of The Spouse Of A Heart Transplant Recipient, A.H. Mccurry, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

In this phenomenological study, in-depth interviews were used to obtain a description of spouses’ experiences in heart transplantation. Thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed four major, interrelated themes: death-life, vigilance, change, and gift. The experience was contextualized by the existential grounds of time and other people. Findings suggested that the changes inherent in the transplant experience have not been fully described in previous studies. The theme of death-life was dominant and pervasive in all interviews. As the threat of their husbands’ deaths became less prominent, wives reported difficulty letting go of their vigilance. Although the most outstanding gift was that …

Testing A Theory Of Decision Making Derived From King's Systems Framework In Women Eligible For A Cancer Clinical Trial, H.E. Ehrenberger, M.R. Alligood, Sandra Thomas, D.C. Wallace, C.M. Licavoli

Sandra Thomas

The purpose of this study was to test an explanatory theory of decision-making in women eligible for a cancer clinical trial. The theory derived from King’s framework proposed that the concepts of uncertainty, role functioning, and social support relate to emotional health (hope and mood state), which in turn relates to the treatment decision. A correlational study design was used to test the theory in a sample of 40 women. Findings provided empirical evidence of the adequacy of King’s framework and supported, in part, theorized relationships among the critical factors. However, these factors did not illuminate the treatment decision.

The "Good-Enough Dissertation:" A Modest Proposal, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

This article addresses the paralysis of perfectionism, a factor in the failure of a doctoral candidate to complete the dissertation. A remedy is proposed.

Teaching Healthy Anger Management, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

TOPIC. Teaching anger management in the community.

PURPOSE. To describe anger management and offer guidelines for assessing potential participants and teaching healthy behaviors.

SOURCES. Drawing from the literature, more than 10 years of quantitative and qualitative studies by our research team, and 5 years of experience in conducting anger management groups, the author presents basic principles of teaching anger management. A model is described for a 4-week group for women.

CONCLUSIONS. Anger management has wide applicability to a variety of constituencies for both primary and secondary prevention. Advanced practice psychiatric nurses are well-qualified to provide this psychoeducational intervention.

The View From The Edge Of The Cauldron, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

No abstract provided.

The View From The Edge Of The Cauldron, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

No abstract provided.

The "Good-Enough Dissertation:" A Modest Proposal, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

This article addresses the paralysis of perfectionism, a factor in the failure of a doctoral candidate to complete the dissertation. A remedy is proposed.

Teaching Healthy Anger Management, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

TOPIC. Teaching anger management in the community.

PURPOSE. To describe anger management and offer guidelines for assessing potential participants and teaching healthy behaviors.

SOURCES. Drawing from the literature, more than 10 years of quantitative and qualitative studies by our research team, and 5 years of experience in conducting anger management groups, the author presents basic principles of teaching anger management. A model is described for a 4-week group for women.

CONCLUSIONS. Anger management has wide applicability to a variety of constituencies for both primary and secondary prevention. Advanced practice psychiatric nurses are well-qualified to provide this psychoeducational intervention.

Taking A Triage Approach To Nurses' Anger, Sandra Thomas

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Nursing

No abstract provided.

Taking A Triage Approach To Nurses' Anger, Sandra Thomas

Sandra Thomas

No abstract provided.