RSS 1.0Psychology
Staff within the School of Psychology have a wide range of specialist expertise and knowledge. We work together in a number of research groups through which we support the work of both staff and students in the Department. In addition, we are able to offer a range of services on a consultancy basis. If you would like to discuss collaboration or consultancy with us, please do get in touch. Our research groups play an important role in the Department of Psychology. The groups meet regularly throughout the academic year and provide opportunities for members to discuss their current research, ideas for new research projects, or simply to discuss an interesting journal article or conference presentation they've seen. They also provide an important support structure for junior researchers, including MPhil and PhD students.
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Side preferences in human dyads when walking: the influence of country, threat, handedness, and sexIn several species, lateral position preferences have been observed in pair mates, mother–infant dyads, and during agonistic interactions. This research examined side preferences in human dyads in an observational study and survey. We observed 1236 male–female pairs walking in the UK and found a bias for males to walk on the right side of the pair, which did not depend on hand-holding, or walking during daylight or darkness. The survey measured side preferences in 798 participants (398 left-handed, 411 right-handed), from the UK (402) and USA (396). Participants chose a side to walk when walking with their partner, or alone, in various threatening/non-threatening scenes. Threat did not influence preference in walking couples, but males, when passing a threatening stranger, preferred the best combat side for their handedness. Country and handedness also influenced preferences. Left-handers preferred the left side and right-handers preferred the right side, and USA participants exhibited a more rightward preference than UK participants. The pattern of preference for each country was equivalent, showing independent influences of handedness and cultural learning. Overall, the results suggest that males and females prefer the side that allows their dominant hand to be on the outside of the dyad.
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Developing research collaborations and building capacity in palliative and end-of-life care in the North West Coast of England: the PalCaRe-NWC partnershipBACKGROUND: The North West Coast area of England (Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and South Cumbria) has high palliative care need (third highest prevalence in England) and historically low recorded National Institute for Health and Care Research research activity (second lowest research recruitment rate in England). To stimulate research activity, a new research partnership was formed to support and encourage palliative care research, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research from January 2022 until June 2023. OBJECTIVES: To develop a sustainable palliative care research partnership infrastructure across the North West Coast. To work with palliative care providers, patients and the public, and research staff to further understand local barriers and facilitators to palliative and end-of-life care research, and develop and implement solutions to these barriers. To build capacity in palliative and end-of-life care research through the mentorship of emerging research leaders and share expertise across organisations. To facilitate the development of high-quality research grant applications. ACTIVITIES: Phased activities were planned and actioned throughout the funded period to develop and embed an active palliative care research partnership across the region. These included: a survey and working groups to rapidly identify current local barriers to research and their sustainable solutions; individual and group support activities to build research capabilities and capacity; development and submission of high-quality, clinically relevant research proposals to the National Institute for Health and Care Research and other funders. RESULTS: Survey participants (<i>n</i> = 293) were mainly from clinical settings (71%), with 45% being nurses. While around three-quarters of participants were not research active, most wanted to increase their involvement. Key barriers identified from both the survey and working groups (<i>n</i> = 20 professional participants) included: lack of organisational research culture and capacity (including prioritisation and available time); research knowledge (including skills/expertise and funding opportunities); research infrastructure (including collaborative opportunities across multiple organisations and governance challenges); and patient and public perceptions of research (including vulnerabilities and burdens). Based on these findings, the partnership is working with national stakeholders to develop user-friendly resources to facilitate hospice-based research. Three action learning sets, that met several times (<i>n</i> = 15 staff), and two networking events (<i>n</i> = 78 participants) took place to facilitate collaboration and research capacity building. Eleven research grant applications totalling £5,435,967 were submitted as a direct result of partnership activities between January 2022 and June 2023. Limitations: Survey and working group findings and resulting activities represent the views and needs of staff within a particular United Kingdom geography and had limited public representation. CONCLUSIONS: Funding to support partnership work has been demonstrated to be effective in pump-priming research activities, leading to successful research grant submissions and building research capacity. However, consideration is needed about how to maintain partnership work, embed in local organisations and further develop work across non-traditional stakeholders such as hospices and social care providers if ongoing funding is unavailable. FUTURE WORK: North West Coast Clinical Research Network has provided short-term funding (July 2023-March 2024) to enable and sustain the expansion of Palliative Care Research Partnership North West Coast.
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Temperature testing climate action: what are the impacts of social and economic factors on local climate action in the UK?Introduction: Social and economic factors influence human behaviour at the individual and community levels. This study examines how variables such as sense of community, well-being, income, and deprivation impact climate-action behaviours. It provides an initial investigation into behaviours as ‘actions’ taken by people, individually and with their communities, under different social and economic conditions. Answering the primary research question, ‘Do social cohesion and socio-economic indicators impact climate action at the individual and community levels?’. Material and Method: A convenience sample of 105 participants from the UK was obtained for this study, comprising 84 online responses and 21 in-person responses. Independent variables representing social cohesion included well-being (WHO-5) at the individual level and sense of community (Brief Sense of Community Scale) at the community level. Socioeconomic position was assessed using income (bands) and deprivation (Indices of Multiple Deprivation). Each of these were grouped in accordance with the scale, and a MANOVA was conducted to analyse the effects of these groups against the dependent variables of individual and community climate actions. Results: Multivariate analysis revealed that the sense of community groups and income groups significantly impacted climate action. Univariate tests of between subjects effects indicated that the effect of sense of community was only significant on community climate action and post-hoc fishers LSD revealed the high sense of community group was varying from Low and Moderate sense of community. Income was found in post hoc analysis to have no significant differences between income groups. Wellbeing and Deprivation groups did not have an impact on climate action Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of fostering a high sense of community through needs fulfilment, belonging, influence, and connection, to promote sustainable climate action behaviours and move towards a Net Zero Society. Sense of community as a social cohesion indicator, emerged as a key driver and the piece recommends collaborating with communities to track real-time behavioural and social change. Limitations of the research are the sample size and localised geography, yet it is argued that a place-based approach is needed in future social cohesion and climate action research.
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Long-term temporal stability of personality in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): Comparison of trait ratings and behaviour codings over a quarter of a centuryThere is a lack of research examining whether trait ratings and behaviour codings yield similar measures of personality in nonhuman animals, and whether these measures are stable over the long term. Here, we compare personality assessments in the same group of zoo-housed chimpanzees over a 25 year period, offering a rare opportunity for the analysis of long-term temporal stability of personality in this species. We attempt to disentangle the effects of time and measure through an analysis of similarities and differences at a group and individual level. The first wave of the study rated 59 chimpanzees’ personality traits on an adapted version of the Madingley Questionnaire. The trait principal component analysis (PCA) revealed five components: Submissiveness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness and Openness. A separate PCA identified five components based on behavioural codings: Grooming, Play, Sociability, Aggression and Responsibility. The second wave, with 19 individuals, identified three components arising from behavioural codings: Popularity, Sociability and Influence. When comparing across time for the 11 chimpanzees common to both waves, our primary hypothesis, that trait ratings from the first wave would not correlate with behaviour codings from the second because they are measuring different axes, was largely supported. Our second hypothesis, that the behaviour codings carried out during the two waves would correlate because they were measuring the same thing, was supported, both at the component level and the individual behaviour level, thus providing evidence of stability of behaviour codings over time, particularly those reflecting sociability measures. Personality trait ratings were different to behavioural codings and included aspects not captured through those codings, including intelligence, apprehension, excitability and gentleness; thus, we argue that they represent a more comprehensive characterisation of individuality.
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Higher education students’ perceptions of ChatGPT: A global study of early reactionsThe paper presents the most comprehensive and large-scale global study to date on how higher education students perceived the use of ChatGPT in early 2024. With a sample of 23,218 students from 109 countries and territories, the study reveals that students primarily used ChatGPT for brainstorming, summarizing texts, and finding research articles, with a few using it for professional and creative writing. They found it useful for simplifying complex information and summarizing content, but less reliable for providing information and supporting classroom learning, though some considered its information clearer than that from peers and teachers. Moreover, students agreed on the need for AI regulations at all levels due to concerns about ChatGPT promoting cheating, plagiarism, and social isolation. However, they believed ChatGPT could potentially enhance their access to knowledge and improve their learning experience, study efficiency, and chances of achieving good grades. While ChatGPT was perceived as effective in potentially improving AI literacy, digital communication, and content creation skills, it was less useful for interpersonal communication, decision-making, numeracy, native language proficiency, and the development of critical thinking skills. Students also felt that ChatGPT would boost demand for AI-related skills and facilitate remote work without significantly impacting unemployment. Emotionally, students mostly felt positive using ChatGPT, with curiosity and calmness being the most common emotions. Further examinations reveal variations in students’ perceptions across different socio-demographic and geographic factors, with key factors influencing students’ use of ChatGPT also being identified. Higher education institutions’ managers and teachers may benefit from these findings while formulating the curricula and instructions/regulations for ChatGPT use, as well as when designing the teaching methods and assessment tools. Moreover, policymakers may also consider the findings when formulating strategies for secondary and higher education system development, especially in light of changing labor market needs and related digital skills development.
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Investigating Emotional Contagion in Counselling PractitionersEmotional contagion theory proposes that people have a natural tendency to copy the expressions, behaviours and vocalisations of other people in their everyday interactions and as a consequence, come to feel, if not the same emotion, one that is congruent to that being felt by the person(s) being observed (Hatfield et al., 1994). Previous empirical research has found that emotional contagion holds key relevance for counselling practitioners and their clients. Clients experiencing empathy are reported to experience a feeling of being deeply understood, more prepared to explore their feelings and show an increased satisfaction with therapy. However, potential negative aspects of emotional contagion also exist. Practitioners may feel emotionally overwhelmed by the persistent transfer of clients’ emotions, potentially leading to depersonalisation, detachment, compassion fatigue and/or burnout. The current research investigated how much of the sharing of emotions within the therapeutic relationship can be attributed to emotional contagion in order that practitioners become better resourced to facilitate the processes that lead to empathy and also ameliorate any negative impact through the modulation of emotional contagion and engagement of emotion regulation. A series of five mixed-methods studies were conducted. The applicability of emotion contagion theory in counselling settings was tested and investigated from the perspective of both practitioners and former counselling clients using pre-validated measures and a new 55-item measurement tool, Emotion Contagion in Counselling Scale. Results showed that emotional contagion does occur in this target population. 57% of practitioners’ reporting feeling clients’ emotions physically often. Emotional contagion was reported to enhance the sense of connection and resonance with clients and appears to facilitate relational depth. However, in prioritising attention on the client’s emotional experiencing, and bracketing and suppressing their own emotional response, counsellors somatised. When this somatised emotion remains unprocessed and/or undischarged, practitioners experience significant adverse effects including intrusive thoughts, feeling burdened, unable to settle and occasionally experiencing a residue from their work. Hence, as well as paying careful attention to the impact of aspects of transferred emotion from clients which have been consciously experienced, practitioners need to become vigilant for any residual emotion and endeavour to ensure that it is either processed and/or discharged. It is advocated that practitioners are made aware of the process of emotion contagion and its underlying mechanisms. Practitioners are advised to regularly self-monitor for this emotional residue and proactively use strategies to discharge unprocessed emotion regularly. Initial validation of a new measure, Emotion Contagion in Counselling Scale is reported. With future studies the new measure can be further validated and made available for practitioners for use after sessions and in Supervision.
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The effect of a brief intervention video on gambling advertising resistance: Results of a randomized, on‐line experimental studyBACKGROUND AND AIMS: Gambling advertising is nowadays prevalent in multiple jurisdictions and can take multiple forms, such as TV adverts and social media promotions. However, few independently designed interventions for gambling advertising have been empirically tested. We aimed to measure the effectiveness of an inoculative intervention video for gambling advertising, which was developed based on previous interventions for alcohol and tobacco, and which used input from academics and experts by experience. DESIGN: Between‐participants randomised online experiment. Setting: UK. Participants: UK‐based gamblers aged 18–29 years (n = 1200) were recruited via Prolific. INTERVENTION: Participants either saw a novel inoculative intervention video (7.2 mins) aimed at increasing resistance against gambling advertising strategies (n = 595) or a neutral control video (7.2 mins) on healthy eating (n = 605). MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed pre‐ and post‐test measures of gambling advertising scepticism and persuasion knowledge immediately before and after video exposure. They also answered the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and reported their past‐month engagement with gambling promotional offers. A random subset of participants (n = 797) recompleted these measures at one‐month follow‐up. FINDINGS: The intervention group's post‐test scores were statistically significantly higher than control for scepticism [estimated marginal means (EMM) = 40.32 vs. EMM = 34.72; P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.90–6.29, ηp2 = 0.17] and persuasion knowledge (EMM = 20.77 vs. EMM = 16.71; P < 0.001, 95%CI = 3.61–4.50, ηp2 = 0.21). One‐month follow‐up scores also remained statistically significantly higher in the intervention group compared with control for both scepticism (EMM = 38.26 vs. EMM = 34.73; P < 0.001, 95%CI = 2.70–4.36, ηp2 = 0.08) and persuasion knowledge (EMM = 18.63 vs. EMM = 17.21; P < 0.001, 95%CI = 0.88–1.95, ηp2 = 0.03). Within the intervention group, 21% of participants had stopped engaging with gambling promotional offers at one‐month follow‐up, reflective of a statistically significant reduction compared with control (EMM = 0.48 vs. EMM = 0.87; P < 0.001, 95%CI = −0.53 to −0.26, ηp2 = 0.04). Overall, the control group showed no statistically significant changes in any of their scores throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: An inoculative intervention video appears to increase young gamblers' resistance to gambling advertising and reduce their self‐reported engagement with promotional offers.
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A multi-study paper on the development and validation of the Value Clarity Questionnaire in adults and adolescentsEngaging in behavior that promotes flourishing is a key outcome sought in several evidence-informed psychotherapies (e.g., “valued action” within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). However, we cannot deliberately engage in valued action without first having value clarity. Having value clarity means understanding and being aware of the qualities of character we want to embody (i.e., the type of person we aspire to be). To date, there is no distinct process or outcome measure evaluating value clarity. In this multi-study paper, including two cross-sectional studies (Studies 1 and 2) and one, three-wave longitudinal study (Study 3), we describe the development and validation of a novel, unidimensional measure of value clarity (the Value Clarity Questionnaire; VCQ). Study 1 (convenience sample of adults, total N = 506) describes the development of and the empirical refinement of the VCQ through a series of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Study 2 confirmed the VCQ’s factor structure and internal consistency (a United Kingdom-representative sample, N = 491). Study 3 (a school-aged sample (N1 = 468 boys) revealed that the VCQ showed good internal consistency over time, test-retest stability, and a series of longitudinal measurement invariance tests supported configural, metric, scalar and strict invariance. Across the studies, value clarity was correlated with and predicted multiple aspects of flourishing including engaged living, depression, behavioral activation, assertiveness, productiveness, and energy levels, over and above known predictors. Overall, the results show that the VCQ is a reliable and valid measure that could be an especially useful proximal index of the effectiveness of targeted value clarification interventions.
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Some improvements but a long way to go: a national survey of local authorities on the provision of social care for people released from prisonThe provision of social care for people in prison in England has historically been lacking. Seeking to address this, the 2014 Care Act clarified that local authorities are responsible for identifying, assessing and meeting prisoners’ social care needs. Against this background, in 2020 we undertook a survey to explore the emerging services for this group. Eighty-six (57%) local authorities responded. A mixed methods approach was taken. Numerical data were analysed through descriptive statistics with comparisons made to the previous survey. An inductive approach to thematic analysis was used to analyse the free text responses. The findings revealed some improvements since the 2015/16 surveys, including the wider introduction of self-referral systems, the success of peer supporters in identifying people in need of social care and greater multi-disciplinary working. However, other issues remained stubbornly persistent, including a dearth of systematic processes to identify those needing social care on release from prison, a lack of timely information sharing and disputes over the sending and receiving authorities’ responsibilities. There were also particular concerns about the shortage of appropriate accommodation for people leaving prison. Perhaps the most striking finding, however, was how little most authorities knew about this population. Building on discussions in previous papers, we explore three ways in which arrangements could be strengthened for this group: the collection of better data, the wider use of release on temporary licence and the greater employment of technology in planning people’s release.
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The road to recovery: A two-year longitudinal analysis of mental health among university students during and after the Covid-19 pandemicLongitudinal research into the impact of Covid-19 on university student mental health beyond the pandemic is lacking. This study aims to address the gap in the literature by tracking the mental health of university students over a two-year period, spanning the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath. A two-year longitudinal study surveyed a sample of university students (n=302) three times between May 2020 and May 2022. Students’ psychological distress, generalised anxiety, flourishing, and personal wellbeing were assessed at each time point. It was found that students’ psychological distress levels spiked in May 2021 (T1) during the first year of the pandemic, but reverted back to similar levels seen in May 2020 (T0) at two-year follow-up (T2). While generalised anxiety gradually improved, both their psychological distress and generalised anxiety remained considerably worse than pre-pandemic norms obtained in other studies. Students’ flourishing scores remained very low, while their life satisfaction and state happiness improved slightly between May 2021 (T1) and May 2022 (T2). These findings clearly demonstrate that students’ mental health is still in crisis, even after the Covid-19 pandemic. More needs to be done to support students beyond the pandemic generally, including this particularly unique cohort of students who endured unprecedented challenges for prolonged periods, and are now transitioning into the working world. Practical implications and recommendations are discussed.
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Why are organisational approvals needed for low-risk staff studies in the UK? Procedures, barriers, and burdensBackground: Health care staff should be given the opportunity to participate in research, but recruiting clinicians via their employing organisation is not always straightforward or quick in the UK. Unlike many countries outside the UK, very low-risk survey, interview or focus group studies can be subject to some of the same governance approval procedures as interventional studies. An exemplar study carried out by the NIHR funded Palliative Care Research Partnership North West Coast is used to highlight the challenges still faced by researchers and health care organisations when setting up a low-risk staff study across multiple NHS and non-NHS sites. Methods: A study database was created and information was collected on the first point of contact with the clinical site, Health Research Authority (HRA) and local organisational approval times, time from trust or hospice agreement to the first survey participant recruited and overall site survey recruitment numbers. Descriptive statistics (median, range) were used to analyse these data. Results: Across participating NHS trusts, it took a median of 147.5 days (range 99–195) from initial contact with the local collaborator to recruitment of the first survey participant and hospice sites mirrored these lengthy timescales (median 142 days, range 110–202). The lengthiest delays in the HRA approval process were the period between asking NHS trusts to assess whether they had capacity and capability to support the research and them granting local agreement. Local approval times varied between trusts and settings which may indicate organisations are applying national complex guidance differently. Conclusions: There is the potential for HRA processes to use more NHS resources than the research study itself when recruiting to a low-risk staff study across multiple organisations. There is a need to reduce unnecessary administrative burden and bureaucracy to give clinicians and research staff more opportunities to participate in research, and to free up NHS R&D departments, research nurses and clinicians to focus on more demanding and patient focused research studies. Hospices need standardised guidance on how to assess the risk of being involved in low-risk research without adopting the unnecessarily complex systems that are currently used within the NHS.
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Factors associated with the length of inpatient stay of individuals with intellectual disability and autistic individuals across north of EnglandAccording to NHS statistics, as of July 2023 there were around 2045 people with intellectual disability and autistic people in mental health and specialist hospitals. Details of their inpatient stay were captured through Assuring Transformation data returns (NHS Digital 2023) and includes data on all types of mental health hospitals. This study aims to understand the characteristics of people with intellectual disability and of autistic adults who are in inpatient settings across north of England in February 2022. It explores the clinical and demographic factors that might have an impact on the length of their inpatient stay. This is a cross sectional study using routinely collected demographic and clinical data in 2022 of inpatients across the north of England. A total of 625 patients were in an inpatient setting across the north of England at the time of the data collection. The results indicate that the underlying diagnostic category, region, nature of inpatient service, legal framework, reason for admission and outcome of Care (Education) and Treatment Reviews are factors that are associated with the person’s length of stay in a hospital. This study highlighted the need review our community models of care to meet needs of those with intellectual disability. It further highlighted the need to collect and analyse longitudinal data, address social care needs, and further understand the factors linked to regional variations. This is a first study that investigated the factors associated with length of stay using inpatient data from across the north of England. It provides new insights into the factors that affect length of stay.
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Measuring, Predicting, and Influencing Self-Authenticity in Sexual Minority and Heterosexual PopulationsThe aim of this thesis to consider how to measure, predict, and influence self-authenticity in sexual minority and heterosexual populations. Self-authenticity (defined as knowing and being oneself) is a highly relevant psychological construct, particularly as it has been associated with numerous psychological outcomes. Furthermore, preliminary research suggests that self-authenticity is related to the construct of valued living, and as valued living can be increased using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques, it is hypothetical that engaging in valued action will result in an increase in self-authenticity, as well as an increase in psychological outcomes. This may be particularly helpful to sexual minority individuals. Current measures of self-authenticity demonstrate some issues with regards to initial validation and factor structure, and so a novel measure of self-authenticity was developed – The Self-Authenticity Measure. This was included in numerous mediation models which demonstrated that encouraging self-authenticity could play a small role in buffering against the negative effects of experienced discrimination and internalised homonegativity on psychological outcomes for sexual minority individuals. Self-authenticity was also included in two regression models to assess potential predictors of self-authenticity, revealing that valued action, self-efficacy, social conformity, and fear of negative evaluation were the biggest predictors. As the strongest predictor, and one that has continually demonstrated its ability to result in positive psychological change in intervention research, three tasks encouraging valued action were developed and tested for acceptability. Following this, the tasks were used in an experiment alongside a mindfulness active control condition. The study found a significant effect of time for valued living, self-authenticity, and psychological outcomes, indicating that these may have improved following engagement with the interventions, however this may have been due to a placebo. Conversely, the study did not find significant effects of condition or time by condition interaction effect, indicating that the values condition was no greater at influencing valued living, self-authenticity, and psychological outcomes when compared to the mindfulness condition. However, the design and analysis of the experiment can rule out placebo and expectation effects, adding credibility to these findings.
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A rapid review of the evidence for online interventions for bereavement supportBackground: Grieving is a natural process, and many people adjust with support from family and friends. Around 40% of people would benefit from additional input. Online bereavement support interventions may increase access to support. Evidence regarding their acceptability and effectiveness is emerging but needs to be synthesised. Aim: To synthesise evidence on the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, impacts and implementation of online interventions to improve wellbeing, coping and quality of life after bereavement. Design: A rapid review of evidence regarding online bereavement support. We appraised study quality using AMSTAR 2 and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data sources: English language articles published 1 January 2010 to 4 January 2024, using Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase and APA PsycINFO. Eligible articles examined formal and informal online interventions to improve bereavement outcomes. Results: We screened 2050 articles by title and abstract. Four systematic reviews and 35 individual studies were included. Online bereavement support was feasible, acceptable and effective in reducing grief intensity, stress-related outcomes and depression. Where reported, participant retention was typically >70%. Positive impacts included: access to a supportive community at any time, reduced isolation; opportunities to process feelings; normalisation of loss responses; access to coping advice and opportunities for meaning-making and remembrance. Negative impacts included upset due to insensitive comments from others via unmoderated online forums. Conclusion: Online interventions can widen access to acceptable, effective bereavement support and improve outcomes for bereaved people. National policies and clinical guidelines relating to bereavement support need to be updated to take account of online formats.
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Author Correction: UK Reproducibility Network Open and Transparent Research Practices Survey DatasetIn the version of the article initially published, in the “Sampling” column of Table 1, the University of Sheffield was originally listed as “Opportunity” but has now been amended to “Stratified”. Additionally, in the fourth paragraph of the “Background & Summary” section, the text “In 2022, members of the UKRN published the results of the Brief Open Research Survey (BORS), which measured awareness and uptake of Open Research practices across the UKRN Local Networks. The survey found that respondents were most aware of Open Access publications, preprints and open data, and the most commonly reported means to foster further uptake of Open Research practices were incentives, dedicated funding, and recognition in promotion and recruitment criteria” has been added, alongside a new ref. 15: Norris, E. et al. Development of the brief open research survey (bors) to measure awareness and uptake of open research practices, https://doi.org/10.31222/osf.io/w48yh (2022). These corrections have been made to the HTML and PDF versions of the article.
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Exploring adult safeguarding data in England: Mapping vulnerability and understanding trendsThis paper explored and mapped Safeguarding Adults England data for 2022-2023 by local authority to enable identification and exploration of any differences between local authorities. Methodology: Colour symbology maps were produced to enable visual analysis of safeguarding concerns and section 42 enquiries per 100,000 of the population, as well as the conversion of safeguarding concerns to section 42 enquiries. Statistical hotspots were calculated using the Getis-Ord Gi* for section 42 enquiries per 100,000 of the population across age classes. Findings: Findings show regional differences across England in terms of the number of documented concerns, section 42’s and conversion rates. Some regions had statistically significant higher or lower section 42 enquiries per 100,000 of population across age classes compared to their bordering geographical neighbours. Reflections on these findings lead to a series of recommendations. Originality: This paper addresses a need to explore further and analyse adult safeguarding data to inform practice, through choropleth mapping.
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WAT’s up? Exploring the impact of wearable activity trackers on physical activity and wellbeing: A systematic research reviewWearable activity trackers (WATs) can facilitate engagement in physical activity. Yet, there may be an additional psychological impact, which can influence their effectiveness. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to assess the impact of wrist-based WATs on physical activity and subsequent psychological wellbeing in healthy adults. The review was carried out using PRISMA guidelines and registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF). An initial search was conducted in December 2022 with a follow-up in October 2023. Databases included PsychInfo, PsycArticles, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus. Nine studies were selected for inclusion and reviewed. Most studies comprised white adults with an average age of 21.5 to 49 years. Participants were employed or students with a mostly normal BMI. Changes in self-efficacy for exercise, depressive symptoms, mental health and general wellbeing, quality of life and burnout were evaluated. Half the studies reported a WAT-related increase in physical activity engagement. Four studies assessed self-efficacy for exercise, with half observing an improvement post-intervention. Three studies assessed mental health and depressive symptoms with one observing improvement and two observing no change. The remaining studies included measures of burnout and quality of life, where only burnout scores improved one-month post-intervention. Although the quality of the studies reviewed was acceptable, only 4 included a suitable control/comparison group. Further, the measurement of psychological wellbeing varied considerably. In sum, the results indicate that the effect of WATs on physical activity and subsequent psychological wellbeing is understudied. Further research is required to fully elucidate these relationships.
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Bidirectional relationships between childhood adversities and psychosocial outcomes: A cross-lagged panel study from childhood to adolescenceChildhood adversities have been linked to psychosocial outcomes, but it remains uncertain whether subtypes of adversity exert different effects on outcomes. Research is also needed to explore the dynamic interplay between adversity and psychosocial outcomes from childhood to mid-adolescence. This study aimed to investigate these relationships and their role in shaping adolescent wellbeing. Data were extracted from three timepoints of the UK Household Longitudinal Survey when participants ( = 646) were aged 10-15. Cross-lagged panel models were used to explore the relationship between cumulative adversities, and separately non-household (i.e., bullying victimization and adverse neighborhood) and household (i.e., sibling victimization, quarrelsome relationship with parents, financial struggles, and maternal psychological distress) adversities, and psychosocial outcomes (i.e., internalizing and externalizing problems, delinquency, and life satisfaction). Our results revealed that heightened cumulative adversity predicted psychosocial outcomes from childhood to mid-adolescence. Increased levels of household adversity predicted psychosocial outcomes throughout early to mid-adolescence, while non-household adversity only predicted psychosocial outcomes in early adolescence. Furthermore, worse psychosocial outcomes predicted higher levels of adversities during adolescence, highlighting bidirectionality between adversity and psychosocial outcomes. These findings underscore the varying impacts of adversity subtypes and the mutually reinforcing effects of adversities and psychosocial functioning from childhood to mid-adolescence.
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Methodological and Conceptual Advances in Understanding Psychological Flexibility as a Modifiable Protective Factor for Suicidal Thoughts and BehavioursSuicide is a global public health issue. Cross-nationally, many people experience suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STBs). Much is known about the risk factors of STBs; for example, as depicted by the Integrated Motivational Volitional (IMV) Model. However, modifiable protective factors remain relatively under-researched. Psychological factors which underlie existing intervention packages, such as psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility is purported to be the therapeutic process of change underlying an existing intervention package – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Broadly, this PhD explored whether psychological flexibility had a potentially protective role for STBs. Four original studies designed this evidence gap were conducted. A large, three-wave longitudinal survey with adults from the online general population laid the conceptual groundwork for this thesis on proximal risk. Testing the IMV model cross-sectionally and longitudinally using structural equation modelling confirmed that the IMV’s central path was empirically sound. The full model with motivational moderators showed poor model fit, perhaps explainable by methodological and statistical challenges discussed. Psychological flexibility, particularly valued actions and behavioural awareness were moderate-to-strong cross-sectional and longitudinal correlates of proximal risk factors, and possibly volitional moderators. The natural stability of the constructs suggests that experimental, intervention work is needed to fully test the theorised effect of psychological flexibility as a protective factor for proximal risk of STBs. Study 2 examined the acceptability of five values clarification exercises (VCEs) using an online randomised, active-controlled experimental trial. Adults with recent experience of suicidal thoughts provided invaluable open-ended feedback on the acceptability of the VCEs, informing a tailored, single-session VCE. Study 2 also found preliminary evidence that the VCEs improved state value clarity, the therapeutic process of change. Study 3 evaluated the short-term effects of the tailored VCE using 4 a single-case experimental design (SCED) with ecological momentary assessment (EMA) technology. Individual- and group-level analyses suggested largely equivocal results for suicidal thoughts and value clarity/actions. Study 4, an EMA item validation study, confirmed that low convergent validity may explain these equivocal findings. Moreover, participants experienced some degree of momentary reactivity to the EMA item-sets throughout the day, highlighting potential implications for understanding confounding effects in intervention EMA-informed SCED studies. Conceptually, the longitudinal evidence provided throughout this thesis means that we are one step closer towards understanding the protective role of psychological flexibility (in particular, value clarity and action). The acceptability data on the experience of an online, self-guided single-session VCE for adults at-risk of suicide may be particularly relevant for clinicians. Methodologically, the feasibility and measurement challenges discussed throughout this thesis highlight important considerations for future research. Replication is needed prior to scaling up this work. Going forward, researchers are encouraged to work collaboratively with people with lived experience to co-produce effective online values-based interventions.
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Personality in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus): Temporal stability and methods of assessmentPersonality is the essence of individuality in animals, affecting individual behaviours, perceptions and lived experiences. Being able to reliably assess personality in animals holds the key to understanding individual differences, and application of this knowledge is paramount in the provision of individual-level management of animals to optimise welfare. A key aspect of the definition of animal personality is ‘consistency over time’. Yet, despite the range of studies assessing elephant personality, there is a lack of consistency within methodologies and personality is usually assessed at a single point in time. Here, we examine personality data from adult members of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) herd at Chester Zoo at five separate time points, across a ten-year period (2013−2023). Data were analysed in terms of the instruments used to measure personality (differences in questions/items across assessments, presentation of the personality assessments, raters), and changes over time in elephant personality assessment scores. Select personality traits were consistent over multiple time points. Inter-rater reliability across personality adjectives is highest when keepers are involved in scale development, reinforcing the importance of collaboration between scientists and animal caregivers in building tools for evidence-based management decisions over the lifetime of animals.
