What Facilitates or Impedes Family Communication Following Genetic Testing for Cancer Risk? A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis of Primary Qualitative Research

To systematically review and meta-synthesise primary qualitative research findings regarding family communication following genetic testing of cancer risk, in order to inform development of effective interventions. Systematic searches of CINAHL, Embase, Medline, British Nursing Index and PsycINFO databases were undertaken and relevant studies identified using strict criteria. The selected primary qualitative studies were appraised for quality and relevance by three independent researchers and then synthesized using a “Framework” approach. Fourteen (4.3%) studies met the inclusion criteria. The following factors influenced family communication following genetic testing for late-onset hereditary cancer: the informant’s feelings about informing relatives about genetic testing; the perceived relevance of the information to other family members and their anticipated reactions; the “closeness” of relationships within the family; family rules and patterns (e.g., who is best placed to share information with whom); finding the right time and level of disclosure; and the supportive role of heath care professionals. The themes identified in this review could provide practitioners with a useful framework for discussing family communication with those undergoing genetic testing. This framework focuses on helping health care professionals to facilitate family communication. The next step will be the development of an intervention to directly support people in talking to their relatives.     

Understanding dynamic and static displays: using images to reason dynamically

We examined expert meteorologists as they created a weather forecast while working in a naturalistic environment. We examined the type of external representation they chose to examine (a static image, a sequence of static images, or a dynamic display) and the kind of information they extracted from those representations (static or dynamic). We found that even though weather is an extremely dynamic domain, expert meteorologists examined very few animations, examining primarily static images. However, meteorologists did extract large amounts of dynamic information from these static images, suggesting that they reasoned about the weather by mentally animating the static images rather than letting the software do it for them.     

Between the idea and the reality: A study of the counselling experiences of bereaved people who sense the presence of the deceased

There have been many theories of the process of loss and bereavement, from Freud, to the present day. Early theories of bereavement described a process which, following various stages and associated tasks, ended at the relinquishment of the bond to the deceased. In more recent years theories have taken different directions, identifying how bereaved people re‐learn life, recreate biographies, and continue relationships to the deceased. Some research studies of bereavement have investigated the counsellors’ perspective, but there are very few studies of the client's experience and most studies have focussed on outcomes of counselling. This qualitative study, using semi‐structured interviews, provides an insight into the bereaved client's perspective on the content and process of their counselling experiences. Taking as its focus the client's sense of the presence of the deceased, this study aimed to identify whether or how counsellors facilitate exploration of this experience and which theories they use in client work. The main finding is that 80% of the counsellors were not perceived by participants to have worked with them satisfactorily in relation to their sense of presence of the deceased or in relation to the story of the death itself.     

Applicant Reactions to Multiple Selection Procedures for the Police Force

Cette étude de terrain portant sur des candidats voulant entrer dans la police a fait appel à la théorie de Gilliland (1993) concernant la pertinence de la justice organisationnelle. La recherche a tenté d’analyser: a) la perception que les candidats avaient de trois procédures de sélection (tests de souplesse corporelle, tests psychologiques et entretien); b) si la perception des tests de souplesse corporelle variait avec le sexe; c) si les réactions aux procédures de sélections susmentionnées avaient une influence significative sur l’attirance exercée par l’organisation, l’intention d’accepter le poste et la perception de l’équité. Les candidats ont été contactés trois fois: à la présélection (1° période); après les tests psychologiques, l’épreuve d’agilité physique et l’entretien (2° période); et à la fin de la procédure de sélection (3° période). Il apparut que les candidats réagissaient plus favorablement aux entretiens et aux tests de souplesse corporelle qu’aux tests psychologiques. Les femmes tendaient à moins voir que les hommes un rapport entre les tests d’agilité physique et le travail. Les réactions des candidats vis‐à‐vis des tests psychologiques et des entretiens étaient le plus souvent sans lien avec l’attirance, les intentions et la perception de l’équité. Les réactions envers les tests d’agilité physique influençaient le désir de rejoindre les forces de police, mais pas le sexe. La perception du caractère (in)juste du résultat de la sélection était surtout sous la dépendance des a priori concernant l’utilisation des tests psychologiques et des entretiens dans la sélection. On examine les retombées de ces résultats sur la pratique et les recherches à venir. This field study of applicants seeking to join the police force used Gilliland's (1993 ) adaptation of organisational justice theory to frame the study. The study sought to examine (a) applicant perceptions of three selection procedures: physical agility tests, psychological tests, and interviews; (b) whether females and males had different perceptions of physical agility tests; and (c) if reactions to the aforementioned selection procedures had a significant influence on organisational attractiveness, job acceptance intentions, and fairness perceptions. Applicants were surveyed at three time points: pre‐selection (Time 1); after psychological testing, physical agility testing, and interview (Time 2); and after the completion of selection procedures (Time 3). The findings showed applicants reacted most positively to interviews and physical agility tests and less favorably to psychological tests. Compared to males, females were less likely to perceive physical agility tests as job related. Applicant reactions to psychological tests and interviews were mostly unrelated to attraction‐intentions and fairness perceptions. Reactions to physical agility tests influenced desire to join the police force; gender did not influence intention to join the police force. Perceptions of selection outcome fairness were mostly influenced by initial beliefs about the use of psychological tests and interviews for selection purposes. Practical and future research applications of the findings are discussed.     

Going for Gold: Understanding Talent Development Through the Lived Experiences of US Female Olympians

Using qualitative methods design, this research examined the talent development process of US female Olympians. In addition, models of talent development in gifted women in other domains assisted in understanding the development of talent in elite female athletes. Interpretation of the experiences of the participants indicated that the models of talent development for gifted women contribute to an understanding of female athletic talent development. Yet, models presented in both sport and other professional domains do not capture all aspects of talent development as lived by the participants in this project. Within current models of talent development for athletes there is no discussion regarding what occurs after an athlete reaches the elite level of participation. A more fully integrated model of talent development must also include the contributions of athletic talent development toward development as fully actualized human beings. The participants in this research acknowledged significant development that occurred following their elite level of participation.     

Essential theory, processes, and procedures for successful group psychotherapy: Group cohesion as exemplar

With few exceptions or at the very least cautions (cf. Burlingame, MacKenzie & Strauss, 2003) group psychotherapy has proven to be an effective and efficient treatment for a number of psychological disorders (Burlingame, Kapetanovic, & Ross, 2005). This article will briefly describe a theory that underlies successful group therapies. In addition, certain group processes—those elements that occur during the group itself that appear to be necessary conditions for improved patient outcomes—will also be addressed, although unfortunately, the sufficient conditions tying moment-to-moment process to actual outcome (improved patient functioning by the end of therapy, and at 6-month follow-up, for instance) are not quite as easily delineated. A closer study of the group therapeutic factor cohesion will be utilized as an example of these practice and research dilemmas. Finally, suggestions for future directions, which might more clearly uncover important connections between process and outcome, are addressed.     

Evolution of the wealth gap in child development and mediating pathways: Evidence from a longitudinal study in Bogota,Colombia

Large gaps in cognition and language on the Bayley‐III between the top and bottom household wealth quartiles in 1,330 children aged 6–42 months in a representative sample of low‐ and middle‐income families in Bogota were previously shown. Maternal education and the home environment mediated these wealth effects, whereas height‐for‐age mediated a small amount of the language deficit only. At ages 6–8 years, we relocated 72% of the children and assessed their IQ on the WISC‐V, school achievement, and behavior to investigate the evolution of the wealth gaps and potential mediators. The wealth gap in IQ at 6–8 years was significantly larger than that in a factor combining Bayley‐III language and cognition at 6–42 months; whereas the gap in achievement was larger but not significantly. Moreover, in cross‐sectional analysis, the IQ gap increased from 6 to 8 years reaching over 1 SD. In contrast, the gap in behavior was not significant in either childhood stage. Parental education and early home environment remained major mediators of the wealth gap in IQ and achievement at 6–8 years; later home environment and attending private education also had an effect; and early height‐for‐age was no longer significant. The home environment partly mediated the effect of parental education on wealth. All mediators combined explained most of the variance in the wealth gap; the remaining gaps being not significant. Results highlight the importance of the early home environment and suggest that interventions focusing on that should have long‐term benefits. Also, continued intervention through to 8 years may be desirable. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/_U53iXNww3I .     

Putting to a bigger hole: Golf performance relates to perceived size

When people are engaged in a skilled behavior, such as occurs in sports, their perceptions relate optical information to their performance. In the present research, we demonstrate the effects of performance on size perception in golfers. We found that golfers who played better judged the hole to be bigger than did golfers who did not play as well. In follow-up laboratory experiments, participants putted on a golf mat from a location near or far from the hole and then judged the size of the hole. Participants who putted from the near location perceived the hole to be bigger than did participants who putted from the far location. Our results demonstrate that perception is influenced by the perceiver’s current ability to act effectively in the environment.     

"Elicitation hooks": a discourse analysis of chaplain-patient interaction in pastoral and spiritual care

The article considers the communicative role of the hospital chaplain and maps some of the language strategies deployed to facilitate disclosure of the patients' concerns and achieve enhanced spiritual care. These include: i) involvement, ii) politeness and iii) encouraging disclosure or exploring emotion.     

Does Psychological Empowerment Mediate the Relationship Between Psychological Climate and Job Satisfaction?

This study tested a model in which empowerment was hypothesised to mediate the relationship between psychological climate and job satisfaction. Individual levels of negative affectivity were controlled for. The sample consisted of 174 customer service employees (59% female and 39% male). Support was found for a model in which empowerment mediated the relationship between climate and job satisfaction, the dimensions of meaning and competence were largely responsible for the mediating effects of empowerment. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings were explored.