Psychology

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    Effect of aetiological explanations on negative attitudes towards individuals with psychosis
    (Northern Ireland Branch of the British Psychological Society, 2018) Frazer, Patricia; Adams, Pearse; Breheny, Fiona; Evans, Tara; Stafford, O; Loheide Niesmann, L; Plewka, A; Puonti, V; Scefi, D
    Objectives: Both other and self stigma have important influences on the identity and well being of people who have experienced psychosis. Previous literature provides conflicting views on whether biogenetic explanations of psychosis increase, decrease or have no effect on negative attitudes. Our goal was to add to the body of experimental evidence in this area. We hypothesised that a biological explanation might increase desire for social distance and perceptions of dangerousness in relation to individuals with psychosis. Design: A true experiment compared attitudes to a fictional case of psychosis after random assignment to one of three aetiological explanation conditions: Biological, Psychosocial and Combined Biological-Psychosocial. Attitudes were measured on on five dimensions: Desire for social distance; associative stigma; potential for recovery; accountability and perceived dangerousness. Methods: A snowball sample of 230 third level students from multiple subject disciplines and institutions of study in Ireland took part on-line by clicking a link. They were then randomly assigned to one of three videos, describing a fictional case and offering either a purely biological, psychosocial or a combined factor aetiological explanation. Results: There were no significant differences in any of the five attitude scales across the three experimental conditions, though sufficient statistical power was generated to identify a small-medium effect size. Conclusions: Focus on aetiology to reduce stigma may be a red herring. Factors other than causal beliefs may drive stigma and provide a more effective target than aetiology for possible intervention.
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    Effect of mode on mood and of musical preferences in adolescence on self-esteem in adulthood
    (Northern Ireland Branch of the British Psychological Society, 2018) Frazer, Patricia; Downey, Paul; Olin, Sarah
    Objectives: To explore the influence of music on identity formation, the relationship between adolescent music preference and adult self-esteem was examined. The effect of musical mode on mood was also investigated with the use of original musical compositions. Design: Split into two sections, the current research mixed a correlational with a true experimental design. Both sections adopted non-probability sampling techniques. Method: The Short Test of Music Preferences Revised (STOMPR) was used to measure both current music preferences in adulthood, and was also revised to retrospectively measure musical preferences in adolescence. In the experimental section, participants were randomly assigned to listen to an original composition in either the major or minor mode before completing the UWIST Mood adjective checklist. Results: A non-significant result showed that adolescent music preferences were not valid predictors of self-esteem levels in adulthood. Musical mode was found to have a small but significant interaction effect on mood. Conclusion: By creating original compositions for musical experiments, we can isolate the effect of mode from other song features to explore its impact on mood. The widely used STOMPR can be used to measure preferences at different stages of life to allow examination of evolving musical tastes over time. Many participants who had the opportunity to hear both compositions anecdotally reported that they preferred whichever they were exposed to first- this could be an interesting avenue for further investigation.
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    Cyber aggression & cyberbullying: widening the net
    (World Anti-Bullying Forum, 2019) Corcoran, Lucie; Hyland, Pauline; Hyland, John
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    A three-year examination of victimisation and wellbeing correlates among children from low affluent areas
    (World Anti-Bullying Forum, 2019) Hyland, John; Hyland, Pauline; Banka, Prakashini; Comiskey, Catherine
    Previous research has examined the associated correlates of victimisation among primary schoolchildren, with higher victimisation associated with lower physical and psychological well-being, negligible social support, unsupportive school environment, and depression. However, such research has focused on general primary school samples, with little specific focus on children from lower affluent areas. This research investigated victimisation, depression and health-related quality of life (HrQoL) across three years, among schools from lower affluent areas, designated under DEIS-Band 1.
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    Cross-national comparison of victimisation and wellbeing correlates among children from low affluent areas
    (World Anti-Bullying Forum, 2019) Hyland, Pauline; Hyland, John; Banka, Prakashini; Comiskey, Catherine
    Previous research by Hyland, Hyland, and Comiskey (2017) has highlighted the experiences of primary schoolchildren from lower affluent areas in Ireland with regard to victimisation, depression and health-related quality of life. To date, cross-national comparisons have focused primarily on general primary school children, with negligible specific focus on children from lower affluent areas. This research examined baseline data from less affluent regions of Ireland to similar regions in England.