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A client’s willingness to forgive their psychologist following an online social media transgression : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026) Lalli, Jaspreet Kaur
A psychologist’s online behaviour has become increasingly visible to clients, given the advanced use of the internet. This increase raises new questions about how digital transgressions influence clients’ willingness to forgive, as little empirical work has examined how adults interpret and respond to an online offence committed by a psychologist. The present study seeks to enhance understanding of how clients evaluate and respond to professional transgressions, as well as their willingness to forgive, particularly in the increasingly prominent context of social media use. A 2 x 2 x 2 vignette-based experimental design evaluated the effects of offence severity (moderate versus severe), the psychologist’s response (apology versus no apology), and the length of the therapeutic relationship (long-term versus short-term) on willingness to forgive. A total of 150 adults in Aotearoa (New Zealand) completed measures of forgiveness, including an adapted version of the Transgression-Related Interpersonal Motivations Inventory (TRIM-12) and a binary measure of forgiveness. Further, open-ended responses were analysed using Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) to explore participants’ definitions of forgiveness, influential factors on willingness to forgive, and interpretations of the psychologist’s response. Three-way analyses of variance and a binary logistic regression revealed significant main effects on offence severity and the psychologist’s response. Therapeutic relationship length was not associated with forgiveness outcomes, and no statistically significant interaction effects were identified. Qualitative findings demonstrated that participants primarily conceptualised forgiveness as a form of thought processing. Forgiveness decisions were influenced by participants’ personal characteristics, specifically by viewing the offence or the psychologist through a compassionate lens. Lastly, participants’ interpretations of the psychologist’s response centred on accountability, including whether an active attempt at repair was made. These findings contribute to forgiveness theory by clarifying how contextual cues shape a client’s willingness to forgive and by offering practical implications for psychologists navigating online conduct and rupture-repair processes.
Exploring the feeding skill domain of the paediatric feeding disorder framework in a child development service : speech-language therapist and caregiver perspectives : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Speech and Language Therapy at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026) Meyer, Heidi Katerina
Paediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) Framework (Goday et al., 2019) is increasingly used to understand the multifactorial complexities of children’s feeding difficulties. Most research in PFD has been done in the Medical and Psychosocial Domains. However, there is a small amount of research within the Nutrition and Feeding Skill Domains. There is even less research in PFD for children with other disabilities, and the impact within the Aotearoa New Zealand population is not well understood. Speech-Language Therapists (SLTs) are one of the main professionals supporting these children’s feeding skills. Caregivers are managing their children’s feeding skill differences several times a day. This two-phase convergent mixed-methods study explored the feeding skills of children within a Child Development service (CDS) through the lens of SLTs and caregivers. Data was obtained from retrospective chart review of the SLT clinical notes of 10 children, and subsequently nine caregivers of these children were interviewed. Data from each phase was analysed separately, then integrated and reported together. Mapping both these perspectives onto the PFD Framework revealed individualised differences in Feeding Skill Impairment and Feeding Skill Dysfunction for all children. The children met the criteria for PFD within the Feeding Skill Domain. Caregivers shared experiences of Feeding Skill Dysfunction impacting participation and safety at mealtimes. This research captured the feeding skills of children from a disability service provider within an Aotearoa New Zealand context, bringing together perspectives from SLTs and caregivers. The integration of perspectives provided a richer, everyday understanding of the children’s feeding skills. This study highlights the need for further research in all four domains of the PFD Framework. Moreover, it suggestions the need for additional research within the Feeding Skill Domain for children with disability, particularly in Aotearoa New Zealand. Other studies should consider gathering a range of caregiver perspectives, measure variables influencing PFD and engage in longitudinal data collection. Literature within these areas may support funding, awareness and access to services for children with PFD and the workforce supporting them. The clinical implications of this study highlight the importance of adopting the PFD Framework for all professionals, and the Framework being part of the thorough assessment of children’s feeding skills by SLTs specifically. Additionally, professionals should prioritise caregiver perspectives, since they provide contextual insight into their child’s PFD profile. Finally, the emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration may encourage use of shared PFD terminology and increase PFD awareness.
A selective MDA - ONT diagnostic for vibrio parahaemolyticus : School of Agriculture and Environment, College of Sciences, Massey University
(Massey University, 2026) Liebregts, Thomas
Accurate detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus is important for food safety, public health, and environmental monitoring. Although whole-genome sequencing provides high-resolution characterisation of bacterial pathogens, direct sequencing can be limited by low DNA abundance and uneven genome representation. This study evaluated whether selective multiple displacement amplification (sMDA) combined with Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing could provide an effective strategy for enriching V. parahaemolyticus DNA prior to sequencing. Three complementary approaches were used. Existing short-primer sets were first evaluated experimentally. A new primer set was then designed using computational analysis of genome-wide primer-binding frequency and distribution across publicly available V. parahaemolyticus reference genomes. Finally, the selected primer set was validated experimentally using DNA extracted from cultured isolates, followed by ONT sequencing and genome coverage analysis. Computational analyses identified substantial differences in primer abundance and genomic distribution, allowing candidate primers with broad chromosome I representation to be selected. Experimental evaluation demonstrated that the optimised primer set generated sufficient DNA for ONT sequencing. Mapping of sequencing reads to the reference genome showed that 99.956% of chromosome I was covered at a minimum depth of 1×, while 98.611% was covered at a depth of at least 10×. Despite this extensive overall coverage, sequencing depth was heterogeneous, reflecting the distribution of primer-binding sites. Regions containing few suitable primer-binding sites exhibited reduced coverage, and several chromosome II-associated virulence loci showed substantially lower coverage than chromosome I targets. Comparison of computational predictions with experimental genome coverage demonstrated that primer-binding site distribution was a major determinant of sequencing performance. These findings support the computational primer design strategy while identifying primer distribution as a key limitation affecting genome-wide enrichment. Overall, this study demonstrates that selective MDA combined with ONT sequencing provides a feasible proof-of-concept approach for targeted enrichment and genomic characterisation of V. parahaemolyticus. The work establishes a rational framework for computational primer design and experimental validation while identifying optimisation of primer coverage, particularly across chromosome II, as a priority for developing a comprehensive genomic surveillance and diagnostic platform.
Young trans Asian New Zealanders’ intersectional experiences of family support : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Linguistics without specialisation at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026) Ravi, Tara
Background: Trans Asian New Zealander youth are a multiply marginalised group that report severely low rates of family support. However, their needs are underexplored in research, particularly from intersectional perspectives. Purpose: This thesis explores what good family support looks like for trans Asian young people in New Zealand, focusing on family support at the intersections of gender, culture, religion, and neurodivergence. Data and methods: Three trans Asian New Zealander young people aged 17 to 25 and eleven family members drew pictures of their family support experiences, then participated in interviews. Visual and verbal data were analysed using intersectionality theory, multimodal discourse analysis, and the discursive phenomenon of metaphor. Results: Major findings were identity complications of attachment to multiple cultures, with cultural connection also complicated by neurodivergent needs; extensive neurodivergent-coded family support; complexity within non-religious identities; and religious identity as a modulator of gender identity support. Conclusion: This thesis recommends that families of trans Asian youth affirm their gender identities, support them holistically, uphold their agency in their identity development, and stand up against transphobia. It urges for improving timely access to gender-affirming care for trans New Zealander youth and suggests that the phenomenon of hybridised Asian New Zealander cultural identities can be applied to culturally appropriate care for trans Asian New Zealander youth.
Investigating the relationship between falls-risk, static balance and dynamic balance in older adults : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Health Science specialising in Sport and Exercise, Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2026) White, Natasha Leigh
Background: Falls among older adults are influenced by interacting physical, cognitive, behavioural, health-related, and environmental factors, making their identification and assessment complex. Questionnaire-based screening, static balance assessment, and dynamic gait analysis can identify different indicators of falls-related vulnerability. However, these approaches are often considered separately, and comparatively little research has examined whether questionnaire-based screening and static balance assessment classify falls-risk similarly, or whether poorer quiet-standing control is reflected in dynamic gait asymmetry. This raises the overarching research question: To what extent do these assessment approaches provide overlapping or complementary information about falls related vulnerability in community-dwelling older adults? Aims: This study examined the relationships among questionnaire-based falls-risk screening, static balance assessment, and gait asymmetry in community-dwelling older adults. Specifically, it compared STEADI falls-risk classification with force-plate-derived static balance classification, examined whether static balance-derived risk groups differed in gait asymmetry following brief periods of mobility and immobility, and assessed whether selected gait-asymmetry variables contributed to static balance-derived classification. Methods: Thirty-three community-dwelling older adults aged 73.94 ± 4.83 years participated in a within-subject correlational study. Falls risk was assessed using the STEADI Stay Independent questionnaire, with participants classified as Low- or High-risk. Static balance was assessed using a portable BTrackS force plate during three 20-second eyes-closed quiet standing trials. Centre-of-pressure outcomes included path length, sway velocity, frequency, spatial dispersion, directional displacement, and regularity. The proprietary static balance classification was consolidated into Low- and High-risk groups for comparison with STEADI. Dynamic balance was assessed using Loadsol® instrumented insoles during two self-paced 10-metre walking tasks: a Mobile-10MWT following one minute of walking, and an Immobile-10MWT following one minute of sitting. Spatiotemporal and kinetic variables were collected for each limb, and absolute symmetry index values were calculated to quantify gait asymmetry. Agreement between STEADI and static balance classifications was examined using McNemar’s test and Cohen’s kappa. Group and condition effects on gait asymmetry were examined using two-way mixed-effects analyses, and binary logistic regression assessed whether selected gait-asymmetry variables predicted static balance-derived falls risk classification. Results: STEADI classified 27 participants as Low-risk and six as High-risk, whereas the static balance assessment classified 12 as Low-risk and 21 as High-risk following category consolidation. The classifications differed significantly, χ²(1) = 11.53, p = 0.0007, and demonstrated only slight agreement (k = 0.12). Participants classified as High-risk by the static assessment demonstrated greater centre-of-pressure path length (46.62 ± 8.86 vs 24.92 ± 3.78 cm, p < 0.0001), velocity (2.34 ± 0.44 vs 1.23 ± 0.19 cm·s-1, p < 0.0001), frequency, spatial dispersion, directional displacement, and anterior-posterior approximate entropy than the Low-risk group. Gait asymmetry did not differ between the Mobile-10MWT and Immobile-10MWT for any spatiotemporal or kinetic variable, and no test-condition-by-group interactions were identified. However, the static balance-derived High-risk group demonstrated greater asymmetry in ground contact time, swing time, peak impact time, midstance time, and average loading rate across the two conditions. No group differences were identified for the remaining spatiotemporal or kinetic outcomes. Mean swing-time and average loading-rate asymmetry jointly contributed to a significant logistic regression model, χ²(2) = 12.393, p = 0.002. The model had a Nagelkerke R² of 0.429 and correctly classified 75.8% of participants, although neither predictor was independently significant. Conclusion: Questionnaire-based screening, static balance assessment, and dynamic gait analysis provided related but distinct information in this cohort. The STEADI tool identified fewer participants as High-risk compared to static balance assessments, with some Low-risk individuals showing elevated sway. However, without monitoring falls, these cases can't be confirmed as false negatives. Those classified as High-risk by the static assessment displayed greater asymmetry in certain gait aspects, though this wasn’t consistent across all measures. Seated immobility for one minute didn’t affect gait asymmetry in the tested conditions. These findings indicate that combining objective performance measures with questionnaire screenings may improve falls-risk assessments by highlighting postural control and gait asymmetry not captured through self-report. Future research is needed to link these outcomes to actual falls.