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Item Wairua and the relationship it has with learning te reo Māori within Te Ataarangi : a report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Administration at Massey University(Massey University, 2005) Browne, Marcia HThis “compressed ethnographic study” (LeCompte & Schensul 1999:59,88) investigates wairua as an aspect of second language acquisition within the organisation of Te Ataarangi, and suggests that wairua is an important phenomenon within the discipline of second language teaching and learning. As this particular area of enquiry has not been a subject of research, the literature review was essentially interdisciplinary. A literature search that incorporated Ethno-linguistics, Linguistics, Psycholinguistics, Philosophy, Psychology, Physics and Indigenous epistemologies provided the support for clear understandings that are being discussed in this thesis. An analysis of ‘organic intellectual’ experiences and flax-root theory regarding wairua and its relationship with learning te reo Māori was interpreted through Māori and Language Acquisition epistemologies based upon implicit learning, and then tied back to other disciplines when the literature was scarce. Wairua a spiritual phenomenon, as described by participants in this study enters the learning environment through a variety of means, which can then be utilised within the teaching and learning process. It is posited that this is essentially through a physical gateway as paralinguistic phenomena, such that sound vibration derived from positive thought intent with related kinaesthetic body responses act as vehicles to transport wairua. Thus wairua becomes an affective input for the implicit unconscious of students. Common links, patterns and themes within participant interview material triangulated with observations, written teaching resources and documents were arrived at with the aid of NVivo, a computer program designed specifically to “give access to data” that “can be examined and analysed” (Gibbs 2002:11) in order to build theoretical understandings. Teaching principles and practices identified by participants as the essential keys in accessing wairua to enhance the learning of te reo Māori are documented. This study opens the field for further investigation which potentially strengthens the work being done to “further current goals for Māori wellbeing” (Durie1995:8) within the cultural framework of a Māori world view.Item Women's experiences of medical miss-diagnosis : how does gender matter? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, Aotearoa New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Thompson, JessicaMisdiagnosis is increasingly becoming a significant health risk. Women experience higher rates of misdiagnosed illnesses and health conditions compared to men. An androcentric, patriarchal medical system has historically under-researched female bodies and therefore has limited knowledge about recognising symptoms in women. This also extends to tests and treatments that have been developed on male bodies, making them inefficient and inappropriate for female bodies. Additionally, women have historically been positioned as ‘emotional’, ‘weak’, ‘hysterical’ and ‘hypochondrial’, meaning they are not taken seriously as legitimate patients and are considered unreliable symptom reporters. Collectively, the lack of knowledge, and negative prejudices against women, produce healthcare that ignores and silences them, and fails to diagnose and treat them appropriately. This thesis engages a qualitative feminist standpoint, using a narrative framework to explore women’s experiences of misdiagnosis and how they make sense of it. The research draws on semi-structured interviews conducted with eight women aged between 26 and 57 years old, who had experienced a misdiagnosis of an illness that is equally likely to affect women and men. A descriptive inductive analysis approach was used to look for similar experiences in the narratives to inform categories and themes. This research found that a misdiagnosis is highly distressing and often leads to disparate health outcomes. The women described doctors lacking knowledge to make a correct diagnosis, or knowledge to treat their conditions. They needed to advocate for themselves when symptoms continued or worsened. The women experienced rude and sceptic treatment, adding to the burden of being unwell. It is recommended that future research continue to privilege women’s voices in healthcare settings, and explore the misdiagnosis experience from the perspective of healthcare professionals to enable more transparent and collaborative healthcare for women.Item The socio-psychological aspects of the personalization of politics : examining the process, conditional factors, and implications of parasocial relationships with political figures : a dissertation presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Hakim, Moh AbdulAmidst the growing complexity of modern politics, it has been documented that people tend to focus more on individual candidates instead of parties, developing psychological bonds with them personally. Although this phenomenon has been under much discussion recently, the socio- psychological explanation of political personalization in the literature is still largely scant. In addressing this gap, I advocate for the use of parasocial relationship theory to explain the social psychological aspects of political personalization. According to this theory, people have the ability to develop a one-sided feeling of intimacy with popular figures from a distance, as they repeatedly encounter the figures through media (conceptualized as parasocial relationships). To show the utility of this concept, I present a series of evidence showing the validity as well as generalisability of parasocial relationships with political figures as a psychological construct across Indonesia, New Zealand, and the United States in Chapter 2. Interestingly, our analyses also indicated that the type of political systems (presidential vs parliamentary) and the level of democratic maturity of a country play a crucial role in facilitating the formation of parasocial relationships with politicians. In Chapter 3, I demonstrate that parasocial relationships with political candidates are consistently linked to political news consumption. Moreover, this link was found to be largely mediated by experiences of being in imaginary interactions with the candidates during the news exposure situations. In Chapter 4, our analyses suggest that the presence of social media is likely to amplify the personalization of politics. It was revealed that those who frequently use social media are more likely to engage in social media interactions with political figures, leading to the formation of parasocial relationships with them. Finally, in Chapter 5, I elaborate on the theoretical implications of my findings within the broader context of the political psychology literature on political attachments. The practical implications of the findings are discussed in light of the rising popularity of the use of media technologies to cutivate people’s sense of intimacy with political candidates.Item The unmet needs of siblings of children with cancer and serious chronic health conditions in Aōtearoa/New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aōtearoa/New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Armstrong, KathleenThere is evidence to suggest a subset of siblings of children with serious chronic health conditions have a range of unmet psychosocial needs which can lead to adjustment difficulties and mental health problems. A review of needs-based support services available to siblings in Aōtearoa/New Zealand found this is an under-serviced area. The current research aimed to identify the unmet needs of siblings of children with cancer and serious chronic health conditions and contribute to the development of targeted support services that protect and promote health and wellbeing in siblings. An online survey design was used to identify the unmet needs of siblings of children with cancer, cystic fibrosis, and Type 1 diabetes mellitus. The final sample included 204 respondents across the three health conditions (cancer: n=84, cystic fibrosis: n=47, diabetes: n=73). Quantitative results show the average percentage of unmet needs for the total sample was very high (57.8%). Of the three health conditions, cancer had the highest average percentage of unmet needs (66.3%), followed by cystic fibrosis (53.0%), then Type 1 diabetes mellitus (48.6%). Of the seven domains ‘Information about my sibling/whānau member’s health condition’ had the highest number of unmet needs. A significant difference was found between the total mean percentage scores between males and females (p=.001). A comparison of siblings in the ‘cancer’ health condition with an Australian study found the domains were strongly correlated but the New Zealand sample was systematically higher. The qualitative results showed siblings were affected negatively (and potentially long- term) from: a lack of information; feeling ‘invisible’ and forgotten; feeling guilty for being the ‘healthy’ sibling; suppression of needs; disruption to the family; a lack of peer and familial support; and additional care-giving roles. The impacts of these issues can lead to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms and affect beliefs around self-worth. Recommendations arising from these findings point to the need for effective support for siblings including: information about their sibling’s health condition; professional support offered to them; support and understanding from peers, family and teachers; time with parents to feel valued and included; guidance on how to support their affected sibling; a safe space where they feel validated and can speak freely; and ‘time out’ with other siblings.Item "I am actually doing alright" : a grounded theory exploration of how women's online social support use affects maternal identity construction and wellbeing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Swale, Lisa ElizabethIn the maternal transition constructing a mothering identity is challenging as maternal identities are shaped by socially constructed ideologies of “good” motherhood. These idealised constructions are conveyed through women’s social support – in both online and offline spaces – and ultimately influence wellbeing. Online support is growing in prevalence and women are increasingly going online for maternal support. This study explores how online social support use, particularly the Social Networking Site Facebook, influenced New Zealand women’s maternal identity construction and its potential effects on wellbeing. This grounded theory study analysed in-depth semi-structured interviews (n=14) to capture the experiences of New Zealand women who had recently undergone the transition to motherhood. The constant comparison approach was used for analysis. The findings provide insights into these new mothers’ experiences of using online social support in their maternal identity construction. The produced framework enables understanding of how women used online social support to negotiate their maternal identity construction. Women manage this identity by using online social media to: (1) create a “base” of support in gaining information; (2) create a “village” of support for intimate connections; (3) compare their mothering experiences; and (4) mentor other new mothers in re/constructing their maternal identity. The proposed framework explains how online social support access, particularly Facebook, gave women choice in support and enabled opportunities to create mothering communities. The analysis shows how “villages” were used in the negotiation of maternal identity and re/construction of what it means to be a “good” mother within women’s individual contexts. Thus, women learnt to manage their identity construction online in ways that enhanced perceived connectedness, support, confidence and overall wellbeing. Insights into new mothers’ use of online social support to manage the re/construction of maternal identity and its ability to shape maternal wellbeing have implications for support provision by healthcare professionals.Item A validation of the workplace dignity scale : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Scott-Campbell, CaseyWorkplace Dignity has long been the subject of scholarly enquiry, although until recently the body of research has been dominated by ethnographic work. Recently, Thomas and Lucas (2019) developed the first quantitative, direct measure of perceptions of workplace dignity: the Workplace Dignity Scale (WDS). Given the importance of understanding dignity in the workplace, this study sought to replicate the initial scale validation study conducted by Thomas and Lucas, so as to confirm the reliability and validity of the scale prior to its future applied and scholarly use. Moreover, the current study contributes to the ongoing methodological reform of psychology towards a transparent and rigorous science by preregistering the method and analysis script prior to collecting data. A large sample of workers (N = 853) from the United States were recruited through Prolific Academic and completed an online questionnaire that included the WDS, as well as theoretically related scales (e.g., workplace incivility). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the model specified by Thomas and Lucas had reasonable global fit and estimates of reliability (ωt) indicated that the two main factors of the scale, Dignity and Indignity, had high internal consistency. Nomological analyses revealed that the Dignity factor of the WDS was significantly correlated in the expected directions with theoretically related variables. Furthermore, the Dignity and Indignity factors of the WDS were found to highly correlate with one another, posing questions as to whether the two factors are qualitatively different phenomena as was argued by Thomas and Lucas. It is concluded that the WDS is a promising tool for measuring workplace dignity although refinement of the proposed measurement model may be necessary.Item Lived experiences of work injuries : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology (Health Endorsement) at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Marnewick, MariaWork injuries have been increasing significantly globally, and work injury research has largely involved scientific research seeking associations between work injuries and direct and indirect costs. However, little research has been directed at the experience of the injured worker. A phenomenological approach was used in this research to gain insight and understand the lived experience of work injuries. Phenomenology was utilised because it allows for examination of experience, and was an approach that could provide insights into how work injuries were experienced. In this study, five people who had sustained work injuries and who were off work for at least two months due to their injuries participated and completed semi-structured interviews. Data were transcribed and analysed. The lived experience of work injuries is described in terms of trauma, broken body, communication, relationships, and coping. These themes elucidate the context of work injuries as embodied experiences. Findings suggest that work injuries are experienced as very traumatic and harrowing. The participants found it difficult to navigate the world through their broken bodies after sustaining the work injury. Through these broken bodies, the participants experienced humiliation shame, inferiority, and they felt as if they were losing control over managing their injuries. Many stakeholders were involved with the participants in order to create plans to return to work (RTW) and rehabilitation. The sheer amount of people involved in the rehabilitation made communication difficult at times. The participants and their families’ lives changed radically as a result of the work injuries, and it contributed to difficulties in relationships. While the work injuries disrupted the injured worker's lives, they worked through these difficulties by using different strategies to cope. Navigating the world with broken bodies after work injuries, are traumatic, and rehabilitation is complex and multifaceted.Item Evaluation of a weight management program using the intuitive eating approach for clinically overweight and obese adults : a thesis presented for partial fulfilment of requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Massey University (Albany) New Zealand(Massey University, 2019) Bi-Hussein, ZakiyaBackground: Maintained weight loss has been shown to reduce the risks associated with excess weight. However, weight maintenance is short lived in ~80% of adults attempting weight-loss interventions that have poor long-term sustainability (e.g. calorie restriction). The non-diet approach uses intuitive eating and mindful eating practices while debunking the diet mentality. Aim: This study aimed to conduct a long-term (one year) assessment of a 24-week weight management program (Eating for your Health) using an intuitive eating approach in hospital referred overweight and obese adults. Design: Twenty-four program completers were followed up after one-year, using a mixed method approach (quantitative and qualitative). Weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were measured, and changes in eating behaviour, quality of life and program progress were assessed. Paired sample t- test and One-way Anova was used to compare changes between different time points. Three, one-hour focus groups (n=13) were conducted, using six themes. Thematic analysis was used to capture and transcribe data within these themes. Results: A significant improvement in mean (+SD) total Intuitive eating level was seen from baseline to one-year follow-up (3.33 (+ 0.39) to 3.52 (+0.46) (p<0.04 respectively). Restrained, emotional and external eating behaviour respectively, did not change significantly from baseline 2.65 (+0.78), 1.92 (+0.88), 2.51 (+0.64) to one-year follow-up 2.61 (+0.77), 1.86 (+0.85), 2.45 (+0.70). Positive change was observed in sugar intake decreasing from 4.2 to 2.2 (p=0.02) servings at one-year follow-up whereas no changes were seen for fruit, vegetable, carbohydrate, dairy, alcohol or water intake. More than half (59%) of the participants maintained their weight with 27% losing weight and 14% gaining weight. Participants believed the group setting encouraged joint activities and peer learning, whilst individual sessions with a dietitian supported personalised goal setting. Intuitive and mindful eating education and strategies was valued most, whilst unsupportive home environments, readily available food at work and cultural beliefs and practices were barriers for using this approach. Conclusion: Intuitive eating-based weight management programs can achieve weight loss and positive eating behaviour. The results from this study will aid in improving current non-diet approach programs within the hospital and implementing future programs.Item The fairer, the more attractive? : tradeoffs, and understanding the psychological contract for contingent employees : a study of online recruitment tactics by prospective employers : a thesis submitted in the fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Industrial Organisational Psychology, Massey University(Massey University, 2019) Siu, Ellie So ManThis study examines how an employer’s Facebook reputation could impact on a jobseekers’ feeling of attraction, and thereby potential commitment to them. Employees may be more attracted to their work when they can rely on fair rewards and envision their goals with job stability. A total of N=114 final year students studying a psychology related degree participated in a simulated job seeking experience. In a 2 x 4 experimental design, (a) perceived justice and (b) permanency of job were manipulated in an online advertisement to assess their impact on (i) organisational attractiveness and (ii) potential commitment with equity sensitivity controlled. Affective commitment was found to be marginally significantly influenced by the interaction of (a) justice and (b) job security after controlling for significant benevolence and gender effect. Despite permanency of job not attaining statistical significance with any of the dependent variables, permanent positions seem to be more attractive and yield higher consistent mean scores across the commitment variables. An attractive job, or a fair organisation might only invoke feeling of strong emotional attachment when job security is promised. There appears to be an ambivalence cost for when there are fair processes and justice in employment but it is only a temporary placement. The value of this study is in the unique holistic view of understanding how job permanency and justice portrayed in the image of the organisation online together, prior to any interaction with job candidates can impact on the prospective commitment of job candidates in online recruitment. Practical implications for recruiting organisations might be to explicitly advertise the culture of fairness and specific fair rewards from high performance when advertising for Permanent and Temporary roles respectively (i.e. performance-based rewards and the opportunity to progress into permanent roles).Item Being the 'good' mother : a discursive study of breastfeeding women's experiences of accessing early childhood education in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology (Endorsement in Health Psychology) at Massey University, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand(2019) Henderson, Kaitlin ChristinaA majority of women in New Zealand will attempt breastfeeding, return to employment, and access early childhood education (ECE) care within the first year of their child’s life. There is a great interest in promoting and increasing national breastfeeding rates, yet little research exploring how normative ideals of motherhood influence breastfeeding women once they return to employment. Psychological studies that explore breastfeeding and employment often locate the issue at an individual level, constructing breastfeeding as a personal ‘choice’. Such research ignores the significant influence that structural barriers and societal pressures have on breastfeeding women’s ability to freely choose an infant feeding method. This research seeks to remedy this limited focus. In the current study, I was interested in examining how discursive constructions of breastfeeding shape women’s subjectivities as mothers, and the ways in which these subjectivities enable or constrain women’s ability to breastfeed. I utilised a poststructuralist approach to highlight how women’s constructions of breastfeeding influenced their accounts of infant feeding in ECE and workplace settings. I conducted qualitative interviews with seven women living in Auckland who had experienced combining breastfeeding with employment and I applied a Foucauldian discourse analysis to make sense of the data collected. Through my analysis I discovered that the participants worked to align themselves with the subject position of ‘good’ mother. Participant’s discursive constructions of breastfeeding worked to strengthen their subjectivities as ‘good’ mothers through three primary discourses; breastfeeding as best for the child, a natural and easy part of motherhood, and a difficult journey. The subjectivity of the ‘good’ mother had significant implications for how women navigated ECE and workplace settings. Participants often placed themselves under considerable stress to ensure they continued breastfeeding, despite structural difficulties. In the workplace the ‘good’ mother had to manage disruptions caused by breastfeeding, navigate poor management, and mitigate stigma. In ECE settings women had to manage tensions between public and private spheres and deal with low structural support. Women’s ability to uphold their status as ‘good’ mother in these contexts was often dependent on the level of privilege each participant held. Western constructions of motherhood compel women to be ‘good’ mothers regardless of the strain introduced. Therefore, I argue that by unpacking women’s constructions of breastfeeding and motherhood, in relation to ECE care and employment, the negative impacts of such discourses are highlighted and avenues to address these can become apparent.