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Sight, 1(2) A student psychology newsletter from: http://www.psitutor.org May 21th, 2006 Be Happy... "When was the last time you did something good for yourself? It's time to start treating yourself better. If you don't think about yourself, you won't be very helpful to others. Kindness starts with the way you treat yourself. Respect for others is just a reflection of your own self-respect. Happiness releases the virtues we all care about. Once you do things with happiness, you release the lightness of being that makes life so much easier and stress free." - Lionel R. Ketchian, publisher of Happ-E-Newletter HappinessClub.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The news this week - *** Statistics : Online study cards for confidence intervals : Which Test? *** Feature Article: Losing the labels *** The Student Psychology Forum @ http://www.psitutor.org/Forum.html COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION ARE THE KEYS TO LEARNING! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ***Statistics ^ Online study cards for confidence intervals: http://www.flashcardmachine.com/Machine/?read_only=56187&u= sight&p=psych102 - a starter; add with your own to study smarter not harder : ) - mnemonic pictures on the cards (memorable pics for YOU to associate with each term) login: Sight password: psych102 ^ Statistics Decision Tree: http://www.users.muohio.edu/houslemk/decision%20tree.htm - this is an interactive "Decison Tree" - there are practice data sets suitable for SPSS - a more comprehensive Tree is on page 3 of this document: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:-2vc6UAge_YJ:www.le.ac.uk/pc/jm148/ esschapter1.doc+%22choosing+statistical+tests%22&hl=en&gl=au&ct=clnk&cd =8&client=firefox-a ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ***Feature Article: Losing the Labels Words, like the chisel of the carver, can create what never existed before rather than simply describe what already exists. As a [man] speaks, not only is the thing which he is declaring coming into existence, but also the [man] himself. - Martin Heidegger (as cited in Walker, 2006, p. 71). It has been noted that today's counselors, psychologists and other health service workers have been slow to adopt a postmodern perspective toward 'mental illness,' as compared to other social sciences. A postmodern viewpoint states that it our day to day language that CREATES our reality (Walker, 2006). The idea that we as humans create 'truth' is termed social construction. It is the social and cultural environment that we interact within which influences how we perceive ourselves, others and the meanings of events in the world. Our social relationships, with our family, neighbours, counselors, bus drivers, teachers, shop assistants etc. both help and hinder the ways we identify ourselves as a person, and our place within society (Swann, 1999). Wood (2006) refers to WORDS as 'invisible chains.' They are powerful. And many counselors, psychologists and other health providers maintain the use of PROBLEM-FOCUSED language, also known as pathologising, labeling and deficit-language. This is most evident when disease terminology is relied upon. For example, "She is schizophrenic," or "He has behavioral problems." However, it must be remembered that at times a label helps a person to find answers to their experiences, and labels can aid in diagnosis and subsequent aid in regaining quality of life (Erhenberg, 2003). Unfortunately, many health workers forget that labels are MADE UP, just as society has decided that the word 'chair' will refer to a particular object that we sit on. Labels are social constructions (Walker, 2006). We have a label for behaviours we consider 'normal' and a label for behaviours we think of as 'sick', 'mentally ill' and 'pathological.' There are people in the Amazon who their culture labels 'shaman' or 'medicine woman,' in our culture they are more likely to be labeled ' schizophrenic' or 'bi-polar.' A postmodern perspective says that truth is not absolute, it is relative, and how we interpret 'reality' is grounded in our culture and social interactions (Walker, 2006). The labels we use are a reflection of how we view power in a capitalist society. Capitalism embraces paternalistic values: I know better than you do. Why? Because there is an absolute truth, and it is what I view reality as. When distinctions are made by using labels we influence our attitudes and subsequent actions, for ourselves, others and our environment (Walker, 2006). How helpful is it for a counselor or other health worker to use problem-focused language? Not very according to a wealth of research (Erhenberg, 2003; Swann, 1999; Utesch, n.d; Walker, 2006). For the person experiencing emotional, relational or mental distress, the labeling of their feelings, behaviours and thoughts, fosters a sense of being 'wrong,' 'other' or ' less than others.' They begin to see their IDENTITY as a problem (Walker, 2006). Hardly a state of being that would be considered a step toward improvement of quality of life. "A client's problem that s/he brings to therapy is like cookie dough. The experience of it is vague and malleable. Once the "blob" of cookie dough is forced through the cookie press (a tube, funnel, and mold pressed against a baking pan) it becomes a Christmas tree, star, or Santa Claus. Similarly, when a client exposes his or her problem to a therapist it gets "molded" or interpreted in the language of the therapist" (O'Hanlon and Wiener-Davis, 1989 as cited in Walker, 2006). What is the solution? There has been a move, though somewhat slow, of heath workers using a client-centred approach. That is a perspective that takes the perspective that reality is constructed, and seeks to empower the distressed person to view themselves as self-determining. Words that focus on the positive and strengths of a person, and their relationships with themselves, others and the wider community, are tools that ' enable' and facilitate a person to cause change within their lives (Walker, 2006). Words can also encourage a person not to objectify themselves with a label that they consider an ' absolute reality.' A strength-based approach to human services focuses on 'what's right,' in terms of a personas current resources, social support networks and coping abilities (Epstein & Rudolf, 2001). A strength-based perspective identifies the emotional, behavioural and cognitive aspects of a person that contribute positively to their accomplishments, empowers their relationships and ability to be resilient during times of stress, and so enhances their personal, social and learning development. The perspective is based on two key principles: 1) We all have strengths; and 2) We are able to be motivated when our strengths are recognized and pointed out to us (Epstein & Rudolf, 2001). Essentially, a strength-based perspective focuses on health and wellness, and on facilitating a person to enhance their quality of life through awareness of their internal strengths, by using language that reinforces their innate ability to persevere and succeed through troubled-times (Utesch, n.d). As such, the human service worker is in the unique position of being able to draw the attention of a distressed person to a glass that is 'half full.' References Epstein, M. H., & Rudolf, S. (2001). Strength-based assessment. Retrieved May 18th, 2006, from the Centre for Effective Collaboration and Practice Website: http://cecp.air.org/interact/expertonline/strength/sba.asp Ehrenberg, M. (2003). What's your label? Retrieved May 18th, 2006, from: http://www.newyorkcityvoices.org/2003aprjun/20030608.html Swann, W. B., Jr. (1999). Resilient identities: Self, relationships, and the construction of social reality. New York: Basic. Utesch, W. E. (n.d.) From a glass half empty to a glass half full… Retrieved May 18th, 2006, from: http://www.foellinger.org/ResourcesLinks/UteschArticle.pdf Walker, M. T. (2006). The social construction of mental illness… Retrieved May 18th,2006, from: http://www.psychosocial.com/IJPR_10/Social_Construction_of_MI_and_ Implications_for_Recovery_Walker.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- O.K., that the student psychology news for this week, hope it was of some interest and or help. Feel welcome to email topics that are relevant to you (admin@psitutor.org), and I will do some research and include them. And come join the student psychology forum @ http://www.psitutor.org/Forum.html for help with tutorial homework, essay or questionnaire construction etc. Maybe you just want to discuss a theory! Remember to share forward this newsletter onto another who you think my benefit from it. write well, Charmayne Paul www.psitutor.org v-_- pax |
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