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Peter Ashworth

Sheffield Hallam University, Department of Psychology, Sociology and Politics, Emeritus

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Peter Ashworth is Emeritus Professor of Educational Research at Sheffield Hallam University. Throughout his professional life, a special concern has been the promotion of human science – studies of people as moral agents rather than as individuals whose actions are the outcome of causal variables. He chaired the 18th International Human Science Research Conference in 1999. Especially active in existential-phenomenological psychology, his most recent work has been on the phenomenology of the gift relationship, and on the philosophy of Michel Henry. Dr Ashworth was elected a Fellow of the British Psychological Society in 1988. He gained an MA in Philosophical Theology at Nottingham University in 2013.

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Phenomenology by Peter Ashworth

Appearance in its appearing: The affordance of intentionality

Interiority, exteriority and the realm of intentionality

The realm of intentionality is definitive of phenomenology as a reflective methodology. Yet it is... more The realm of intentionality is definitive of phenomenology as a reflective methodology. Yet it is precisely the focus on the intentional given that has been condemned recently. Speculative realism (e.g. argues that phenomenology is unsatisfactory since the reduction to the intentional realm excludes the 'external', i.e. reality independent of consciousness.

'L'enfer, c'est les autres': Goffman's Sartrism

Human Studies, Jan 1, 1985

What is manifestation woven on, warp and weft? The cogency of Michel Henry’s response, “Auto-affective life”

Facelessness: An Eckhartian Critique of Michel Henry's Radical Interiority

Philosophical Theology by Peter Ashworth

Balthasar and Rahner on the ‘Anonymous Christian’

Kierkegaard’s disapproval of the mass conversion at Pentecost: Interiority, intersubjectivity, and interpersonal communication

Kirmmse mentions Kierkegaard"s opinion that "The concept of congregation has been Christianity"s ... more

Phenomenological Psychology - theory by Peter Ashworth

Attitude action and the concept of structure

Journal of Phenomenological Psychology , 1980

In this paper theories of attitude are considered in the light of Merleau-Ponty's critique of int... more

Conceptual foundations of qualitative psychology

Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research …, Jan 1, 2008

In this chapter, I want to point to the gradual unfolding in the history of psychology of certain... more In this chapter, I want to point to the gradual unfolding in the history of psychology of certain ways of thinking which have, relatively recently, led to the emergence of specifically qualitative approaches to psychological matters. For, behind the use of qualitative methods, lies a set of distinct conceptions of the nature of human psychology, and I will outline here some of the sources of these conceptions.

The representation of the openness of consciousness in some current theories of human nature

The openness of consciousness, particularly pivotal to Sartre's early philosophy, gives immense d... more The openness of consciousness, particularly pivotal to Sartre's early philosophy, gives immense difficulty to those who wish to give a comprehensive account of human nature. In this paper I note the treatment of human awareness of the world in some current theories:  Sociobiology / evolutionary psychology  Freudian psychoanalysis  Cognitive psychology  Radical behaviourism  Symbolic interactionism, discourse analysis, and discursive psychology  Postmodernism

William James's “psychologist's fallacy” and contemporary human science research

The Phenomenology of the Lifeworld and Social Psychology

Although Husserl's phenomenological philosophy was not specifically aimed at a reform of psycholo... more Although Husserl's phenomenological philosophy was not specifically aimed at a reform of psychology it was recognised from the start that phenomenology was especially relevant to the new science. The relationship between phenomenology and psychology has undergone a number of significant turns in the intervening years.

Phenomenological Psychology: Experience in the lifeworld

Phenomenological psychology does not aim at discoveries of precisely the kind experimental psycho... more Phenomenological psychology does not aim at discoveries of precisely the kind experimental psychology seeks. Experimental psychology uncovers the causal conditions of human behaviour, where the individual is seen as an intrinsic part of the objective system of mechanisms of the natural world. Phenomenological psychology, instead, aims to reveal the taken-for-granted meanings by which our experience is constituted. For example, when giving a gift what are the meanings involved for the giver and the recipient? What constitutes "giving a gift"? Such meanings are by no means always explicitly known but are usually lived through and these are to be brought to light. I will use the phenomenology of gifting below as an example.

The lifeworld – enriching qualitative evidence

The focus of research of phenomenological psychology is experience – made up of the object to whi... more The focus of research of phenomenological psychology is experience – made up of the object to which consciousness refers, plus a mode of consciousness (perception, judgement, remembering, etc). But the objects of experience are not ‘free floating’. Any experience is inevitably interwoven with the rest of the individual’s lifeworld. In this paper I argue that there are necessary aspects (‘fractions’) of any lifeworld whatsoever: selfhood, sociality, embodiment, temporality, spatiality, project, discourse and moodedness. Since these are always implicated in the experience, it is certainly no risk to the integrity of the collection or analysis of qualitative data – in fact it enriches the description of the experience – to actively investigate these fractions, whatever the precise research topic might be. This is true of all qualitative research that aims to speak in first-person terms of the individual’s involvement in their lived environment.

Phenomenological Psychology - studies by Peter Ashworth

“Can't Really Trust That, So What Can I Trust?”: A Polyvocal, Qualitative Analysis of the Psychology of Mistrust

by Peter Ashworth, Linda Finlay, and Jonathan Smith

Qualitative Research in Psychology, 2008

This paper describes an experiment in carrying out, as a group, a phenomenological analysis of a ... more

Patient participation: its meaning and significance in the context of caring

by Peter Ashworth and Paul Morrison

The meaning of participation

Journal of phenomenological psychology, Jan 1, 1997

Though there are few more pervasive features of the social world than the ebb and flow of individ... more

The Gift Relationship

) made the case (following Mauss, / 1925) that the 'pure gift' is impossible. Because of the elem... more ) made the case (following Mauss, / 1925) that the 'pure gift' is impossible. Because of the element of obligation and reciprocity involved, gift relationships are inevitably reduced to relationships of economic exchange. This position echoes the exchange theory of the social behaviourists, the costbenefit analyses of evolutionary psychology, and other reductionist conjectures. In this paper, 18 written accounts of gifting are analysed using established phenomenological tools of reflection. It is shown that the dynamics of the gift relationship are complex (for example the statuses of giver and recipient are problematical, as is the expression of gratitude) and, specifically, reciprocation in gifting is not akin to 'repaying' the gift, but should rather be seen as a response to the gift as an expression of affective affirmation, rendering this mutual. Gift giving is in the expressive realm rather than the practical . This was, intriguingly, known explicitly by Adam Smith (2006 / 1790).

The lifeworld as phenomenon and as research heuristic, exemplified by a study of the lifeworld of a person suffering Alzheimer’s disease

The lifeworld as phenomenon and as research heuristic, exemplified by a study of the lifeworld of... more

Theory of Higher Education by Peter Ashworth

Being competent and having 'competences' (1992)

The basic aims of NVCQ are ones which can be fully endorsed. However, it has been envisaged that ... more The basic aims of NVCQ are ones which can be fully endorsed. However, it has been envisaged that the notion of 'competence' will provide the required flexibility to enable NCVQ aims to be realised in the new vocational qualifications system. This is not so. In this paper, the distinction between 'having NCVQ competences' and actually being competent is clearly drawn. For instance:

Appearance in its appearing: The affordance of intentionality

Interiority, exteriority and the realm of intentionality

The realm of intentionality is definitive of phenomenology as a reflective methodology. Yet it is... more The realm of intentionality is definitive of phenomenology as a reflective methodology. Yet it is precisely the focus on the intentional given that has been condemned recently. Speculative realism (e.g. argues that phenomenology is unsatisfactory since the reduction to the intentional realm excludes the 'external', i.e. reality independent of consciousness.

'L'enfer, c'est les autres': Goffman's Sartrism

Human Studies, Jan 1, 1985

What is manifestation woven on, warp and weft? The cogency of Michel Henry’s response, “Auto-affective life”

Facelessness: An Eckhartian Critique of Michel Henry's Radical Interiority

Balthasar and Rahner on the ‘Anonymous Christian’

Kierkegaard’s disapproval of the mass conversion at Pentecost: Interiority, intersubjectivity, and interpersonal communication

Kirmmse mentions Kierkegaard"s opinion that "The concept of congregation has been Christianity"s ... more

Attitude action and the concept of structure

Journal of Phenomenological Psychology , 1980

In this paper theories of attitude are considered in the light of Merleau-Ponty's critique of int... more

Conceptual foundations of qualitative psychology

Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research …, Jan 1, 2008

In this chapter, I want to point to the gradual unfolding in the history of psychology of certain... more In this chapter, I want to point to the gradual unfolding in the history of psychology of certain ways of thinking which have, relatively recently, led to the emergence of specifically qualitative approaches to psychological matters. For, behind the use of qualitative methods, lies a set of distinct conceptions of the nature of human psychology, and I will outline here some of the sources of these conceptions.

The representation of the openness of consciousness in some current theories of human nature

The openness of consciousness, particularly pivotal to Sartre's early philosophy, gives immense d... more The openness of consciousness, particularly pivotal to Sartre's early philosophy, gives immense difficulty to those who wish to give a comprehensive account of human nature. In this paper I note the treatment of human awareness of the world in some current theories:  Sociobiology / evolutionary psychology  Freudian psychoanalysis  Cognitive psychology  Radical behaviourism  Symbolic interactionism, discourse analysis, and discursive psychology  Postmodernism

William James's “psychologist's fallacy” and contemporary human science research

The Phenomenology of the Lifeworld and Social Psychology

Although Husserl's phenomenological philosophy was not specifically aimed at a reform of psycholo... more Although Husserl's phenomenological philosophy was not specifically aimed at a reform of psychology it was recognised from the start that phenomenology was especially relevant to the new science. The relationship between phenomenology and psychology has undergone a number of significant turns in the intervening years.

Phenomenological Psychology: Experience in the lifeworld

Phenomenological psychology does not aim at discoveries of precisely the kind experimental psycho... more Phenomenological psychology does not aim at discoveries of precisely the kind experimental psychology seeks. Experimental psychology uncovers the causal conditions of human behaviour, where the individual is seen as an intrinsic part of the objective system of mechanisms of the natural world. Phenomenological psychology, instead, aims to reveal the taken-for-granted meanings by which our experience is constituted. For example, when giving a gift what are the meanings involved for the giver and the recipient? What constitutes "giving a gift"? Such meanings are by no means always explicitly known but are usually lived through and these are to be brought to light. I will use the phenomenology of gifting below as an example.

The lifeworld – enriching qualitative evidence

The focus of research of phenomenological psychology is experience – made up of the object to whi... more The focus of research of phenomenological psychology is experience – made up of the object to which consciousness refers, plus a mode of consciousness (perception, judgement, remembering, etc). But the objects of experience are not ‘free floating’. Any experience is inevitably interwoven with the rest of the individual’s lifeworld. In this paper I argue that there are necessary aspects (‘fractions’) of any lifeworld whatsoever: selfhood, sociality, embodiment, temporality, spatiality, project, discourse and moodedness. Since these are always implicated in the experience, it is certainly no risk to the integrity of the collection or analysis of qualitative data – in fact it enriches the description of the experience – to actively investigate these fractions, whatever the precise research topic might be. This is true of all qualitative research that aims to speak in first-person terms of the individual’s involvement in their lived environment.

“Can't Really Trust That, So What Can I Trust?”: A Polyvocal, Qualitative Analysis of the Psychology of Mistrust

by Peter Ashworth, Linda Finlay, and Jonathan Smith

Qualitative Research in Psychology, 2008

This paper describes an experiment in carrying out, as a group, a phenomenological analysis of a ... more

Patient participation: its meaning and significance in the context of caring

by Peter Ashworth and Paul Morrison

The meaning of participation

Journal of phenomenological psychology, Jan 1, 1997

Though there are few more pervasive features of the social world than the ebb and flow of individ... more

The Gift Relationship

) made the case (following Mauss, / 1925) that the 'pure gift' is impossible. Because of the elem... more ) made the case (following Mauss, / 1925) that the 'pure gift' is impossible. Because of the element of obligation and reciprocity involved, gift relationships are inevitably reduced to relationships of economic exchange. This position echoes the exchange theory of the social behaviourists, the costbenefit analyses of evolutionary psychology, and other reductionist conjectures. In this paper, 18 written accounts of gifting are analysed using established phenomenological tools of reflection. It is shown that the dynamics of the gift relationship are complex (for example the statuses of giver and recipient are problematical, as is the expression of gratitude) and, specifically, reciprocation in gifting is not akin to 'repaying' the gift, but should rather be seen as a response to the gift as an expression of affective affirmation, rendering this mutual. Gift giving is in the expressive realm rather than the practical . This was, intriguingly, known explicitly by Adam Smith (2006 / 1790).

The lifeworld as phenomenon and as research heuristic, exemplified by a study of the lifeworld of a person suffering Alzheimer’s disease

The lifeworld as phenomenon and as research heuristic, exemplified by a study of the lifeworld of... more

Being competent and having 'competences' (1992)

The basic aims of NVCQ are ones which can be fully endorsed. However, it has been envisaged that ... more The basic aims of NVCQ are ones which can be fully endorsed. However, it has been envisaged that the notion of 'competence' will provide the required flexibility to enable NCVQ aims to be realised in the new vocational qualifications system. This is not so. In this paper, the distinction between 'having NCVQ competences' and actually being competent is clearly drawn. For instance:

On competence (1991)

In this paper we comment on the notion of competence and on the widely recommended practice of de... more

The student lifeworld and the meanings of plagiarism

Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 2003

As plagiarism is a notion specific to a particular culture and epoch, and is also understood in a... more

Guilty in whose eyes? University students' perceptions of cheating and plagiarism in academic work and assessment

Studies in Higher …, Jan 1, 1997

The phenomenology of ‘approach to studying’: the idiographic turn

by Peter Ashworth and Kay Greasley

Studies in Higher Education, 2009

&amp;#x27;Approach to studying&amp;#x27; research focuses on the manner (deep, surface, e... more &amp;#x27;Approach to studying&amp;#x27; research focuses on the manner (deep, surface, etc.) in which studying is grasped. This is the Husserlian &amp;#x27;noesis&amp;#x27;, the mental orientation, to studying. In this article, it is argued that attention must also be given to the subjective meaning of studying and of ...

The phenomenology of 'approach to studying': the idiographic turn (2009)

Subsequently published as: P D Ashworth and K Greasley (2009) The phenomenology of 'approach to s... more

The phenomenology of'approach to studying': the university student's studies within the lifeworld

by Peter Ashworth and Kay Greasley

British educational research journal, Jan 1, 2007

The Approaches to Studying Inventory (ASI, e.g. Entwistle and Tait, 1994) was based on qualitativ... more The Approaches to Studying Inventory (ASI, e.g. Entwistle and Tait, 1994) was based on qualitative research by Marton and Säljö (e.g. 1976a), which established 'surface' and 'deep' approaches to study. This paper attempts a new qualitative explication of the meanings of study. A heuristic due to Husserl (1913 is employed which distinguishes between the 'noema', the subjective object of awareness, and the 'noesis', the manner of mental activity in which the object is grasped. It is argued that previous work on approaches to learning focussed exclusively on the noesis. In-depth interviews with university students show that approaches to studying, in their full meaning within the student lifeworld, are much richer than can be encapsulated by noetic descriptions of 'depth' or 'superficiality', even when elaborated as in later versions of the ASI or in phenomenography. achievement: A causal modeling investigation with Hong Kong tertiary students, British

Aspects of the contemporary experience of university life: technical rationality versus humanism (1998)

‘Natality’ and student autonomy: Considerations arising from the work of Hannah Arendt

Arendt's fear for the fragility of democracy lent her thought a conservative tinge.

What is the 'world' of phenomenography? (1998)

by Ursula Lucas and Peter Ashworth

Phenomenographic research (especially that which aims to uncover student conceptions of key disci... more Phenomenographic research (especially that which aims to uncover student conceptions of key disciplinary concepts) is subjected to critical review on two main fronts. (1) We consider the adequacy with which research procedures for revealing student conceptions are stipulated. There are clear methodological requirements for the study of life worlds, not all of which phenomenography consistently meets. The product of phenomenographic research is to arrive at a structure of categories of description. This aim threatens to subvert entry into the actual student life world, which may well have less coherence than phenomenography requires. Additionally, phenomenography can show over-concern with 'authorized conceptions': student perceptions of the world are implicitly seen as deficient versions of the official views. The article advocates that phenomenographic research should give more active consideration to the process of research in revealing the actual lived worlds of students.

Achieving empathy and engagement: a practical approach to the design, conduct and reporting of phenomenographic research (2000)

by Ursula Lucas and Peter Ashworth

Studies in Higher Education, 25, 295-308

Some ambiguities of the student's role in Undergraduate nurse training

by Peter Ashworth and Paul Morrison

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1989

Proposed changes in the way in which nurses are educated and trained will lead to stronger links ... more Proposed changes in the way in which nurses are educated and trained will lead to stronger links between the academic and practical worlds of nursing. However, little or no attention has been focused on the potential difficulties associated with such a move for the student in this new and changing role. Important ambiguities of the student&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s role need to be addressed if the degree nursing student is to make the most of available opportunities for learning. In this paper we draw a distinction between two kinds of ambiguity in the role of nursing degree student during clinical placements. The first type is essential to the very nature of degree education in nursing, since the ambiguities here all entail problems in bridging the gap between the world of practical nursing and that of education. They include whether he or she is to regard the role as one of learner or producer of work; whether to become unreflectively acculturated to the organization or to reflect on its norms and values; and the student function within the organization. A second kind of ambiguity is not essential to nurse education, but is an unintended consequence of placement arrangements. The student is thrust into the clinical field as a short-term member of an organization; their position is anomalous and the motive for their involvement is largely different from that of permanent employees. These ambiguities of the role are also the source of important learning opportunities.

Developing evidence-based practice: experiences of senior and junior clinical nurses

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2008

This paper is a report of a study to compare factors influencing the development of evidence-base... more This paper is a report of a study to compare factors influencing the development of evidence-based practice identified by junior and senior nurses. Assessing factors influencing the achievement of evidence-based practice is complex. Consideration needs to be given to a range of factors including different types of evidence, the skills nurses require to achieve evidence-based practice together with barriers and facilitators. To date, little is known about the relative skills of junior and senior clinical nurses in relation to evidence-based practice. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken at two hospitals in England, using the Developing Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire administered to Registered Nurses (n = 1411). A useable sample of 598 (response rate 42%) was achieved. Data were collected in 2003, with comparisons undertaken between junior and senior nurses. Nurses relied heavily on personal experience and communication with colleagues rather than formal sources of knowledge. All respondents demonstrated confidence in accessing and using evidence for practice. Senior nurses were more confident in accessing all sources of evidence including published sources and the Internet, and felt able to initiate change. Junior nurses perceived more barriers in implementing change, and were less confident in accessing organizational evidence. Junior nurses perceived lack of time and resources as major barriers, whereas senior nurses felt empowered to overcome these constraints. Senior nurses are developing skills in evidence-based practice. However, the nursing culture seems to disempower junior nurses so that they are unable to develop autonomy in implementing evidence-based practice.

Factors influencing the development of evidence-based practice: a research tool

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2007

Title. Factors influencing the development of evidence-based practice: a research tool Aim. The p... more Title. Factors influencing the development of evidence-based practice: a research tool Aim. The paper reports a study to develop and test a tool for assessing a range of factors influencing the development of evidence-based practice among clinical nurses. Background. Achieving evidence-based practice is a goal in nursing frequently cited by the profession and in government health policy directives. Assessing factors influencing the achievement of this goal, however, is complex. Consideration needs to be given to a range of factors, including different types of evidence used to inform practice, barriers to achieving evidence-based practice, and the skills required by nurses to implement evidence-based care. Methods. Measurement scales currently available to investigate the use of evidence in nursing practice focus on nurses' sources of knowledge and on barriers to the use of research evidence. A new, wider ranging Developing Evidence-Based Practice questionnaire was developed and tested for its measurement properties in two studies. In study 1, a sample of 598 nurses working at two hospitals in one strategic health authority in northern England was surveyed. In study 2, a slightly expanded version of the questionnaire was employed in a survey of 689 community nurses in 12 primary care organizations in two strategic health authorities, one in northern England and the other in southern England. Findings. The measurement characteristics of the new questionnaire were shown to be acceptable. Ten significant, and readily interpretable, factors were seen to underlie nurses' relation to evidence-based practice. Conclusion. Strategies to promote evidence-based practice need to take account of the differing needs of nurses and focus on a range of sources of evidence. The Developing Evidence-Based Practice questionnaire can assist in assessing the specific 'evidencing' tendencies of any given group of nurses.

Levels' of attainment in nursing practice: reality or illusion?

by Peter Ashworth and Mike McManus

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1999

159±168 Levels' of attainment in nursing practice: reality or illusion? In earlier research based... more 159±168 Levels' of attainment in nursing practice: reality or illusion? In earlier research based on an analysis of course documentation, it had been found that there was little consensus among nurse educators concerning the parameters which distinguish levels of practice skills, particularly those which differentiate diploma and degree quali®cations in the United Kingdom. This result was con®rmed and strengthened in the current study. Lecturers in nursing, when presented with a sorting task using 40 statements derived from course documentation selected from the earlier study, were unable to distinguish statements describing diploma level from those describing degree level practice. Possible reasons for the dif®culty are discussed. It is concluded that the attempt to represent practice skill in a hierarchy of assessment for degree or diploma quali®cations is premature since the parameters of practice remain unreliably speci®ed.

Creating what sort of professional? Master's level nurse education as a professionalising strategy

by Peter Ashworth, Kate Gerrish, and Mike McManus

Nursing Inquiry, 2003

This paper reports on a detailed analysis of selected findings from a larger study of masters lev... more This paper reports on a detailed analysis of selected findings from a larger study of masters level nurse education. It locates some features of such education within the contemporary situation of nursing as a profession and interprets the role of masters level nurse education as a professionalising strategy. In-depth interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of 18 nurse lecturers drawn from eight universities in the United Kingdom. The interview agenda explored participants perspectives of the characteristics of masters level performance in practice. Interview transcripts were interpreted by drawing upon hermeneutic methodology. The following themes emerged. (a) The credibility of the masters level nurse was of central importance. In terms of the literature of professionalisation, this may be interpreted as a factor in enhancing the legitimacy of nursing as an occupation. (b) The clinical capability attributed to the nurse is interpreted as leading to an increase in the authority commanded by the expert professional. Thus, the individual capability of the masters level nurse enhances the attribution of autonomous skill to the occupation as a whole. (c) The masters level nurse is seen to exercise influence and leadership and this strengthens the power and status of nursing. Nursing does not have the appearance of a profession, neither has it a clear stance as a new profession. Rather it appears to be especially responsive to the tide of public opinion manifest through government edicts. While nursing is employing rhetoric that espouses both positions, the direction of masters level education is anomalous.

Whither nursing? Discourses underlying the attribution of master's level performance in nursing

by Mike McManus and Peter Ashworth

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2001

Whither nursing? Discourses underlying the attribution of master’s level performance in nursingAi... more Whither nursing? Discourses underlying the attribution of master’s level performance in nursingAim. Drawing upon the selected findings from a multidisciplinary study that sought to explore the meaning of master’s level performance in health professional practice, the characteristics which nurse educators attributed to the practice of master’s level nursing graduates are analysed to reveal underlying discourses.Background. Although master’s level programmes for nurses have been available in the United Kingdom (UK) for the past three decades and current heath policy directives link master’s level qualifications with senior clinical nursing roles, the contribution that master’s level education might make to the future direction of nursing is unclear.Research design and methods. In-depth interviews were undertaken with a purposive sample of 18 nurse lecturers drawn from eight universities in the UK who were responsible for master’s level programmes in nursing. The interview agenda explored participants’ perspectives of the characteristics of master’s level performance. Drawing upon the methodology of discourse analysis, interview transcripts were interpreted in such a way as to show the implicit discourses underlying the participants’ claims regarding their graduate’s attributes of professional practice.Findings. The characteristics attributed to master’s graduates were categorized under (a) cognitive competencies, (b) practice-related competencies, (c) research orientation and (d) personal dynamism. However, these attributions are not empirical generalizations, developed inductively. Rather, they draw on socially available discourses regarding the future direction of the profession.Conclusion. The nurse educators drew on the following socially available discourses: (a) a discourse in which nursing is construed as involving great competence in practice, but without radicality of thought. Associated with this is a pervasive rhetoric of pragmatism; (b) a discourse of interprofessional practice in which nursing has a role of leadership. This is associated with a view of the location and power of nursing within the structure of the National Health Service and (c) notably lacking were discourses of care-giving, and of academic/intellectual aspiration. The implications of these discourses for the future direction of nursing are considered.

Creativity and the Computer Nerd: An Exploration of Attitudes

by Peter Ashworth and Paula Reavey

Digital Creativity, Jan 1, 1997

Abstract This study arises from our concern that many of our best art and design students are fai... more

Psychological effects of aesthetic dental treatment

Journal of Dentistry, Sep 1, 1998

To demonstrate that aesthetic restorative dental treatment, using the porcelain laminate veneer, ... more To demonstrate that aesthetic restorative dental treatment, using the porcelain laminate veneer, has a positive effect on the self-esteem of a patient. A study group of 17 patients, unhappy with their dental appearance, were assessed psychologically at the pre-operative, immediate post operative and 6 month review stages. Porcelain laminate veneer restorations were used to improve the dental aesthetics for the patients in the study group. A comparison group of 27 subjects, without a dental appearance problem, were also psychologically assessed at comparable intervals. The assessments included Cattell&#39;s 16PF Personality Inventory, a Body-Esteem index, a computer administered version of the Repertory Grid technique and semi-structured interviews. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the study and comparison groups on any first or second-order factor of the 16PF. However, highly significant changes in a positive direction (p &lt; 0.005) were observed in the study group in responses to a Body-Esteem questionnaire at each stage in the procedure. Comparison group changes were not significant. Repertory Grid analyses showed a significant overall convergence in the study group compared with the comparison group. There were also significant positive shifts amongst the study group in the normalised ratings of &quot;self&#39; on several of the constructs. Interviews confirmed the Repertory Grid findings. The study shows that aesthetic restorative treatment has a positive effect on patients&#39; self-esteem.

A British Workshop on qualitative research in the human sciences

The Humanistic Psychologist, 1986

Conclusion: Phenomenology And Psychological Science

Springer eBooks, Mar 15, 2007

The direct impact of phenomenological thinking on psychological science has not been great (as we... more The direct impact of phenomenological thinking on psychological science has not been great (as we have seen in Chapter 2). There has certainly been indirect influence, especially through the migration of German Gestalt psychologists to the United States during the 1930s. There has also been a definite effect of existential phenomenology—the engagement of phenomenology with the elements of Kierkegaard&amp;amp;#x27;s existentialist thinking, engineered by Heidegger. This had an undeniable role in the establishment of humanistic ...

The inexact and separate science of economics

Journal of Economic Psychology, Mar 1, 1993

... that equilibrium theory includes a theory of rationality helps to explain why positive and no... more

The descriptive adequacy of qualitative findings

The Humanistic Psychologist, 2000

Page 1. The Humanistic Psychologist Vol. 28, Nos. 1-3, 2000, pp. 138-152 The Descriptive Adequacy... more

An inner world: cognitive psychology

Psychology and 'Human Nature', 2012

The ambiguous role of the student

Phenomenology and Psychological Science

History and Philosophy of Psychology, 2006

, except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection w... more , except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights.

Some Social Consequences of Non-compliance with Pelvic Floor Exercises

Physiotherapy, 1993

Simple exercises aimed at strengthening the pelvic floor (Kegel exercises) are normally recommend... more Simple exercises aimed at strengthening the pelvic floor (Kegel exercises) are normally recommended to mothers post parturn. There is some evidence (albeit not entirely conclusive) that such exercises can be effective in preventing or ameliorating urinary incontinence. However, patient compliance is often lacking. In this paper we outline some of the socio-emotional consequences of such non-complicity, and their implications for the continued care of patients with urinary incontinence. The evidence is drawn from in-depth qualitative research interviews.

Sandwich Degree Placements and the Visiting Tutor

Journal of Further and Higher Education, 1990

Theory and practice: Beyond the dichotomy

Nurse Education Today, 1993

Equipping students with the means to bring theoretical understanding to bear on the implementatio... more Equipping students with the means to bring theoretical understanding to bear on the implementation of practical nursing skills has been an enduring problem for nurse educators. The problem is partly born out of a clinical culture in which the 'merely theoretical' tends to be dismissed. The aim of this paper is to show ways of thinking about theory and practice which actually avoid fruitless dichotomy. Theoretical reflection and practical action are in reality richly interconnected (Heidegger 1962). In the case of the expert practioner (Benner 1984) theory and practice may be impossible to distinguish. New thinking on this problem is particularly urgent in the light of the Project 2000 initiative. It is hard to see how this new approach to nurse education can be entirely successful if students are allowed to get into the way of contrasting the reality of practice with the 'merely theoretical'. THE 'MERELY THEORETICAL' Theory and theatre share the same etymological root (Williams 1976). It is therefore not surprising that members of so practical a profession as nursing, immersed in day-today urgencies, often register impatience with the 'merely theoretical'. The connotations of theory are of unengaged spectatorship. In contrast, the clinical setting demands that actions and strategies be pragmatically adopted under pressure of the immediate crisis. On the ward, the department or in the community the version of theory

Personal change resulting from porcelain veneer treatment to improve the appearance of the teeth

Psychology, Health & Medicine, 1996

Abstract Abstract A study is eported of the psychological changes resulting from restorative dent... more Abstract Abstract A study is eported of the psychological changes resulting from restorative dental treatment. Seventeen patients presented with minor aesthetic abnormalities which affected their self-image and relationships. Treatment involved the adhesion of porcelain veneers to one or several of the visible front teeth. Psychological assessment took place (a) at the time of the first, exploratory meeting with the dental surgeon; (b) within an hour of the fitting of the veneers; and (c) at the final check-up session, some 6 months later. There were no significant differences between this experimental group and a control group on any first or second-order factor of the 16PF. Highly significant changes were observed in the experimental group in responses to a Body-Esteem questionnaire (Shuster et al., 1978) at each stage in the procedure. Overall, every member of the experimental group changed in a positive direction (p < 0.005); control group changes were not significant. Repertory Grid analyses showed a...

The educational purpose of placements

Managing Work Experience, 2020

The workplace supervisor as educator

Interiority, Exteriority and the Realm of Intentionality

Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 2017

The realm of intentionality is definitive of phenomenology as a reflective methodology. Yet it is... more The realm of intentionality is definitive of phenomenology as a reflective methodology. Yet it is precisely the focus on the intentional given that has been condemned recently. Speculative realism (e.g. Meillassoux, 2008/2006) argues that phenomenology is unsatisfactory since the reduction to the intentional realm excludes the ‘external’, i.e. reality independent of consciousness. This criticism allows me to clarify the nature of intentionality. Material phenomenology finds, in contrast, that the intentional realm excludes the ‘inner’ (‘auto-affective life’—Henry, 1973/1963). This criticism allows me to discuss the way in which ipseity enters as an element of experience. Intentionality, viewed psychologically, is rightly the distinct arena of phenomenological psychology. However, there is no doubting the difficulty of maintaining a research focus precisely on the realm of intentionality; there are aporias of the reduction. I discuss some of the difficulties.

William James's “psychologist's fallacy” and contemporary human science research

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 2009

William James (1950/1890) insisted repeatedly that it was fallacious to assume that the research ... more William James (1950/1890) insisted repeatedly that it was fallacious to assume that the research participant's experience was to be understood in terms of the readily-available categories of the researcher. The psychologist's fallacy (of which all researchers concerned with experience may fall foul, not only psychologists) involves a confusion of the standpoints of the researcher and the researched. The "subjective world" of the research participant must be understood in its own terms. In this paper, I review debates in the history of phenomenology which show the diffi culty of thoroughly incorporating James's insight, and outline some tendencies in contemporary qualitative research which seem to make the error James pointed out: Impoverished account of experience, neglecting the horizon of the lifeworld. • Emphasiz on the • noesis-the mental orientation of the person-and neglect of the noema-the thing that is experienced. Treating a feature which is found in the subjective world of a research participant as an outcome of an "objective • situation". The strongest line of phenomenological thinking which illuminates the issue is Merleau-Ponty's treatment of our embodied membership of the world: "fl esh". This brings out the radicality of the notion of intentionality: collapsing the objective/subjective divide. The world is one's lifeworld; "fl esh of my fl esh".

The lifeworld – enriching qualitative evidence

Qualitative Research in Psychology, 2015

ABSTRACT The focus of research of phenomenological psychology is experience that is made up of th... more ABSTRACT The focus of research of phenomenological psychology is experience that is made up of the object to which consciousness refers, plus a mode of consciousness (e.g., perception, judgement, remembering). But the objects of experience are not “free floating.” Any experience is inevitably interwoven with the rest of the individual’s lifeworld. In this article, I argue that there are necessary aspects, or fractions, of any lifeworld whatsoever: selfhood, sociality, embodiment, temporality, spatiality, project, discourse, and moodedness. Since these are always implicated in the experience, it is certainly no risk to the integrity of the collection or analysis of qualitative data — in fact it enriches the description of the experience — to actively investigate these fractions, whatever the precise research topic might be. This is true of all qualitative research that aims to speak in first-person terms of the individual’s involvement in their lived environment.

Philosophies of research into higher education

Teaching in Higher Education, 2009

In this book Brown and Baker are concerned to display the variety of background assumptions made ... more

Some ambiguities of the student's role in Undergraduate nurse training

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1989

The phenomenology of the lifeworld and social psychology

Social Psychological Review, 2003