scholarly journals Empathear: Design of a system to elicit empathy in siblings of voice hearers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sarah Mokhtar

<p>It is said that one in five adults will be affected by some form of mental disorder every year, and nearly half the population (45%) will experience a mental disorder at some stage in their life (SaneAustralia, 2004).  This research poses the question: ‘How can design elicit empathy in siblings of voices hearers? Testing and using a designed device to simulate dynamic Auditory Hallucinations or ‘Voices’ in order for family members to experience an in-depth understanding of their own reaction to hearing ‘voices’. With multiple studies affirming that families are crucial to recovery, this thesis research targets families to provide an education on how to positively perpetuate the recovery of a loved one suffering from hearing voices.  Empathy is the driving concept of this research, challenging the ability of a designed devices ability to elicit empathy. Through the design of a wearable technology scarf and smart phone App (both entitled Empathear) created to emulate ‘voices’, this thesis has developed and tested, a product-service system that provides family members a simulated voice hearing experience which can be undertaken in the family home and out in the general public. These voices adapt to the wearer’s environment, becoming louder, softer, more intense or relaxed. Using Empathear outside of the home is very important to this research as it allows family members to see what it is like to speak to members of the public with the distraction of voices.  This research identified four common themes expressed by those interviewed: - Distraction and Concentration - Personal Adaption into a Progressional Experience - Empathy and Appreciation - Positivity for the Future  Empathear fills a gap in the market, helping families to take control, becoming their own instigators of positive change. From a case study of user testing of the chosen design output – the Empathear App, it was found that this research was successful in achieving improved empathetic concern, with all sibling participants acknowledging a change in empathy towards their loved one. This generated a motivation, especially in younger participants, to improve the future of their loved one akin to Daniel C. Batson’s Altruism (Chapter 5.1 Types of Empathy).  This research worked to avoid personal distress in participants by allowing them the option to turn the App off at any stage, giving participants free range on how they wanted to orchestrate their personal voices experience. Empathear has given premise to understanding that distinguishing the illness from our loved one can be achieved through understanding our own reaction to voices. Participants were given an experience of how their personality could be tested by this adversity, allowing them to recognize the reasons behind their loved ones day to day actions and reactions.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sarah Mokhtar

<p>It is said that one in five adults will be affected by some form of mental disorder every year, and nearly half the population (45%) will experience a mental disorder at some stage in their life (SaneAustralia, 2004).  This research poses the question: ‘How can design elicit empathy in siblings of voices hearers? Testing and using a designed device to simulate dynamic Auditory Hallucinations or ‘Voices’ in order for family members to experience an in-depth understanding of their own reaction to hearing ‘voices’. With multiple studies affirming that families are crucial to recovery, this thesis research targets families to provide an education on how to positively perpetuate the recovery of a loved one suffering from hearing voices.  Empathy is the driving concept of this research, challenging the ability of a designed devices ability to elicit empathy. Through the design of a wearable technology scarf and smart phone App (both entitled Empathear) created to emulate ‘voices’, this thesis has developed and tested, a product-service system that provides family members a simulated voice hearing experience which can be undertaken in the family home and out in the general public. These voices adapt to the wearer’s environment, becoming louder, softer, more intense or relaxed. Using Empathear outside of the home is very important to this research as it allows family members to see what it is like to speak to members of the public with the distraction of voices.  This research identified four common themes expressed by those interviewed: - Distraction and Concentration - Personal Adaption into a Progressional Experience - Empathy and Appreciation - Positivity for the Future  Empathear fills a gap in the market, helping families to take control, becoming their own instigators of positive change. From a case study of user testing of the chosen design output – the Empathear App, it was found that this research was successful in achieving improved empathetic concern, with all sibling participants acknowledging a change in empathy towards their loved one. This generated a motivation, especially in younger participants, to improve the future of their loved one akin to Daniel C. Batson’s Altruism (Chapter 5.1 Types of Empathy).  This research worked to avoid personal distress in participants by allowing them the option to turn the App off at any stage, giving participants free range on how they wanted to orchestrate their personal voices experience. Empathear has given premise to understanding that distinguishing the illness from our loved one can be achieved through understanding our own reaction to voices. Participants were given an experience of how their personality could be tested by this adversity, allowing them to recognize the reasons behind their loved ones day to day actions and reactions.</p>


2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie T. Nolan ◽  
Mark T. Hughes ◽  
Joan Kub ◽  
Peter B. Terry ◽  
Alan Astrow ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective:Several studies have reported high levels of distress in family members who have made health care decisions for loved ones at the end of life. A method is needed to assess the readiness of family members to take on this important role. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale to measure family member confidence in making decisions with (conscious patient scenario) and for (unconscious patient scenario) a terminally ill loved one.Methods:On the basis of a survey of family members of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) enriched by in-depth interviews guided by Self-Efficacy Theory, we developed six themes within family decision making self-efficacy. We then created items reflecting these themes that were refined by a panel of end-of-life research experts. With 30 family members of patients in an outpatient ALS and a pancreatic cancer clinic, we tested the tool for internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha and for consistency from one administration to another using the test–retest reliability assessment in a subset of 10 family members. Items with item to total scale score correlations of less than .40 were eliminated.Results:A 26-item scale with two 13-item scenarios resulted, measuring family self-efficacy in decision making for a conscious or unconscious patient with a Cronbach's alphas of .91 and .95, respectively. Test–retest reliability was r = .96, p = .002 in the conscious senario and r = .92, p = .009 in the unconscious scenario.Significance of results:The Family Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale is valid, reliable, and easily completed in the clinic setting. It may be used in research and clinical care to assess the confidence of family members in their ability to make decisions with or for a terminally ill loved one.


Author(s):  
Evangeline Bonisiwe Zungu

The recent COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm. The rate of infection and prevalence of death struck fear in the hearts of many across the globe. The high likelihood of infection required continual testing whilst the trauma of bereavement left many distraught. For traditionalists, a principal concern was whether they would be permitted to exhaustively practise their burial rites in the course of mourning their loved ones. The importance of the custom, as it is believed, is to prevent unsettled feelings in family members. This article is aimed at stimulating consideration, reflection and understanding of the concerns experienced by traditional societies surrounding COVID-19 regulations and the non-performance of important burial rites. Surviving family members experience troubled thoughts as a result of the fear of repercussions, which may include the living-dead withholding their protection of the family which consequently will cause ailments and accidents. This article will utilise inductive thematic analysis to interpret the data collected .


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-65
Author(s):  
Anhelina Sliepushova

The article aims at analysis of gender and family stereotypes in father-child communication in an animated series Family Guy, featuring a typical American family. The study focuses on Peter Griffin's discourse, the father of the family, containing his communication with two of his teenage children, a son and a daughter, unveiling gender peculiarities in father-son and father-daughter discourses. The attempt is made to disclose how gender and family roles are verbalized in communication between family members. The conversation, discourse and corpus-based analyses have been used to analyze the main character's discourse in order to single out the father's specific vocabulary — through word lists, keyword lists, clusters and collocations — he uses while communicating with his son and daughter. The findings show that Peter Griffin chooses different language means while talking to his son and daughter. Thus, his discourse addressing his adolescent son Chris is rich in direct addresses, mainly commands when the father tries to discipline his son. Offering his son emotional support or encouragement the father stays forthright with him creating an image of “real men” stereotypical conversations. On the contrary, while communicating with his daughter Peter modifies her name Meg addressing her as honey, sweetheart, one-of-a-kind in father-daughter discourse. However, using diminutives he humiliates his daughter and makes her feel an abandoned child. In this way, he makes her feel special but in a negative way. Family communication created in the animated series reflects gender stereotypes in father's attitude to his children belonging to two different sexes. Nevertheless, this verbal tendency does not affect relationships within the family. For the future, it is worthwhile to compile a larger corpus including mother-child, child-father, and child-mother discourses to get more representative results


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 144-186
Author(s):  
Shwan Adam Aivas ◽  
Mahabad Kamel Abdulla

This study is an attempt to evaluate the effects of media language misusing in comedian programs of Iraqi Kurdish televisions. To achieve this goal, the researchers have done an online survey with 145 TV viewers; as well as analyzing the thematic contents of 12 episodes of the BEZMÎ BEZM program on the KurdMax satellite channel.   Based on the research results; media language misusing in the BEZMÎ BEZM program has negative effects on viewers of this program, despite the fact that the majority of opinions agreed on the definition of this satellite as a Kurdish entertainment channel and the rates of views of its main programs "Great". However, they also agreed that this program on the KurdMax satellite channel has become a popular platform for insults, exchange of accusations, and defamation of certain personalities and groups in society, and a reason for sabotaging the Kurdish language and its methods, producing linguistic and psychological violence and highlighting gender discrimination. In addition to sabotaging the public taste of viewers, lack of respect for their needs, delinquency of adolescents, reducing the value of artistic work etiquette and educational foundations, and underestimating the family and Kurdish culture and its peculiarities. As for the topics presented in this program, the main goal is to make viewers laugh only and to achieve this; they do not hesitate to spread market language and archaic and patriarchal cultures, encourage gender differences of men and women, social and sexual taboos, defame personalities, neglect health guidelines, and violate professional media ethics. All of the above; represents the main identity of the BEZMÎ BEZM program on the KurdMax satellite channel. As a final point, this research has recommended the relevant people and bodies to subordinate such programs in order to review its content based on legal and ethical media standards, laws, and rules of the Kurdish language, along with abiding professional art principles.


Gerontologia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-242
Author(s):  
Laura Kalliomaa-Puha

Jokaisella vanhuksella on Suomessa yksilöllinen, viime kädessä perustuslaissa taattu, oikeus riittävään hoivaan ja huolenpitoon. Silti tämä oikeus on usein käytännössä riippuvainen siitä, onko vanhalla ihmisellä omaisia tukenaan. Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan sitä, miten oikeus hoivaan ja hoitoon taataan lainsäädännössä. Omaisilla ei lain mukaan ole vastuuta hoivan järjestämisestä, mutta silti lainsäädäntö monessa kohdin ikään kuin olettaa omaisten olevan vanhuksen tukena. Vaikka omaiset usein ovatkin tukena, miten perusoikeus hoivaan ja huolenpitoon toteutuu niillä vanhuksilla, joilla ei ole omaisia? Artikkeli nostaa vakavimpana omaisolettaman riskinä esiin ne vanhukset, joilla on omaisia, mutta joiden omaiset eivät osaa tai halua auttaa. Right to care and presumption of family and friends in the Finnish legislation According to Finnish legislation the public authorities must guarantee adequate social, health and medical services for those old persons who cannot obtain means necessary for a life of dignity. Yet in practice this right to receive indispensable subsistence and care often depends on the fact whether the old person happens to have family or friends to help her or him. As if the legislation supposes there are friends and family to help, even though, according to Finnish law, family members do not have legal responsibility to take care of an elderly person. This article elaborates how the right to care is guaranteed in Finnish legislation and what the law says about the responsibilities of the family. Even though most of the relatives do help their elderlies, how is the right to care fulfilled for those old persons who do not have family? Perhaps the elderlies who have family and friends, which do not help or do not know how to, are in the most vulnerable situation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn E. Cody ◽  
Susan Sullivan-Bolyai ◽  
Patricia Reid-Ponte

Background The hospitalization of a family member in an intensive care unit can be stressful for the family. Family bedside rounds is a way for the care team to inform family members, answer questions, and involve them in care decisions. The experiences of family members with intensive care unit bedside rounds have been examined in few studies. Objectives To describe (1) the experiences of family members of patients in the intensive care unit who participated in family bedside rounds (ie, view of the illness, role in future management, and long-term consequences on individual and family functioning) and (2) the experiences of families who chose not to participate in family bedside rounds and their perspectives regarding its value, their illness view, and future involvement in care. Methods A qualitative descriptive study was done, undergirded by the Family Management Style Framework, examining families that participated and those that did not. Results Most families that participated (80%) found the process helpful. One overarching theme, Making a Connection: Comfort and Confidence, emerged from participating families. Two major factors influenced how that connection was made: consistency and preparing families for the future. Three types of consistency were identified: consistency in information being shared, in when rounds were being held, and in informing families of rounding delays. In terms of preparing families for the future, families appeared to feel comfortable with the situation when a connection was present. When any of the factors were missing, families described feelings of anger, frustration, and fear. Family members who did not participate described similar feelings and fear of the unknown because of not having participated. Conclusion What health care providers say to patients’ families matters. Families may need to be included in decision-making with honest, consistent, easy-to-understand information.


Author(s):  
Yoshimi Kataoka

Many Japanese researchers have suggested that both Japanese and Western societies are experiencing individualization of the family; whether or not this is the case in Japanese rural farming villages remains unclear. The purpose of this chapter is to investigate this question using a case study. The research involves interviews of families living in rural areas within the Shimane Prefecture, each engaged in agriculture, forestry, and/or fishery. The emerging picture is that it is increasingly difficult to find traditional Ie in rural farming villages today. For the rural farming family, individual freedom is important. However, respecting individuals seems to occur for the purposes of maintaining unity of the family as a group rather than for the purpose of individual self-realization. Therefore, emphasizing individual freedom does not mean conflict among family members (i.e., enforcement of competition with other family members or compromises by them).


Author(s):  
Dennis C. Daley ◽  
Antoine Douaihy

A family unit is a system in which various parts have an impact on other parts. This chapter looks at how families, concerned others, and friends are affected by a loved one’s SUD. Any family member may be hurt by a loved one with an SUD. The effects may vary among families and among members within the same family, but emotional pain and disruption of family life are common. Attention often centers on the member with the SUD, while overall family pain and distress are ignored. Individuals with SUDs often “underfunction,” which means that other members of the family have to pick up the slack and “overfunction.” This dynamic may change how family members communicate or relate to one another. The effects on families vary from mild to severe—in which a family is torn apart by an SUD.


2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin T. Kirchhoff ◽  
Lee Walker ◽  
Ann Hutton ◽  
Vicki Spuhler ◽  
Beth Vaughan Cole ◽  
...  

• Background Lack of communication from healthcare providers contributes to the anxiety and distress reported by patients’ families after a patient’s death in the intensive care unit.• Objective To obtain a detailed picture of the experiences of family members during the hospitalization and death of a loved one in the intensive care unit.• Methods A qualitative study with 4 focus groups was used. All eligible family members from 8 intensive care units were contacted by telephone; 8 members agreed to participate.• Results The experiences of the family members resembled a vortex: a downward spiral of prognoses, difficult decisions, feelings of inadequacy, and eventual loss despite the members’ best efforts, and perhaps no good-byes. Communication, or its lack, was a consistent theme. The participants relied on nurses to keep informed about the patients’ condition and reactions. Although some participants were satisfied with this information, they wished for more detailed explanations of procedures and consequences. Those family members who thought that the best possible outcome had been achieved had had a physician available to them, options for treatment presented and discussed, and family decisions honored.• Conclusions Uncertainty about the prognosis of the patient, decisions that families make before a terminal condition, what to expect during dying, and the extent of a patient’s suffering pervade families’ end-of-life experiences in the intensive care unit. Families’ information about the patient is often lacking or inadequate. The best antidote for families’ uncertainty is effective communication.


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