John Hyland | Dublin Business School (original) (raw)
Papers by John Hyland
ABSTRACT The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is the oldest childr... more ABSTRACT The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is the oldest children’s charity organisation in Ireland, and currently provides 24 hour support and assistance for children. Due to the importance of external social supports and the limited research to date in Ireland, the aim of the present study was to explore the role of the ISPCC as a source of support for teenage children, with regard to stress, self-esteem and test anxiety. One hundred and eighty eight children (99 females) between 13 and 18 years of age participated. Results suggest that children who reported a recent stressful life event and who used ISPCC services reported significantly lower levels of stress than those who reported a stressful event and didn’t use the supports. The use of services did not affect self-esteem or test anxiety scores in service users compared to comparison groups.
The effect of reversal on reproduction of observed temporal sequences John Hyland University of U... more The effect of reversal on reproduction of observed temporal sequences John Hyland University of Ulster at Coleraine Denis OHora National University of Ireland Galway Julian Leslie University of Ulster at Coleraine Sinead Smyth University of Ulster at Coleraine Abstract: The processes that underpin the structure of time in human cognition are of singular relevance in many domains of cognitive research including psycholinguistics, connectionist modeling, and philosophy of mind. Much cognition involves observing sequences of environmental stimuli and producing related sequences of responses. The current study examined the effect of reversal on the reproduction of observed sequences. 20 participants observed sequences of two geometric stimuli (e.g., Circle Square), and were required to report the sequences using the temporal relational cues, Before or After (e.g., Circle Before Square or Square After Circle). Reporting the sequence using After required participants to reverse the observ...
Background: Although a widespread problem, victimisation research on primary school children is l... more Background: Although a widespread problem, victimisation research on primary school children is limited, especially in disadvantaged regions. The aim of the current research was to address this absence in the literature with the analysis of the first wave data from a longitudinal study as part of the „Healthy Schools‟ programme in a disadvantaged urban region. Method: The current study explored victimisation incidences among 458 seven to twelve year old Irish primary school children, and associations with depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and social support. Results: Victimisation frequency (33.8%) was consistent with recent literature, with scores positively correlating with depression levels. On the stand-alone victimisation question, victims scored lower on all HRQoL subscales compared to non-victims. Further categorisation of victimisation behaviours revealed that frequent-victims scored lower on four of these subscales, compared to non-victims. Conclusion: Alt...
The Psychological Record, 2012
The current study investigated the relative effects of Before and After relational cues on tempor... more The current study investigated the relative effects of Before and After relational cues on temporal order judgments. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 20) were exposed to a 5-phase temporal relational responding task. Participants observed a sequence of 2 familiar shapes and then completed either a Before or an After statement to describe the sequence. Response speeds were significantly faster for Before statements than for After statements. Experiment 2 (N = 24) extended Experiment 1, using abstract rather than familiar stimuli, and replicated the findings. The current data extend previous research, which employed temporal relational responding tasks as a measure of cognitive abilities such as intelligence, by focusing on differences in speed between responding in the presence of relational cues used in such tasks. The differences in response speeds observed between Before and After cues suggest that more work is needed to understand the specific processes that underpin such responding.
The Psychological Record, 2016
For temporal relations, mutually entailed relations are different to those directly trained; we l... more For temporal relations, mutually entailed relations are different to those directly trained; we learn that A occurred "before" B and derive that B occurred "after" A. Deriving such relations results in lower accuracy and slower response speeds compared to derived relations identical to those trained. The ability of an individual to derive relations different to those trained is a measure of relational flexibility and predicts performance on standard cognitive tests. In the current study, 23 younger (M = 19 years) and 23 older (M = 61 years) participants observed pairs of stimuli presented consecutively (A … B) and then evaluated statements including the stimuli in the same (A BEFORE B) or reversed order (B AFTER A). Judgements on reversed ("after") statements resulted in lower accuracy and slower response speeds than those presented in the same order ("before") for both older and younger groups. Older adults exhibited deficits in relational flexibility compared to younger adults, such as slower progression through experimental phases, particularly in correctly responding to reversed statements. Older participants also demonstrated higher error rates on foil statements and responded more slowly than younger participants. The findings suggest that older adults may benefit from training strategies focused on relational flexibility.
As the focus on mental health in schools has increased so too has the number of agencies providin... more As the focus on mental health in schools has increased so too has the number of agencies providing, services, talks and activities to support mental health promotion. While there is evidence to suggest that supporting community mental health through schools is beneficial there is little empirical evidence for many of the interventions on offer (Kelly, 2007). This study aims to examine the effect of Jigsaws school intervention on attitudes to mental health, help-seeking and social distance in a second level school in North Fingal. The research instrument was a self-administered questionnaire completed over three time points. This study found the intervention resulted in more positive attitudes to mental health and an increased awareness in sources of help. No effect was measured on barriers to help seeking. While mixed results were found in relation to social distance. Limitations of the current study and areas for research are discussed.
Objective: The aim of the study was to identify possible predictors of infidelity. The potential ... more Objective: The aim of the study was to identify possible predictors of infidelity. The potential role of religiosity as an inhibitor of infidelity was also explored. Method: Participants (N = 110) completed a battery of questionnaires measuring infidelity, attitudes to sexual versus emotional infidelity, conscientiousness, narcissism, religiosity and knowledge of parental relationship. Results: Results indicated a relationship between infidelity and narcissism, but no association with conscientiousness. In males (but not females), associations were found between infidelity and knowledge of parental cheating and unhappy parental relationship. Moreover, no relationship was found between religiosity and infidelity. Analysis found no gender differences in infidelity or attitudes to sexual versus emotional infidelity. Conclusion: As no association was found between infidelity and religiosity, research of potential inhibitors should continue. It was indicated males may be unconsciously mo...
The Psychological Record, 2014
Order judgements are slower and less accurate when reversed. That is, when participants see two e... more Order judgements are slower and less accurate when reversed. That is, when participants see two events in a sequence (e.g., circle …square), they are quicker to report Before statements (e.g., "Circle before Square") than After statements ("Square After Circle"). The current study sought to determine whether a reversal effect would also occur when participants are instructed to produce a sequence of responses. Twenty participants were trained to criterion on simple Before and After instructions that specified sequences of two responses (e.g., "Circle before Square"). In a subsequent test, participants produced instructed sequences (e.g., circle … square) more quickly and more reliably when instructed to choose one stimulus before another than when they were requested to choose one stimulus after another. The implications of these findings for current theories of relational responding are considered.
Substance Use & Misuse, 2016
Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people w... more Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people who use drugs. Objectives: The aim of this article was to longitudinally measure drug use, familial and social status and criminal involvement between parents and nonparents who use heroin and have children in their care. Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 404 participants were recruited to the Research Outcome Study in Ireland Evaluating Drug Treatment Effectiveness (ROSIE) as part of a longitudinal cohort study design. Participants completed the Maudsley Addiction Profile and 88% (n = 356) completed interviews at the 3-year period. One way between groups ANOVA with post hoc tests and backward, stepwise multiple regression were employed for analysis. Results: At follow-up, parents who had children in their care used heroin (p = .004), illicit methadone (p ࣘ .001) and cocaine (p = .024) on fewer days than those who had no children, or those who had children but did not have children in their care. These differences were not observed at intake. Living with someone at intake who used drugs was found to be significantly associated with increased heroin (p ࣘ .001), benzodiazepine (p = .039), and tobacco (p = .030) use at 3 years. Furthermore, a change in childcare status to caring for a child was associated with increased cannabis use (p = .025). Conclusion/Importance: While caring for children was associated with reduced heroin use at 3 years, living with a person who used at intake removed this effect, thus indicating that while individual based addiction theories reflected observed outcomes, social network connectedness was more influential.
Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people w... more Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people who use drugs. Objectives: The aim of this article was to longitudinally measure drug use, familial and social status and criminal involvement between parents and nonparents who use heroin and have children in their care. Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 404 participants were recruited to the Research Outcome Study in Ireland Evaluating Drug Treatment Effectiveness (ROSIE) as part of a longitudinal cohort study design. Participants completed the Maudsley Addiction Profile and 88% (n = 356) completed interviews at the 3-year period. One way between groups ANOVA with post hoc tests and backward, stepwise multiple regression were employed for analysis. Results: At follow-up, parents who had children in their care used heroin (p = .004), illicit methadone (p ࣘ .001) and cocaine (p = .024) on fewer days than those who had no children, or those who had children but did not have children in their care. These differences were not observed at intake. Living with someone at intake who used drugs was found to be significantly associated with increased heroin (p ࣘ .001), benzodiazepine (p = .039), and tobacco (p = .030) use at 3 years. Furthermore, a change in childcare status to caring for a child was associated with increased cannabis use (p = .025). Conclusion/Importance: While caring for children was associated with reduced heroin use at 3 years, living with a person who used at intake removed this effect, thus indicating that while individual based addiction theories reflected observed outcomes, social network connectedness was more influential.
Background: Although a widespread issue, research on victimisation among primary school children ... more Background: Although a widespread issue, research on victimisation among primary school children in high-poverty regions is limited. The aim of this research was to explore victimisation incidence and associated mental health correlates from first-wave data of the 'Healthy Schools' programme in a high-poverty urban region. Method: The study explored victimisation incidences among 458 Irish primary school children and associations with depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social support. Results: Victimisation (33.8%) was consistent with recent literature. On the stand-alone victimisation question, victims scored lower on all HRQoL subscales compared with nonvictims. Further categorisation revealed that frequent victims scored lower on four of these subscales, compared with nonvictims. Furthermore, over half of children felt that their school was not doing enough to combat school aggression. Conclusions: Although from a high-poverty area, rates were consistent with data from more affluent areas. Results stress an importance on specific school aggression behaviours when measuring victimisation rates, along with corresponding health consequences. Future research should continue to adopt the behaviour-based assessment of victimisation to provide an overall picture of the problem. Key Practitioner Message • Cross-culturally, school aggression victimisation is an ongoing problem for schools and has received much attention. • However, in the context of schools from high-poverty areas, research is limited. • Among respondents, over half felt that their school was not doing enough to combat bullying. • In the treatment of physical and mental health, practitioners should consider the role of victimisation and its association to such symptomatology.
Advancing Corrections, 2017
Young offenders are disproportionately represented in Irish prisons, a population with complex ne... more Young offenders are disproportionately represented in Irish prisons, a population with complex needs and highest risk of re-offending. There is limited research regarding young offenders, and none on their subjective experiences. Using a qualitative, semi-structured interview design, 12 young offenders in Mountjoy Prison participated. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim with potentially identifiable information removed. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was applied to data. Four superordinate themes provided an overview of participants’ experiences: Experience of being in prison, Managing time in prison, Complex relationships, and Looking to the future. The study contributes to existing literature, considers sentence management and clinical implications.
Background Although a widespread issue, research on victimisation among primary school children ... more Background
Although a widespread issue, research on victimisation among primary school children in high-poverty regions is limited. The aim of this research was to explore victimisation incidence and associated mental health correlates from first-wave data of the ‘Healthy Schools’ programme in a high-poverty urban region.
Method
The study explored victimisation incidences among 458 Irish primary school children and associations with depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social support.
Results
Victimisation (33.8%) was consistent with recent literature. On the stand-alone victimisation question, victims scored lower on all HRQoL subscales compared with nonvictims. Further categorisation revealed that frequent victims scored lower on four of these subscales, compared with nonvictims. Furthermore, over half of children felt that their school was not doing enough to combat school aggression.
Conclusions
Although from a high-poverty area, rates were consistent with data from more affluent areas. Results stress an importance on specific school aggression behaviours when measuring victimisation rates, along with corresponding health consequences. Future research should continue to adopt the behaviour-based assessment of victimisation to provide an overall picture of the problem.
Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people w... more Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people who use drugs. Objectives: The aim of this article was to longitudinally measure drug use, familial and social status and criminal involvement between parents and nonparents who use heroin and have children in their care. Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 404 participants were recruited to the Research Outcome Study in Ireland Evaluating Drug Treatment Effectiveness (ROSIE) as part of a longitudinal cohort study design. Participants completed the Maudsley Addiction Profile and 88% (n = 356) completed interviews at the 3-year period. One way between groups ANOVA with post hoc tests and backward, stepwise multiple regression were employed for analysis. Results: At follow-up, parents who had children in their care used heroin (p = .004), illicit methadone (p ≤ .001) and cocaine (p = .024) on fewer days than those who had no children, or those who had children but did not have children in their care. These differences were not observed at intake. Living with someone at intake who used drugs was found to be significantly associated with increased heroin (p ≤ .001), benzodiazepine (p = .039), and tobacco (p = .030) use at 3 years. Furthermore, a change in childcare status to caring for a child was associated with increased cannabis use (p = .025). Conclusion/Importance: While caring for children was associated with reduced heroin use at 3 years, living with a person who used at intake removed this effect, thus indicating that while individual based addiction theories reflected observed outcomes, social network connectedness was more influential.
For temporal relations, mutually entailed relations are different to those directly trained; we l... more For temporal relations, mutually entailed relations are different to those directly trained; we learn that A occurred “before” B and derive that B occurred “after” A. Deriving such relations results in lower accuracy and slower response speeds compared to derived relations identical to those trained. The ability of an individual to derive relations different to those trained is a measure of relational flexibility and predicts performance on standard cognitive tests. In the current study, 23 younger (M = 19 years) and 23 older (M = 61 years) participants observed pairs of stimuli presented consecutively (A … B) and then evaluated statements including the stimuli in the same (A BEFORE B) or reversed order (B AFTER A). Judgements on reversed (“after”) statements resulted in lower accuracy and slower response speeds than those presented in the same order (“before”) for both older and younger groups. Older adults exhibited deficits in relational flexibility compared to younger adults, such as slower progression through experimental phases, particularly in correctly responding to reversed statements. Older participants also demonstrated higher error rates on foil statements and responded more slowly than younger participants. The findings suggest that older adults may benefit from training strategies focused on relational flexibility.
Psychology and Society., Jun 14, 2016
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is the oldest children’s char... more The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is the oldest children’s charity organisation in Ireland, and currently provides 24 hour support and assistance for children. Due to the importance of external social supports and the limited research to date in Ireland, the aim of the present study was to explore the role of the ISPCC as a source of support for teenage children, with regard to stress, self-esteem and test anxiety. One hundred and eighty eight children (99 females) between 13 and 18 years of age participated. Results suggest that children who reported a recent stressful life event and who used ISPCC services reported significantly lower levels of stress than those who reported a stressful event and didn’t use the supports. The use of services did not affect self-esteem or test anxiety scores in service users compared to comparison groups.
The Psychological Record, 64(2), 311-319
Order judgements are slower and less accurate when reversed. That is, when participants see two e... more Order judgements are slower and less accurate when reversed. That is, when participants see two events in a sequence (e.g., circle …square), they are quicker to report Before statements (e.g., “Circle before Square”) than After statements (“Square After Circle”). The current study sought to determine whether a reversal effect would also occur when participants are instructed to produce a sequence of responses. Twenty participants were trained to criterion on simple Before and After instructions that specified sequences of two responses (e.g., “Circle before Square”). In a subsequent test, participants produced instructed sequences (e.g., circle … square) more quickly and more reliably when instructed to choose one stimulus before another than when they were requested to choose one stimulus after another. The implications of these findings for current theories of relational responding are considered.
ABSTRACT The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is the oldest childr... more ABSTRACT The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is the oldest children’s charity organisation in Ireland, and currently provides 24 hour support and assistance for children. Due to the importance of external social supports and the limited research to date in Ireland, the aim of the present study was to explore the role of the ISPCC as a source of support for teenage children, with regard to stress, self-esteem and test anxiety. One hundred and eighty eight children (99 females) between 13 and 18 years of age participated. Results suggest that children who reported a recent stressful life event and who used ISPCC services reported significantly lower levels of stress than those who reported a stressful event and didn’t use the supports. The use of services did not affect self-esteem or test anxiety scores in service users compared to comparison groups.
The effect of reversal on reproduction of observed temporal sequences John Hyland University of U... more The effect of reversal on reproduction of observed temporal sequences John Hyland University of Ulster at Coleraine Denis OHora National University of Ireland Galway Julian Leslie University of Ulster at Coleraine Sinead Smyth University of Ulster at Coleraine Abstract: The processes that underpin the structure of time in human cognition are of singular relevance in many domains of cognitive research including psycholinguistics, connectionist modeling, and philosophy of mind. Much cognition involves observing sequences of environmental stimuli and producing related sequences of responses. The current study examined the effect of reversal on the reproduction of observed sequences. 20 participants observed sequences of two geometric stimuli (e.g., Circle Square), and were required to report the sequences using the temporal relational cues, Before or After (e.g., Circle Before Square or Square After Circle). Reporting the sequence using After required participants to reverse the observ...
Background: Although a widespread problem, victimisation research on primary school children is l... more Background: Although a widespread problem, victimisation research on primary school children is limited, especially in disadvantaged regions. The aim of the current research was to address this absence in the literature with the analysis of the first wave data from a longitudinal study as part of the „Healthy Schools‟ programme in a disadvantaged urban region. Method: The current study explored victimisation incidences among 458 seven to twelve year old Irish primary school children, and associations with depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and social support. Results: Victimisation frequency (33.8%) was consistent with recent literature, with scores positively correlating with depression levels. On the stand-alone victimisation question, victims scored lower on all HRQoL subscales compared to non-victims. Further categorisation of victimisation behaviours revealed that frequent-victims scored lower on four of these subscales, compared to non-victims. Conclusion: Alt...
The Psychological Record, 2012
The current study investigated the relative effects of Before and After relational cues on tempor... more The current study investigated the relative effects of Before and After relational cues on temporal order judgments. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 20) were exposed to a 5-phase temporal relational responding task. Participants observed a sequence of 2 familiar shapes and then completed either a Before or an After statement to describe the sequence. Response speeds were significantly faster for Before statements than for After statements. Experiment 2 (N = 24) extended Experiment 1, using abstract rather than familiar stimuli, and replicated the findings. The current data extend previous research, which employed temporal relational responding tasks as a measure of cognitive abilities such as intelligence, by focusing on differences in speed between responding in the presence of relational cues used in such tasks. The differences in response speeds observed between Before and After cues suggest that more work is needed to understand the specific processes that underpin such responding.
The Psychological Record, 2016
For temporal relations, mutually entailed relations are different to those directly trained; we l... more For temporal relations, mutually entailed relations are different to those directly trained; we learn that A occurred "before" B and derive that B occurred "after" A. Deriving such relations results in lower accuracy and slower response speeds compared to derived relations identical to those trained. The ability of an individual to derive relations different to those trained is a measure of relational flexibility and predicts performance on standard cognitive tests. In the current study, 23 younger (M = 19 years) and 23 older (M = 61 years) participants observed pairs of stimuli presented consecutively (A … B) and then evaluated statements including the stimuli in the same (A BEFORE B) or reversed order (B AFTER A). Judgements on reversed ("after") statements resulted in lower accuracy and slower response speeds than those presented in the same order ("before") for both older and younger groups. Older adults exhibited deficits in relational flexibility compared to younger adults, such as slower progression through experimental phases, particularly in correctly responding to reversed statements. Older participants also demonstrated higher error rates on foil statements and responded more slowly than younger participants. The findings suggest that older adults may benefit from training strategies focused on relational flexibility.
As the focus on mental health in schools has increased so too has the number of agencies providin... more As the focus on mental health in schools has increased so too has the number of agencies providing, services, talks and activities to support mental health promotion. While there is evidence to suggest that supporting community mental health through schools is beneficial there is little empirical evidence for many of the interventions on offer (Kelly, 2007). This study aims to examine the effect of Jigsaws school intervention on attitudes to mental health, help-seeking and social distance in a second level school in North Fingal. The research instrument was a self-administered questionnaire completed over three time points. This study found the intervention resulted in more positive attitudes to mental health and an increased awareness in sources of help. No effect was measured on barriers to help seeking. While mixed results were found in relation to social distance. Limitations of the current study and areas for research are discussed.
Objective: The aim of the study was to identify possible predictors of infidelity. The potential ... more Objective: The aim of the study was to identify possible predictors of infidelity. The potential role of religiosity as an inhibitor of infidelity was also explored. Method: Participants (N = 110) completed a battery of questionnaires measuring infidelity, attitudes to sexual versus emotional infidelity, conscientiousness, narcissism, religiosity and knowledge of parental relationship. Results: Results indicated a relationship between infidelity and narcissism, but no association with conscientiousness. In males (but not females), associations were found between infidelity and knowledge of parental cheating and unhappy parental relationship. Moreover, no relationship was found between religiosity and infidelity. Analysis found no gender differences in infidelity or attitudes to sexual versus emotional infidelity. Conclusion: As no association was found between infidelity and religiosity, research of potential inhibitors should continue. It was indicated males may be unconsciously mo...
The Psychological Record, 2014
Order judgements are slower and less accurate when reversed. That is, when participants see two e... more Order judgements are slower and less accurate when reversed. That is, when participants see two events in a sequence (e.g., circle …square), they are quicker to report Before statements (e.g., "Circle before Square") than After statements ("Square After Circle"). The current study sought to determine whether a reversal effect would also occur when participants are instructed to produce a sequence of responses. Twenty participants were trained to criterion on simple Before and After instructions that specified sequences of two responses (e.g., "Circle before Square"). In a subsequent test, participants produced instructed sequences (e.g., circle … square) more quickly and more reliably when instructed to choose one stimulus before another than when they were requested to choose one stimulus after another. The implications of these findings for current theories of relational responding are considered.
Substance Use & Misuse, 2016
Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people w... more Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people who use drugs. Objectives: The aim of this article was to longitudinally measure drug use, familial and social status and criminal involvement between parents and nonparents who use heroin and have children in their care. Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 404 participants were recruited to the Research Outcome Study in Ireland Evaluating Drug Treatment Effectiveness (ROSIE) as part of a longitudinal cohort study design. Participants completed the Maudsley Addiction Profile and 88% (n = 356) completed interviews at the 3-year period. One way between groups ANOVA with post hoc tests and backward, stepwise multiple regression were employed for analysis. Results: At follow-up, parents who had children in their care used heroin (p = .004), illicit methadone (p ࣘ .001) and cocaine (p = .024) on fewer days than those who had no children, or those who had children but did not have children in their care. These differences were not observed at intake. Living with someone at intake who used drugs was found to be significantly associated with increased heroin (p ࣘ .001), benzodiazepine (p = .039), and tobacco (p = .030) use at 3 years. Furthermore, a change in childcare status to caring for a child was associated with increased cannabis use (p = .025). Conclusion/Importance: While caring for children was associated with reduced heroin use at 3 years, living with a person who used at intake removed this effect, thus indicating that while individual based addiction theories reflected observed outcomes, social network connectedness was more influential.
Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people w... more Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people who use drugs. Objectives: The aim of this article was to longitudinally measure drug use, familial and social status and criminal involvement between parents and nonparents who use heroin and have children in their care. Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 404 participants were recruited to the Research Outcome Study in Ireland Evaluating Drug Treatment Effectiveness (ROSIE) as part of a longitudinal cohort study design. Participants completed the Maudsley Addiction Profile and 88% (n = 356) completed interviews at the 3-year period. One way between groups ANOVA with post hoc tests and backward, stepwise multiple regression were employed for analysis. Results: At follow-up, parents who had children in their care used heroin (p = .004), illicit methadone (p ࣘ .001) and cocaine (p = .024) on fewer days than those who had no children, or those who had children but did not have children in their care. These differences were not observed at intake. Living with someone at intake who used drugs was found to be significantly associated with increased heroin (p ࣘ .001), benzodiazepine (p = .039), and tobacco (p = .030) use at 3 years. Furthermore, a change in childcare status to caring for a child was associated with increased cannabis use (p = .025). Conclusion/Importance: While caring for children was associated with reduced heroin use at 3 years, living with a person who used at intake removed this effect, thus indicating that while individual based addiction theories reflected observed outcomes, social network connectedness was more influential.
Background: Although a widespread issue, research on victimisation among primary school children ... more Background: Although a widespread issue, research on victimisation among primary school children in high-poverty regions is limited. The aim of this research was to explore victimisation incidence and associated mental health correlates from first-wave data of the 'Healthy Schools' programme in a high-poverty urban region. Method: The study explored victimisation incidences among 458 Irish primary school children and associations with depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social support. Results: Victimisation (33.8%) was consistent with recent literature. On the stand-alone victimisation question, victims scored lower on all HRQoL subscales compared with nonvictims. Further categorisation revealed that frequent victims scored lower on four of these subscales, compared with nonvictims. Furthermore, over half of children felt that their school was not doing enough to combat school aggression. Conclusions: Although from a high-poverty area, rates were consistent with data from more affluent areas. Results stress an importance on specific school aggression behaviours when measuring victimisation rates, along with corresponding health consequences. Future research should continue to adopt the behaviour-based assessment of victimisation to provide an overall picture of the problem. Key Practitioner Message • Cross-culturally, school aggression victimisation is an ongoing problem for schools and has received much attention. • However, in the context of schools from high-poverty areas, research is limited. • Among respondents, over half felt that their school was not doing enough to combat bullying. • In the treatment of physical and mental health, practitioners should consider the role of victimisation and its association to such symptomatology.
Advancing Corrections, 2017
Young offenders are disproportionately represented in Irish prisons, a population with complex ne... more Young offenders are disproportionately represented in Irish prisons, a population with complex needs and highest risk of re-offending. There is limited research regarding young offenders, and none on their subjective experiences. Using a qualitative, semi-structured interview design, 12 young offenders in Mountjoy Prison participated. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim with potentially identifiable information removed. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was applied to data. Four superordinate themes provided an overview of participants’ experiences: Experience of being in prison, Managing time in prison, Complex relationships, and Looking to the future. The study contributes to existing literature, considers sentence management and clinical implications.
Background Although a widespread issue, research on victimisation among primary school children ... more Background
Although a widespread issue, research on victimisation among primary school children in high-poverty regions is limited. The aim of this research was to explore victimisation incidence and associated mental health correlates from first-wave data of the ‘Healthy Schools’ programme in a high-poverty urban region.
Method
The study explored victimisation incidences among 458 Irish primary school children and associations with depression, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social support.
Results
Victimisation (33.8%) was consistent with recent literature. On the stand-alone victimisation question, victims scored lower on all HRQoL subscales compared with nonvictims. Further categorisation revealed that frequent victims scored lower on four of these subscales, compared with nonvictims. Furthermore, over half of children felt that their school was not doing enough to combat school aggression.
Conclusions
Although from a high-poverty area, rates were consistent with data from more affluent areas. Results stress an importance on specific school aggression behaviours when measuring victimisation rates, along with corresponding health consequences. Future research should continue to adopt the behaviour-based assessment of victimisation to provide an overall picture of the problem.
Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people w... more Background: Internationally there is a lack of measurement on the impact of childcare on people who use drugs. Objectives: The aim of this article was to longitudinally measure drug use, familial and social status and criminal involvement between parents and nonparents who use heroin and have children in their care. Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 404 participants were recruited to the Research Outcome Study in Ireland Evaluating Drug Treatment Effectiveness (ROSIE) as part of a longitudinal cohort study design. Participants completed the Maudsley Addiction Profile and 88% (n = 356) completed interviews at the 3-year period. One way between groups ANOVA with post hoc tests and backward, stepwise multiple regression were employed for analysis. Results: At follow-up, parents who had children in their care used heroin (p = .004), illicit methadone (p ≤ .001) and cocaine (p = .024) on fewer days than those who had no children, or those who had children but did not have children in their care. These differences were not observed at intake. Living with someone at intake who used drugs was found to be significantly associated with increased heroin (p ≤ .001), benzodiazepine (p = .039), and tobacco (p = .030) use at 3 years. Furthermore, a change in childcare status to caring for a child was associated with increased cannabis use (p = .025). Conclusion/Importance: While caring for children was associated with reduced heroin use at 3 years, living with a person who used at intake removed this effect, thus indicating that while individual based addiction theories reflected observed outcomes, social network connectedness was more influential.
For temporal relations, mutually entailed relations are different to those directly trained; we l... more For temporal relations, mutually entailed relations are different to those directly trained; we learn that A occurred “before” B and derive that B occurred “after” A. Deriving such relations results in lower accuracy and slower response speeds compared to derived relations identical to those trained. The ability of an individual to derive relations different to those trained is a measure of relational flexibility and predicts performance on standard cognitive tests. In the current study, 23 younger (M = 19 years) and 23 older (M = 61 years) participants observed pairs of stimuli presented consecutively (A … B) and then evaluated statements including the stimuli in the same (A BEFORE B) or reversed order (B AFTER A). Judgements on reversed (“after”) statements resulted in lower accuracy and slower response speeds than those presented in the same order (“before”) for both older and younger groups. Older adults exhibited deficits in relational flexibility compared to younger adults, such as slower progression through experimental phases, particularly in correctly responding to reversed statements. Older participants also demonstrated higher error rates on foil statements and responded more slowly than younger participants. The findings suggest that older adults may benefit from training strategies focused on relational flexibility.
Psychology and Society., Jun 14, 2016
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is the oldest children’s char... more The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) is the oldest children’s charity organisation in Ireland, and currently provides 24 hour support and assistance for children. Due to the importance of external social supports and the limited research to date in Ireland, the aim of the present study was to explore the role of the ISPCC as a source of support for teenage children, with regard to stress, self-esteem and test anxiety. One hundred and eighty eight children (99 females) between 13 and 18 years of age participated. Results suggest that children who reported a recent stressful life event and who used ISPCC services reported significantly lower levels of stress than those who reported a stressful event and didn’t use the supports. The use of services did not affect self-esteem or test anxiety scores in service users compared to comparison groups.
The Psychological Record, 64(2), 311-319
Order judgements are slower and less accurate when reversed. That is, when participants see two e... more Order judgements are slower and less accurate when reversed. That is, when participants see two events in a sequence (e.g., circle …square), they are quicker to report Before statements (e.g., “Circle before Square”) than After statements (“Square After Circle”). The current study sought to determine whether a reversal effect would also occur when participants are instructed to produce a sequence of responses. Twenty participants were trained to criterion on simple Before and After instructions that specified sequences of two responses (e.g., “Circle before Square”). In a subsequent test, participants produced instructed sequences (e.g., circle … square) more quickly and more reliably when instructed to choose one stimulus before another than when they were requested to choose one stimulus after another. The implications of these findings for current theories of relational responding are considered.
Objective: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of help-seeking behaviour within an a... more Objective: The aim of this study was to identify predictors of help-seeking behaviour within an adolescent sample and to identify self-reported barriers towards such behaviour.
Method: A sample of 185 (M=93, F=92), 13-17 year old post-primary school students completed a battery of questionnaires measuring mental health knowledge and understanding, resilience, self-esteem, perceived general health and help seeking behaviour.
Results: A multiple regression revealed that mental health knowledge and understanding, general health and self-esteem were significant predictors of help-seeking behaviour. Furthermore, self-esteem moderated the relationship between both knowledge and understanding of mental health and help-seeking behaviour, and resilience and help-seeking behaviour. A lack of awareness was identified among the sample of the youth mental health services available. Pride, low self-esteem, shame and embarrassment were among some issues which were identified from qualitative analyses as barriers towards not seeking help.
Conclusion:
The development of youth mental health interventions may benefit from a focus on issues such as self-esteem and knowledge of mental health services. This study further highlights possible protective factors and suggests how they play a role in attitudes towards help seeking behaviour.
Objective: While the focus on positive mental health in schools has increased, so too has the num... more Objective: While the focus on positive mental health in schools has increased, so too has the number of agencies providing services, talks and activities to support mental health promotion. Though there is evidence to suggest that supporting community mental health through schools is beneficial there is little evidence for many of the interventions on offer (Kelly, 2007). The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Jigsaw’s school intervention program on attitudes to mental health, help-seeking and social distance in a post-primary school in North County Dublin.
Method: From an initial sample of 81 students, 58 (M=26, F=32) completed a self-administered battery of questionnaires over three time points, pre-intervention, post-intervention and two week follow up.
Results: Post intervention scores revealed a significant increase in positive attitudes to mental health issues and an increased awareness in sources of help. Post-intervention data found no change in barriers toward help seeking or perceived social distance.
Conclusion: Results suggest that the Jigsaw program is an effective tool in improving attitudes to mental health and help-seeking, which can be delivered in a cost and time effective way.
Objective: Mindfulness meditation has recently become a ‘hot topic’ in the area of psychology. Th... more Objective: Mindfulness meditation has recently become a ‘hot topic’ in the area of psychology. This study sought to extend current knowledge by providing a mixed methods analysis on the influence of mindfulness meditation on attentional ability, perceived stress and emotional acceptance.
Methods: Twenty-five participants took part in a three week mindfulness meditation program. The Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Perceived Stress Scale (10), Brief Self-control Scale and Emotional Sensitivity Subscale from the Social Skills Inventory were completed pre- and post-intervention. At post-test, participants were also questioned on their overall experiences in learning mindfulness exercises.
Results: Results suggest that the mindfulness program led to a significant increase in attentional ability, and a decrease in levels of perceived stress. Major themes emerging from the qualitative data highlighted the importance of: having an open attitude, practice for an increased self-regulation, and further individual variation.
Conclusion: While results advocate previous literature postulating the potential of mindfulness programs in providing evidence for it as a positive influence on mental health, the qualitative data suggests a crucial role for participants’ attitude, an avenue which needs further exploration.
The relative position of events in time affects how we respond to them. That is, both animals and... more The relative position of events in time affects how we respond to them. That is, both animals and human beings identify, and respond to, temporal relations between stimuli. Moreover, human beings abstract and create temporal relations that they have never experienced between hypothetical stimuli in order to make sense of the world around us. However, the behavioural processes contributing to these abstract notions of time and how they are implicated in human cognitive behaviour are not yet clear. The current paper reviews the cognitive, behavioural, and philosophical literature on temporal relational responding. In this context, a novel analysis of such behaviour is proposed, informed by this multidisciplinary perspective. This paper will provide an overview of the literature contributing to our understanding of temporal relational responding. The culmination of such a review will identify key research questions that need to be examined in order to understand the underlying processes involved.