Cicilia Chettiar | MANIBEN NANAVATI WOMEN'S COLLEGE SNDT WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY (original) (raw)

Papers by Cicilia Chettiar

Body image and health are important in predicting physical and mental health among adolescents. T... more Body image and health are important in predicting physical and mental health among adolescents. The association between body image, depression and general health was investigated among adolescent females with depressive symptoms using correlational design. A total of seventy-three adolescent females within the age range of thirteen to eighteen were recruited using non-probability sampling technique of purposive sampling. The participants were first screened using Beck's Depression Inventory-II (BDI II) to detect depressive symptoms. Later, those qualifying for the study were given Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI) to measure body image and Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) was to measure general health after collecting their demographic details. Pearson correlation results revealed that body image and depression were significantly correlated, while body image and general health were found to have a significant correlation as well. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that general health predicts depression more than body image. The implications of the findings were discussed and recommendations were made for further studies.

Journal of psychosocial research, 2015

INTRODUCTIONThe era of globalization brought with it numerous changes and alternatives in the soc... more INTRODUCTIONThe era of globalization brought with it numerous changes and alternatives in the social fabric. Cultural constructs that were considered sacrosanct were suddenly found to be blocking attempts at progress. Phenomena aimed at raising the social consciousness and creating a healthy society was being quickly replaced by those that seemed more utilitarian. One of the constructs that was sacrificed at the altar of globalization was the joint family system. In a rapidly shrinking world, with increased communication and lowered travel time, the joint family with its long list of expectations was quickly turning into a quagmire from which escape appeared imperative.The joint family system is sometimes considered as a multiplicity of genealogically connected nuclear families living under the same roof and sharing in worship, food & property. This is not incorrect but it misses the point. It proceeds from the assumption that the nuclear families are the units out of which a joint ...

Indian journal of positive psychology, 2012

Researchers have finally arrived at the same conclusion that religious and spiritual leaders have... more Researchers have finally arrived at the same conclusion that religious and spiritual leaders have been emphasizing for years, namely that material goals cannot make one happy and peaceful. It is only in looking inwards and attaining goals that allow personal development and growth that one can truly achieve peace. The increasing emphasis on personal growth and the disillusionment with material success is creating a greater need for personal growth and an inward bound journey. The mushrooming of various cults and societies promising lasting peace is a prime indicator of the growing need for close personal relationships and community living.One such theory that confirms this phenomenon is Self determination theory (SDT) (Deci & Ryan, 2000). SDT is a theory of motivation that bases it premise on need satisfaction leading to higher SWB in most adults. Deci and Ryan began with the concept that all need based behaviours are not necessarily motivated by drive reduction. Certain classes of ...

The authors investigated the possible differences between two cultures on the different processes... more The authors investigated the possible differences between two cultures on the different processes that lead to Subjective Well Being (SWB) as per self determination theory. A survey was conducted between 100 Tamilian and Keralite men and women using the scales for need satisfaction, causality orientation and SWB. Results show that although there were no significant differences in the actual levels of all three variables, the correlation between needs, causality orientations and SWB differed for both groups. Gender differences were also noticed. A regression equation was computed to understand how well the needs and the orientations were predictive of SWB. The differences in the two groups can be explained by the differences in culture.

The author investigated the possible differences between two cultures on the different processes ... more The author investigated the possible differences between two cultures on the different processes that lead to Subjective Well Being (SWB) as per self determination theory. A survey was conducted between 100 Tamilian and Keralite men and women using the scales for need satisfaction, causality orientation and SWB. Results show that although there were no significant differences in the actual levels of all three variables, the correlation between needs, causality orientations and SWB differed for both groups. Gender differences were also noticed. A regression equation was computed to understand how well the needs and the orientations were predictive of SWB. The differences in the two groups can be explained by the differences in culture.

Digital learning is an approach that fulfils various emotional and professional needs through a m... more Digital learning is an approach that fulfils various emotional and professional needs through a mode that is stress free, convenient and financially viable. The present paper looks at the meaning of digital learning, its techniques and strategies and the current technologies that allow a speedier and more interesting method to disseminate knowledge. In spite of all the courses offered through this method, it has been found that offering the masters course in psychology through the digital mode or distance learning is often met with a lot of resistance and rejections. The specific concern in the field of psychology is producing trained personnel who can practise and research in the field. Conventionally training in psychology is skill based requiring personal and individual supervision. The paper questions these restrictions in the study of psychology and offers alternatives in the form of latest technologies that can be utilised in offering psychology in the Distance Learning mode. It also clarifies how the process of internships can be carried out in spite of the limited interaction with academic supervisors. The paper concludes by looking at two studies carried out by the American Psychological Association that can have an impact on how Distance Learning courses in psychology can be conducted successfully. The recommendations of the Madhava Menon report on Distance Learning are also taken into account to further reinforce the point that psychology can be offered as a Distance Learning subject with the help of digital media.

The current study was an attempt to understand the relationship between basic needs as identified... more The current study was an attempt to understand the relationship between basic needs as identified by self-determination theory, negative states of depression, anxiety and stress and well being in students from urban India. It was developed around the framework of basic psychological needs theory which is a part of self-determination theory. It was hypothesized that there will be statistically significant correlation between those who have higher well being and satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs and this will be positive. It was also hypothesized that there will be a negative but statistically significant correlation between those who have lower well being and who show higher scores on depression, anxiety and stress. Pearson's product-moment correlation was used to arrive at these results and they were computed separately for males and females in the sample. A gender based comparison of depression, anxiety and stress indicated a statistically significant difference between both. Implications of the study are discussed.

For some time now there has been considerable debate on the benefits of qualitative versus quanti... more For some time now there has been considerable debate on the benefits of qualitative versus quantitative research in psychology. In its research orientation, psychology has been overwhelmingly affected by the experimental method since a number of years. The sharpness of the behaviorist school of thought has added to the need for research based on numbers. Psychology is considered a science and hence, the criteria of scientific fields apply when considering research. Primary among them is the need for a numerical assessment of phenomenon that can be generalized using the rules of probability. Probability can be both subjective and objective. The use of statistics aids decision making based on the probability of data. Since science is meant to be both descriptive and predictive, the role of inferential statistics has increased vastly as we plot the development of research in psychology. The inclination towards a more objective methodology is so strong that not only do we find more research work based on statistics, but even within statistics there is a lot more emphasis on probability sampling techniques. A meta-analysis of articles [1] over the years has shown that most journals also prefer publishing articles that can show statistically significant values in its analysis, often known as the " file-draw problem. " In all of this, it appears, the richness of qualitative data may have been getting lost. Qualitative research methods appear to be largely the domain of sociology where the need to understand a phenomenon includes its description and not just a prediction. This description aids in understanding phenomenon in the specific population although in this case, the size of the population may be far smaller than in the case of quantitative research. The desire to scale the depth of a phenomenon versus the need to measure its width drives qualitative research. The challenge is to discover meaning through sensitivity to language and to identify patterns and exceptions which ideally fall away from the center of the normal probability curve. The presence and the absence of information, the said and the unsaid, both play a role in qualitative research. Reality demands objective measures. And objectivity is best served through quantitative means. Challenges arise when one decides to acknowledge the subjectivity in reality. The interface between the real and the subjective requires a methodology that can scan the horizon for minute specks that hint at a larger phenomenon beyond. Methodology always serves the ontological and epistemological masters. The qualitative paradigm would act as the inter-linking factor between self, reality and subjectivity. There are various tools and techniques in the qualitative methodology. But the basic requirement is a keen understanding of language as it is the primary medium of information gathering. Very often the silences in a narrative or an interview are as informative as the words that are used. It is this nuance that the researcher needs to be able to pick if he wishes to create a body of information that can aid in the understanding of the phenomenon. The subtlety of information gathering and the specificity of the phenomenon reduce generalizability to a large extent. But the astuteness of the researcher can provide a context to policy making and decision making. The complex dynamism of the organism called human precludes too much inductive reasoning. However, psychological science, influenced by the physical sciences, has depended for far too long on the objective scale of measurement. In the process there has been a gradual erosion of knowledge at the micro level. Inferential statistics requires assumptions about the sample which may not hold credibility in the population. The huge influx of influences on the population, with the ever increasing technological reach

Background: In all settings across India, it has been noted that men view pornography off and on ... more Background: In all settings across India, it has been noted that men view pornography off and on while some even do so on a daily basis. The study was aimed to evaluate the attitudes of men towards pornography and women in general. Methods: The current study surveyed 208 Indian urban males to understand their attitude towards porn and women in general. It was hypothesized that there will be no correlation between men who view porn and their attitude towards women. The attitude towards porn is evaluated as either detrimental or beneficial. Results: It was found that those who held detrimental attitude towards porn also held favorable attitudes towards women. This correlation could be indicative of the egalitarian attitude among such men. They refuse to accept the objectification of women as a good thing reflecting a healthy attitude towards women. Conclusion: The current study questions the frequently held belief that viewing porn is acceptable and has no long term impact on the well being of the individual. It must be considered that this study was conducted among the urban male population in India and could be reflective of the culture as well.

ABSTRACT Background: In all settings across India, it has been noted that men view pornography of... more ABSTRACT
Background: In all settings across India, it has been noted that men view pornography off and on while some even do so on a daily basis. The study was aimed to evaluate the attitudes of men towards pornography and women in general.
Methods: The current study surveyed 208 Indian urban males to understand their attitude towards porn and women in general. It was hypothesized that there will be no correlation between men who view porn and their attitude towards women. The attitude towards porn is evaluated as either detrimental or beneficial.
Results: It was found that those who held detrimental attitude towards porn also held favorable attitudes towards women. This correlation could be indicative of the egalitarian attitude among such men. They
refuse to accept the objectification of women as a good thing reflecting a healthy attitude towards women.
Conclusion: The current study questions the frequently held belief that viewing porn is acceptable and has no long term impact on the well being of the individual. It must be considered that this study was
conducted among the urban male population in India and could be reflective of the culture as well.

This paper develops a framework for understanding the relationships between approaches to learnin... more This paper develops a framework for understanding the relationships between approaches to learning adopted by students in the context of higher education and the concept of field dependence/field independence. This is a cognitive variable that affects the learning style of the individual. Sometimes it is referred to as global versus analytic thinking and it reflects on how learners think and process information. The field dependent learner is one who processes information globally. This learner is less analytical, not attentive to detail, and sees the perceptual field as a whole. This whole resists analysis or decomposition. The field independent person on the other hand can easily break the field down into its component parts. He/she is typically not influenced by the existing structure and can make choices independent of the perceptual field. There is very little disagreement that a relationship does exist between the culture in which children live (or from which they are descended) and their preferred ways of learning. This relationship, further, is directly related to academic, social, and emotional success in school. We will look at how students vary along the continuum of field dependence/field independence as a direct consequence of belonging to a particular culture. Our ability to give every child a chance to succeed in school depends upon a full understanding of culture and learning styles. After all, effective educational decisions and practices must emanate from an understanding of the ways that individuals learn. Consequently, knowing each student, especially his or her culture, is essential preparation for facilitating, structuring, and validating successful learning for all students.

The changing social fabric has affected the traditional joint family system in India which has no... more The changing social fabric has affected the traditional joint family system in India which has now given way to the nuclear family system. The current study attempts to find out whether individuals differ in their experience of need satisfaction due to this difference. It is a part of a larger study on well-being that is based on the self-determination theory. The BPNS-G was administered to a group of 352 individuals and subjected to a one-way ANOVA. The results indicate that there is a statistically significant difference between joint and nuclear families in the experience of the needs for autonomy and competence. The results are discussed in light of the findings.

Individuals are similar and different in their affective experience of life. Positive and negativ... more Individuals are similar and different in their affective experience of life. Positive and negative affective experiences are part of life. Some experience more positive affect, others negative affect, while still others balance the two. This difference between individuals maybe due to various factors. One reason could be the cultural background of the individual. To study if this possibility is true, the Scale of Positive And Negative Experience was administered to 234 adolescents from Tamil & Malayalam communities in the city of Mumbai. Results showed that there was no significant difference in the overall affect balance between the two groups.

The presence of high levels of anxiety in students has been documented in various studies. There ... more The presence of high levels of anxiety in students has been documented in various studies. There are various methods of intervention that are suggested and have been found acceptable. This study covers the application of specific yoga techniques to female student population taught by a trained yoga teacher. It was hypothesized that students who are exposed to specific Yoga asanas will respond positively and find a reduction in their anxiety levels as measured by their physiological manifestations. Anxiety levels were assessed using Beck’s Anxiety Inventory both before and after the intervention. A control group matching the experimental group in demographics was also used to ensure that change occurred only in the specific experimental group. Results indicate significant reduction in the levels of anxiety in the experimental group as measured by the t-test.

Self determination theory highlights how satisfaction of the three needs of autonomy, competence ... more Self determination theory highlights how satisfaction of the three needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness leads to higher subjective well being. However it also specifies that the nature of the goal will finally affect SWB. Extrinsic goals lower well being while intrinsic goals enhance SWB. This study assesses SWB in a sample of 100 respondents to verify this proposition. There is a significant difference in the aspiration index of males and females, yet there is no corresponding significant difference in their SWB. This study questions the assumptions of SDT that only intrinsic goals can enhance SWB. Also, using factor analysis, the goal of health is clearly categorised as being part of the intrinsic goals. The goals were also ranked in order of importance for males and females.

Journal of psychosocial research, 2015

Indian journal of positive psychology, 2012

Reviewing the book of a Nobel Laureate in Economics is no easy task. And if the particular laurea... more Reviewing the book of a Nobel Laureate in Economics is no easy task. And if the particular laureate is a psychologist, it complicates matters further. Of course, it could just be a delusion, that someone of the stature of Daniel Kahneman even needs to have his book reviewed. But that would be my System 1 talking, the one that is automatic, quick on the draw and happy to jump to conclusions. I can't really rely much on System 2 because according to Kahneman, it is reliable but lazy, preferring to surrender to the mighty System 1 as it's easier that way. In case you're wondering who these characters are, let me introduce you to Kahneman's two protagonists, who like any other protagonists are a reasonable mix of good and bad, flaws and perfection. Intuition, that hidden faculty which has received both empirical and mystical attention, is what this book is all about, rather about its biases. Kahneman aims to provide the appropriate vocabulary by which we can identify and understand errors of judgment and choice. What began as a work on intuitive statistics with Amos Tversky in 1969 led to almost 27 years of association studying biases, heuristics, errors and choices that affect our intuitive decisions. Along the way they managed to turn upside down a 300 year old theory of economics propounded by Bernoulli and other rational theories devised by Econs, the sub species of the human species that specialize in Economics. The Prospect Theory, their contribution to the field of human decision making is what essentially won Kahneman his Nobel in 2002. Tversky was unfortunately unable to share it due to his untimely death in 1996. This book is dedicated to Tversky and has numerous instances and episodes which both questioned established rational theories and offered proof of Humans with flawed decisions and judgments. In Kahneman's words this book describes, " the marvels as well as the flaws of intuitive thought. "

Written by Eric Weiner. Published by Hachette Book Group USA (2008) ISBN: 978-0446698894 (Paperba... more Written by Eric Weiner. Published by Hachette Book Group USA (2008)
ISBN: 978-0446698894 (Paperback)