A concurrent model of the wilderness therapy process

Abstract

Though wilderness therapy programs are growing in number and popularity, the theoretical basis for distinguishing wilderness therapy from traditional therapeutic modalities is lacking. Existing models describing the wilderness therapy process have been stage-based, meaning the process has been conceptualized as sequential and discrete. Lost in this conceptualization of the wilderness therapy process is the dynamic and interrelated nature of therapeutic factors reasoned to be present at all times and to varying degrees. To address the limitations of stage based models and the lack of a strong theoretical basis in wilderness therapy, a concurrent model of the wilderness therapy process is proposed. This proposed model consists of three factors believed to be unique to the wilderness therapy milieu: Wilderness, Physical Self, and Social Self. The constituents of each of these factors are detailed and theoretical rationale for inclusion provided. In addition hypotheses about the intensity of each of these factors are discussed as a function of the temporal progression of the wilderness experience (e.g. entrance into wilderness program, exiting wilderness program). Advantages of the proposed model as well as suggestions for model testing and refinement are included.     

A Preliminary View of Students’ Information Technology Experience across UK Initial Teacher Training Institutions

ABSTRACT

Students enter initial teacher education institutions with a wide variety of experiences of information technology. This report aims to create a national perspective of their abilities and needs based on data collected independently by a number of institutions from England and Wales. For this preliminary survey data were provided by eight institutions. The survey covers 1370 students, of whom 731 were primary and 639 secondary. The data were gathered over a three year period (ending 1990/91) using a variety of questionnaires designed to gather data on the students’ previous computer experience, their proficiency in using computers, and their attitude to information technology both personally and its use in education.

The data indicate that students entering initial teacher education have a wide variety of needs regarding information technology (IT). The proportion of students lacking any computer experience prior to their course varied from 8% to 60% depending on institution and course. The most common experience was word processing only. The location of this experience also varied, with school use more common for students who had just left school and use at work common for mature students. Differences were indicated with factors such as age, course and gender. A proportion of students (2% – 49%) felt anxious or very nervous when computers are mentioned. However, most students feel that it is important to use IT in their teaching, despite these anxieties. The provision of a differentiated IT experience for students is recommended. A more reliable annual survey using a common instrument is now underway. The questionnaire is available from the ITTE Association. ^{1 1}The questionnaire is available from the Association for Information Technology in Teacher Education, 219 Osward, Courtwood Lane, Croydon CRO 9HG, United Kingdom.

     

Increasing Student Interest and Engagement with Business Cases by Turning Them into Consulting Exercises

How can you get undergraduate students more interested and engaged with business cases? Instead of using the traditional case teaching format, turn the case into a consulting exercise. Give students only the managerial dilemma and some starting information, form them into consulting teams, and then have each team requests additional case information by submitting a restricted number of questions. Through successive rounds, teams will gather enough information and data to analyze the situation and develop a set of recommendations. This approach transforms case‐based learning from a passive analysis of case details to an active process of discovery through smart questioning.     

Lost in Narration: Applying Autoethnography

The authors convey a story of getting lost in narration, on an applied and collaborative research project in which they combined autoethnography (AE), mindfulness, and relational communication. They examine common criticisms of AE in an effort to more accurately narrate how the method operates communicatively and resonates with commitments of applied communication research. This tale ends with a few invitational morals that are directed to skeptics and practitioners of AE.     

Influences of politics and economics upon photographic content in Chinese newspapers

During the mid‐1980s political pressure upon Chinese journalists decreased, financial pressure upon their newspapers increased and photojournalism gained importance. This study compares the content of photographs in three ‘official’ and three hybrid ‘official‐commercial’ Chinese newspapers. Photographs were found to be less important in ‘official’ newspapers. Subjects and values of concern to government and Party leaders appeared more frequently in ‘official‐commercial’ papers. This study also shows that in a period of political and economic reform, diversity exists in photographic news content and that photographs frequently serve public interests.     

7. German and Scandinavian Media Studies

CRITICAL IDEAS IN TELEVISION STUDIES by John Corner (New York: Oxford University Press “Oxford Television Studies,”; 1999—$52.00/19.95, ISBN 0–19–874221–5 hard, ISBN 0–19–874220–7 paper, 139 pp., references, index)

USES OF TELEVISION by John Hartley (London: Routledge, 1999—$75.00/22.99, ISBN 0–415–08508‐X hard, 0–415–08509–8 paper, 246 pp., figures and pictures, appendixes, references, index)

WAVES OF RANCOR: TUNING IN THE RADICAL RIGHT by Robert L Hilliard and Michael C. Keith (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe “Media, Communication, and Culture in America,”; 1999—$32.95, ISBN 0–7656–0131–1, 288 pp., appendices, notes, index)

THE HIDDEN SCREEN: LOW‐POWER TELEVISION IN AMERICA by Robert C. Hilliard and Michael C. Keith (Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1999—prices not given, ISBN 0–7656–0419–1 hard, 0–7656–0420–5, 212 pp., photos, notes, further reading, index)

ACTIVE RADIO: PACIFICA'S BRASH EXPERIMENT by Jeff Land (St. Paul: University of Minnesota Press “Commerce and Mass Culture,”; 1999—$42.95/16.95, ISBN 0–8166–3156–5 hard, 0–8166–3157–3 paper, 179 pp., photos, notes, bibliography, program index, text index)

MAKING SENSE OF TELEVISION: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF AUDIENCE INTERPRETATION by Sonia Livingstone (London: Routledge “International Series in Social Psychology,”; 1998 [2nd ed.]—$85.00/25.99, ISBN 0–415–18623–4 hard, 0–415–18536‐X paper, 212 pp., tables, bibliography, author and subject indexes)

TELEVISION: A MEDIA STUDENT'S GUIDE by David McQueen (London: Arnold, 1998—$55.00/18.95, ISBN 0–340–719764 hard, 0–340–70604‐X paper, 275 pp., illustrations, suggested readings, index)

HANDBOOK ON RADIO AND TELEVISION AUDIENCE RESEARCH by Graham Mytton (New York: UNICEF House, 1999 [Rev. and expanded ed.]—$20.95, paper, ISBN 92–806–3393–7, 191 pp., appendices, bibliography, glossary, references)

A BROADCAST ENGINEERING TUTORIAL FOR NON ENGINEERS (Washington, DC: NAB, 1999 [2nd ed.]—$49.95/29.97, paper, ISBN 0–89324–275–6, 209 pp., diagrams, index)

DIGITAL TELEVISION IN A DIGITAL ECONOMY: OPPORTUNITIES FOR BROADCASTERS by A. T. Kearney (Washington, DC: NAB, 1998— $164.99/98.99, paper, ISBN 0–89324–316–7, about 100 pp., charts, tables, notes, glossary)

NAB ENGINEERING HANDBOOK edited by Jerry Whitaker, et al (Washington, DC: NAB, 1999 [9th ed.]—$379.95/228.00, ISBN 0–089324–258–6, 1,572 pp., charts, diagrams, tables, chapter references and bibliography, CD‐ROM disc, index)

STATION CONSOLIDATION: A TECHNICAL PLANNING GUIDE FOR RADIO STATIONS by the NAB Science &; Technology Department (Washington, DC: NAB, 1997—$89.95/53.97, paper, ISBN 0–89324–311–6, 80 pp., diagrams, maps, appendices)

TOWER SITE REGULATION HANDBOOK by the NAB Science &;. Technology Department (Washington, DC: NAB, 1998—$99.95/59.95, paper, ISBN 0–89324–312–4, 533 pp., tables, diagrams, appendices)

UNITED STATES RBDS STANDARD: SPECIFICATION OF THE RADIO BROADCAST DATA SYSTEM (RBDS) by the National Radio Systems Committee of the Electronic Industries Association and the National Association of Broadcasters (Washington, DC: NAB, 1998—$49.95/29.97, paper, no ISBN provided, 202 pp., diagrams, tables, glossary, annexes)

RACE IN SPACE: THE REPRESENTATION OF ETHNICITY IN STAR TREK AND STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION by Micheal C. Pounds (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1999—$32.50, ISBN 0–8108–3322–0, 252 pp., figures, tables, notes, references, index)

PLAYERS ALL: PERFORMANCE IN CONTEMPORARY SPORT by Robert E. Rinehart (Bloomington: Indiana University Press “Drama and Performance Studies,”; 1998—$35.00 /15.95, ISBN 0–253–33426–8 hard, 0–253–21223–5 paper, 188 pp., notes, index)

DIRECTING FOR TELEVISION: CONVERSATIONS WITH AMERICAN TV DIRECTORS by Brian G. Rose (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1999—$32.50, ISBN 0–8108–3591–6, 227 pp., index)

BROADCASTING FREEDOM: RADIO, WAR, AND THE POLITICS OF RACE, 1938–1948 by Barbara Dianne Savage (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press “John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture,”; 1999—$45.00/18.95, ISBN 0–8078–2477–1 hard, 0–8078–4804–2 paper, 391 pp., illustrations, photos, notes, bibliography, and index)

TELEVISION AND NEW MEDIA AUDIENCES by Ellen Seiter (New York: Oxford University Press “Oxford Television Studies,”; 1999—$65.00/19.95, ISBN 0–19–871152–5 hard, 0–19–871141–7 paper, 154 pp., photos, bibliography, index)

UNTOUCHABLES by Tise Vahimagi (London: British Film Institute, 1998 [available from Indiana University Press]—$19.95, paper, ISBN 0–85170–563–4, 112 pp., photographs, index)     

The relationships of trait verbal aggressiveness and frequency of viewing and enjoyment of television sitcoms

Verbal aggressiveness is the tendency to attack the self‐concept of another person with the intent to inflict psychological pain (Infante & Wigley, 1986). This study focused on how low and high verbally aggressives differ in the television sitcoms they watch and how enjoyable they find those shows. Participants (N = 555) first completed the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale. Then they were asked how often they watch particular television sitcoms and if they watched a given sitcom, how entertaining they found that show to be. The sitcoms included in this study were those that were televised in April 1996. Of the 33 shows included in the analyses, low verbal aggressives differed from high verbal aggressives on 8 shows for frequency of watching and on 11 shows for entertainment value.     

Communcating emotional support and its relationship to feelings of being understood,trust, and self‐disclosure

The communicating of emotional support would seem to be an aspect of any successful relationship. Additionally, it would seem to reason that how one communicates emotional support would be an aspect of a relationship pertinent to communication research. Unfortunately, there is very little empirical evidence that illuminates how this is related to other relational outcomes such as trust. Weber and Patterson (1996) first developed a measure that taps into how much emotional support one receives from a specific other. In their initial scale development piece the authors validate the Communication Based Emotional Support Scale (CBESS) by finding positive correlations with both relationship solidarity and relationship satisfaction. This current study aimed to further validate the CBESS by exploring its relationship to trust, self‐disclosure, and feelings of being understood.     

International Communication

Richard R. Colino's The INTELSAT Definitive Arrangements: Ushering in a New Era on Satellite Telecommunications Geneva, Switzerland: European Broadcasting Union, 1973—about $5.00, paper)

Keith Geddes' Broadcasting in Britain: 1922-1972 (London: Science Museum, 1972—$1.50, paper)

Milton Shulman's The Least Worst Television in the World (London: Barrie & Jenkins, 1973— $7.15)