Category: academic

academic, psychologyLeave a comment

An exploration of the value of computer-based virtual environments in the management of visible disfigurement

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Summary We asked three participants to inhabit an avatar in Second Life, first without and then with an overlay mimicking a facial burn. We reviewed comments about the virtual world, the impact of the scar, and responses to facial disfigurement questionnaires. First published by Ether Books, October 2013.   Second Life We used Second Life (SL), a widely accessible online virtual environment (VE) (Au, 2008), the utility of which has been described elsewhere (Hall, Conboy-Hill, and Taylor 2011). The validity of VEs to model human behaviour is underpinned by extensive research by Bailenson and his team (see  Blascovich & Bailenson, … Continue reading An exploration of the value of computer-based virtual environments in the management of visible disfigurement

Rate this:

academic, avatar, Facial disfigurement, psychology, Sussex University, virtual worldLeave a comment

Facial Disfigurement: a study using the virtual world, Second Life

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

We found differences among the coping styles identified by participants’ responses on the BICSI and their behaviours in-world. … The discrepancies between the BICSI scores and behaviours in-world suggest future research directions evaluating the longstanding problem of divergent expressed and reported attitudes.   This is a first for Ether Books: ‘Facial Disfigurement in Second Life‘ is a research paper detailing a study in which participants responded to the application of a facial scar to their avatar. A free download for smartphones. http://catalog.etherbooks.com/Products/3014 Related articles Facial disfigurement (slideshare.net)   Continue reading Facial Disfigurement: a study using the virtual world, Second Life

Rate this:

academic, Internet of everythingLeave a comment

Wired reality: living in a networked world

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

  This is the inaugural lecture given by Professor Gillian Youngs, Brighton university. No flashing gadgetry, just a thoughtful analysis of how digitalisation has shifted us towards horizontal modes of communication and away from top down vertical ones. What this means for the ways organisations have traditionally worked – Gillian talks about universities but we are, in the UK, currently confronted by some critical issues in our health service – is a change of focus that allows for more collaborative cross-border working. For an industrial and commercial ethos that favours boundaried, competitive, intellectual silos, this is likely to be difficult. … Continue reading Wired reality: living in a networked world

Rate this:

academic, consent, decisional capacity, mental capacityLeave a comment

Good Question

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Good Question is a technique that supports professionals in assessing people for decisional capacity, in line with the UK Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the US framework for legal capacity. The website is not fully stocked yet but if you Google it, it will do its best to say hello. There’s work in progress to put prompts on an app for your Smartphone too – how handy is that? More as it bubbles to the surface. Continue reading Good Question

Rate this:

academic, NHS, NHS: a trilogy in four parts14 Comments

So long, and thanks for …

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Well, you know the rest. October 12th is a watershed date: my last as a paid NHS employee, and my first as a pensioner/student with aspirations to hang out in cafes, writing and wearing odd-looking hats. I have projects to finish – an online training package for capacity interviewing, and a working virtual clinical area for researchers, clinicians, and service users – so I have honorary contracts in place to keep professional links with Sussex Partnership & Brighton university. About the same time, it’s back to school with a new satchel and pencil case, on the tail of an MA in … Continue reading So long, and thanks for …

Rate this:

academic, avatar, Brighton University, Spirit of Enquiry, Sussex PartnershipLeave a comment

Spirit of Enquiry conference, 2011

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

I am very sorry to report that this conference has been cancelled. This is due to low levels of registration which, in turn, seem likely to be due to our lack of publicity at a key time (I was away and unable to expedite this – see link), and current pressures on clinical staff to meet necessary targets. The Trust is working hard to deliver complex services to a population of around 1.5 million people, and the present climate is not an easy one within which to operate flexibly. Front-line staff probably feel this more than any of us. Hopefully, we will be back next year. Two guaranteed invitations to present will … Continue reading Spirit of Enquiry conference, 2011

Rate this:

academic, Brighton University, capacity to consent, high impact journal, Imperial College, learning disabilities, virtual world1 Comment

Using Virtual Reality to Provide Health Care Information to People With Intellectual Disabilities

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

It can take a long time to translate the uphill trek of the funding application into the enervating research you set out to do And afterwards, there seems to be an even longer trail towards placing an academic report of that work in a suitable publication.  The Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) is about as appropriate a positioning as we could have hoped for, with its focus on best use of technology in the interests of health. As you might expect, JMIR does not confine its publication to dry text, and so there are images drawn from the study, and even a video tour of the virtual environment. We are … Continue reading Using Virtual Reality to Provide Health Care Information to People With Intellectual Disabilities

Rate this:

academic, conference, Spirit of Enquiry, Sussex Partnership, Sussex UniversityLeave a comment

Spirit of Enquiry Conference, Dec 5th 2011

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Sussex Partnership Research & Development directorate is holding its third Spirit of enquiry conference on December 5th this year.  Designed to complement our major showcase event in the Summer, this conference invites submissions from new researchers who are Trust staff and partners, Trust staff and partners supported by us to complete research towards Masters or Doctoral degrees, and Trust staff and partners who have conducted research-relevant audit. Our keynote speakers this year are Professor Val Hall (University of Brighton) on the Research Design Service, Stephanie Goubet (University of Brighton) on statistical methodologies, and Dr Nicky Petty (University of Brighton) on Professional Doctorates. Following the success of last year’s Ethics panel and discussion, there will be a similar opportunity to talk with … Continue reading Spirit of Enquiry Conference, Dec 5th 2011

Rate this:

academic, MHID1 Comment

Joint Congress of the European Association for Mental Health in Intellectual Disability & IASSID Challenging Behaviour & Mental Health SIRG

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

This is a first-of-its-kind conference; a joint enterprise between the Division of Clinical Psychology (British Psychological Society) and two European specialist learning disability associations. It is hosted by the DCP’s Faculty of Learning disability, which comprises psychologists working with people with learning disabilities, primarily in the NHS but also through local authority and third sector provisions. Sussex Partnership is well represented. Peter Baker is presenting his work  on positive behaviour support: Positive Behaviour Support Clinical and Process Outcomes: The P-CPO project. Nicky Gregory (with Celia Heneage) a workshop: Group work with people who have learning disabilities; sharing ideas from clinical practice. And I am presenting our findings for … Continue reading Joint Congress of the European Association for Mental Health in Intellectual Disability & IASSID Challenging Behaviour & Mental Health SIRG

Rate this:

academic, high impact journal, impact factor, publication1 Comment

What does it mean when a research journal is ‘high impact’?

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Ok, so I’m on leave and taking a break from writing a 2000 word creation-myth story, as you do. I was at two meetings recently where the impact of research was discussed. The first was to do with demonstrating the value of research to organisations; the second was with a group of service users with learning disabilities (Powerful Trainers). Not surprisingly, the prevailing interpretation of ‘impact’ in these two discussions differed significantly, and the problem of resolution has been bothering my thinking genie ever since. As a clinician whose main output has been what might be termed ‘armchair’ discussion items … Continue reading What does it mean when a research journal is ‘high impact’?

Rate this: