The ongoing debate surrounding human origins and the Bible is based on interpretations of various sections of the Bible, particularly Genesis 1–3, which are believed by some to contradict some of the tenets of the modern scientific consensus . This paper suggests that an interpretation of Genesis 2–3 in light of a close reading of the Hebrew text and the recognition of its ancient Near Eastern context demonstrates that the scientific consensus need not be in conflict with sound biblical interpretation.

Since Mezirow, there has been considerable research into transformative learning. However the research methods generally used have been of the same kind that are drawn on to inquire into any area of interest. A key aim of this journal is to explore the transformative possibilities of research, and in the process to investigate creative methods which are expanding and transforming our understanding of what constitutes valid research in a postmodern world. In this context, where the assumptions and worldview of classical (...) Newtonian science are being fundamentally challenged, the idea of the ‘transpersonal’ is receiving increasing attention, particularly within the field of psychology. This paper explains the origins of interest in the transpersonal, and provides an introduction to some emerging research methods which accept the idea of the transpersonal as valid. It concludes with the recognition that for many it will require a transformative shift in thinking and beliefs to accept a transpersonal worldview. However recent findings suggest that engaging in research which is accepting of this worldview can be truly transformative in its outcomes for the researcher, the research participants, and for the reader. (shrink)

"In this groundbreaking book Jean Walton subjects psychoanalysis to a sustained and highly illuminating ethnographic critique.

This research assessed how the performance and team skills of three-person teams working with an Intelligent Team Tutoring System on a virtual military surveillance task were affected by feedback privacy, participant role, task experience, prior team experience, and teammate familiarity. Previous work in Intelligent Tutoring Systems has focused on outcomes for task skill training for individual learners. As research extends into intelligent tutoring for teams, both task skills and team skills are necessary for good team performance. This work includes a (...) brief review of previous research on ITTSs, feedback, teams, and teamwork, including the recounting of two categories of a framework of teamwork performance, Communication and Cognition, which are relevant to the present study. This research examines the effects of an intelligent agent, as well as features of the team, its members, and the task being undertaken, on team communication and team situation awareness. Thirty-seven teams of three participants, each at their own computer running a multiplayer surveillance simulation, were given just-in-time private or public performance feedback during four 5-min trials. In the fourth trial, two of the three participants switched roles. Feedback type, teamwork experience, and teammate familiarity had no statistically significant effect on communication or team situation awareness. However, higher levels of role experience and task experience showed significant and medium-sized effects on communication performance. Results, based on performance data and structured interview responses, also revealed areas of improvement in future feedback design and a potential benchmark for feedback frequency in an action-oriented serious game-based ITTS. Among the conclusions are six design objectives for future ITTSs, establishing a foundation for future research on designing effective ITTSs that train interpersonal skills to nascent teams. (shrink)

The aim of this study is to increase our understanding of the ethical climate of entrepreneurial firms as they grow and develop. A developmental framework is introduced to describe the formal and informal ethical structures that emerge in entrepreneurial firms over time. Factors influencing where firms are within the developmental framework are posited, including the entrepreneur's psychological profile, lifecycle stage of the business, and descriptive characteristics of the venture. It is also proposed that the implementation of ethical structures will impact (...) perceptions of the clarity and adequacy of the ethical standards of the firm and the firm's preparedness to deal with ethical challenges as they arise. Results are reported of a cross-sectional survey of small firms at different stages of development. The findings indicate the existence of four distinct clusters of firms based on their formal and informal ethical structures: Superlatives, Core Proponents, Pain and Gain, and Deficients. Evidence is also provided of statistically significant relationships between the proposed antecedent and outcome variables. Implications are drawn from the results, and priorities are established for future research. (shrink)

CONNOR MJ and WALTON JA. Nursing Inquiry 2011; 18: 2–11 Demoralization and remoralization: a review of these constructs in the healthcare literatureDevelopment of the constructs of demoralization and remoralization began in the psychiatric literature in the 1970s when a psychiatrist in the USA observed a pattern of characteristics in people referred to him for depression, which he believed, was not depression. These characteristics included hopelessness, helplessness, isolation, low self-esteem and despair. Such characteristics are often termed existential distress. Distinguishing between depression (...) and the existential distress of demoralization is still central in the literature. This is important as successful responses to each condition differ. Research into these constructs has broadened and contributions now come from many different countries and multiple health disciplines, including nursing. This study presents a review and exploration of these constructs in the healthcare literature in an attempt to bring them to the attention of greater numbers of nurses. Facilitating remoralization requires time and sensitivity to people’s personal narratives. Difficulty in achieving such a response in the present efficiency climate of many health institutions can lead to moral distress. (shrink)