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InPsych 2020 | Vol 42

April/May | Issue 2

InPsych 2020 | Vol 42

Education and research : Research snapshot

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Analyse this

Building the ‘ultimate’ male body

How does muscularity define masculinity in young male bodybuilders?

A team of Queensland researchers investigated men’s identification with a subculture based around muscle-building. The aim was to find out the various factors involved in the quest for young men to achieve the ideal masculine body image, especially as it is defined by muscularity. The researchers were motivated by the increasing numbers of young Australian men who follow strict training and eating plans in order to gain high muscle-mass and low body fat, and who use steroids and performance-enhancing substances to achieve their goals. Interviews were undertaken with 14 young men who (a) weight-trained more than three times a week, (b) took bodybuilding supplements daily, and (c) used/had used steroids and/or other performance and image enhancing drugs. Interview analysis determined some precipitating (e.g., low self-confidence), perpetuating (e.g., social media pressures), and other factors related to strict adherence to a regime, including the use of recreational drugs at the same time as training. The array of influences lend support to a sociocultural framework for outlining the development and maintenance of striving for a muscular ideal body within this group. Having a greater awareness of the elements that drive the attainment of a muscularity-defined body image is key given some of the potentially dangerous health behaviours young men may enact to reach their physical ideal.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12451

Simulating competence?

When assessing clinical competence, is the provision of written material better than a video?

Australian researchers studied the overall impact of simulation-based education on psychology students’ clinical competence and confidence when compared with case-based education. In a mixed-methods study, 12 first-year clinical psychology students took two structured, objective clinical tests in which their clinical competence was evaluated using the Global Rating Scale and Cognitive Therapy Scale – Revised. After the first test, participants were randomly allocated to either the simulation- or case-based education conditions, where they interacted with video or written case studies. Post-intervention clinical competence was assessed, and participants took part in a follow-up focus group. Participants who took part in the simulation-based education condition rated their confidence higher in applying knowledge learned to real-world settings than those from the case-based education condition. The simulation-based education group also showed increased competence as rated on the scale. This increase, however, was not better overall than the case-based education group. A range of themes emerged from the qualitative data collected during the study, and suggested students felt a sense of disconnect between case-based materials and clinical practice. So too, the role of explicit instructions in shaping the learning experience for students was found to be key. From a student perspective, simulation-based is preferable to case-based as a clinical education approach. However, there is no clear evidence that simulation-based education enhances clinical skill performance over and above that of traditional case-based education.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cp.12209

The intercultural context

Exploring Indigenous experiences in mainstream Australian organisations.

This qualitative study explored the experiences of Indigenous employees working in Australian workplaces. Employment and retention rates for Indigenous workers are disproportionately lower than those found in the broader Australian population. A team of researchers examined the potential impacts of the intercultural workplace context. Ten Indigenous participants from a metropolitan area who are, or have been, employed in mainstream workplaces took part in in-depth interviews using a grounded theory methodology. Their responses were then coded to identify themes. The results indicate that some Indigenous employees experience mainstream workplaces as interculturally complex environments. These employment settings therefore present an array of psychosocial hurdles with regards to their employment and retention. The theory of intercultural code-switching between mainstream and minority groups is suggested as a potential element at play. Namely, the intercultural environment of these workplaces may mean Indigenous employees have to display higher levels of cultural agility to achieve successful employment and retention outcomes. The researchers propose that broader governmental initiatives to improve Indigenous employment outcomes are unlikely to end in increases in respective employment and retention rates for Indigenous workers unless the intricate, intercultural factors are taken into consideration. Both practice and further research implications in the field of organisational and intercultural psychology are also discussed.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12286

Tolerating uncertainty

When it comes to worrying, are some types more susceptible than others?

The intolerance of uncertainty model (IUM) of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) outlines four components which can add to both the development and maintenance of worry in GAD. They are intolerance of uncertainty (IU), positive beliefs about worry, negative problem orientation, and cognitive avoidance. Recent studies report that the relationship between IU and worry is mediated by positive beliefs about worry and negative problem orientation. This study looked at whether these mediation relationships appear when the two subtypes of IU, prospective and inhibitory IU, are examined separately. One hundred and sixty Australians from an convenience sample took an online survey to check each IUM component, worry, and depression. The results suggest positive beliefs about worry and negative problem orientation mediated the relationship between IU and worry. Only positive beliefs about worry mediated the relationship between prospective IU and worry, and only negative problem orientation mediated the relationship between inhibitory IU and worry. On the whole, this indicates that the two IU subtypes influence worry along varied pathways. The implications for these findings may mean there are ways to target elements of the IUM in people with GAD and other anxiety disorders.

https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12421

References

Disclaimer: Published in InPsych on April 2020. The APS aims to ensure that information published in InPsych is current and accurate at the time of publication. Changes after publication may affect the accuracy of this information. Readers are responsible for ascertaining the currency and completeness of information they rely on, which is particularly important for government initiatives, legislation or best-practice principles which are open to amendment. The information provided in InPsych does not replace obtaining appropriate professional and/or legal advice.

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