Trauma Psychology Psy : 428

1. Trauma PsychologyPsy: 428 Dr. Charles Benight Professor of Psychology Email: benight@uccs.edu

2. SELF-EVALUATIVE PROCESSESING: COPING SELF-EFFICACY • Humans utilize self-evaluation in order to adapt to environmental challenges. • The primary predictive factor for self-evaluation is coping self-efficacy (CSE). CSE is defined as the perceived capability for dealing with post-trauma recovery demands.

3. Social Cognitive Theory: Triadic Reciprocal Determinism Personal Coping Self-Efficacy Mental & Physical Health Behavior Environment Effective Restorative Or Regressive Coping Behavior: Psychological Outcomes Collective Efficacy Social Resource Availability

4. Faculty-Student Relationships and Depth of Learning Charles C. Benight, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology

5. Collaborators Roman Cieslak, Ph.D. Morgan Clinton, B.A. Sandra Taylor Whitney Piro

6. It’s Simple • SELF • OTHER • SAFE

7. Key Components to Motivational Learning: • Ford & Smith (2007): Motivation in education is related to: • Capability Beliefs (Self-Efficacy) • Context Beliefs (Social Support Environment; Other) • And Emotions (Safetyto Learn)

10. Mezirow 1990,1991, Moon, 1999, Richardson, 2000 Depth of Learning Through Meaningful Reflection Deep Learning Transformative Learning Reflective Unstructured Working with Meaning Reflective Structured Making Meaning Integration Making Sense Reproduction Note Taking Memorization Surface Learning

11. Role of Reflection • Learning may be defined as ‘the process of making a new or revised interpretation of the meaning of an experience, which guides subsequent understanding, appreciation and action’.

13. Ethic of Caring and Reflective Learning • NelNoddings emphasized the Ethic of Caring in learning. It is an ethical imperative to develop a caring faculty to student relationship (i.e., TRUST). It is also essential to reflective learning.

14. Developmental Caring…. • This process is developmental as the learning relationship emerges over time. • Role of Empathy, Positive Regard, Genuineness, Congruence, Investment.

15. Key Determinants of Depth of Learning: SELF, OTHER, SAFE • Three primary components: • Trusting student/teacher relationship (Noddings, 2003; Ethic of Caring) (SAFE OTHER) • Enhanced student self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997) (SELF) • Promotion of maximal student effort (Dweck, 2007) (MOTIVATIONAL INTERACTION)

16. Factors Related to Depth of Learning • Illeris (2009) contends that learning involves cognitive (knowledge and skills), emotional (feelings and motivation), and social (communication and cooperation) dimensions. Triadic reciprocal determinism • Four levels: cumulative, assimilative, transcendent, and transforming

17. Maximizing Transformative Learning • Learning is maximized through a trusting relationship where the student believes he/she has the competence to master the material (i.e., self-efficacy) and also believes that effort, rather than innate ability, is necessary for success (Bandura, 1997; Dewey, 1968; Dweck, 2007; Noddings, 2003).

19. THE EXPERIMENT

20. The Senior Seminar in Trauma Experiment • Operationalization of key components. • Create opportunities for individual contact with students (office hours, before/after class, during breaks, and emails). • Utilize each and every contact as a vehicle to promote trust, efficacy, and effort. • Use classic counseling skills to establish trust and rapport. • Create “emotionally charged” classroom environment to enhance engagement/personal reflection.

21. The Journal Journal Reflections. As part of the class I have found that students deepen their learning experience and their relationship with me as the professor if they journal during the day after each class period. This is NOT meant to be a lengthy time consuming exercise, but more a reflective one where you take a few moments to think about the class, what you learned, and how it has affected you. This gives me the opportunity to have a greater appreciation for you as a student and how the class is going for you. So I would like you to journal each week and send it to me via email to benight@uccs.edu.

22. Journal I would also like you answer each of these questions at the end of every journal by writing down three numbers such as 5, 7, 9 or something like that. How comfortable you are feeling in class scale of 1 to 10 (1 = Not at all Comfortable to 10 = Very Trusting and Comfortable). Your perceptions of how capable you feel in mastering the material scale of 1 to 10 (1 = Not at all Capable to 10 = Extremely Capable). And how motivated you are feeling 1 – 10 (1 = Not at all Motivated to 10 = Very Motivated).

23. The Study • 6 students agreed to participate • Fall of 2011 IRB approval was obtained • First class syllabus introduced and study outlined by graduate student who had taken the course as an undergraduate. • I was not aware who agreed and who did not agree to participate until I submitted grades

24. Methods • Each journal was reviewed and scored by 2 research assistance on the depth of learning for that week. When discrepancies were identified they were discussed until an agreed score was obtained. • Overall depth of learning was summated for each participant as well as graphically reviewed across the semester for developmental process.

25. Self-Assessment Across Time

26. External-Assessment Across Time

27. External and Self-Assessment Across Time

28. Learning and Trust DimensionsBased on ExternalAssessments

29. Participant 1: Morgan • Morgan is a 21 year old woman who was graduating in December. Her plan was to go on to nursing school. Her first and third journals showed her trepidation related to the major writing assignment in the class.

30. Morgan Journal 1 This past week in class we learned a great deal about "trauma" and what it means as well as how it effects the mind. It was quite interesting to hear what happens to one's mind after a traumatic event and to learn about the natural progression of intrusive thoughts. I had always thought that it was best to just not think of such traumatic events and they would just go away. After last class I realized that not talking about experiences just makes things worse. The trauma doesn't go away and instead is subconsciously integrated into our lives. Bringing the trauma to the surface and dealing with it is necessary to over come it and avoid the "black hole of trauma". 1. Comfort level: 8 2. Mastering material: 4. I'm a bit nervous about the paper we have to write. I've never written a paper as lengthy and in depth before. 3. Motivation: 7

31. Morgan Journal 3 Today in class we talked a bit about the paper, which has me a little concerned. I am slightly nervous about the length of my paragraphs; I tend to have quite lengthy paragraphs. I'm going to really have to work on that. Also I'm nervous about critically evaluating the articles for our papers, what if I miss something or I'm not detailed enough? This is going to be a difficult assignment for me. Also in class we talked a lot about social-cognitive theory as well as self-efficacy. I'm still confused about what exactly self-efficacy is. With the example of Maddie throwing paper into the trashcan, is self-efficacy how well she perceives she will do? She perceived her self-efficacy as a seven and then received feedback from the class, which dropped her self-efficacy to a six. So is self-efficacy highly influenced by social aspects? My interpretation of self-efficacy in relation to a trauma victim is their ability to cope with the trauma or their perceived ability to cope with trauma. Am I on the right track? Comfort: 7 Mastering Materials: 6 Motivation: 6

32. My Response Hi Morgan. First off, we need to get your confidence and motivation up higher! I want to help you. As far as self efficacy is concerned you are definitely on the right track. We will talk more about it. Don't worry so much about the paper, let's work on that together. Dr B

33. The In-Class Intervention/Confrontation • Morgan began to show up late for class and miss class. She looked more disconnected and distressed. She turned in an assignment late. • I asked her after class to talk to me for a short bit and confronted her on these behaviors. She cried and said she was overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do about the paper. I offered to help her with it, but she needed to do a rough draft for me to respond review.

34. Morgan Journal 6: Crisis Today in class we learned about Social Support Deterioration Deterrence Model. I found the correlation between received and preceived support very interesting. I would not have suspected the perceived support to be such a big factor in psychological outcome but it does make sense that one would have greater self-efficacy if they felt they had a lot of support. It's also hard when your usual support system is also impacted by the disaster trauma because now the people who usually supported you are now also in need of support. I also wondered if the perceived support would decrease with a second disaster. For instance, with the Haymen fires the people effected by the fire may have had a high perceived support system, but after the recession of the social mobilization and seeing the effects of the rule of relative advantage, how high would they perceive their support system when the floods came through? I would suspect they would have a much lower perception of support for the second trauma. - Comfort: 5 Motivation: 7 Self-efficacy: 1

35. My Response Hi Morgan,  I think we should meet up to figure out how to get you back on track.  Are you open to that?  Are you planning on coming to either of the extra sessions?  I like what you said in this journal.  Your point about the one-two punch for the fire and flood is a very interesting one.  I wish I had gotten up there before the flood so I would have had those data.  Hang in there with this class.   You can do it!  When we meet I would like to set out a plan for you that will help you to get things focused and you can succeed.  You game?  Take care. DR. B.

36. The Intervention • We met at office hours and discussed the paper and how I wanted her to be a leader in the class.

37. Morgan Journal 7 Today in class we talked about Resilience. I'm still having a hard time differentiating between Coping Self-Efficacy and Resilience. Is Resiliency just the group of people who experience a traumatic event but do not experience any psychopathology? Is that to say they do not experience the stress of the event and intrusive thoughts or they just do not experience the lingering effects of trauma? Would this group be considered having normal responses perpetuated by the majority of the population and other responses would be the abnormal way of dealing with traumatic events? With the example of Joe in "Touching the Void", his determination to live seems to be an extraordinary case of resiliency far from the resilience of the majority of the population. I do not think this individual should be classified in the same group as resilient "normal" individuals; his experience is far from normal. Resiliency, to my understanding, is the lack of psychopathology, not the drive and motivation to keep going. Comfort: 9 Self-Efficacy: 7 Motivation: 8

38. Morgan Becomes Leader • In the weeks that followed, Morgan met with me several times to work on her paper, she organized a study group using google docs to prepare for the final, and was never late to class again. • She gave me an invitation to her graduation and a thank you card after the semester was over.

39. An Example of a Transformative Learning Experience Our last and final journal. This class has changed my life. Over the last few months I have had to come to terms with events and family situtations that in the past might have overwhelmed me completely. I have been able to set boundaries and create a more positive living conditions. I have been able to see short-term goals be achieved in my own life. I have learned that setting boundaries are not just for keeping the bad stuff out, but for protecting the good on the inside. I have learned that I have the strength and compassion to work with others.

40. I have found that the connection of the academic and scholarly to the human condition be the most meaningful. We are cognitive beings and it is important to remember that we are only limited by ourselves. We can do anything if we put our mind to it. It isn't just a turn-of-phrase. My life has already been affected by the knowledge i have gained. Like i said above i have been able to get out from under the abuse i suffered throughout my childhood. I have finally had the strength to take my abusers to court and get justice for myself. I have been able to face my abusers and stop lying to myself. I took the blind fold off my life and was able to see that their our people who can love me and not hurt me.

41. I want to thank you again for being kind to me. I don't know how to show the gratitude i feel for the insight, encouragement and kinds words who have offered me. I hope to see you in my graduate school studies, even though i am not that interested in research. See you next week.

42. Conclusion • Self, Other, Safe… • Key determinants include self-efficacy, trust, motivation. • Students must personally reflect on material to make it relevant and memorable. • Faculty and Student MUST both invest into the relationship. • Caring is central. • Goodbyes are difficult….