Masters Research Projects

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https://hdl.handle.net/10292/9823

The Masters Research Projects collection contains digital copies of AUT masters research projects deposited with the Library since 2016 and made available on open access.

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Barriers and Facilitators of Utilising Cervical Cancer Screening in the Papua New Guinea: A Narrative Review
(Auckland University of Technology, 2021) Pake, Freda
Background: Melanesian countries in the Pacific have the highest incidence of cervical cancer worldwide. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), 1,500 cervical cancer deaths of women are reported each year, and the country has the highest estimated cervical cancer burden in the Pacific. Although primary and secondary cervical cancer screening (CCS) methods are available, women’s participation remains low. Aim: This narrative review aims to identify barriers and facilitators of women’s utilisation of CCS in PNG and the wider Pacific. Method: A narrative review of the literature from the Pacific was conducted, and data was synthesised from qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies. Five data bases were electronically searched for articles published between 1990 and 2020. Given the paucity of literature in PNG and the Pacific pertaining the topic, the review included bibliographies of grey materials and key journal articles. Twenty-three journal articles and government reports that focused on barriers and facilitators of CCS uptake were included in the review. Results: The literature identified multifaceted barriers and facilitators of CCS uptake by women in PNG and the wider Pacific. Factors that were barriers to CCS uptake included: (i) lack of awareness and understanding; (ii) cultural-religious taboos and practices; (iii) Concerns about indirect costs of CCS uptake and poor socio-economic status; (iv) suboptimal healthcare delivery; and (v) geographical impediments limiting access to CCS services. Facilitators of CCS were multifaceted and interrelated, including: (i) culturally centred interventions for CCS; (ii) affordability of and accessibility to CCS services; and (iii) health insurance protection. Culturally centred approaches coupled with affordable and accessible cervical screening methods were found to have the potential to enhance cervical screening uptake. Conclusion: While cervical screening is the initial step in detecting human papillomavirus (HPV) in women, the findings in this review highlight the urgent need to address factors beyond individual knowledge and attitude influencing Pacific women’s CCS behaviour. Future studies should assess the actual availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of CCS methods through a wider understanding of contextual factors. This study is relevant to policy makers, international development partners and non-government organisations in guiding them in working collaboratively to address the barriers while also understanding the contextual influences on CCS uptake by Pacific women.
BDSM and Helpseeking: An Exploratory Qualitative Survey
(Auckland University of Technology, 2016) Hamer, Walter John
Background: Awareness of the subculture of BDSM has grown considerably in recent years, particularly through media and fictional depictions of BDSM. Societal responses to BDSM have ranged from vilifying, to pathologising, to fictional glorifying. Due to the stigmatised nature of BDSM and the prevalence of sadistic abuse in the wider society, the BDSM community has a number of significant barriers to help-seeking, particularly around legal, medical, and therapeutic needs. Objectives: First, exploring how New Zealand BDSM practitioners experience and make sense of help-seeking, including the barriers and benefits of doing so. Second, based on this, informing the BDSM community and helping professions on guidelines around help-seeking with this niche population. Methods: Online qualitative survey, using thematic analysis to construct an interpretive description of the results. Results: Three themes were constructed from the data. The first theme is how BDSM practitioners engage with the dominance of helpers, including use or avoidance of negotiation, limit setting, and aftercare. The second theme covers three distinct patterns of appropriation of BDSM by outsiders, from dominant societal groups, from predators, and from the medical and psychological community. In response to this appropriation, a range of resistance techniques used by the BDSM community are discussed. The final theme is the interpretation of consent as technology. This technology takes skill to be used, and is a tool to aid protection from abuse as well as enabling valued interactions. Conclusions: This research supports the need for helping professionals to have cultural competence when working with this niche population. The cultural resources held by the BDSM community can be a valuable asset in improving help-seeking for BDSM practitioners, and improving the professional helping environment in general.
A Chinese Grid - Combining Chinese and Western Approaches to Composition
(Auckland University of Technology, 2019) Li, Jiashu
Western researchers often choose classic Western paintings as research objects and less frequently consider the artistic works of other cultures. Similarly, Chinese studies have traditionally tended to focus on Chinese culture. At present, most Chinese domestic research on traditional Chinese painting is in the stage of theoretical analysis, which lacks practice-led research, let alone practice-based responses. This research project aims to study the commonality of composition between Chinese and Western styles, conducting a large number of experimental analyses through combining Western and Chinese compositions. It thus integrates aspects of Chinese and Western culture to discuss and analyse the visual aesthetics brought about by this particular compositional model.
Chiropractic Intervention and the Control of Eye Movement in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: a Pilot Study
(Auckland University of Technology, 2017) Cade, Alice Elizabeth
Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a multifaceted brain-based disorder that is often associated with adverse changes in the capacity to control eye movements when tracking visual stimuli, otherwise referred to as oculomotor function. Sensorimotor integration, defined as the capability of the central nervous system to integrate different sources of stimuli in parallel and to transform such inputs into appropriate motor actions, is essential for proper oculomotor function. Previous research has shown chiropractic care alters sensorimotor integration in brain areas also thought to be responsible for some of the cognitive and oculomotor deficits exhibited by those with ADHD. Objectives: This study tested the implementation of all study processes. Secondary aims were to examine the preliminary efficacy of a chiropractic intervention, aimed at improving spinal function, on oculomotor outcomes in children with ADHD. Methods: Thirty children between 8-15 years were recruited for a randomised controlled crossover pilot study to test all study processes, including recruitment, data collection, and general study management. The study also investigated chiropractic intervention versus an active control intervention on measures of oculomotor outcomes. Oculomotor function was tested before and after each intervention using a computerised eye tracker that measured target acquisition, reading speed, fixation time, and saccade length. Results: The study proved successful in its procedural testing; participant recruitment was completed in eleven weeks, with 100% retention and zero drop-outs, the outcomes measured were a reliable indicator of oculomotor function, and not susceptible to participant’s effort, researcher influence or parental reporting bias. Additionally, 85-100% of participants and guardians agreed or strongly agreed with statements evaluating the study, an overwhelmingly positive response. However, 40% of participants were unable to complete some part of the pre or post intervention outcome measures due to equipment calibration issues. Future research or clinical trials are recommended, with some modification of the study’s processes (for example improved eye tracking equipment and study settings). Secondary findings revealed a significant reduction (p = .034) was observed in the total reading time post chiropractic intervention (mean reduction: 646.87ms) compared to post control intervention (mean reduction: 108.35ms). No significant group differences pre or post chiropractic or control intervention in target acquisition time or number of distractions off-target (p > .05). Conclusions: This study is a successful pilot for further research in the area of chiropractic and oculomotor outcomes, proving feasible in terms of recruitment, data collection, outcome measurements used, and ease of testing procedures. Additionally, this study’s secondary findings open up the possibility that chiropractic care may have a role in improving reading ability and oculomotor function.
Client Experiences of Videocall Therapy During Covid-19 Restrictions in Aotearoa New Zealand
(Auckland University of Technology, 2022) Jones, Amelia
Intermittent restrictions on personal movement were introduced in Aotearoa New Zealand from March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Phone or online delivery of psychotherapy, psychology and counselling services (telepsychology) became the norm, often facilitated by videocall technology. Whilst there is literature exploring therapists' experiences of videocall therapy, there are relatively few international studies on clients’ experiences. This research aims to describe six clients’ experience of videocall therapy during COVID-19 restrictions in Aotearoa New Zealand. Recruited via social media advertisements, participants shared their experiences in semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis of the interviews identified that videocall therapy is commonly thought of as a conceptual ‘space’ defined by safety and containment. It is created by manipulating a client’s external environment, as well as practices from therapists and clients that acknowledge that videocall therapy is a fundamentally different experience to in-person therapy. Findings from the analysis contribute to the knowledge base in this area, suggesting that perceptions of therapeutic efficacy in videocall therapy may be influenced by practices before, during, and after therapy sessions. Though limited by a small sample size, these findings are the first in Aotearoa New Zealand to describe client experiences of videocalltherapy during the period in which COVID-19 restricted therapy in-person.
Concussion Awareness in Youth and Young Adults Engaged in Equestrian Sports in New Zealand
(Auckland University of Technology, 2020) Lough, Jules
Engagement of people in physical activity has benefits for both physical and mental health. However, there is also an increased risk of injury, including traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and concussion. Whilst considerable attention has been given to addressing concussion in contact sports such as rugby, high rates of TBI's have also been found in people engaging in equestrian activities. There is limited research on concussion awareness in equestrian sports to inform prevention initiatives. This present research has looked at concussion awareness and helmet use within youth and young adults engaged in equestrian sports in New Zealand, through use of an anonymous, online, cross sectional questionnaire. A sample of 258 youth and young adults involved in equestrian sports completed the online survey. Participants displayed good overall knowledge of concussion symptoms, however some gaps were found to exist. Discrepancies between attitude and behavior about concussion management were also found, particularly in relation to helmet use and returning to riding and school. Current concussion education programmes would benefit from using a multi layered approach that address some of the social elements that have been shown to impact attitude, and are particularly salient for the youth and young adult cohort. Additionally a unified set of concussion guidelines that extends across all sports would help to minimize the confusion surrounding concussion management and return to sport rules.
A Contemporary View of the Aesthetic Lifestyle of the Shared Community in China
(Auckland University of Technology, 2018) Jiang, Yun
The aim of this research project is to explore alternative visual narrative strategies for the conceptual manifestation of a contemporary Chinese aesthetic lifestyle of a popular shared community in China. Referring to the ideological content of the traditional Chinese story, The Land of Peach Blossom (Tao Yuanming, 421) [桃花源记], it is the vehicle in which to inquire into China’s traditional aesthetic lifestyle. Illustration is the medium of the practice, primarily referring to both traditional and contemporary Chinese aesthetics in exploring the visual narrative strategies. The methodology centres on me, reflecting on the on-going development of my practice and its inter-connection with the data collected, the contextual review and the visual strategies that I have developed. They foster a systematic structure to progressively generate a contemporary view of how to define ‘home’ and its aesthetic lifestyle in the era of a shared economy of today’s younger generations. An aesthetic lifestyle is defined in this project as an appreciation of the environment in our daily life. It is a spiritual pursuit to balance or ease the tension of the material life. Lin Yutang (1937) called it “the art of living”. The main research output consists of a series of illustrations which feature 13 story themes and 15 works. They have been composed to become an animated work to representing the creative resolution of the project.
Cultural Revitalisation of Art Practices in Zhejiang Province, China, Lensed Through the Concept of Xiang Chou (Nostalgia/Memories)
(Auckland University of Technology, 2022) Xiang, (Echo) Shan
In recent years, the art and creative industries have been a major driving force in the post-industrial economy of the People’s Republic of China. A potential negative consequence of the large-scale construction of the cultural and creative industry is the imbalance of hard and soft infrastructures. The hard infrastructure is China’s construction of cultural facilities (e.g., galleries, museums, art clusters, cultural production business clusters). And creative practitioners, arts management professionals, and curators who understand interdisciplinary knowledge in arts, and have business and international experience, generate soft power. Recent cultural studies provide evidence and snapshots of the ongoing “first-class venue and third-class management” problem across the creative industry in China. This project reviewed relevant knowledge and case studies and conducted interviews with critical stakeholders for the early data collection of the research, then incorporated service design principles through the lens of Xiang Chou (Chinese nostalgia mode) to create potential opportunities for attracting funding from local (regional) government, private investors, and sponsors to support cultural revitalisation projects. The expert interviews show that the art community is in need of curatorial support and arts management support. Additionally, the art dealers and artists call for more effective communication and a rewiring of their heritage and culture by making connections with each other and with other similar communities both in and outside of China. This research developed a service-design-based proposal for the regional artists and art dealers in Lishui. The concept proposal communicates a framework for arts managers and creative industry sectors to work on analogous projects in the region and transfer knowledge across various potential cultural enhancement projects. It is hoped this study will inform practitioners and curators about cultural revitalisation projects with strategic service design methods to acquire funding and make effective connections, and to engage with wider audiences, domestically and internationally.
Delivering Online Therapy During COVID-19: Counselling Psychologists’ Experience
(Auckland University of Technology, 2022) Kura, Cherry
The utilisation of online therapy has flourished in recent years, with the need for flexible and remote delivery of therapy substantially increasing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This present study aimed to explore counselling psychologists’ experiences of delivering online therapy during COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand. A thematic analysis of eight interviews with registered counselling psychologists in Aotearoa New Zealand revealed themes around the challenges and benefits of online therapy, and the impacts of online therapy on the therapeutic relationship - a hallmark component within the clinical practice of counselling psychology. Counselling psychologist participants identified several general benefits of delivering online therapy, both in relation to meeting the needs of certain client demographics and in attending to participants’ own self-care during the pandemic. However, participants also identified ethical, cultural and relational challenges and complexities unique to delivering online therapy within a pandemic and lockdown environment. The benefits and challenges reported by participants in this study were consistent with those reported in the international literature. The findings of this study suggest that despite the reported challenges, counselling psychologist participants viewed the aims and values of the counselling psychology discipline to fit with the ongoing integration of online therapy into clinical practice. Whilst the findings of this study are limited by its small sample size, it is the first study that specifically assessed counselling psychologists experience of delivering online therapy during COVID-19 in New Zealand from a practice-based lens.
The Design and Development of a Design Consultancy for Product Design
(Auckland University of Technology, 2018) Guo, Siyu
I am a product designer with three years of experience studying product design at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Malaysia. I have always thought that product design was about drawing concepts and making things. Therefore, I have looked forward to being able to do a job that would allow me to create, develop and manufacture products as my career. However, when I began to study for my Master of Design in 2017 at AUT University, I found that design is much bigger than what I had imagined. The Master of Design programme made me realise that design and manufacturing alone represent only a small part of the design, innovation and the commercialisation process. The three courses I have taken—Design Innovation, Design Enterprise and Creative Leadership—have changed my view of what design is really about. These three courses have shown me that design is about innovation, entrepreneurship and creating value and meaningful experience. The programme has expanded my career opportunities. This is what I want to do as my career. Therefore, my design project involves setting up a design consultancy. Though my consultancy still designs products and services, it also helps companies create value through innovation, commercialisation and creative leadership. For this design project, I have developed a consultancy business model for product design and design business. The consultancy will be set up in China. The main goal is to emphasise the importance of creating value through Chinese culture. For my design project, I have positioned Chinese culture as an essential factor as the core value of the business plan. In this project, I focused on designing bamboo furniture and show how the design strategy comprising entrepreneurship, design innovation, enterprise and leadership is essential to the success of a design business. This design report extends beyond talking about the theory of design innovation, design enterprise and what makes a good design leader. It puts these principles into practice. During the project, I travelled to China to manage the design process by negotiating with an artisan there to study the value of craftsmanship by working with bamboo. This partnership has resulted in the design and development of a set of chairs, as a case study in what my consultancy could provide to future clients. I now believe that being a good product designer is more than merely designing products; it is also about innovation, entrepreneurship, design management, how products are made, product pricing and introduction to the market, sound design, leadership and business modelling. Therefore, the Research Question asks: How can a product designer apply her creativity to build a design consultancy that assists business to develop value and manage a successful product design project?
The Design and Development of a Mobile App: Branding Indonesia as an Experience Tourism Destination
(Auckland University of Technology, 2018) Buditomo, Bambang Parmadi
The main aim of my research project is to use a multidisciplinary and mixed method approach to design an app to increase Indonesia’s brand awareness as an adventurous place to visit. Tourism is becoming a significant service for most of the country, and thus the services that are related to tourism contribute to a huge percentage of Indonesian Gross Domestic Product. It is a highly competitive business requiring originality and innovation across the nation’s geographical, cultural, service and political status. It is a multi-sector industry that encompasses the livelihood of the masses. While this may be complex, it also an important wealth earner for various sectors that are involved in tourism. My app informs and entices certain kind of personas to more likely select Indonesia other than a neighbouring country as their travel destination. Therefore, the app must reflect these needs and must be highly interactive and meaningful to navigate and leave a permanent impression. To do so, understanding certain aspects of the potential users are required. These potential users are a new generation of tourists, whose characteristics are being perceived through customers’ journey as detailed in Chapter 2. My design is applied to a strategic, multi-disciplinary research method and an innovative design method to gather insights on the core criteria emotions and experiences about visiting a place such as Indonesia. It includes a strong literature review in the humanities, branding, and app design. These principles and theories were some of the most important design criteria that guided the app creation. Therefore, it is not merely the design of an app that is technical and beautiful, but rather it is an app that is informed by the needs of tourists that come to visit Indonesia for various reasons, culture, country, and with various amounts of money to spend. To understand the human issue, I gathered insight from the Maslow Hierarchy, Fogg’s Behaviour Model, Four Pleasure Principles, and Indonesian cultures to inform the design of my app, as explained in Chapter 3. My app design follows the Human-Centred Design approach which has five different processes, which are empathy, ideation, prototyping, evaluation, and iteration. Moreover, this is discussed in detail in Chapter 5, where I describe in detail the function interactivity content of my app design. However, technical feasibility alone will not make a good emotional app. It must, according to design thinking, have two other elements: desirability and viability. This DVF model is important in this project, as discussed in Chapter 4. The final app design consisted of three major criteria of the design element. These processes were serving to give the user a meaningful, pleasurable experience, education, and entertainment. Together with gamification. I believe I have made my app unique with added value compared to competitors’ apps that mainly serves information. This project consists of an exhibition of practical work that represents the main body of applied research and the exegesis represents the report of the project.
The Digital and I Project
(Auckland University of Technology, 2018) Sampero, Delicia
This dissertation presents a case study and methodology for an Artists in Schools Programme known as The Digital and I Project, which has been designed to integrate into Aotearoa’s mainstream educational system. The programme was trialed in a pilot project in April 2018 at Green Bay High School, in Auckland. Though the pilot was held at a secondary school, I am confident the project would work well in primary and intermediate schools, with differing outcomes from the workshop structure. The residency is structured around the creative arts and reveals itself through stages. The focus of the residency and its methodology is ‘How can we, through creative thinking, engage students and teachers in reflecting on and questioning our use of technology, with the aim of generating a discussion about technology as entangled relationships?’ This dissertation offers a contemporary vision of an Artists in Schools Programme, based on (multidisciplinary) installation art situated outside in the school grounds, which seeks to provoke, as well as invite students and teachers to take a fresh look at the school’s environment. During the pilot, I used my own artwork to test the programme’s efficacy; my art work is suited to the outdoors being made using old traffic signs as supports for paintings. For two days, an exhibition of twenty-eight signs entitled Digital Traffic was installed throughout the school grounds, creating a surprising and spontaneous catalyst for reflection and conversation in the school yard. By drawing an analogy between digital technology and traffic, viewers were invited to consider themselves and the school environment as part of the work. Ideas around traffic and people, and how they could apply to the digital realm, became starting points of conversations. Intersections of the real and virtual, speed of information/lines of gossip, relationships to people and memory of people ... these were some of the responses of students and teachers. In the second stage of the programme, students were invited to participate in installation-making workshops facilitated by the artist. The resulting work was titled Digital Baby, which can be viewed online at www.digitalandi.net This proposal for an Artists in Schools Programme has been conceptualised in this dissertation as a methodology which introduces art into the school community as a way of generating ideas, creative expressions and fresh perspectives on technology. Morag Hutchinson, Principal of Green Bay High School, says: "Digitalisation and blended learning are continuing to bring challenges for staff and students to negotiate. We welcome and encourage student participation, engagement and discussion in an ongoing effort to best understand their needs and support their well-being and learning." The methodology that I have developed to support this proposed Artist in Schools Programme is titled “Drops in the Water.” The name emphasises the power of each droplet to affect the body of knowledge and produce thought-provoking outcomes (ripples) which radiate outward, touching wider communities. The project emphasises that everyone can be creative, that it is shared and integral to our society’s social fabric. “I believe arts and creativity are integral and inseparable parts of what it is to be human” (Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister). The case study outlined in this document highlights how members of the audience and the workshop participants were able to access new experiences and insights, how the programme fostered the making of new friendships, and how it raised critical conversations across the school about technology and our relationships with it. It is important to note that the Government of Aotearoa used to support an Artists in Schools Programme and, according to the current prime minister and popular public opinion, this programme should be reinstated. The following dissertation outlines a process and methodology that would enable this to occur.
Eco-Anxiety: A Scoping Review Towards a Clinical Conceptualisation and Therapeutic Approach
(Auckland University of Technology, 2021) Dailianis, Anastasia
As the ecological and climate crisis has intensified, impact on mental health has become more evident. ‘Eco-anxiety’ is a term commonly used to describe these effects. Despite the increased recognition of eco-anxiety as a valid mental state, there is little empirical evidence detailing it as a clinical presentation, or describing the interventions considered most effective in addressing it. Utilising a scoping review methodology, this study collated recent knowledge of eco-anxiety and the therapeutic approaches suggested to mitigate its negative impact. Literature published between 2017-2020 addressing the conceptualisation of eco-anxiety, its symptoms and interventions were reviewed. 25 academic articles and 5 book chapters met inclusion criteria for the review. Descriptive content analysis was used to map current understanding of this emerging presentation. The findings from the scoping review suggest that maladaptive eco-anxiety presents even in people with no direct experiences of ecological crisis, it causes a crisis of hope regarding the future, a reduction in quality of life, and can lead to an inability to take positive action. It can be described as an existential crisis and could also be conceptualised within a trauma, stress or grief framework. Symptoms present as both cognitive-emotional and functional impairment and could be associated with diagnostic categories of anxiety, depression, trauma and stress. Therapeutic interventions consist of individual level skills training primarily for resilience and coping; group approaches; therapeutic approaches derived from the main schools of psychotherapy; diagnostic-specific approaches; and changes required at the mental health system level.
The Emotional Kitchen Space Aging With Dignity Around the Kitchen Table
(Auckland University of Technology, 2020) Wang, Guangjin
How can a kitchen be designed as an elderly-friendly emotional space that encourages people to share positive social experiences of cooking and dining? How can designers support people to age with dignity? This practice-based design research is based on the strong emotional bond between me and my grandfather, and my observations of how he struggled to use his home. I have developed design principles for emotional spaces that support independence, social connection, and cultural belonging. I have focused on the kitchen as a space that poses particular challenges, and ultimately propose an Emotional Kitchen Table, a piece of furniture that could be fitted into existing apartments or houses to provide a more fulfilling spatial experience for the elderly. My methodology centers on developing empathy, and I use ideas from design ethnography (particularly personas and scenarios) and digital technologies for simulating use. My aim is to demonstrate how a concern for emotional space and empathy can help designers like myself give older people the opportunity to age with dignity.
An Evaluation of a Mindfulness Meditation-Based Program for Tāmaki Health Patients
(Auckland University of Technology, 2022) Kerslake, April
Background: One in five New Zealanders are affected by mental health issues every year and suicide rates in New Zealand are consistently high. Mindfulness-meditation-based programs (MMBPs) have research evidence for use with a variety of mental and physical health disorders in a range of settings such as outpatient care, primary healthcare, and private care. However, much of this research is not contextualized to New Zealand healthcare. The Aotearoa Mindfulness and Awareness (AMA) Wellness course is an MMBP based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and was developed by an MBSR trained clinician. Tāmaki Health, New Zealand’s largest primary healthcare group offers approximately 63 AMA courses per year. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Tāmaki Health’s AMA Wellness course on wellbeing for participants aged sixteen and older. Participants/Method: For this mixed-methods research, quantitative data were collected via questionnaires at baseline from 70 participants and post-intervention from 31 who completed the course. Due to the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown starting in August 2021, AMA courses continued online, therefore, data from participant samples were analysed according to whether they received in-person course delivery or online delivery. Qualitative data were collected from telephone interviews with ten participants and the data analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Spearman’s rho correlation analyses found that, in both samples, higher mindfulness levels were correlated with lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Additionally, higher depressive symptom levels were correlated with higher somatization and anxiety symptom levels in both samples. Descriptive statistical analysis and Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests found that after completing the AMA in-person courses, scores of mindfulness increased, and levels of somatization, anxiety and depressive symptoms decreased. The same analysis revealed that for the online courses, levels of mindfulness increased and levels of anxiety symptoms decreased from pre- to post-intervention. Attrition rates were over 50%. However, an independent samples T-test and chi-square analyses indicated no statistically significant differences in demographics and course completion. Interviews revealed two major themes: Slowing down and Letting things go. Conclusions: The quantitative data suggest that after attending the AMA course, most participants demonstrate an increase in mindfulness levels and a decrease in anxiety when delivered in-person or online. When the AMA course is completed in-person, scores of somatization and depressive symptoms also decrease. Most participants who were interviewed commented that the AMA course impacted them positively and provided tools to cope with everyday challenges. Strengths and limitations, clinical implications, and directions for future research are discussed.
Evoking Spatial Experience Through Biomimicry and Biophilic Design
(Auckland University of Technology, 2018) Gao, Mengmeng
This project in biomimicry and biophilia is a very challenging project for me as a landscape design graduate. I have always loved to design landscapes and interior spaces in which people are able to enjoy themselves. Biomimicry and biophilic design have opened my mind to the idea that spaces created according to nature provide a much more beautiful experience for the occupants. The principle and theory of biomimicry have provided me with new interest and enthusiasm to improve my landscape design skills in ways that I never imagined possible before I conducted my literature search and literature review in both biomimicry and biophilic design. I have come across many fantastic concepts based on nature that I believe creativity alone would not have come up with: the innovation, beauty and sustainability that nature can tell us about. In this design project, I have combined the theory and principle of biomimicry and biophilia to create an emotional and meaningful experience in various forms and in the shape of pavilions in which people can have meaningful conversations. Also, most importantly, this is a great experience in the visual, spatial, architectural and natural environments. To ensure that I can create this kind of experience for the human factors used, such as the four pleasures, to enable me to design not only a beautiful pavilion and spaces but also a pavilion that is a psychological, physiological and social experience for people. Some aspects of nature enable me to create a structure that mimics the form, function, and system of natural plants and insects. This is what biomimicry is about. All the concepts and final design of my pavilion have mimicked the organic shapes of nature. Also, I have been influenced by the application of biophilia which lays out a range of tools for understanding design opportunities and is an effective way to enhance the well- being of humans. The pavilion that I have designed is based on the mushroom, and a piece of leaf; the process has confirmed my thinking about the beauty and significance of biomimicry. Due to limited time and technical skills, I have made visual prototypes of various pavilions but they are not perfect; they are merely examples of how I can apply my humanity in research, using approaches such as heuristics and trial and error. Based on the mimicking of nature, through biomimicry and biophilic design, I want to introduce a natural structural space that is seldom imaginable by the human brain alone. The project has taught me and prepared me to be a more imaginative, sensitive and sustainable landscape architect, and I will pursue that aspiration in the future.
Experiences of Prison Detention Whilst Seeking Asylum in Aotearoa New Zealand: An Exploratory Study
(Auckland University of Technology, 2021) Hiew, Eunice
The world is currently witnessing the highest levels of forcibly displaced people on record, as escalating regional wars and human rights violations force people to seek sanctuary in other lands. Asylum seekers have been described as one of the most “at risk” populations in the world. Yet, Eurocentric nations have been using various measures to deter people from seeking asylum in their countries. The most controversial of these involves the placement of asylum seekers in detention centres. Given that asylum seekers have frequently been subject to (often multiple) traumatic experiences, it is concerning that they are being placed into contexts where there is the risk of further harm; detention has been robustly demonstrated in the international literature to have a negative association with asylum seeker health; particularly mental health. However, there is a paucity of research on individuals’ experiences of detention in Aotearoa. This study aimed to add knowledge to that gap, by exploring the experiences of individuals formerly detained whilst seeking asylum in Aotearoa. Furthermore, in Aotearoa, there is the potential for detention in prison; over the last five years, 80 individuals seeking asylum in Aotearoa have been detained in prison for long periods of time; an average of 166 days. To this author’s knowledge, details on specifically prison (and, by extension, with persons incarcerated for crime-related reasons [PICRs]) versus other types of detainment are minimal. The little knowledge that exists of detained asylum seekers in Aotearoa suggests potential risk of harm that gives further cause for concern. This study aimed to further the knowledge around prison detention. Interviews were conducted with six individuals who had been formerly detained whilst seeking asylum in Aotearoa. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse transcripts. An overarching theme was identified: detention caused suffering. Furthermore, this study identified particular aspects of the detention experience – during detention and after release - that were related to psychological and/or physical distress. Three themes were conceptualised to understand these aspects: powerlessness (theme one), the interaction of detention experiences with the asylum seeker identity and story (theme two), and distress related to processes (theme three). Distress related to theme one was conceptualised through four sub-themes: experiences being locked up with PICRs; lack of access to the ability to support oneself (notably through a lack of work visa) after release; how the care, responsivity and competence of people in power had meaningful consequences on asylum seekers’ lives; and experiences of coping and resilience amidst circumstances with restricted access to power. Distress related to theme two was conceptualised through two sub-themes: unfairness of treating asylum seekers like PICRs, and the compounding effect of detention on pre-migration suffering making matters worse. Distress related to theme three was conceptualised through two sub-themes: the inability to contact family, and lack of knowing. There was variation in the overall levels of suffering during, and after, detention, suggesting that there were a variety of factors that might – negatively or positively - influence asylum seekers’ health. Importantly, despite variation in experiences, suffering appeared to be a defining characteristic of portions, and/or the overall, experience of detention for participants. The findings suggest that there is a higher likelihood of experiences that cause suffering to be present in prison, with a consequent greater risk of harm, for asylum seekers during, and after, detention.
Exploring Feng Shui Elements in Domestic House
(Auckland University of Technology, 2018) Wen, Haiyang
This study is a practice-based research project that analyses and interprets Feng Shui theory and practice, not only for its information per se, but rather for its historical, cultural and emotional attributes to inform the design and development of a domestic house located at 3 North Piha Road, Piha, Auckland. The design presents a new way to understand and apply Feng Shui theory to modern architecture and to offer positive energy to dwellers to harmonise their living. The main challenges I have experienced in this project were not related to understanding Feng Shui philosophy and values, but in developing a design process that allows an insightful interpretation and translation of Feng Shui - from its literary theory and oral culture into architectural language that is actionable and designable to shape the physical meaning of a domestic dwelling in New Zealand. Efforts to harmonise an Eastern philosophy into a Western context presented unique challenges and opportunities for the research study. Feng Shui is a traditional Chinese worldview regarding the art of spatial alignment and orientation, and the relationship between humans and their environment. It is both a theory and a practice. It is, however, often difficult to interpret into other societies because of different cultural backgrounds, living habits, and beliefs. This research introduces fundamental Feng Shui theory that focuses on harmonious living. Much distinctive architectural design works can be found in China and other parts of Asia. These designs provide good examples of Feng Shui application that this research project draws insights from. The Hakka Tulou and the Beijing Siheyuan are two key case studies that inspire my design exploration. They provided me with an understanding of the Chinese culture of siting harmonious living spaces, and how they manage their living environment between architecture and nature. While the core principle of Feng Shui is still a very important factor in this design project, it has deliberately departed from this simplistic tradition to transform the intangible elements of Feng Shui elements into a domestic dwelling that expresses meaning, form, and function. Feng (Wind), Shui (Water), Yin (Darkness) Yang (Brightness), Chi (Energy), and the Five Elements (Earth, Wood, Metal, Fire & Water) were some of the key elements that I transformed into architectural vocabulary, in similes, metaphors, and meanings for shaping the forms and spaces of the dwelling. Feng Shui theory and Chinese living culture are discussed in detail here to position the principles as the central frame of reference. A user-centred design approach is used to design and develop the domestic dwelling in Piha. User-centred design, not Feng Shui-centred design, ensures that the theory and principles of Feng Shui are materialised to shape the architectural form, space, and the environment, that is meaningful, experiential and auspicious to the occupants. A series of 2D, 3D and computer modelling were explored to study and search for optimum shapes, forms and layouts that elicited feeling, emotion and function of the dwelling. Besides the Feng Shui theory, this study also reviewed the practice of Feng Shui historically and in a relationship with elements of Chi (氣), Yin and Yang (隂陽), and the Five Essential Elements (五行). I also looked at the Chinese living tradition and customs to understand and illuminate how and why those elements were celebrated in traditional China and many parts of Asia. However, this research is for a modern house, for a modern society that is not located in China. This has provided the opportunity for me to identify and discuss how those Feng Shui theories and elements need to be understood, interpreted and transformed into 3-dimensional spaces for a dwelling that is to be built and sited in New Zealand. Therefore, the research question asks: What is Feng Shui and how can the feelings and emotions of this oriental principle be interpreted, shaped and applied to the design and development of a domestic dwelling in a Western context? This 90-point Design Project is a partial fulfilment of the 180-point Master of Design Degree.
Exploring Personal Narrative and Storytelling Through the Recreation of a Historical Children's Fairy Tale
(Auckland University of Technology, 2018) Ding, Manting
This report discusses the main design decisions that informed the creation of my picture book ‘Manting and the Emperor.’ Through illustration and storytelling I have fused a specific memory from my childhood to Hans Christian Andersen’s narrative of The Emperor’s New Clothes. Three key children’s books helped me to understand authorship from the perspective of the illustrator/storyteller: Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak), The Arrival (Shaun Tan), and Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book? (Lauren Child). Using this knowledge, I set about creating a narrative that gave voice to my personal experience, and I hope by association, to all who read it. Underrepresentation and misrepresentation of gender and ethnicity in mainstream children’s storybooks also surfaced during this research project, my character ‘Manting’ is very much a young Chinese girl and the heroine of my story. Combining Chinese and European cultures in the production of this book has allowed me to create bridges between personal experience and historical fairy telling, as well as between the cultures I inhabit.
Havoc in Heaven: A Digital Picture Book Experiment
(Auckland University of Technology, 2018) Ju, Guojie
To find the new expression of digital book illustrations, this research project used an experiment of a digital picture book, Havoc in Heaven. With the development of digital technology, digital books have exerted a crucial role on the transformation of storytelling. Compared with physical books, digital book illustrations have advantages in terms of interactivity and diversity. However, most of the current digital books have not yet fully reflected these advantages. Therefore, the current study aims to focus on exploring more flexible and interesting expressions of animation illustrations in digital books with the purpose of improving readers' reading experience. The methodology in this research is influenced by theories of heuristic inquiry and practice research. In this research, the experiment of the digital picture book is a main part of the practice. The procedure of the practice is formed by sketching, drawing, animating, composing, vocalising, fixing and presenting, and the cooperation of making, thinking and learning is the key for each process. In addition, my personal experience could also influence the whole practice. Through the experiment, this dissertation discusses the expression of digital book illustration from five aspects: animation, layout, materials, sound and interaction. The result indicates that the breakthrough and innovation of this project is mainly reflected in three points. Firstly, it enables emphasising and explaining the specific detail in texts through animation. Secondly, loosening the traditional boundaries between illustration and text is the biggest contribution of this project. The animated illustration can break the limitation of the frame and interact with the text. The flexible composition between images, words and frames is the most distinct visual trait in this digital picture book. Finally, cogitative selecting and composing of various material elements, sound effects and interaction could enrich the reading experience. These findings in practice might show the new way to express book illustration on a digital platform.

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