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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Now showing 1 - 5 of 51
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    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.
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    Psychologists’ Experience and Management of Zoom Fatigue
    (Auckland University of Technology, 2022) Cornthwaite, Kelsey
    The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in drastic changes to daily routines for psychologists. Driven by the need for remote and flexible ways of providing clinical services while keeping in line with stay-at-home orders, the pandemic has resulted in a rise in the use of videoconferencing tools for online therapy. The increasing use of videoconferencing has raised concerns around reports of feeling tired and exhausted following virtual meetings, termed "Zoom fatigue”. The use of videoconferences in therapy is likely to continue beyond the pandemic, yet limited literature has examined the experiences of Zoom fatigue from psychologists’ perspectives. Understanding how Zoom fatigue may be experienced and managed can provide strategies for more appropriate use of videoconferences and allow for more effective and productive working environments. The current study utilises a qualitative descriptive approach to explore psychologists’ experiences and management of Zoom fatigue. Reflexive thematic analysis of six semi-structured interviews with New Zealand registered psychologists revealed themes that the experience of Zoom fatigue is related to mental, emotional and physical fatigue. Zoom fatigue may also be understood in relation to experiences of technical challenges, stressors of working from home, and difficulties cultivating a therapeutic relationship with clients. The findings of this study suggest that despite the reported challenges of Zoom fatigue, there are effective methods to mitigate the experiences of Zoom fatigue where future uses of videoconferences in therapy can be successfully implemented if it is applied appropriately.
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    Recipes for Remaking: Exploring Transience and Permanence in the Everyday Practices of Eating, Sharing and Cooking Food
    (Auckland University of Technology, 2023) Torr, Matthew
    Recipes for re-making is a practice-led research project that explores ways of re-making spaces that are associated with food, through the assemblage of abstract ceramic objects. Eating is an act both banal and extraordinary – we eat out of necessity, but also to mark social occasions, celebrate moments of company or as forms of pleasure. It is an act of the everyday and it is my own observations around the everyday acts of eating, sharing and preparing food that form the basis of this research. I am interested in the connection between eating and the spatial environments in which this action occurs. Through a reflective, deconstructive approach, I identify and isolate elements from memory-fragments and preserve them as ceramic objects. Using recipe making as a key method for exploration, I use the culinary terms Ingredients and Methods to document the making of ceramic objects. These ceramic objects then themselves become the ingredients in the recreation of spatio-temporal foodscapes through assemblages of sensory and tactile engagements with texture, repetition and material. Through using recipe making as both a method for documentation and for re-making remembered spaces and experiences, the project asks if there is an opportunity to re-engage with these temporal spaces of past food memories through object making and novel assemblages of non-representational ceramic objects.
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    The Relationship Review: A New Approach to Relationship Therapy
    (Auckland University of Technology, 2022) Guy, Lisa Janelle
    Introduction: Intimate relationships play an important role in people’s lives but they can also be a source of conflict. There is a lack of relationship tools available for couples that promote open communication, self-reflection, and the maintenance of healthy relationships. The Relationship Review is an interactive, discussion-based tool that helps couples to reflect on their strengths, challenges, and areas for growth. Objective: The study aimed to investigate how participants envision using the tool and what benefits and barriers they anticipated. Furthermore, as this is a new intervention, the research sought to identify any opportunities for the tool to be adapted and enhanced. Method: A qualitative research approach was employed using thematic analysis to analyse the data. One pilot group and three focus groups were held, with a total of fourteen female participants and one male participant, with a mean age of 33, to understand their ideas, attitudes, and opinions as they relate to the tool. Results: Five primary themes were developed from the data: Being willing to engage, Creating emotional safety, Helpful prompts leading to meaningful conversations, Developing a shared understanding, and Practical considerations. Additionally, new features and resources were suggested to improve the usability of the tool. Conclusion: The findings suggest The Relationship Review has the potential to help couples maintain healthy relationships by facilitating open and courageous conversations and by helping couples reflect on their strengths.
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    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.
Research projects are protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). The research projects may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use:
  • Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person.
  • Authors control the copyright of their research projects. You will recognise the author’s right to be identified as the author of the research project, and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate.
  • You will obtain the author’s permission before publishing any material from the research project.