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Biomedical subjects

R Barris

Publications and source records attributed to R Barris.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

Occupational therapists' use of media.

The purpose of this study was to examine current trends in the use of activities by occupational therapists, to identify factors influencing their selection of activities, and to examine relationships between activities used and therapeutic goals. A questionnaire sent to 500 members of the American Occupational Therapy Association elicited a low response rate; thus, the results are descriptive of only 22% of the original population. The therapists who responded were primarily using activities of daily living and physical or exercise-related modalities although there were some differences according to area of practice and according to the time period in which the therapist received professional training. Clinical education and classroom education were the most frequently cited influences on activity selection, and remediation of musculoskeletal deficits was the most frequently mentioned therapeutic goal.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1986

Some issues related to research utilization in occupational therapy.

The importance of research in the rehabilitation fields, including occupational therapy, has been widely recognized in the past decade. The production of credible research literature has received high priority as occupational therapy strives to achieve professional status within the hierarchy of rehabilitation service providers. To accomplish this goal, research that establishes a scientific basis for therapy must be produced, and this research must be integrated with clinical practice. Occupational therapy appears to be making progress in producing research literature related to clinical practice; however, the issue of research utilization has remained largely unexplored. This paper discusses methods of applying research findings and procedures in practice environments and explores some issues related to research utilization. Research utilization is viewed as a complex process involving multiple components related to individual decision making, theory development, and the documentation of clinical practice.

Humans↗
PubMed1986

Beliefs, perspectives, and activities of psychosocial occupational therapy educators.

This article reports on descriptive survey study designed to provide information on the content of psychosocial occupational therapy courses, the professional beliefs of instructors, and relationships between their beliefs and decisions regarding course content. All currently accredited professional programs were surveyed; the data analysis was based on 64% of these programs. The survey found that despite a prevalent endorsement of occupational behavior theory, teaching practices were eclectic in terms of theoretical and skill emphases. This eclecticism appeared inconsistent with educators' perceptions that a major problem facing practice in mental health is a lack of a unifying theory to define the direction of occupational therapy practice.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1986

Organized activity and the adaptive status of nursing home residents.

This study examined one aspect of the hypothesis that the environment influences the adaptive status of elderly people. Specifically, it looked at the relationship between the amount of organized activities offered in three nursing homes and 44 residents' perceptions of their roles in the present and future and their future time perspective. No relationship was found between future time perspective and the amount of activity offered; however, positive relationships existed between present and future roles and the amount of activity. The study supports the premise that when activity is available, individuals are likely to form and maintain images of themselves as actively engaging with their environment.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1985

An occupational therapy approach to assessing psychiatric patients' adaptive functioning.

This study focused on the relative utility of the model of human occupation for occupational therapy assessment of persons having mental disorders. The organizational status of the human system and its relationship to adaptive level of functioning and degree of symptomatology were examined in a sample of 30 adult psychiatric patients. We used a six-test assessment battery developed for this study, which was based on the model of human occupation, to measure the organizational status of the following components of the human system: locus of control, goals, temporal orientation, interests, roles, and skills. Subtests of the American Association on Mental Deficiency (AAMD) Adoptive Behavior Scale and the Modified Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale were used to measure adaptive level functioning and symptomatology, respectively. When we compared organizational status with psychiatric diagnosis and symptomatology, we found organizational status to be the more significant index of adaptive level of functioning.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1985

Learning preferences, values, and student satisfaction.

This study sought to determine the relative importance of values and learning preferences for educational satisfaction and to examine differences in value and learning preferences among undergraduate and graduate occupational therapy students and undergraduate physical therapy students. Although all three groups conformed to a profile of preferring teacher-structured, concrete, interpersonal learning, the graduate occupational therapy students appeared to give greater emphasis to universal social values and to have a stronger preference for abstract learning than both groups of undergraduates. The undergraduates expressed significantly greater satisfaction with their education than the graduate occupational therapy students; for each of the three groups educational satisfaction correlated with a different set of values or learning preferences.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Environment, ideology, and role performance: a contextual needs assessment for an allied health profession.

Two major issues for semiprofessions are the lack of a clearly defined and unique theory base and the degree to which practitioners can maintain their identity while conforming to the expectations of their work settings. Thus, an important aspect to an educational needs assessment for allied health professions is an examination of the interaction between a theory-based ideology of practice and environmental demands. This paper describes a survey that was conducted as a needs assessment for occupational therapy. By examining the presence of ideologies in a field characterized by identity confusion and by ascertaining the relative susceptibility of these ideologies to environmental influences, the survey was seen as a beginning step toward development of a proactive, change-oriented needs assessment for an allied health profession.

Environment↗
PubMed1983

A comparison of play behavior in nonhospitalized and hospitalized children.

Because play is extremely sensitive to environmental conditions, extended hospitalization may have adverse effects on normal play development in young children. This study compared the playfulness, as well as the level of play development, of three 2-year-old children who had been hospitalized most of their lives for tracheostomies, and three 2-year-olds living at home. Data on the children's play were gathered by videotaping in two standardized play settings and one free play setting. Statistically significant differences in the developmental level of play and in playfulness (i.e., the degree of liveliness and joy exhibited) were found between the two groups in all three settings, and the play age of all six children varied by setting. Quantitative data analysis was supported by qualitative findings. Although the differences between the groups cannot be conclusively attributed to hospitalization alone, certain features of the hospital environment appear to have hampered the development of play.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1982

Environmental interactions: an extension of the model of occupation.

Although occupational therapists historically acknowledged contributions of the environment to the maintenance of productive behavior, their literature has only recently begun to illustrate the interrelationships between persons and settings. Incorporating environmental themes into the model of occupation broadens an examination of the concept of occupational performance and helps establish the clinic as a therapeutic milieu. This paper considers three facets of person-environment interactions: environmental properties that influence the volition subsystem and the person's decision to enter a setting; the influence of the setting's demands for performance on the development of roles, habits, and skills; and factors affecting the individual's engagement in an expanding range of occupational settings.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Competency-based education and creative thinking.

When creativity is considered as an approach to problem-solving, rather than as an innate talent, then education can play an important role in its development. This paper postulates that competency-based education, because of its emphasis on stated objectives, feedback, self-evaluation, and alternative learning experiences, is an approach to curriculum design that should lead students to become more creative thinkers. A description of competency-based-education is given, and research on educational methods and creativity is surveyed. The implications of this type of program for occupational therapy education are considered.

Creativity↗