ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to understand the occupational performance of parents with cancer and to understand if photo-elicitation would provide new insights into these experiences. In a semi-structured photo-elicitation interview, 36 participants living with and beyond cancer who had children under 18 years old shared and discussed photographs related to their parenting experiences. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Two main themes were identified. Parents shared how they (a) managed daily responsibilities and (b) maintained connection with their family. Across all types, stages and phases of the cancer continuum parents shared experiences related to maintaining child and family responsibilities and maintaining connection with their children. Photo-elicitation was an efficient and effective method to gather rich data from parents living with cancer. The results emphasize the clinical utility of using photo-elicitation to understand the occupational performance of parents throughout the cancer continuum of care.
Understanding the daily activities of parents with cancer through picturesThe purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of parents living with and beyond cancer. We used pictures taken by parents about their daily life to guide interviews to see if this approach would provide new insights into their daily experiences. Thirty-six parents with a cancer diagnosis (both mothers and fathers) who had children under 18 years of age participated in interviews. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative methods. Parents shared how they managed daily responsibilities and stayed connected with their family while living with and beyond cancer. Discussing the parents' pictures during the interviews gave researchers a deeper understanding of their experiences living with cancer. The study sample consisted of primarily non-Hispanic White, well-educated parents. Therefore, the results may only be applicable to this specific population.
ABSTRACT
Primates live in a variety of social groupings and vary in the expression of species-typical behaviors depending upon social conditions. Coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) are pair-bonding, territorial primates often used to study neurobiology and social behavior in captivity at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC). At the center, titi monkeys are housed in cages of standardized size. However, the number of cages--and thus families--per room varies based upon the room size (small or large). Anecdotal evidence suggests titi monkeys behave differently in the two different room sizes. To empirically test this, we measured rates of pair-bonding related affiliation in 23 pairs of titi monkeys. We predicted that monkeys in small rooms would show higher rates of affiliation compared to large rooms. We used a between- and within- subjects design in which all subjects moved from either small to large or large to small rooms. Affiliative behavior was recorded via bihourly instantaneous scan samples. We found that titi monkey pairs affiliated significantly more in small rooms compared to large rooms (partial R2 = 0.1468, t(33) = -3.729, p-value < .0005). We also confirmed that the presence of offspring negatively impacts pair affiliation rates (partial R2 = 0.2240, t(33) = -0.181, p-value = 0.0011). The results of this study suggest that titi monkey pair behavior is influenced by room size, and thus the number of neighboring groups. Management decisions should consider the implications that housing may have on the results of social behavior research.
