This paper explores the application of the card-sorting interview technique in understanding the complex interplay of motivations and barriers faced by adults engaging in learning. Traditional research methods, whether quantitative or qualitative, often fail to capture these nuanced interactions or to provide scalable insights for policy…

Acquiescence is the tendency of participants to shift their responses to agreement. Lechner et al. (2019) introduced the following mechanisms of acquiescence: social deference and cognitive processing. We added their interaction into a theoretical framework. The sample consists of 557 participants. We found significant medium strong relationship…

Receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood can be profoundly transformative, yet many newly diagnosed autistic adults experience a lack of accessible, affirming post-diagnostic support. This study explores how a self-guided, neurodiversity-affirming resource--the "Welcome Pack"--supports newly diagnosed autistic adults in navigating…

This paper examines the stories of transformative learning of two men reflecting on their recovery from addictions and trauma. We employ the Hero's journey as a useful frame within which to understand their stories of becoming more and progressing towards a recovered self. The article challenges the dominant biomedical model of addiction, and of…

For many learning differences, such as dyslexia, ADHD, and autism, there is a growing understanding of the benefits of those diverse brain wirings; however, research into dyscalculia is lagging behind, and there is limited knowledge that supports a strength-based view and recognition of its potential positive characteristics. Twice-exceptional…

As mental health concerns coupled with inadequate supports have been described as reaching crisis proportions in autistic people, there is a pressing need for accessible and effective support systems. While self-compassion has shown various benefits in the general population, its application in supporting autistic individuals remains limited. This…

Adolescents and young adults living with chronic illness experience more complications and challenges when transitioning to adult-oriented care. Despite various interventions to support medication management, goal setting, and collaboration with care teams, AYAs continue to struggle, affecting their health and life outcomes. In this dissertation,…

Background: Social inclusion focussed on belonging is increasingly emphasised by disability advocates and policymakers, yet belonging often remains absent for adults labelled with intellectual disabilities. People labelled with intellectual disabilities often rely on service providers to support their belonging. Methods: In this critically…

Transgender, non-binary, two-spirit, and other gender non-conforming (GNC) youth have been the focus of increasing scholarly attention over the past decade. A scoping review method was applied to this growing body of literature to identify good practices and important themes in conducting research with GNC youth. A body of non-clinical,…

Comparison shopping is good financial practice, but situations involving numbers and computations are challenging for consumers with math anxiety. We asked North Americans (N = 256) to select the better deal between two products differing in volume and price. As predicted, math anxiety was negatively related to performance on this Price Comparison…

The inquiry-based approach in museum education often takes the form of an educator asking open-ended questions to facilitate discussions around artworks, while encouraging students in careful observation and interpretive processes. However, although art museums are emphasizing learners' experiences and their interpretative processes, adult…

While Americans gave $471 billion to nonprofits in 2020, according to Giving USA, little is understood about the factors that contribute to the learning of philanthropy. The study's purpose was to examine how donors to institutions of higher education (IHE) acquire a philanthropic disposition, by asking the following research question: How do…

This article contributes to the larger literature on meaning construction and misunderstanding by developing a typology of listening habits and a corresponding scale to measure individual differences in typical ways of listening. Our typology includes four habits of listening grounded in two underlying aspects of meaning, content and relational,…

This paper draws attention to how markers of adulthood linked to education and employment form an influential social narrative and argues that these help to construct teenage motherhood as problematic. Social policies, informed by this narrative, reinforce the idea of a "correct" path through education and into employment from which…

Reports of anger and aggression within the general population of the UK have been on the increase since the 2008 financial crisis. Traditional anger management programmes utilise Cognitive Behavioural and Mindfulness theory within a psychoeducational setting to help angry participants adapt and change their behaviours. These approaches have a…