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- All Subjects: 19765
- Genre: Masters Thesis
- Creators: Shraiky, James
Description
ABSTRACT In an attempt to advocate body-conscious design and healing work environments, this research study of holistic health in the workplace explores cognitive, social and physical well-being in four small US offices that are between 1000 and 4000 square feet and employ three to twelve employees. Holistic health, as pursued in this research, includes social health, emotional health and physical health. These three factors of holistic health have been identified and investigated in this study: biophilia: peoples' love and affiliation with other species and the natural environment; ergonomics: the relationship between the human body, movement, the immediate environment and productivity; and exercise: exertion of the body to obtain physical fitness. This research study proposes that employees and employers of these four participating workplaces desire mobility and resources in the workplace that support holistic health practices involving biophilia, ergonomics, and exercise. Literature review of holistic health and the holistic health factors of this research topic support the idea that interaction with other species can be healing, ergonomic body-conscious furniture and equipment increase productivity, limit body aches, pains and health costs; and exercise stimulates the mind and body, increasing productivity. This study has been conducted primarily with qualitative and flexible research approaches using observation, survey, interview and pedometer readings as methods for data collection. Two small corporate franchise financial institutions and two small private healthcare providers from both Arizona and Georgia participated in this study. Each office volunteered one employer and two employee participants. Of the holistic health factors considered in these four case studies, this study found that a majority of participants equally valued emotional health, social health and physical health. A majority of participants declared a preference for workplace environments with serene natural environments with outdoor spaces and interaction with other species, work environments with body-conscious furniture, equipment and workstations, as well as exercise space and equipment. As these particular workplace environments affirmed value for elements of the factors biophilia, ergonomics and exercise, all three factors are considered valueable within the workplaces of these case studies. Furthermore, factors that were said to contribute to personal productivity in participating workplaces were found as well as sacrifices that participants stated they would be willing to make in order to implement their preferred work environment(s). In addition, this study recorded and calculated average miles walked by participants in each workplace as well as existing incentives and descriptions of ideal work environments. Implications of this research study involve interior design, industrial design and fashion design that can accommodate the desires of the four participating workplaces. Major design implications involve accommodating these particular workplaces to provide personnel with opportunities for holistic health in working environments. More specific implications of office related design involve providing access to natural environments, body-conscious equipment and spaces, as well as opportunities for exercise and social interaction. These elements of the factors biophilia, ergonomics and exercise were found to be said to contribute to cognitive, social and physical health.
ContributorsMcEwan, April (Author) / White, Philip (Thesis advisor) / Shraiky, James (Committee member) / Barry, Rebecca (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
"Too often, people in pain are stuck in limbo. With no diagnosis there is no prognosis. They feel that without knowing what is wrong, there is no way to make it right" (Lewandowski, 2006, p. ix). Research has shown that environmental factors, such as views of nature, positive distractions and natural light can reduce anxiety and pain (Ulrich, 1984). Patients with chronic, painful diseases are often worried, anxious and tired. Doctor's appointments for those with a chronic pain diagnosis can be devastating (Gilron, Peter, Watson, Cahill, & Moulin, 2006). The research question explored in this study is: Does the layout, seating and elements of positive distraction in the pain center waiting room relate to the patients experience of pain and distress? This study utilized a mixed-method approach. A purposive sample of 39 individuals participated in the study. The study employed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Lewandowski Pain Scale (LPS) and a researcher developed Spatial Perception Instrument (SPI) rating the appearance and comfort of a pain center waiting room in a large metropolitan area. Results indicated that there were no significant correlations between pain, distress and the waiting room environment. It is intended that this study will provide a framework for future research in the area of chronic pain and distress in order to advance the understanding of research in the waiting area environment and the effect it may have on the patient.
ContributorsDraper, Heather (Author) / Bender, Diane (Thesis advisor) / Shraiky, James (Committee member) / Lamb, Gerri (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Healthcare is one of the most personal and complex services provided, and as such, designing healthcare environments is particularly challenging. In the last couple of decades, researchers have concentrated their efforts on exploring the elements of the hospital environment that affect patients' health and in finding ways to apply that knowledge in contemporary healthcare design. But despite the growing body of research, there is an element of utmost importance to healing environments that has not been studied very extensively: the patient experience. The interaction of patients with their environment shapes their personal experience, and inversely, focusing on designing experiences rather than services can inform the design of successful healing environments. This shift from designing services to designing experiences has deep implications in healthcare settings because of the stressful situations that patients have to go through; memorable experiences have a positive influence on a patient's emotional health because they help minimize stress and in healthcare environments this translates into improved outcomes. The concept of assembling experiences is not new, especially in the entertainment industry; it was, in fact, the underlying principle behind the creation of the first theme park more than fifty years ago: Disneyland. Today, Disney is an entertainment industry leader and their design concepts and practices have been perfected to achieve the Company's main purpose: to immerse Guests in a happy, unforgettable experience. This research study focuses on examining the principles used by Disney designers, or Imagineers, as they are called within the organization, to generate memorable experiences, and how those theories can be adopted and adapted by healthcare designers to create better healing environments. However, Disney's Imagineering is not the only approach considered in this research. A thorough analysis would not be complete without delving into the concept of experiential design as a design process and from an economical perspective, as well as without analyzing recent notions about the importance of authenticity in businesses and its implications on design. This study, therefore, suggests a new healing environment design model based on a comprehensive review of the literature related to three main design approaches: Disney Imagineering, experiential design and authenticity.
ContributorsDuenas Parra, Betsabe (Author) / Bernardi, Jose (Thesis advisor) / Stein, Morris (Committee member) / Shraiky, James (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
ABSTRACT
Millions of US aging individuals are at risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (Ad). Ad is progressive; there is no clinical cure to date. Certain drugs treat symptoms yet fog memory. Memory activity is critical to strengthen cognition. The Phoenix Art Museum (PAM) and Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI) founded the Arts Engagement Program (AEP), a non-clinical, specialized arts program for adults with (MCI) and their caregiver. The museum environment is thought to enhance communication and raise self-esteem in certain MCI individuals. The interior surroundings may spurn memory enhancement. Scholarship to substantiate this theory is minimal; therefore, further studies are required. Empirical literature regarding design elements researched specific types of memory impairment was employed. The hypotheses that design elements of the museum's infrastructure and design elements from art themes enhance memory, and the results of these findings when applied to other environments enhance memory emerged. An experience-based study was performed. Semi-structured interviews noting design elements of both infrastructure and art were conducted after each of nine AEP sessions with volunteers from 8 dyads, a term used by the PAM as one caregiver and one MCI individual. The presiding docent was later interviewed. Volunteer interviews with dyads and docents was coded and ranked. Overlapping themes that tallied five or higher were considered significant due the low sample size. Results showed that neither group considered infrastructure design elements or art theme design elements a contributor to memory enhancement. The hypotheses proved null. Both groups expressed pleasure in experiencing the PAM’s environment. Keywords: MCI, infrastructure, art themes.
Millions of US aging individuals are at risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (Ad). Ad is progressive; there is no clinical cure to date. Certain drugs treat symptoms yet fog memory. Memory activity is critical to strengthen cognition. The Phoenix Art Museum (PAM) and Banner Alzheimer's Institute (BAI) founded the Arts Engagement Program (AEP), a non-clinical, specialized arts program for adults with (MCI) and their caregiver. The museum environment is thought to enhance communication and raise self-esteem in certain MCI individuals. The interior surroundings may spurn memory enhancement. Scholarship to substantiate this theory is minimal; therefore, further studies are required. Empirical literature regarding design elements researched specific types of memory impairment was employed. The hypotheses that design elements of the museum's infrastructure and design elements from art themes enhance memory, and the results of these findings when applied to other environments enhance memory emerged. An experience-based study was performed. Semi-structured interviews noting design elements of both infrastructure and art were conducted after each of nine AEP sessions with volunteers from 8 dyads, a term used by the PAM as one caregiver and one MCI individual. The presiding docent was later interviewed. Volunteer interviews with dyads and docents was coded and ranked. Overlapping themes that tallied five or higher were considered significant due the low sample size. Results showed that neither group considered infrastructure design elements or art theme design elements a contributor to memory enhancement. The hypotheses proved null. Both groups expressed pleasure in experiencing the PAM’s environment. Keywords: MCI, infrastructure, art themes.
ContributorsHill, Carol (Author) / Shraiky, James (Thesis advisor) / Takamura, John (Committee member) / Stein, Morris (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015