Sally Wiggins

Linköping University, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning (IBL), Faculty Member

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Papers by Sally Wiggins

Eating Your Words: Discursive Psychology and the Reconstruction of Eating Practices

by Jonathan Potter and Sally Wiggins

Psychological research into eating practices has focused mainly on attitudes and behaviour toward... more Psychological research into eating practices has focused mainly on attitudes and behaviour towards food, and disorders of eating. Using
experimental and questionnaire-based designs, these studies place an emphasis on individual consumption and cognitive appraisal, overlooking
the interactive context in which food is eaten. The current article examines eating practices in a more naturalistic environment, using mealtime
conversations tape-recorded by families at home. The empirical data highlight three issues concerning the discursive construction of eating practices, which raise problems for the existing methodologies. These
are: (1) how the nature and evaluation of food are negotiable qualities; (2) the use of participants’ physiological states as rhetorical devices; and
(3) the variable construction of norms of eating practices. The article thus challenges some key assumptions in the dominant literature and indicates the virtues of an approach to eating practices using interactionally based methodologies.

format_quoteArgues that traditional research treats food as individually appraised objects, overlooking variability in social contexts.format_quote

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Qualitative Evaluation of a Practice-based Experience Pilot Program for Master of Pharmacy Students in Scotland

by Gillian Hendry, Sally Wiggins, and Christopher Turner

Objective. To determine the views of pharmacists in central Scotland regarding experiential educa... more Objective. To determine the views of pharmacists in central Scotland regarding experiential education for MPharm students. Methods. A thematic analysis was completed by Dr. Gillian Hendry and Dr. Sally Wiggins of interviews conducted with ten practicing pharmacists paired with first-year master of pharmacy (MPharm) students during the 2011-2012 academic year. Relevant comments from the interviews were manually sorted in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to bring similarly themed material together to facilitate the identification and naming of recurring themes and subthemes. Results. The pharmacists were unanimous in their opinion that experiential education was valuable for MPharm students and, in particular, that it helped students to develop self-confidence. The pharmacists derived personal satisfaction in developing mentor/mentee relationships with students. They also recognized the value that students provided to the workforce as well as the educational value to themselves in supervising students. The participants' primary dissatisfaction was that the pharmacy workflow limited the time they could spend mentoring students. Conclusion. The results provide guidance to the academic community and the pharmacy practice community in the United Kingdom (UK) regarding the design and integration of experiential education courses in MPharm degree programs.

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Constructing Cohesion through Laughter

by Gillian Hendry and Sally Wiggins

One of the most consistently studied constructs within group dynamics literature is that of cohes... more One of the most consistently studied constructs within group dynamics literature is that of cohesiveness; the extent to which individuals within a group feel connected. Members of strongly cohesive groups are more inclined to participate and stay with the group, and past research has reported that laughter has the ability to enhance cohesion between individuals, although there is limited work showing exactly how this happens. Twenty two students comprising eight groups from two UK universities were video-recorded as they partook in group work, with the resultant sixty four hours of video data being analysed using discursive psychology centring on episodes of laughter in interaction. As 'sticking together' is a defining feature of cohesiveness, the analysis focused on instances in which a group member did the opposite of this by group-deprecating; revealing a weakness about the group, with findings showing that cohesion is constructed through the acceptance of and expansion upon the disparagement.

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The Discursive Construction of Group Cohesion in Problem-based Learning Tutorials

by Gillian Hendry, Sally Wiggins, and Anthony Anderson

Research has shown that educators may be reluctant to implement group work in their teaching due ... more Research has shown that educators may be reluctant to implement group work in their teaching due to concerns about students partaking in off-task behaviours. However, such off-task interactions have been shown to promote motivation, trust, and rapport-building. This paper details a study in which student groups were video recorded as they engaged in problem-based learning tutorials, with the aim of examining the social interaction within such settings. Eighty-five hours of data were collected from nine groups, with discursive psychology being used to analyse how group cohesion is constructed through off-topic talk such as gossiping and teasing. Two case studies are detailed in which we demonstrate how cohesion is established through a process of collective action against the 'other': highlighting the differences between 'us' and 'them', and how this can impact on group dynamics. There is often a discrepancy between self-reported and observed behaviour in groups and so the more we know about what actually happens in such environments, the better placed we are to support student learning. The paper concludes with recommendations on how analyses of social interaction and the management of psychological issues in problem-based learning tutorials can inform the use of problem-based learning as a teaching and learning approach.

format_quoteCohesion in PBL emerges through collaborative talk, even off-topic, underscoring its role as an interactional practice.format_quote

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On the accountability of changing bodies: Using discursive psychology to examine embodied identities in different research settings

Qualitative Psychology, 2014

Identity is typically understood as something that individuals "have" or own, an essential part o... more Identity is typically understood as something that individuals "have" or own, an essential part of one's psychological state that guides how we behave and how we fit into society. By contrast, the discursive psychological (DP) approach treats identity as an ongoing, active construction that is primarily achieved through discourse and social interaction. This paper documents the DP approach to identities, focusing specifically on embodied identities, and demonstrates the potential of DP for making sense of identities and embodiment in different research settings. Data are taken from three research contexts: (a) video and audio-recorded, everyday family mealtime interactions in England and Scotland, (b) audio recordings of weight management groups within the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland, and (c) video-recorded interviews involving people with alopecia and their use of wigs in Scotland. In each of these settings, bodies were oriented to as predominantly stable and consistent, with references to changing bodies-such as changing food preferences, changing weight or body size, and changing hair color-as marked and accountable in each interaction. This paper contributes to a growing body of research that argues that bodies are not separate from discourse, and rather than examining "body talk" and embodied identity work, can illuminate not only identity research but also the potential of discursive approaches to psychology and interaction.

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Family mealtimes, yuckiness and the socialization of disgust responses by preschool children

Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 2013

This paper contributes to research on the socialization of disgust responses by examining the way... more This paper contributes to research on the socialization of disgust responses by examining the ways in which preschool children (up to and including 5-yearolds) and their parents enact disgust in video recordings of family mealtimes in England and Scotland using a discursive psychological approach. I demonstrate that, in this context, preschool children predominantly use the disgust marker yuck whereas adults most commonly utter eugh. Preschool children's yuck utterances are typically ignored by parents, treated as humorous or as attentionseeking behavior. I argue that preschool children are not treated as having the right to "know" disgust. The paper aims to stimulate debate in research on food and disgust, and of the role of language and social interaction in children's eating practices.

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Constructing knowledge through talk: Unpacking the dynamics of group interaction in problem-based learning

Eating your words: constructing food and eating practices in mealtime conversation

Discursive research: Applications and implications

by Alexa Hepburn and Sally Wiggins

This chapter discusses the applications and implications of discursive research. It was published... more This chapter discusses the applications and implications of discursive research. It was published in'Discursive research in practice'which illustrates an approach to social science issues that cuts across the traditional disciplinary divisions to provide a rich participant-based understanding of action.

format_quoteNew models of therapy evaluation are proposed, focusing on nuanced understanding instead of traditional input/output metrics.format_quote

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Critical Bodies: Discourses of health, gender and consumption

Riley, SCE, Frith, H., Wiggins, S., Burns, M. and Markula, P., 2008. Critical Bodies: Discourses ... more Riley, SCE, Frith, H., Wiggins, S., Burns, M. and Markula, P., 2008. Critical Bodies: Discourses of health, gender and consumption. In: Riley, SCE, Burns, M., Frith, H., Wiggins, S. and Markula, P., eds. Critical bodies: Representations, Practices and Identities of Weight and Body Management. London: Palgrave MacMillan, pp. 193-204. ... This repository does not currently have the full-text of this item. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided below. ... Riley, SCE, Frith, H., Wiggins, S., Burns, M. and Markula, P. ... Riley, SCE, Burns, M., ...

Critical bodies: Representations, identities and practices of weight and body management

This book showcases a selection of current work and debates on weight and body management practic... more This book showcases a selection of current work and debates on weight and body management practices that are being produced from the vibrant arena of critical and postmodern approaches in the social sciences. Understanding weight issues in the developed world now occurs against a backdrop in which westernised cultural ideals about the body constitute the slim body as healthy, good, moral, attractive and'normal'. Simultaneously the World Health Organisation has declared that the western world is in ...

Qualitative Undergraduate Project Supervision in Psychology: Current Practices and Support Needs of Supervisors Across North East England and Scotland

by Sue Becker, Sally Wiggins, and Alasdair Gordon-Finlayson

Qualitative Research in Psychology, 2015

The dissertation is a core component of a psychology undergraduate degree, though very little res... more The dissertation is a core component of a psychology undergraduate degree, though very little research has been conducted into supervision processes at undergraduate level. This study examined the accounts of supervisors of qualitative dissertations in order to identify current practices of supervision and possible resources that might support supervision. Seventeen supervisors from psychology departments in North East England and Scotland were interviewed, and three main themes were identified using thematic analysis: the quantitative culture in psychology teaching, supervisors’ expertise, and the supervision process. Supervisors noted that students were typically constrained in their choice of methodology due to limited qualitative methods teaching, lack of training and guidance for supervisors, and concerns about the risks of demanding qualitative projects. Supervisors therefore often reported staying within their comfort zone, electing where possible to supervise only the methods that they themselves use. Recommendations for practical resources are provided to help support students and supervisors in the process of undertaking qualitative psychology dissertations. Keywords: empirical project; qualitative research; research methods teaching; supervision; undergraduate dissertation

Qualitative Undergraduate Project Supervision in Psychology: Current Practices and Support Needs of Supervisors Across North East England and Scotland

by Sally Wiggins, Alasdair Gordon-Finlayson, and Sue Becker

The dissertation is a core component of a psychology undergraduate degree, though very little res... more The dissertation is a core component of a psychology undergraduate degree, though very little research has been conducted into supervision processes at undergraduate level. This study examined the accounts of supervisors of qualitative dissertations in order to identify current practices of supervision and possible resources that might support supervision. Seventeen supervisors from psychology departments in North East England and Scotland were interviewed, and three main themes were identified using thematic analysis: the quantitative culture in psychology teaching, supervisors’ expertise, and the supervision process. Supervisors noted that students were typically constrained in their choice of methodology due to limited qualitative methods teaching, lack of training and guidance for supervisors, and concerns about the risks of demanding qualitative projects. Supervisors therefore often reported staying within their comfort zone, electing where possible to supervise only the methods that they themselves use. Recommendations for practical resources are provided to help support students and supervisors in the process of undertaking qualitative psychology dissertations.
Keywords: empirical project; qualitative research; research methods teaching; supervision;
undergraduate dissertation

DISCURSIVE RESEARCH: THEMES AND DEBATES; Discursive Research in Practice: New approaches to psychology and interaction Edited by

by Alexa Hepburn and Sally Wiggins

There has been a quiet revolution in the social sciences. Over the past few decades new ways of w... more There has been a quiet revolution in the social sciences. Over the past few decades new ways of working and new ways of conceiving the relation between people, practices and institutions have been developed. These have started to make possible an understanding of human conduct in complex situations that is distinctive from the traditional conceptions offered by disciplines such as psychology and sociology. This distinctiveness is derived from the sophisticated analytic approach to social action that has been developed by conversation analysis combined with the fresh treatment of mind, cognition and personality developed in discursive psychology. Both of these approaches work with the displayed perspectives of participants in interaction, perspectives embodied in people's constructions and orientations.

format_quoteSchegloff argues that participants' orientation to categories shapes social structures analytically.format_quote

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Adult and child use of love, like, don't like and hate during family mealtimes: Subjective category assessments as food preference talk

Appetite, 2014

Food preference is now a ubiquitous concept in eating research, and closely associated with actua... more Food preference is now a ubiquitous concept in eating research, and closely associated with actual consumption, particularly in relation to children's food preferences. Research in this area is beginning to reveal the effects of parent-child interaction on eating practices though relatively little attention has been paid to the discursive and lexical processes involved. Food preferences are typically associated with the terms, 'likes' and 'dislikes' in food preference research. By contrast, adults and children typically use the terms 'love', 'like', 'don't like' and 'hate' to construct and manage food preferences in everyday meal conversations. A corpus of 270 video and audio-recorded English and Scottish family mealtimes, involving children aged 1-17 years, was searched and analysed for any and all occurrences of subjective category assessments (SCAs, e.g., 'I like X'), featuring the terms 'love', 'like', 'don't like' and 'hate'. Discursive psychology was used to analyse the transcripts and recordings, and illustrated the disparity between adult and child use of SCAs and food preference talk. Within the dataset, parents typically made claims about what their children like, and in doing so claimed epistemic
primacy over their children's food preferences. Children, by contrast, typically made claims about their own 'don't likes' and likes, and these were frequently countered by their parents or treated as inappropriate claims. Implications for how parents and researchers might re-orient to the food
preferences lexicon are discussed.

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The social life of 'eugh': Disgust as assessment in family mealtimes

British Journal of Social Psychology, Jan 1, 2012

Disgust is a complex phenomenon that pervades a number of social situations. To date, disgust has... more Disgust is a complex phenomenon that pervades a number of social situations. To date, disgust has primarily been understood as an individually experienced emotion or as a way of defining boundaries between people or objects; the detailed social practices through which disgust is choreographed, however, have yet to be fully explored. The social implications of disgust are particularly apparent when food and eating are involved, as it is in such settings that individuals, objects, and social boundaries coincide. In this paper, I argue that the enactment of disgust is an inherently social event, and that we can evidence it as such through the way in which it is produced and oriented to in everyday interaction. The setting for this paper is family mealtimes, as a situation in which children and parents explore the boundaries of what is, and what is not, disgusting. A large corpus of video and audio recordings of mealtimes in England and Scotland were analysed using a discursive psychological approach, with a focus on explicating the sequential and prosodic features of disgust markers (DMs), such as 'eugh' and 'yuck'. The analysis demonstrates that DMs are typically preceded by a 'noticing' by speakers and that 'eugh' is usually uttered alone and at the start of a turn in talk. It is argued that, regardless of their putative status as emotions or cultural concepts, DMs work as assessments of food and eating practices in everyday interaction. They orient others to a trouble source and attend to people's entitlements to 'know' disgust. The implications for our understanding of disgust as a social psychological concept are further explored.

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Finishing the family meal. The interactional organisation of satiety

Appetite, Jan 1, 2011

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Good for 'you': generic and individual healthy eating advice in family mealtimes

Journal of health psychology, Jan 1, 2004

Healthy eating is one of the main concerns for health organizations in the UK, and has been widel... more Healthy eating is one of the main concerns for health organizations in the UK, and has been widely promoted in recent decades. Yet despite the amount of nutritional information available, levels of obesity, heart disease and other food-related diseases remain high. Existing research in this area often uses individual accounts of consumption to examine the reasons why people may not be eating 'healthily'. An alternative way to approach this issue is to examine how healthy eating advice is constructed and used in everyday interaction. This research uses tape-recorded family mealtimes to examine instances where nutritional advice is embedded and managed in conversational activities. A distinction between generic and individually focused healthy eating talk is illustrated, and the implications for further research are discussed.

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Can you pull it off? Appearance modifying behaviours adopted by wig users with alopecia in social interactions

In the academic and medical literature on alopecia, wigs (hair prostheses) are typically recommen... more In the academic and medical literature on alopecia, wigs (hair prostheses) are typically recommended as a coping strategy: a device to camouflage, conceal, or cover hair loss, and cope with the psychological impact of a dramatic change in body image. This paper used Goffman's (1959) theory of impression management to demonstrate (a) the social significance of self-presentation, and (b) how adults with alopecia managed their wig use in their daily lives. Data from 14 interviews, two focus groups and six video diaries with 22 Caucasian adults (19 females, 3 males; 29-74 years, SD = 13.75) with alopecia in Scotland were analysed using discursive psychology. The analysis detailed how participants managed their wig use and behaviours in relation to social interaction with different categories of people. The paper raises concerns about health and medical discourse about wigs as a coping mechanism, and provides practical suggestions for wig users in social settings.

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Construction and Action in Food EvaluationConversational Data

Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 2001

This study investigated ways in which gender identity is enacted within written language. Partici... more This study investigated ways in which gender identity is enacted within written language. Participants first supplied a self-descriptive letter that might be filed with a dating service. Next, they responded to a fabricated personal ad posted by a potential dating partner. Contextual factors in this study were writing task (self-description or response to a personal ad) and the gender role "bid" (either instrumental or expressive) of the hypothetical personal ad writer. Individual difference variables were biological gender and measured gender role orientation. Texts were coded for frequency of seven gender-typed language features (e.g., hedges, first-person pronouns). Writers' own gender role schemata affected their language use, as did their biological sex. Contextual factors were more potent than the writers' gender in affecting these stylistic features. Overall, writers altered their styles to complement (rather than converge toward) the apparent gender role orientations of their interlocutors.

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