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The Effect of Acting on Actors
(2016) Bernhardt, Elizabeth
What happens to actors when they act? Was Plato correct when he mused that “imitations …at length grow into habits and become a second nature”? Why does there seem to be a blurring of the lines of identity when actors take on characters? “The Effect of Acting on Actors” draws from research on the psychological makeup of actors, including traits such as empathy, social anxiety, and an almost missionary zeal for their work. It dives into the reasons that people get into the acting profession in the first place, and how they tend to identify closely with their work in a way that those working in more conventional professions do not. In addition, this paper takes a look at interviews with actors such as Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, Dame Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes and Ingrid Bergman, to explore why actors do what they do and how that work in turn affects them. Also included is an examination of the methods used by actor Heath Ledger to prepare for his role as The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s film The Dark Knight, and the ramifications of that process in his personal life. In a 2013 Rolling Stone interview, Bryan Cranston said, “I don’t have the luxury of total objectivity. When you play a character, he’s in your skin. You are him.” This is an exploration of how actors can maintain their health while doing great work. The big question is, how does an actor’s character affect his or her character?
Incidental Similarities with Boundary-Spanning Employees at the ‘Moment of Truth’
(2016) Hall, Kristina Lindsey
The “moment of truth” when customers and boundary-spanning employees interact has long been a critical axis in service management. This study investigates the role of incidental similarities (ISs) – seemingly trivial points of comparison shared between customers and employees in the customer/service employee relationship. We propose a conceptual model and a potential experimental approach, which explores the impact of IS on key service outcomes within a service failure/recovery context. We suggest that IS can increase customers’ overall satisfaction and repatronage intentions. Further, building from distinctiveness theory, we look at rapport as a key mechanism for explaining the impact of IS, such that rapport mediates the relationships between IS and key service outcomes. Finally, building from an attribution theory frame, we identify authenticity as a potential boundary condition which impacts the indirect effects of rapport. We believe that when consumers perceive service employees as authentic, this accentuates the indirect conditional relationship between IS and service outcomes. Theoretical and managerial insights relating to customer service encounters are provided.
Key Drivers for Consumer Involvement in Collaborative Consumption
(2016) Hall, Kristina Lindsey
Collaborative Consumption (CC) refers to the use of technology platforms by firms to connect consumers with other individuals who have underused assets. One well-known example is Airbnb, which connects consumers looking for lodging with individuals that have accommodations available. The CC marketplace is estimated to reach $335 billion in revenue over the next ten years (Owyang, 2015) and has been hailed as one of Time’s “10 ideas that will change the world” (Walsh 2011). This new economic model challenges traditional markets, which rely on dyadic relationships between customers and the firm, in part because CC hinges on “triadic” relationships between (1) firms, which provide technology-based platforms that mediate exchanges between a (2) consumer and (3) an individual “producer” (e.g., apartment owner). This research will represent the first attempt to systematically explore a number of issues associated with CC. Specifically, the research objectives are: (1) to determine critical personal and social motivations for consumer participation in CC; and (2) to determine how Social Exchange Theory (SET) applies in the context of CC. As this new economy challenges the traditional understanding of services, its continual expansion has significant implications for the future of service delivery. Thus, gaining a better understanding of the customer’s role in value co-creation has significant theoretical and managerial implications for the services marketing field.
Prioritizing Mental Health in Elite Youth Sports: A Call to Action Grounded in Awareness, Prevention, and Athletic Well-Being
(2026-03) Melton, LaToya D.
Elite youth sports provide opportunities for skill development, achievement, and discipline; however, they also expose athletes ages 10-18 to significant and often underrecognized mental health risks, including performance anxiety, identity foreclosure, burnout, and limited access to developmentally and culturally responsive care. Grounded in social work’s ecological and trauma-informed perspectives, this paper conceptualizes youth athletes as a vulnerable population whose mental health is shaped by interactions across individual, relational, organizational, and sociocultural systems. In response, this paper advances a dual-prevention framework integrating Mental Health Literacy (MHL) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Mental Health Literacy addresses knowledge gaps, stigma, and barriers to help-seeking, while Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction strengthens emotional regulation, physiological self-regulation, and adaptive coping in response to chronic stress. Together, these approaches target both the upstream determinants and downstream consequences of psychological distress. Embedded within a trauma-informed ecological framework, the model extends beyond individual intervention to engage coaches, families, and sport organizations in fostering psychologically safe environments. This paper contributes to the emerging field of sport social work by advancing a multilevel, equity centered approach to mental health promotion and calls for coordinated implementation across practice, policy, and research to support youth athlete well-being.
Artificial intelligence literacy among higher education students in the United States: A comprehensive scoping review
(2026-03) Sleep-Frankel, Maxwell
Introduction: Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy programs for higher education students in the United States (U.S.) are lagging behind the rapid uptick in AI utilization among this population. The purpose of this study is to systematically map trends and characteristics of peer-reviewed research on AI literacy among higher education students in the U.S., including publication trends, methodological and sample characteristics, how AI and AI literacy are conceptualized by students and researchers, AI literacy levels and measurement, factors associated with AI literacy, interventions designed to enhance AI literacy, and researchers’ recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.
Methods: This scoping review adopts the Joanna Briggs Institute six-stage framework. Literature searches were conducted across five electronic databases, and studies were selected according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Covidence was utilized to screen and extract data from the selected literature.
Results: A review of ten peer-reviewed articles reveals that nearly all were published in education-focused journals. All instruments used to measure AI literacy were newly developed. Findings on AI literacy enhancement are mixed, with similar proportions reporting higher and lower levels of AI literacy. No clear trends emerged regarding intervention characteristics or outcomes.
Discussion: Future research is needed to understand what AI literacy programming works, for whom, and under what conditions in this emerging field. It is critical that educators and higher education leaders clearly define AI use to ensure AI-literate practices and tailor interventions to target populations. In particular, social work educators, who are tasked with preparing students to harness technology for good, must incorporate research-informed, pedagogically grounded AI literacy programming into their curricula.