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The central claim of this thesis is that engaging with the Bible in a small group context has the potential to be transformative, noting that a number of factors can hinder or facilitate the extent of that transformation. The thesis begins by exploring the concept of transformation. Following an engagement with various biblical texts, it then defines transformation as an ongoing process of change whereby individuals and communities come to more fully resemble Jesus Christ and glorify God by the power of the Holy Spirit, in anticipation of the future transformation of the whole of creation. The process of transformation is also considered through the work of Jack Mezirow, Walter Brueggemann, James Loder, Daniel Schipani and Laurie Green. In order to identify what factors might hinder or facilitate transformative biblical engagement, research is detailed among three small groups associated with Church of England churches, which involved ethnographic observation, questionnaires and small groups. The data evidences that it was possible to identify a number of key themes connected with how small groups operate, namely: experts, challenge and use of materials. These are examined in order to show how they all have the potential to both hinder and facilitate transformative biblical engagement. It was also possible to explore how ordinary readers understand the concept and process of transformation, and how this correlates with academic understandings of the concept. Two practical theological implications were raised as a result of this research: first, the necessity of thinking through the purpose of small groups, and second, the significance of the leadership of small groups. In conversation with Laurie Green's model of the People's Theologian, an approach is offered to small group leadership that might better enable expertise, challenge and materials to be used in ways that may best facilitate transformative biblical engagement.

Cancer survivorship is increasing year on year due to an aging population and improvements in cancer screening and treatments. The experience of survivorship can be challenging; individuals living with and beyond cancer can face a burden of survivorship. Cancer survivors not only experience symptom burden (the severity and impact of biopsychosocial consequences of disease and its treatment), there is also evidence that individuals living with chronic conditions experience treatment burden (the ‘work’ required of them in managing their condition and its symptoms). Traditional clinic-based approaches to relieving the burden of cancer survivors may not be sustainable or the most beneficial. eHealth interventions are developing exponentially and there is an expectation that they can improve the experience of cancer survivorship. This thesis considers the impact of eHealth supportive care interventions on the burden of those living with and beyond cancer, reporting the experience of adult cancer survivors and the perceptions of health care professionals (HCPs). Five publications form the body of this thesis. The first publication indicates that while most cancer survivors want to be fully informed many do not receive sufficient information in all areas (e.g. psychosocial issues), thus supporting the consideration of alternative approaches to providing cancer survivors with supportive care. Two publications report positive impact of a telephone follow-up intervention on the burden of survivorship. Two publications consider HCP perceptions of remote symptom monitoring and internet care plans. These papers report that HCPs perceive eHealth interventions to increase burden for specific groups of cancer survivors depending on individual patient factors, the context of their care, and the content of the intervention. This body of work supports the potential of eHealth to alleviate the burden of cancer survivors but acknowledges that the complexity of for whom and how these benefits occur warrants exploration through further research. Involving cancer survivors and HCPs in the development of eHealth supportive care interventions is key to creating and implementing sustainable effective solutions to relieving the burden of future cancer survivors.

The aim of this PhD thesis was to investigate the role of arousal during decision-making in chickens. Arousal can occur at various stages of the decision-making process and can have different functions depending on the stage and nature of the decision. A T-Maze methodology was developed for measuring behavioural and physiological indicators of arousal in chickens during a simple decision-making task. Measures of arousal were detectable during a goal viewing period and were differentiated by choice outcome. There was some evidence to suggest that arousal preceded and influenced decision-making, which provided a foundation for investigating arousal during more complex tasks. In two subsequent experiments indicators of arousal were measured when chickens made decisions that varied in their complexity i.e. decisions that were finely balanced and decisions involving the risk of an aversive stimulus. Arousal was not influenced by these aspects of complexity when chickens viewed their options, but did increase in anticipation of the decision outcome that was associated with the risk of an aversive stimulus. Interestingly, there was no evidence to suggest that arousal served to "warn" individuals against subsequently choosing the risky option, as has been suggested in human gambling tasks (using somatic markers). The role of arousal during the formation of expectations was also investigated in two reward alteration experiments. Arousal was gradually adjusted when chickens' expected rewards were unexpectedly altered. This suggests that chickens respond to a reward alteration following the Thorndikian law of effect, rather than by showing successive negative contrast effects. The methods developed and results obtained, provide a platform for investigating arousal during various stages of decision- making, including the role of somatic markers in guiding decision-making in non-human animals.

This thesis is concerned with a 'problem' in a humanitarian context: an identified gap between the rhetoric and 'reality' of refugee children's participation in their protection and a refugee protection process that is thought not particularly participatory for the child. Through directly engaging with refugee children and humanitarian practitioners - in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, Uganda - it seeks to explore empirically the extent to which this is the case and whether refugee children's increased participation in refugee protection procedures might produce a better, safer alternative for children. From a theoretical perspective, this thesis engages critically with a significant body of academic literature on the theory and practice of children's participation as well as related literature on the conceptualisation of 'childhood' and 'the child'. It explores the ambiguity and tensions in children's participation, particularly in relation to their protection, and responds to debates surrounding participation, agency and power. It engages with the literature on forced migration, refugee camps and the construction of the refugee (child). Linking these to the debate on children's participation in protection, it explores notions of 'vulnerability' and 'agency' and the transformative potential of participation for a reconstruction of refugee children with consequences for their everyday spaces and lives.