Implicit and explicit attitudinal consequences of false autobiographical memories and beliefs

Previous research has reliably demonstrated that people can form false memories or beliefs of certain events from their personal past, and that these false memories and beliefs can have effects on attitudes and behaviour. When someone forms a false memory or belief of a positive/negative experience relating to a specific attitude object, they tend to change their attitude (and sometimes their behaviour) towards that attitude object accordingly. The research presented in this thesis attempted to build on past research by determining whether false memories and beliefs reliably elicited explicit attitude change across a range of attitudinal domains, whether they affected implicit attitudes as well as explicit attitudes, and whether certain individual difference variables and phenomenological characteristics of false memories had an influence on explicit or implicit attitudinal effects. It was consistently found that false memories and beliefs of a positive experience regarding an attitude object resulted in participants reporting significantly more preferential explicit attitudes towards that attitude object. Tentative evidence was found that false memories may be sufficient to affect implicit attitudes, but false beliefs may not. Results highlighted the potential influence of certain phenomenological characteristics of false memories on attitude change, but found limited evidence to suggest any influence of individual difference factors. The predictions and results of these experiments were considered within the context of theoretical frameworks of social cognition

Redefining sportspersonship : a compliant and principled model

Despite the accepted importance of sportspersonship, behaviour contrary to good sportspersonship is regularly observed in sport (Shields, Bredemeier, LaVoi, and Power, 2005). It is surprising therefore, that since the development of a multidimensional definition of sportspersonship in in mid-1990s (Vallerand, Deshaies, Cuerrier, Briere, and Pelletier, 1996; Vallerand, Briere, Blanchard, & Provencher, 1997), research into the subject has stalled somewhat. The purpose of this thesis was to reignite this avenue of research by exploring an existing model, and developing and presenting a superseding model. After a critical analysis of the existing measures of sportspersonship, the compliant and principled sportspersonship scale was developed and validated in a host of studies. Exploratory factor analysis presented an initial model of sportspersonship. This was examined using confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modelling. A five-factor, 24-item measure of sportspersonship was presented consisting of (a) compliance towards rules, (b) compliance towards officials, (c) legitimacy of injurious acts, (d) approach towards opponent, and (e) principled game perspective.Studies in the thesis positively relate sportspersonship with moral behaviour, task goal orientation, empathy, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. It is negatively associated with antisocial behaviour and Machiavellianism. These studies support the construct validity of the scale and provide greater theoretical understanding of sportspersonship. Criterion validity is supported through two experimental studies that found that sportspersonship positively predicted prosocial and negatively predicted cheating. Finally, recommendations for enhancing sportspersonship are offered. Overall, the thesis redefines sportspersonship, presents a new multidimensional measure of sportspersonship and evidence of its validity, explores the relationship of sportspersonship to other psychological concepts, and provides a template for assessing and developing measurement scales

The experiences and support needs of people affected by cancer

This thesis is an exploration of the experiences and support needs of people who are affected by cancer. It begins with a systematic review of interventions that are designed to support children who have a parent with cancer. Critical consideration of the value of these interventions in providing desired outcomes for the child and their family is the focus of this paper. Ten evaluations, consisting of nine separate interventions were included for review. Support for the efficacy of these interventions in providing improvements across a variety of outcomes concerning child well-being, parental well-being and overall family functioning is indicated. However, these findings must be considered within the context of the methodological limitations of the current research body. Clinical implications with regard to United Kingdom service provision and intervention planning are discussed. The second paper reports on an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study exploring the experiences of people who have had a diagnosis of, and treatment for, malignant melanoma. Six participants were recruited to this study and interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Three overarching themes emerged from the data detailing the lived experiences for these participants. A tension between whether having melanoma was a serious life event or not, finding balance and dealing with the experience and reflections on the ongoing impact upon self typified these participants’ experiences. These findings are discussed with regard to the implications for clinicians working with people who have been diagnosed with, and treated for, melanoma. The final paper is a reflective account of the researcher’s research journey. Specific focus is afforded to the development of the researcher’s relationship with the topic area and the integral role of the participant interview process within this. The influence of the research experience in shaping the researcher’s identity as a clinician is also considered, as are indications for ongoing development

Women and children's experiences of domestic violence

Chapter One examines the literature on children’s experiences of domestic violence. The research reviewed indicates that within the same family children can have different experiences of domestic violence. Within the literature five common themes were identified; children’s experiences of abuse, responses to and effects of domestic violence, coping and sense making, impact on relationships and access to services and support. Children consistently experienced feelings of fear towards the perpetrator and a sense of responsibility for their mother’s well-being. Further qualitative research was recommended to identify different children’s resilience’s. Chapter Two explores the unique perspective of mother’s experiences of their relationship with their children within the context of domestic violence. IPA analysis indicated that domestic violence led the women to experience shame and see themselves as a ‘bad mother’. They attempted to distance themselves against this uncomfortable emotion by experiencing their child as a ‘bad child’. There were areas of resilience and agency as the women interviewed altered their parenting style and consequently their relationship with their child once leaving the relationship. Chapter Three provides reflections on the research journey. This includes the author’s experiences of methodological and ethical issues relating to conducting research with women who have experienced domestic violence, particularly with regards to the utilization of the principles of feminist and empowering methods

An exploration of dispositional mindfulness across the lifespan and mindfulness interventions for older people

The three chapters of this thesis are united under a common theme of exploring mindfulness, specifically with reference to older people. Chapter one: The systematic literature review critically evaluates the evidence for mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for use with older adults (aged 60 years and older). 12 articles met pre-specified criteria for inclusion. In studies of relatively healthy, high functioning older adults, there were few benefits observed. For samples of older people with clinical levels of mood and physical health difficulty, benefits were observed in some studies across a range of psychosocial domains. The present review indicates that MBSR is both a viable and a feasible approach for use with older people. As methodological concerns were evident, further research could usefully build upon this initial evidence-base. Chapter two: The empirical paper was a cross-sectional survey of community dwelling, English-speaking younger adults aged 18-34 years (n = 162) and older adults aged 65-93 years (n = 134), using a group difference design. In accordance with initial hypotheses and theories of lifespan development, the present findings indicated higher levels of dispositional mindfulness, affect and well-being for older adults, compared to younger adults. Future research and clinical implications are discussed. This may inform the development of age-appropriate mindfulness interventions. Chapter three: In the reflective paper, I share my experiences of conducting research with people in later life and of researching the topic of mindfulness. I then provide a reflective and reflexive account of the stages of research and go on to discuss implications for my professional and personal development

Caring for people with dementia : positive aspects, self-compassion and coping

This thesis explores the experiences of informal carers of people with dementia. Undertaking a caregiving role can have a wide range of implications for the carer from negative outcomes such as increased physical and psychological stress to positive experiences such as a sense of pride or mastery in the role. Through further exploration of these differing experiences, this thesis informs understanding of the caregiving role and suggests new directions for carer support and research. The first paper is a critical review of the qualitative research exploring the positive aspects of caregiving in dementia. After database and manual searches were conducted, fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed. Carers across the studies consistently described a variety of positive aspects of caregiving. They also highlighted a number of factors that were important in supporting their positive caregiving experiences. Clinical implications relating to the inclusion of positive aspects in the holistic assessment and support of caregivers are discussed. The second paper reports on a quantitative study that explored the relationship between self-compassion, dysfunctional and emotion-focused coping strategies and carer burden. Survey data was collected from 73 informal caregivers of people with dementia. Carers with higher levels of self-compassion reported lower levels of carer burden. The use of less dysfunctional coping strategies was found to mediate this relationship. Emotion-focused coping strategies were not found to be a mediator. Clinically, compassion-based interventions represent a potentially useful intervention for carers. The final paper reflects on the differing contributions of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to research in psychology. The impact of the different methods on participants is considered along with the challenges to conducting diverse research in clinical settings. The scientist-practitioner nature of clinical psychologist role is noted as key in both respectfully representing participants and valuing the use of varied, clinically relevant research