| dc.contributor |
Dr Karl, Anke |
|
| dc.contributor |
Professor Kuyken, Willem |
|
| dc.creator |
Kirschner, Hans |
|
| dc.date |
2016-09-06T08:31:20Z |
|
| dc.date |
2016-03-28 |
|
| dc.date.accessioned |
2023-02-23T09:58:00Z |
|
| dc.date.available |
2023-02-23T09:58:00Z |
|
| dc.identifier |
http://hdl.handle.net/10871/23317 |
|
| dc.identifier.uri |
http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/CUHPOERS/256562 |
|
| dc.description |
This thesis applied a triangulation of behavioural and physiological methods to
explore potential psychological and biological correlates accompanying the short-term
cultivation of self-compassion in both healthy and clinical samples. Drawing on
theory and previous research on self-compassion, the aim of this thesis was to
investigate if the cultivation of self-compassion enhances positive affiliative affect
and a greater tendency to prefer positively valenced information about the self. It was
hypothesised that increased positive affiliative affect would be accompanied by the
activation of the soothing and contentment system, a system characterised by the
dynamic balancing of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. A series
of four experimental psychophysiological studies in healthy individuals and those
with a history of recurrent depression was conducted. The results of these broadly
supported this hypothesis. Detailed exploration of the results indicated that the
proposed protective effects of self-compassion via the stimulation of the soothing and
contentment affect system and access to a more positive perception of the self may
rely on important individual differences in levels of self-criticism, insecure
attachment, and history of childhood adversity and might be made more challenging
when there is an underlying psychopathology such as recurrent depression. In this
context, the results of this thesis indicate that more indirect approaches to cultivate
self-compassion like the compassionate body-scan or mindfulness-based cognitive
therapy (MBCT) might enable these individuals to access and activate the soothing
and contentment system. Taken together, this research suggests that the cultivation of
self-compassion might contribute to resilience in the face of negative thoughts,
memories, feelings and depressive symptoms, because it is accompanied by
psychophysiological response patterns that are suggested to be associated with
adaptive emotion regulation and self-soothing in times of distress. |
|
| dc.language |
en |
|
| dc.publisher |
University of Exeter |
|
| dc.publisher |
School of Psychology |
|
| dc.rights |
2018-03-05 |
|
| dc.rights |
I am currently preparing the empirical chapters of the thesis for publication. For this reason, my Supervisor and I request an embargo for the thesis, so that I can get the papers published before the whole content of the thesis becomes available for the public. Thank you very much. |
|
| dc.title |
Compassion for the Self and Well-Being: Psychological and Biological Correlates of a New Concept |
|
| dc.type |
Thesis or dissertation |
|
| dc.type |
PhD in Psychology |
|
| dc.type |
Doctoral |
|
| dc.type |
PhD |
|