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Thesis (M.A.)--Central Connecticut State University, 2003. / Thesis advisor: C. Charles Mate-Kole. " ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in General Psychology." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-55). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Traditional psychology has held the view that mentally healthy people have a good grasp of reality. However, studies on self-concept, perceived control and optimism have shown that mentally healthy people have a tendency to distort reality in these areas in a positive, self-serving direction. These studies led Shelley Taylor to coin the term "positive illusions" to describe overly positive self-evaluations, exaggerated perceptions of control, and unrealistic optimism. Taylor also theorized that those who were depressed had fewer positive illusions than those who were not depressed. The current study attempted to extend the foundation of basic research on the concept of positive illusions as well as their relationship to depression. Participants were given questionnaires at two time points (summer and winter) that measured the three components of positive illusions as well as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or winter depression. It was expected that those who had SAD would be depressed in the winter and therefore have fewer positive illusions at that time than in the summer when they were less depressed. Significant positive correlations between selfconcept, perceived control, and optimism indicated shared variance which is consistent with the existence of an underlying variable, i.e. positive illusions. Though results showed no difference in positive illusion scores between summer and winter, those with higher SAD scores (signifying greater depression) had fewer positive illusions at both time points than those with lower SAD scores. Finally, the remarkable similarity between positive illusion scores at the two time points suggests that positive illusions may exist as a personality trait, rather than being state dependent. Drawbacks of this study and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis (Ph.D.) in Psychology--University of Maine, 2004. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 138-165).

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The research literature proposes that the concept of identity may be central to understanding responses to having severe and enduring mental health problems. Theorists hypothesise a relationship between identity and the individual's acceptance of having mental health problems mediated by societal pressures. Given the inconclusive findings from research carried out a decade ago, this study has attempted to explore whether the participants' identification as a community member or patient affected, or was affected by, their belief that they have mental health problems, need medication, need to see healthcare professionals and their awareness of disabilities. A quantitative methodology was employed to examine the main variables. Forty five individuals living in the community with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder or schizoaffective disorder were interviewed. Both within-group and between-group analyses were employed. The relationship between the independent variables and their relationships with sociodemographic and diagnostic factors, self-esteem and health and social functioning were explored. Measures that had been either standardised or used in previous related research were employed. The three central measures were taken from previous research studies in this area. Socio-demographic information was obtained from clinical files. Neither beliefs about mental health problems nor awareness of disabilities were found to be associated with identity, as measured in this study. Health and social functioning and work-related variables appeared to contribute to an identification as a community member. It is suggested that defensive responses to disabilities existed to protect the individual's sense of self-worth. Furthermore, socially valued experiences prior to illness and level of ability may have contributed to the participants' identification as a community member. The clinical implications are discussed.

Objective: Pregnancy requires thorough monitoring and management because not only is it a time where normal physiological and psychological changes put a mother under stress and strain, but maternal sensitivity begins to develop, and the developing foetus needs a well regulated intrauterine environment. Such important processes can be compromised by abnormal or inconsistent physiological and emotional regulation. The study aimed to explore pregnant women’s regulation capacity at rest and their physiological reactivity, and return to physiological baseline, in response to infant related stimuli. Methods: Extended analyses of previously acquired psycho-physiological data at baseline, and pre- and post-presentation of relevant audio-visual stimuli. Results: Baseline physiological activity was significantly different between pregnant participants and controls. There were, however, no other differences in reactivity. Conclusion: Findings were inconsistent with previous research which indicates infant stimuli to become increasingly salient throughout pregnancy.