published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Perfectionism can be constructed as a trans diagnostic concept that co exists and probably contributes to the onset development and maintenance of a number of Axis 1 disorders. There is also a significant relationship between perfectionism and low self- esteem. There is considerable theoretical debate in the literature concerning whether perfectionism is uni or multi-dimensional with most therapies being based upon uni dimensional conceptualisations and thus overlooking interpersonal factors. This is also reflected in the relative absence of qualitative studies that explore perfectionism from a lived experience perspective. Aims: This study aims to explore the experiences of perfectionism and low self-esteem in different life domains. It also aims to evaluate the client’s experiences and efficacy of a proposed treatment protocol that targets perfectionism from a multidimensional perspective. Method: The study is divided into three phases. A Multiple baseline design is used to evaluate the treatment protocol including cognitive and behavioural interventions, compassionate mind training and assertiveness training to target perfectionism and low self-esteem. Two clinical groups experiencing Axis 1 disorders and high perfectionism are divided amongst the different phases of this study, 13 and 8 participants respectively. Mixed methods are administered to analyse the data with greater emphasis on the qualitative ones. Measures administered include the Beck Depression & Anxiety Inventories; the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale; the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale; the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale by Frost and the Perfectionistic Self Presentation Scale. 8 semi-structured interviews are analysed utilising Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA). Results: from the analysis of data it is evident that perfectionism is a multidimensional construct with strong interpersonal features that affect several different life domains. The proposed treatment protocol appears significantly effective in reducing perfectionism and Axis 1 disorder symptomatology. Additionally, there is a significant increase in self- esteem. Interventions that appear most helpful are behavioural experiments, assertiveness training, compassionate mind training, continuum and positive logging.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between exercise duration and level of disordered eating, physical self-esteem, and endorsement of societal mores about attractiveness. Two hundred twenty-nine female college students completed the Bulimia-Test Revised, the Physical Self Perception Profile, the Beliefs About Attractiveness Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Subjects were classified into one of four levels of exercise duration based on the number of hours they reported engaging in planned exercise per week. Significant differences were identified among the four exercise groups in relation to physical self-esteem. The amount of exercise activity individuals engaged in per week, however, was not indicative of their eating disorder symptomatology or beliefs about attractiveness.

The problem of this study was to test the differences between adult children from alcoholic families with adult children from non-alcoholic families on levels of depression, self-esteem, and anxiety. The sample consisted of 203 volunteers, all from the Counselor Education Department, 150 females and 53 males, ages 19 and older. Volunteers who were noted as being adult children of alcoholic families numbered 60. Measures used were the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Coopersmith Adult Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI). Multivariate Analysis of Variance was used to test for differences between groups. In addition, a secondary analysis using a one-way MANOVA was used to test for differences between dysfunctional and functional family of origin status on the dependent variables of depression, self-esteem, and anxiety.

Research has illustrated the interrelatedness of childhood physical fitness and psychological wellbeing, psychological wellbeing and academic achievement, as well as physical fitness and academic achievement. In this study, we proposed that psychological wellbeing (self-esteem and depression) serves as a mediator between physical fitness and academic achievement during adolescence. In a sample of middle school children (N = 1,530), significant correlations were found between all three variables (p.0001). A hierarchical regression analysis was performed to assess the associations between physical fitness, psychological wellbeing, and academic achievement. The regression analysis reported a significant partial mediation effect. The results of this study supported the proposed hypotheses, including a mechanism of psychological wellbeing partially mediating the relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement. The findings of this study support the importance of encouraging activities to promote both physical fitness and psychological wellbeing in schools.

Sexual minorities experience higher levels of stress than heterosexuals, which in turn affects coping and psychological quality of life (PQOL). Although many sexual minorities remain mentally healthy, a higher prevalence of mental disorders among members of the lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) communities exists; thus, LGB PQOL becomes an important area to examine. Several key factors are related to PQOL: shame due to heterosexism, self-esteem and perceived stress. Using minority stress model, I hypothesized that shame due to heterosexism and perceived stress are negatively correlated with PQOL, while self-esteem is positively correlated with PQOL. I hypothesized that collectively shame due to heterosexism, self-esteem and perceived stress account for a significant proportion of the variance in PQOL, that self-esteem moderates the relationship between perceived stress and PQOL and that age moderates the relationship between shame due to heterosexism and PQOL. I calculated Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and found shame due to heterosexism was negatively correlated with PQOL (r(146) = -.21, p = .009), perceived stress was negatively correlated with PQOL (r (146) = -.69, p < .001) and self-esteem was positively correlated with PQOL (r(146) = .72, p < .001). I conducted a regression analysis and found our model accounted for 59% of the variance in PQOL (adj. R2 = .59, F(3, 144) = 68.88, p < .001). Self-esteem did moderate the relationship between perceived stress and PQOL (p = .029), but age did not moderate the relationship between shame due to heterosexism and PQOL. Results suggest perceived stress and self-esteem play key roles in sexual minorities’ PQOL. Implications are discussed.

Undersökningen har studerat hur sex elitidrottande kvinnor upplever sin självkänsla kopplat till bas-självkänsla och prestationsbaserad självkänsla. Det tar utgångspunkt i att elitidrott är en prestationsinriktad miljö som med omgivningens krav ställer press på idrottarna. Undersökningen utgick från två olika perspektiv, de som är aktiva och de som inte är aktiva, där antalet var jämnt fördelat. Respondenterna delades sedan in i en av fyra grupper som mäter hur hög eller låg bas-självkänslan och den prestationsbaserade självkänslan är. Grupp 1 beskrivs som hög bas-självkänsla och hög prestationsbaserad självkänsla, grupp 2 beskrivs som låg bas- självkänsla och hög prestationsbaserad självkänsla. Resterande grupper 3 och 4 beskrivs antingen ha hög eller låg bas-självkänsla och låg prestationsbaserad självkänsla. Undersökningens resultat visade på att tre av respondenterna blev placerade i grupp 1 och tre respondenter i grupp 2. Resultatet av undersökningen menar på att samtliga respondenter upplever en hög prestationsbaserad självkänsla, som kännetecknas genom att de har en stark tillhörighet till sin idrott och upplever starka känslor för att prestera. Varje respondent påverkas olika men utgår efter liknande känslor och tankar vilket skapar en tydlig bild över att fenomenet kan skapa motivation till att prestera men också vara en faktor till att psykisk ohälsa existerar inom idrotten. / The study has shown how six women in elite sports experience their self-esteem based on basic self-esteem and performance-based self-esteem. This is developed on the premise that elite sports are a performance-oriented environment which, with the demands of the environment, puts pressure on the athletes. The study takes on two different perspectives, those that are active and those who are not active anymore, where the number is evenly distributed. The respondents were then divided into one of four groups, that measure how high or low the base self-esteem and the performance-based self-esteem are. Group 1 is described as high-base self-esteem and high-performance-based self-esteem, group 2 is described as low-base self-esteem and high performance-based self- esteem. Remaining groups 3 and 4 are described as having either high or low base self-esteem and low performance-based self-esteem. The results of the survey showed that three of the respondents were placed in group 1 and three of the respondents in group 2. The survey states that all respondents experience a high performance-based self-esteem, which is characterized by having a strong belonging for their sport and experiencing strong feelings for performing. Each respondent is affected differently but is based on similar feelings and thoughts. It creates a clear picture that the phenomena can be able to bring motivation to performance but also develop the mental illness that exists in sport.

Vissa elever ser matematik som sitt favoritämne, andra känner ängslan för att de inte känner sig lika duktiga som övriga klasskamrater. Det vore därför användbart att dämpa elevers ångest och oro genom att arbeta med elevers matematiska självkänsla i klassrummet. Frågeställningarna för föreliggande examensarbete är följande: 1. Hur definieras begreppet matematisk självkänsla inom forskningslitteraturen? 2. Hur mäts matematisk självkänsla hos elever inom forskningslitteraturen? Det framkom i resultatet att det ej finns en entydig definition av matematisk självkänsla. En övervägande majoritet av de analyserade studierna definierade matematisk självkänsla som en elevs självvärdering av sin egna kompetens i matematik. Ett fåtal studier presenterade även andra komponenter till matematisk självkänsla, såsom en elevs uppfattning om sin kompetens i jämförelse med andra samt hur elevens tidigare erfarenheter såsom elevens framgångar, motgångar och hur stor emotionell vikt eleven sätter vid dessa. Samtliga analyserade studier som mätte matematisk självkänsla använde sig av ett påståendeformulär med tillhörande Likertskala. Påståendeformulären användes för att mäta bland annat elevernas kompetens inom matematik, elevernas kompetens inom matematik i relation till andra elever samt erfarenhet av matematik. / Some students see mathematics as their favourite subject, while some feel anxiety because they don’t experience themselves as good as other students. To reduce student’s anxiety and worry by working with student’s mathematical self-esteem in the classroom might, therefore, be productive. The questions for the present thesis were as follows: 1. How is mathematical self-esteem defined in research literature? 2. How are students’ mathematical self-esteem measured in research literature? It became apparent in the result that there was no unambiguous definition of mathematical self-esteem. A clear majority of the analysed studies defined mathematical self-esteem as a student’s self-evaluation of their own skills in mathematics. A few studies also presented other components of mathematical self-esteem, such as a student’s perception of their competence in comparison with others, and how the student’s previous experiences such as the student’s successes, setbacks and how great the emotional weight the student attach to them. All analysed research studies that measured self-esteem used a questionnaire with an associated Likert scale. The questionnaires were used to measure, amongst other things, students’ competence in mathematics, students’ competence in mathematics in relation to other students and also experience of mathematics

by Li Chi Mei, Cross. / Includes questionaire in Chinese. / Thesis (M.S.W.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-116). / Acknowledgement --- p.i / Abstract --- p.ii -iii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 -4 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.5-26 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Conceptual Framework --- p.27 -38 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Research Questions & Hypotheses --- p.39 -40 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Research Methodology --- p.41-47 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Results --- p.48 -72 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Discussion of the Findings --- p.73 -94 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Recommendations & Conclusion --- p.95 -103 / References --- p.104-116 / Appendices A : Table of Reliability --- p.117-123 / Chapter B : --- Results of the Coopersmith's Self-esteem Inventory --- p.124-125 / Chapter C : --- Questionnaire (English Version) --- p.126-133 / Chapter D : --- Questionnaire (Chinese Version) --- p.134-141