Three lines of research focus on the influence of positive psychological factors and processes on psychological and physical well-being. In Part I, the unique and shared predictive power of dispositional optimism on women's biological (ovarian) response to fertility treatment was examined. The results suggested that rather than dispositional optimism having direct benefits on ovarian response, this construct shared variance with a broader psychological dimension, and that this dimension compromised biological response. In Part II, a self-administered positive reappraisal coping intervention (PRCI) was developed, and then used by women waiting for an IVF pregnancy test. The effects of the PRCI on psychological well-being and pregnancy rates, compared to controls were examined. The results suggested that the PRCI helped to sustain positive reappraisal coping efforts and other coping efforts, but had no effect on mood or impact on pregnancy rates compared to routine care. In Part III, an experimental paradigm emulating an unresolved period of persistent stress in a medical context was developed (the USP). Reactions became, and remained, persistently negative in response to the USP. The USP was then employed in a test of the "goodness-of-fit" hypothesis, where the influence of dispositional and situational factors on situational coping was examined. The results showed that a manipulation of situational factors had a transient influence on escapism coping and emotional well-being whereas dispositional factors had a more pervasive influence. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that both dispositional and situational influences have important effects on emotional well-being and physical outcomes and that it is important that neither should be completely overlooked in favour of the other.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:583869 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Lancastle, Deborah |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://orca.cf.ac.uk/55624/ |
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