The present thesis was designed to test the proposition that human health can be understood as embedded in a mind/body system. In this light, the primary goal of the thesis was to test several key principles of systems theory as it applies to the natural workings of a psychosomatic system. These primary principles are (i) variables composing a system are interrelated; (ii) dynamic fluctuation of those variables occurs on a continual basis; and (iii) mutual influence of system components occurs through internal feedback. Using an ecological self-report methodology, data on affective states and physical symptomology was collected intensively over a 20 day period among healthy adults as they went about their day-to-day lives. Analysis of the data found evidence for all three systems principles. Specifically, unpleasant affect and physical symptomology were related both concurrently and in a temporal or predictive fashion. These two variables fluctuated in a dynamically stable pattern over a daily and particularly, over a weekly cycle, and the variations in each variable over time were co-related. Finally, a negative feedback process was found to occur, such that heightened levels of unpleasant affect predicted elevated symptomology, while higher levels of symptoms led to lower levels of unpleasant affect. Further, declines in unpleasant affect led to declines in symptomology, thus serving to bring both body and mind back into a healthier balance. The results of the research are discussed as they pertain to each systems principle, a commentary on the testing of systems theory is offered, and implications of the research are discussed in terms of health care practice, work performance, and our understanding of human health.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.34705 |
| Date | January 1997 |
| Creators | Brown, Kirk Warren. |
| Contributors | Moskowitz, D. S. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Psychology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001618389, proquestno: NQ44372, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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