| dc.description.abstract | This thesis follows a research portfolio format and is carried out in part
fulfilment of the academic component of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology
at the University of Edinburgh.
The portfolio contains two independent research projects, an empirical study
and a narrative synthesis, that are organised around the common theme of
time perspective (TP; Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999) in the context of trauma. The
empirical study tests TP in terms of its ability to predict depressive symptoms
in a clinical sample. Given that this is the first study of TP in a mental health
context, using a clinical sample, it was not possible to carry out a systematic
review on this topic. Instead, rumination was chosen as a focus of the
narrative synthesis study given that it shares substantial overlap with the
theoretical concept of a time perspective bias, and specifically a past-negative temporal bias (PNTP). A PNTP is defined as an inflexible cognitive
style where current thinking is substantially influenced by traumatic, negative
and adverse experiences of the past (Zimbardo &Boyd, 1999). Time
perspective theory predicts that such a bias will impact on healthy functioning
negatively, but does not elaborate on this what this. The narrative synthesis
is therefore not an exploration of time perspective per se, but investigates the
impact of ruminative processing of past negative events, i.e. a concept
sharing overlap with a PNTP-bias.
Both studies were written in accordance to the guidance of the British Journal
Of Psychology, (Impact factor 2016: 3.139; Journal Citation Reports, Word
Limit: 8000 words) - Adaptations were made due to this document being
submitted as part of an academic thesis portfolio. Figures and tables were,
thus, included in the main text, rather than separately in a different file or at
the end of the main text. | en |
