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The Relationships Among Rumination, Narrative Coherence, and Well-Being in a Community Sample of Adolescents

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thesis
posted on 2022-07-28, 01:16 authored by Buxton, Belinda A.

The ability to tell a coherent autobiographical narrative, in particular the ability to link life events to ones sense of self (causal coherence) and to develop a consistent theme and achieve a sense of resolution in one’s memory narratives (thematic coherence), is related to increased well-being in adults. In contrast, in early-adolescence, increased causal and thematic coherence are associated with decreased psychological well-being but the reason for this is unclear. The current study examined whether rumination mediated the relationships between narrative coherence and both life satisfaction and depression in a community sample of 190 adolescents (mean age = 16.31 years). Contrary to prediction, causal and thematic coherence were positively related to life satisfaction and negatively related to depression. Participants were less proficient in causal than thematic coherence, and rumination was a weak mediator of the relationships between causal, but not thematic, coherence and both life satisfaction and depression. In contrast, thematic coherence was found to moderate the relationship between rumination and life satisfaction for the whole sample, and also the relationship between rumination and depression for male participants with a moderate to high tendency to ruminate. Results indirectly support the theory that rumination mediates the negative relationship between narrative coherence and well-being found in early adolescence. By mid-adolescence however, individuals appear to be proficient in the use of narrative coherence and this increased proficiency may help to improve their well-being. Longitudinal research examining the relationships among narrative coherence, rumination, and well-being throughout adolescence is needed to better understand the unique ways in which causal and thematic coherence serve to influence adolescents’ psychological functioning.

History

Copyright Date

2016-01-01

Date of Award

2016-01-01

Publisher

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Rights License

Author Retains Copyright

Degree Discipline

Psychology

Degree Grantor

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Degree Level

Masters

Degree Name

Master of Science

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Outcome code

970117 Expanding Knowledge in Psychology and the Cognitive sciences

Victoria University of Wellington Item Type

Awarded Research Masters Thesis

Language

en_NZ

Victoria University of Wellington School

School of Psychology

Advisors

Salmon, Karen