Award Date

12-1-2013

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Committee Member

Christopher Heavey

Second Committee Member

Russell Hurlburt

Third Committee Member

Daniel Allen

Fourth Committee Member

Jennifer Keene

Fifth Committee Member

Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan

Number of Pages

210

Abstract

Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mood disorder with diagnostic criteria that provide a description of expected experiences of individuals diagnosed with BD (e.g., elevated mood, sadness, difficulty concentrating). Despite these criteria, the inner experience of these individuals is largely unknown. Understanding the inner experience of individuals diagnosed with BD may prove essential in understanding and treating BD. The present study examined the inner experience of four individuals diagnosed with BD using the Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) method (Hurlburt 1990, 1993, 2011). Results revealed all our participants had clear and prevalent experiences of sensory awareness. They also had difficulties apprehending and conveying clear inner experience; they all seemed to have a deficit of clear experience. Lastly, they all lacked coherent experience of feelings.

Keywords

Bipolar Disorder; Descriptive Experience Sampling; Inner Experience; Introspection; Manic-depressive illness; Manic-depressive persons

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology | Mental Disorders | Psychology

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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