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Integratieve reminiscentie: een verhaal op zich. Het proces van integratieve reminiscentie nader beschreven

Vos, Rinske (2010) Integratieve reminiscentie: een verhaal op zich. Het proces van integratieve reminiscentie nader beschreven.

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Abstract:Reminiscing is an important part of successful aging. Life-review, also called integrative reminiscence, is a method in which positive and negative memories are retrieved structurally and systematically in order to reconstruct memories and integrate these memories in a coherent life story. It is assumed that integration is an important element in the process of life-review. Although much research has been done on the effects of life-review, there is little research on how the process of integration proceeds. Therefore a better understanding of this process is needed. This thesis describes a pilot study on how the process of integration of difficult memories proceeds and what effect a self-help method has on this process. The life-review method ‘The stories we live by’ was applied to 11 people. Pre- and post-tests were performed concerning the quality of life, symptoms of anxiety and depressive and level of well-being and narrative foreclosure. At the end of the pilot a process evaluation was conducted. During the pilot participants received 7 week assignments in which questions and assignments were given in order to write about their life. The assignments focused on describing difficult memories and reconstruction of those memories in order to facilitate the process of integrative reminiscence. To describe this process, quotations from the life story that indicated reconstruction of difficult memories were used. Then the type of questions and techniques that facilitated the reconstruction of memories were analyzed. Also other elements that facilitated the creation of a new meaning were taken into account. To determine the effect of the process and method, the results of the pre- and post-tests were compared and also the answers of the process evaluation were analyzed. The results of this study showed that all participants evaluated the process positively and benefited from the method. Quantitative analysis proved a significant improvement of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Analysis of the process of integrative reminiscence showed that in four out of five individually analyzed life stories a process of integration has been started. It appeared that all assignments and techniques of the method were effective in order to facilitate this process. Results also indicated that the writing process and the interaction with the supervisor were important elements for the process of integrative reminiscence. Adaptations of the study should be made in order to gain more insight in the process of integrative reminiscence and the effectiveness of the self-help method.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology MSc (66604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/60550
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