The clinical use of peak and nadir experience reports

Abstract

extremely high correlation of over .99 with the other two recall time groups. The t test reveals that a sample drawn from a population with zero correlation to one of the recall time groups would result in a correlation coefficient as high as those actually obtained less than one percent of the time. Therefore, a highly significant, positive correlation between the recall time groups is clearly shown. Using "expected symptoms'' versus "unexpected and equal symptoms'), there is a t least a .27 probability that the differences between comparable percentages in any two recall time groups are chance differences. Therefore, coinparable percentages in the recall time groups are not significantly different. CONCLUSIONSSince each recall time group is significantly correlated with the remaining ones and since comparable percentages are not significantly different, it appears that the length of time interval between the present and the recalled contrast period makes no difference in the reporting of past symptoms elicited from wives of alcoholics by the Index of Psycho-physiological Disturbance. The results suggest that similar techniques may be applicable for the analysis of past-present contrasts with other populations and other psychological tests.

The relevance of the peak experience to continued skydiving participation: a qualitative approach to assessing motivations

“…The validity of the 'peak-experience' as an experiential phenomenon and important life experience has been established by numerous researchers (Thorne, 1963;Warmoth, 1963;Allen et al, 1964, Margoshes andLitt, 1966;McCain and Andrews, 1969;Blanchard, 1969;Ebersole, 1970Ebersole, , 1972Breed and Fagan, 1972;Hallaq, 1977;Wuthnow, 1978;Panzarella, 1980; 269 Peak experience and skydiving Privette, 1982Privette, , 1983Yeagle et al, 1989;Bundrick, 1989, 1991;Davis et al, 1991;Cleary and Shapiro, 1995). Key points from this literature are:…”

An epistemological view of consumer experiences

“…Most importantly, consumer experiences do exist (Csikszentmihalyi and LeFevre, 1989;Denzin, 1992;Solomon and Corbit, 1974;Thorne, 1963) and are distinctly different from and to some extent incorporate everyday routines (Cohen, 1979;Quan and Wang, 2004;Smith, 1978). Furthermore, consumer experiences have a beginning and ending point (Solomon and Corbit, 1974) and typically are composed of a variety of environmental and internal components that trigger a multiplicity of emotional, physical, and cognitive reactions to the consumption of goods and services.…”

“…From a sociological and psychological perspective, Maslow (1964) defined peak experiences as those in which the individual transcends ordinary reality and perceives being or ultimate reality; it is short in duration and accompanied by positive affect. Similarly, Thorne (1963) defined peak experience as "subjectively recognized to be one of the high points of life, one of the most exciting, rich and fulfilling experiences which the person has ever had," contrasting it with a Nadir experience, which is "subjectively recognized to be one of the lowest points of life, one of the worst, most unpleasant and harrowing experiences of life" (p. 248). From an anthropological and ethnological perspective, an experience is the way in which culture affects the way an individual receives events into his or her consciousness (Carù and Cova, 2003).…”

“…Short in duration and accompanied by positive affect. Thorne (1963) Peak experience is subjectively recognized to be one of the high points of life, one of the most exciting, rich and fulfilling experiences which the person has ever had. A experience may be described operationally as a subjective experiencing of what is subjectively recognized to be one of the lowest points of life, one of the worst, most unpleasant and harrowing experiences of life.…”

“…The taxonomic work was first reported by Thorne (1963), who was exploring the concept of "peak" experiences and asked subjects to describe the most exciting and best three experiences in their lives. The results were classified into six main categories: sensual, emotional, cognitive, conative, self-actualization, and climax peak experiences.…”