An investigation into psychological distancing and its impact on executive functioning after stroke

Section A
Section A is a systematic literature review investigating the broad phenomenon of psychological distancing and its effects on cool executive functioning performance. The extant literature is searched, relevant studies are then reviewed and critiqued to provide an overview of the current research in this novel field. The research question asks, “What impact does psychological distancing have on cool executive functioning performance?”. Gaps in the literature and recommendations for research and clinical practice are discussed.

Section B
Section B is an empirical paper extending the application of psychological distancing theory to a clinical population, namely stroke survivors. The ability to psychologically distance oneself from one’s usual ‘here and now’ perspective may be particularly applicable to those who have experienced stroke. A mixed-methods design was employed to investigate whether creating psychological distance through role-taking impacted stroke survivors’ ‘inhibition’, ‘cognitive flexibility’ and ‘working memory’ performance. Participants also provided qualitative feedback on their experience and thematic analysis was used to build an understanding of how this novel strategy may be applicable to life after stroke.