Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Toward Holistic Mental Wellness: A Literature Review Of Mindfulness-Based And Focusing-Oriented Art Therapies, Lesley Vernon

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Modern day living, for all its benefits, is synonymous with record levels of stress. The mental health clinician’s role is to assist clients in accessing the skills and tools necessary to reduce and alleviate the symptoms of stress-induced anxiety. Mindfulness is emerging as a potent and effective tool to restore one’s state of well-being. Likewise, engaging in art therapy has been shown to reduce stress and foster resilience. Grounded in humanistic and existential theories, this literature review aimed to assess the impact and effectiveness of two intermodal holistic therapies, specifically mindfulness-based art therapy (MBAT) and focusing-oriented art therapy (FOAT). A …

The Implications Of Stillness In Dance/Movement Therapy And Its Significance In The Treatment Of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Literature Review, Fernanda Greco Quentel

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

There is a large body of research showing that Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is an effective method for treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). However, many individuals still might not improve after exposure and other behavioral approaches. Current research has explored the role of interoception in OCD and highlighted the need for addressing physiological experiences in treatment. Research shows that the population with OCD might experience more distress than the general population when engaging in states of rest (Gehrt et al., 2020). This literature review explored how stillness in Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) could be conductive in increasing an individual’s …

Body Mapping And Body Scan: Meditation And Art Therapy: A Literature Review, Christina Tremblay

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The methods of body mapping, including if the research used both body scans and body maps, and who the populations served were the aims of the research. Two published body mapping manuals were found by Gastaldo et al., (2012) and Solomon (2002). Informed consent and ethical considerations were of high priority. The findings consisted of no concrete method for conducting and creating body maps. Art therapists were not a part of the research teams. Body maps were used mostly with female identifying participants, most of which were adults. The major gap in the research consisted of external validity (Gastaldo et …

Memory, Mindfulness, And Perfectionism: Is There A Relationship Between Memory And Perfectionism, And Can Mindfulness Reduce False Alarms?, Stefani Morgan

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Memory has been found to improve with experience of mindfulness training. However, it has also been found to be impaired after mindfulness training. These mixed results are interesting and warrant further investigation into the relationship between memory and mindfulness. Additionally, perfectionism has been seen to play a role in task performance, making its role in memory task performance of interest to the current study. Perfectionism has been framed in a two-dimensional view, dividing it into two types. Perfectionistic concerns occurs when an individual is preoccupied with worry and concern over their performance, and perfectionistic striving occurs when an individual sets …

Increasing Student Employee Engagement And Knowledge Retention Using Grounding And Mindfulness Practices, Jeffrey Fox

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Higher education students have a critical need to be fully present and engaged in the learning space that they participate in. Incorporating grounding and mindfulness practices at the start of student employee training and team building seminars was tested to determine if their engagement level and knowledge retention increased. Grounding and mindfulness practices have predominantly focused on the classroom experience, failing to address additional shared learning environments that students occupy. In my action research, I implemented a multifaceted and fundamental grounding and mindfulness-guided practice for student employees in the Student Activities and Involvement department. I used control groups, whole-group guided …

The Feasibility Of Remote Brief Mindfulness Training And Impact On Anxiety-Related Attention Bias, Hanna Culang

Theses and Dissertations

Brief mindfulness training (BMT) improves anxiety and the allocation of attentional resources. Whether BMT can remediate disruptions in attention associated with anxiety, such as anxiety-related attention bias (AB), remains unclear. This experimental study revealed that BMT significantly improved subjective state mindfulness and state anxiety, but did not influence AB.

The Protective Influence Of Mindfulness Facets On The Relationship Between Negative Core Beliefs And Social Media Addiction Among Latinx College Students, Mariany Gainza Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Social media use has continued to rise over the last decade. This behavioral addiction shares essential components with substance addictions (e.g., mood modification, withdrawal). Dysfunctional core beliefs have recently been investigated in relation to Internet addiction and problematic Facebook use, but not with social media addiction specifically. Similarly, mindfulness-based interventions have been developed for various types of technology-related behavioral addictions, yet the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and social media addiction remains unexplored. This study investigated the relationships between these constructs among Latinx undergraduates within the context of social cognitive theory. Participants (n=386; 80.3% female) completed an online survey that assessed …

Overcoming Self-Objectification Through A Mind Body Awareness Program, Alexandra Winner-Bachus

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

As previous communication scholars have noted, “In light of epidemic levels of self-objectification leading to a host of negative consequences for girls and women, intervention is crucial” (Kite, 2013, pg. III). The purpose of this MA project is to design and conduct a workshop to assist women in resisting self-objectification. The following literature review outlines the theoretical foundations for the project, as well as the most constructive interventions suggested by previous research. I will first review the literature on objectification and self-objectification, then examine the impacts of self-objectification on women. Next, I will discuss what the literature suggests as the …

Ms 174 Guide To The Marianne Marcus, Edd, Rn Papers (1998-2008), Marianne T. Marcus (1932-2022)

Manuscript Finding Aids

The Marianne Marcus, EdD, RN papers contain newsletters, publications, research project designs, and other materials related to her work at the University of Texas School of Nursing. Mostly dating from 1998-2008, her papers reflect Dr. Marcus’ interest in substance abuse research and helping prepare nurses to address addiction issues. See more at MS 174.

Psychology: The Effect Of Guided Meditation And Meditation History On False Memory Susceptibility, Caroline G. Firmin, Jessica Dahm, Khalil Dabdoub, Benjamin Brown

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Meditation is a practice that has been around for thousands of years with numerous benefits ranging from stress reduction to decreases in stress and anxiety. Research also suggests there may potentially be negative consequences of meditation. However, research has not assessed how long-term practitioners of meditation differ from those with less experience. Our study looks at long-term and short-term practitioners’ susceptibility to false memories. To do this, participants were randomly assigned to either a guided meditation or a mind-wandering condition and then tested on the DRM paradigm. Meditation history was also recorded through a questionnaire.

Can State Gratitude Be Increased Through Mindfulness Practice And A Gratitude Story?, Grace Gray, Grace Harris, Gabrielle Givers, Caroline Hopper, Grabriella Gonzalez

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Abstract

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful and readily showing appreciation for opportunities in life. Gratitude in an individual can be experienced on two levels: trait and state. Trait gratitude involves a predisposition, interpersonal experience that an individual holds on a daily basis. State gratitude is context based and is experienced during specific events. In past research there seems to be a relationship between meditation practice and levels of trait gratitude, but there is little literature investigating this same connection with state gratitude (Chen et al., 2017). For our research, we wanted to expand on this research and test …

Engaging The Heart And The Mind: Mindfulness In Service-Learning, Tevin Monroe

Community Engagement Student Work

Service-learning is a pedagogy which allows students to test their classroom knowledge in real- world scenarios, while also serving a greater good. Students may find that guided reflection of service-learning provides additional context to their classroom knowledge. Without proper guided reflection, students may not experience deep learning, or may not be critical of the role they play in communities. Mindfulness is one suggested practice to guide students’ reflection, and to promote the more equitable practice of critical service-learning. Through an interactive virtual workshop, students in a civic engagement fellowship program were taught principles of mindfulness and how they may be …

Material World: The Effects Of Meditation Content On Materialistic Values, Azalia White, Katie Young, Hannah Wright, Nicole Walheim, Samantha Urban

Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

In the twenty-first century, Western cultures are highly materialistic and defined by consumeristic goals to garner as much “stuff” as possible (Berger, 2015). This constant pursuit has demonstrable adverse effects on personal and social well being (Bahl et al., 2016; Wang, et al., 2017), while overconsumption also has devastating impacts on the global environment. Previous studies found a negative relationship between levels of mindfulness and levels of materialism (Nagpaul & Pang, 2015; Watson, 2019), indicating the potential for mindfulness to combat otherwise materialistic behaviors. Furthermore, previous research demonstrated gratitude interventions led to lower scores on materialism (Chaplin, et al., 2018), …

“I Can Math, Too!”: Reducing Math Anxiety In Stem-Related Courses Using A Combined Mindfulness And Growth Mindset Approach (Magma) In The Classroom, Tashana S. Samuel, Sebastien Buttet, Jared Warner

Publications and Research

Math anxiety has become an alarming social justice concern, as it results in negative academic consequences, contributes to disinterest and lack of persistence in STEM programs for underrepresented students, and limits their opportunities in STEM careers. According to research, this fear of math occurs long before students begin working on math problems. When high-math anxious students encounter math situations, anticipation anxiety consumes working memory capacity, inhibits learning, and causes them to severely underperform on mathematical tasks. However, very few studies have been conducted to embed psychological interventions in the classroom in an effort to mitigate both anticipation and execution anxiety. …

Race Matters: Managing Racial Tension When Teaching Multicultural Competence, Tiffany P. Brooks, Korinne H. Babel

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

In this article, the authors suggest using the Mindful Inquiry (Lee, 2009, 2014) to navigate cultural conversations in the counselor education classroom in tandem with the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC; Ratts et al., 2015). The authors highlight the literature about racial tension in and outside the classroom, multicultural counseling and social justice, mindfulness and multiculturalism, and teaching multicultural competence. This article concludes with a case example highlighting how to use the Mindful Inquiry (Lee, 2009, 2014) in the classroom while demonstrating how counselors-in-training develop across the MSJCC (Ratts et al., 2015).

The Impact Of Mindfulness Practices In Teachers, Shawn M. Martin Hettinga

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

Mindfulness training has been identified as a promising means for cultivating social and emotional competencies and reducing stress. The purpose of the quantitative pre-post study using convenience sampling of educators in a rural K-12 in the Arkansas River Valley was to examine whether teachers’ participation in mindfulness activities were associated with changes in levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and job satisfaction. The study used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and measured the responses from novice (0-3 years) and experienced (4+ years) teachers. The findings revealed that there was no difference between the …

Mindfulness, Psychological Distress, And Somatic Symptoms Among Women Engaged In Sex Work In China, Cheuk Chi Tam, Yuejiao Zhou, Shan Qiao, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Zhiyong Shen

Faculty Publications

Women engaged in sex work (WSW) in China encounter numerous disadvantages (e.g., exposure to violence) and have substantial risk for psychological distress and somatic symptoms. Intervention literature has attended to mindfulness, which is a protective factor for psychological outcomes, and its influences can further improve physical health. However, mindfulness has not been well studied in WSW. We aimed to examine the association among mindfulness, psychological distress, and somatic symptoms among Chinese WSW. Data were collected from 410 WSW in Guangxi, China, using an anonymous, self-administered survey evaluating demographics, mindfulness, psychological distress (i.e., depression, loneliness, and perceived stress), and somatic symptoms …

Mindfulness And Physical Activity As Moderators Of Behavioral Inhibition Sensitivity And Psychological Distress, Edward Silber

LSU Master's Theses

Framed in Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, the current study examined the moderating effects of mindfulness and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) on the relationship between behavioral inhibition system (BIS) sensitivity and psychological distress. Participants (N=183) were college students at a large public university in the Southeastern United States. Data were collected using an online survey with self-report questionnaires that demonstrated acceptable reliability. Data analysis utilized multiple linear regression models to test study hypotheses. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between BIS sensitivity and psychological distress, with mindfulness and MVPA significantly moderating this association. Specifically, increased reports of mindfulness and MVPA …

Taking Time To B.R.E.A.T.H.E.: Strategies For Strengthening Staff And Student Well-Being, Joelle Hood

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

When students and staff experience chronic stress, it negatively impacts their motivation, performance, and wellbeing, Participants in this engaging workshop will walk away with simple research-based practices from the fields of Mindfulness and Positive Psychology, that they can utilize with both themselves and students to reduce stress and anxiety, improve attention and performance, and strengthen overall physical and psychological well-being.

Implementation Of Community-Based Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Program For Youth With Complex Trauma, Vira Salzburn, Kierstin Graham

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

This presentation will discuss the implementation and scale-up of an evidence-based Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY) program as a part of a larger community-wide safety and resilience-building effort. It will explain the effectiveness of TSY interventions for both clinical and non-clinical populations and highlight the physical, mental, emotional, and social benefits of a modified yoga practice for youth and young adults with complex trauma.

An Exploratory Analysis Of Mindfulness And Work-Life Balance During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christine Bush

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a need for change in both personal and professional lives; however, due to the abrupt newness of the virus, there has been limited research. The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine mindfulness (via FFMQ), work-life balance (via WLB survey) and potential stressors among employees who have been affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic. An exploratory analysis of how mindfulness and work-life balance has played a role in employees’ adaptation to working during a pandemic will be conducted. An in-depth literature analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between mindfulness …

Nonjudgmental Acceptance: Associations With Substance-Related Cue Reactivity In Adults With Substance Use Disorders And Posttraumatic Stress, Anka A Vujanovic, Heather E Webber, Margaret C Wardle, Charles E Green, Scott D Lane, Joy M Schmitz

Student and Faculty Publications

The present investigation examined the predictive utility of nonjudgmental acceptance, a facet of mindfulness defined as the ability to remain aware and nonevaluative about internal experience, in terms of substance-related cue reactivity among adults with substance use disorders (SUD) and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptomatology. We hypothesized that higher nonjudgmental acceptance, indexed via self-report, would predict higher levels of self-reported control over oneself and safety 'in the moment', broadly, and lower levels of substance-related craving in response to substance script cues. Effects were expected after subtracting reactivity to neutral script cues from each outcome rating. PTS severity was included as a …

Mindfulness Attenuates Both Emotional And Behavioral Reactions Following Psychological Contract Breach: A Two-Stage Moderated Mediation Model, Samah Shaffakat, Lilian Otaye-Ebede, Jochen Reb, Rajesh Chandwani, Pisitta Vongswasdi

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Breach of the psychological contract between organization and employee often evokes employee hostility, which in turn can instigate deviant behaviors. We examine whether employee mindfulness attenuates these reactions to psychological contract breach. Specifically, we develop and test a two-stage moderated mediation model in which employee mindfulness moderates the mediational path from psychological contract breach via hostility to deviance by attenuating both emotional and behavioral reactions. Findings across four studies (with 872 employee participants) both measuring and manipulating breach and mindfulness demonstrate substantial support for the proposed model. Further analyses including alternative moderators, mediators, and dependent variables provide evidence for discriminatory …

Reply To Nielsen Et Al.: Social Mindfulness Associated With Countries' Environmental Performance And Individual Environmental Concern, N. J. Van Doesum, R. O. Murphy, M. Gallucci, Norman P. Li, U. Athenstaedt, W. T. Au, L. Bai, R. Böhm, I. Bovina, N. R. Buchan, X. P. Chen, K. B. Dumont, J. B. Engelmann, K. Eriksson, H. Euh, S. Fiedler, J. Friesen, S. Gächter, C. Garcia, R. González

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Nielsen et al. (1) argues that Van Doesum et al (2) need to consider three points for their interpretation of a positive association between individual-level social mindfulness (SoMi) and environmental performance (EPI) at the country level (3).

Mindfully White: An Anti-Racist Affinity Podcast Inspired By The Buddha’S Teaching Of The Four Noble Truths, Christine Eaton

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The Buddha’s foundational teaching of the Four Noble Truths offers a direct seeing into how suffering arises, its causes, and a pathway to liberation. This thesis focuses on racism as a specific form of suffering for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and offers a way for White people to consider how they contribute to its manifestation and what they can do to help end it. This re-formulation of the Four Noble Truths is; First, the truth of racism; Second, the truth of the cause of racism; Third, the truth of the end of racism; and Fourth, the truth of …

Healing Racial Injustice With Mindfulness Research, Training, & Practice, Danielle "Danae" Laura

Mindfulness Studies Theses

This thesis offers a collection of authors and studies in support of improved research, training, and practice connecting mindfulness with racial justice through intergroup applications. The paper identifies barriers at work (e.g., colorblindness, spiritual bypass, white fragility, and implicit bias) in contemplative science, Western Buddhist communities, and secular mindfulness centers, which block the sizeable contributions possible in studying the intergroup application of mindfulness practice—specifically Lovingkindness Meditation, among others—when used as an intervention with anti-racist aims. Through secondary qualitative research, I reviewed six key works from Black authors on mindfulness and race, as well as six sample studies on the prosocial …

Think About It: Using Mindfulness As A Means To Treat Eating Disorders, Gabriella C. Breen

Intuition: The BYU Undergraduate Journal of Psychology

Eating disorders are complicated and prevalent issues among the general population; it is estimated that 30 million people are affected in the United States alone (Foundation for Research and Education in Eating Disorders, 2018). Because of the complex psychological nature of eating disorders, it is difficult to find a treatment that is broadly effective. Traditional therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. In recent years, mindfulness has emerged as a potentially effective way to treat eating disorders due to its ability to reduce maladaptive coping strategies, improve emotional regulation, and treat anorexia nervosa (Cowdrey …

Creative And Expressive Arts Activities To Promote Mindfulness And Peace, Lisa S. Sosin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Briefly define creative expressive arts and mindfulness practice and discuss their importance and empirical base.

Mindfulness In The Sport Academy Classroom: Exploring Benefits And Barriers Of A Low-Dose Intervention, Andrew Augustus, Sam Zizzi

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This study evaluated the feasibility and effectiveness of a low-dose mindfulness program with student–athletes (SA) at a
sport academy in the USA. First, SAs were introduced to mindfulness in their health class with conceptual lessons and guided
meditations from the Headspace ‘Guide to Meditation’ series. Following each episode, SAs reflected on their experience
via guided prompts led by their teacher. The second phase shifted towards applying mindfulness within their sport through
app-based guided meditations and sport-based reflections led by teachers in their mental skills classes. Student–athlete
perceptions of these experiences were captured through the reflection exercises and a post-program evaluation …

Dystonia Patients' Use Of Mindfulness To Address Pain, Diana Boyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative, phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of 10 women who used mindfulness to alleviate their chronic pain associated with cervical dystonia (CD). Individuals who suffer from CD face challenges related to symptom management and the psychological effects from experiencing chronic pain. Since treatments for CD are limited and pharmacological options to treat chronic pain, like opioids, can lead to addictions, individuals with CD may seek non-pharmacological treatment options. Women, 18-60 years of age were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process. Bandura’s self-regulation theory provided a framework for this study. Results from this study found that …