Clinical Psychology Commons^™

Mindfulness And Cognitive Aging, Elise J. Herndon

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness meditation involves the cultivation of a focused, pre-conceptual consciousness that enables increased present-centered awareness of internal states, cognitive processes, and external stimuli (Mikulas, 2011; Kornfield, 2010). Studies suggest that mindfulness practice affects the brain structures and cognitive processes related to fluid intelligence, and may affect fluid intelligence itself among highly experienced practitioners (e.g., Gard, Taquet, et al., 2014; Lazar et al., 2005; Ritskes et al., 2003). Fluid intelligence includes higher-order reasoning and problem-solving abilities that are independent of cultural and environmental influences. These abilities peak in young adulthood, then begin to decay (Cattell, 1987; Goldberg, 2005).

The current study …

Interactions With Horses Is Associated With Higher Mindfulness And Heart Rate Variability And Lower Electrodermal Response In College Students, Sarah Mary Wach

USC Aiken Psychology Theses

A wealth of research has revealed psychological and physiological benefits of interactions with animals. As yet, research is limited to smaller animals such as dogs and cats and has not examined the benefits of human-horse interactions. The present study examined the effects of video-simulated human-horse interactions compared with simulated interactions with a car and a person on state mindfulness and physiological arousal. The relationship between trait mindfulness and horse experience was also examined. Undergraduate students with (n = 16) and without experience with horses (n = 26) were recruited with the exclusion criteria of a fear of horses. …

The Effects Of Yoga With Meditation (Ywm) On Self-Criticism, Self-Compassion, And Mindfulness, Kelly Newby

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention, Yoga with Meditation (YWM), on self-criticism, self-compassion, and mindfulness in a graduate student population. When compared to a control group, the experimental group reported decreased self-criticism, and increased self-compassion and mindfulness. The experimental group consisted of graduate students interested in participating in weekly yoga and meditation classes over the course of a two-month time period. Each participant was encouraged to complete self-report measures prior to the first YWM session, and after the completion of each YWM class. Baseline and post-intervention scores of 24 individuals who attended at least four of the …

Mindfulness, Facets Of Big Five Personalities, And Psychological Health, Nicholas J. Schmidt

Dissertations

The concept of mindfulness, nonjudgmentally being aware of one’s environment, whether internal or external, has long been a core component of eastern religions, such as Buddhism, for over 2,000 years. Not until relatively recently, however, has the concept of mindfulness gained attention in Western psychology. As mindfulness has come to be associated with both psychological health and the absence of psychological distress, its practice has begun to be implemented in a number of cognitive behavioral therapies for a wide range of mental disorders.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the possible relationships between facets of measures used …

A Prospective Examination Of Mindfulness Training On The Mitigation Of Postraumatic Stress Symptoms, Abby E. Blankenship

Dissertations

The current study investigated the ability of a one-session computerized mindfulness intervention to mitigate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms in response to a trauma analogue. Ninety-two participants were randomly assigned to either mindfulness training or no treatment. Participants assigned to the mindfulness training completed a 1-hour computerized mindfulness training and practiced their skills for 1 week. All participants were exposed to an analogue for real-life trauma and were assessed at 1- and 2-week follow-up. Participants assigned to the mindfulness condition exhibited significantly lower levels of PTSD-like symptoms at 2-week follow-up in comparison to the no treatment condition. In addition, participants …

The Psychological And Physiological Effects Of Using A Therapy Dog In Mindfulness Training, Courtney L. Henry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study examined the psychological and physiological effects of adding animal-assisted therapy to a modified mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) for clients experiencing psychological distress, including anxious and depressive symptoms. State and trait mindfulness, state and trait anxiety, psychological distress, blood pressure, and heart rate were collected during each session of the intervention from college students recruited at Utah State University. Results support that participants experienced less anxiety and depressive symptoms and increased mindfulness skills from pre- to posttreatment. No significant difference was found between the control and experimental groups, indicating that that interaction with a therapy dog had no …

Addressing Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Bullying: A Mindfulness-Based Intervention Manual, Melanie L. Ernould

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The following dissertation offers an intervention to combat the negative effects that bullying has
on lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth in high school. The literature review demonstrates the need for such an intervention through examples of the damaging effects that such bullying has on LGB youth. These incidents of bullying are far too common in American schools, and the effects far reaching, as the media has been saturated with stories of “gay teen suicides” in recent years. While affirmative interventions are currently the status quo for work with LGB populations, it can be argued that these are limited. In …

The Impact Of Mindfulness On Exposure And Extinction Processes In Social Anxiety, Michael Treanor

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The present study sought to examine the potential impact of brief mindfulness inductions to enhance exposure and extinction processes in social anxiety. Mindfulness may enhance extinction through increased awareness of multiple conditioned excitors (thereby "overpredicting" the occurrence of an aversive outcome) or by acting as a retrieval cue to mitigate return of fear. Twenty-two participants high in social anxiety were recruited to participate in a series of massed exposures. Latent growth curve analyses revealed that participants who received mindfulness inductions prior to exposure procedures demonstrated enhanced extinction learning as measured by expectancy ratings, but not when measured by distress, state …

Cardiovascular Reactivity And Recovery To Stressful Tasks Following A Mindfulness-Analog In College Students With A Family History Of Hypertension, Christoffer Grant

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ninety-seven undergraduate students with a family history of hypertension participated in a study that evaluated the effects of a brief mindfulness-induction on cardiovascular reactivity and recovery to two stressors. Participants were randomized to either a mindfulness-induction or control condition and were then exposed to the cold pressor task (CPT) followed by the mirror-tracing task (MT). Blood pressure and heart rate were measured at baseline, post-induction, as well as during and immediately following each stressor. There were no group differences in reactivity to either stressor. Participants in the mindfulness-analog condition experienced significantly greater latency to systolic blood pressure recovery following the …

Effects Of A Short-Term Mindfulness Intervention On Depression And Immune Function, Erin C. Walsh

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Pro-inflammatory cytokines have been implicated in the pathophysiology and maintenance of depression. This study investigated the effects of a short mindfulness intervention on pro-inflammatory correlates of depression (IL-6 and TNF-α) and selfreported psychological health. Sixty-four college females were assigned to a four-week mindfulness training group or a contact-control group. Cytokines and psychological health were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up (mindfulness group only). IL-6 and TNF-α significantly decreased from baseline to post-treatment in the mindfulness group only; these changes were sustained at 3-month follow-up. No between-group differences in psychological health emerged. Although reductions in proinflammatory cytokines in the mindfulness …