Identifier

etd-06232017-152134

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The concept of mindfulness stems from Buddhist philosophies. Recently, it has become secularized and used in psychological and medical treatments. Training in mindfulness has been shown to improve a variety of mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety), as well as physical conditions (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain). Additionally, mindfulness training has been shown to improve risk-taking behaviors following several weeks of training. Reducing risk-taking behaviors is of particular importance in regards to specific psychological disorders, such as substance use and eating disorders. Many studies that examine the effects of mindfulness utilize training programs that are typically 8-weeks or longer in duration. However, some evidence indicates that brief, single-use mindfulness practices can have substantial effects on changing emotion and cognition in laboratory settings. The present study examined the immediate effects of a single-use mindfulness practice—the mindful body scan—on risk-taking in an experimental laboratory setting. ANOVA analyses indicated that there was no significant interaction of condition and scores on the risk-taking task—suggesting that the mindful body scan audio did not impact risk-taking. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Date

2017

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Renshaw, Tyler

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.4558

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Psychology Commons

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