Year of Award

2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

School Psychology

Department or School/College

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Anisa N. Goforth

Commitee Members

Jacqueline Brown, Craig McFarland, Lindsey M. Nichols, Jennifer Waltz

Abstract

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) incorporate components of mindfulness into treatment strategies for both general and specialized populations. Within the school setting, research shows that MBIs contribute to student improvement in cognitive functioning, and the brief MBIs (e.g., around 8 minutes) can improve scores on standardized tests (Mrazek et al., 2013; Zenner et al., 2014). However, it is unclear what cognitive processes may be improved through MBI implementation. The current project investigated components of attentional control through working memory capacity, inhibition, mind-wandering, mood, and task-switching as cognitive processes that may be improved by MBIs. University undergraduates (N=119) aged 18-25 (M=20.11, SD=1.94) participated in a repeated-measures experiment that included six sessions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three intervention conditions: a brief mindfulness-based intervention, a brief relaxation-based meditation, or a control group. Missing data, attrition rates, and power were a concern within the data set. There were no significant effects of intervention condition on task-switching, working memory capacity, or frequency of mind-wandering. However, results showed that participants who participated in the MBI group showed significant increase in reported attentional focus, ability to inhibit distraction, and positive mood. Implications for school psychology are discussed.

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© Copyright 2017 Erin Rachelle Yosai