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MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS: DOES AUTONOMOUS MOTIVATION MEDIATE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS?
Title
MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS: DOES AUTONOMOUS MOTIVATION MEDIATE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS?
Creator
Coppersmith, Jody
Date
2016, 2016-07
Description
College is a critical period for the development of life-long health behaviors, and college students are particularly vulnerable to engaging...
Show moreCollege is a critical period for the development of life-long health behaviors, and college students are particularly vulnerable to engaging in high risk health behaviors, including physical inactivity and poor nutritional habits, that are risk factors for the development of chronic diseases. Current interventions aimed at promoting positive health behaviors in this population have shown limited efficacy. However, prior research suggests that both mindfulness and autonomous motivation are important theoretical constructs in health promotion and disease prevention research and intervention. To date, limited research has been conducted to understand the relationship amongst mindfulness, autonomous motivation, and health behaviors. This study examined the relationship between mindfulness, autonomous motivation, and health behaviors in college students. Based on self-determination theory, it was hypothesized that autonomous motivation would mediate the relationship between mindfulness and health behaviors, specifically physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake. Participants were 187 college students who completed a series of online questionnaires including demographic information, mindfulness, autonomous motivation for physical activity and to eat fruits and vegetables, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable intake. Results indicated that autonomous motivation to eat fruits and vegetables mediated the association between mindfulness and fruit and vegetable intake. Similarly, autonomous motivation for physical activity mediated the association between mindfulness and physical activity. These findings support autonomous motivation as a mechanism through which mindfulness impacts health behaviors. Thus, mindfulness should be incorporated into the self-determination theory of health-behavior change and represents a promising avenue for health behavior intervention in college students.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2016
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EXPERIENTIAL AVOIDANCE, MINDFULNESS, AND VALUES CLARIFICATION AS MODERATERS OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN IMPULSIVITY AND GAMBLING BEHAVIOR
Title
EXPERIENTIAL AVOIDANCE, MINDFULNESS, AND VALUES CLARIFICATION AS MODERATERS OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN IMPULSIVITY AND GAMBLING BEHAVIOR
Creator
Blanco, Rodney M
Date
2016, 2016-12
Description
While the wide range of social, economic, and psychological problems associated with pathological gambling are well-known; there is need for a...
Show moreWhile the wide range of social, economic, and psychological problems associated with pathological gambling are well-known; there is need for a better conceptualization of Gambling Disorder (GD). Previous research has shown that individuals with GD have higher levels of impulsivity than control participants and that impulsivity is a significant predictor of gambling severity. Given the strong link between impulsivity and gambling behavior, it would be informative to identify processes that would attenuate this association. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) constructs of experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and values clarification moderate the relation between impulsivity and gambling behavior. Two hundred twelve participants were recruited through an on-line advertisement to complete a series of questionnaires regarding demographics, gambling behavior, impulsivity, experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and values clarification. Results indicated that gambling behavior was positively correlated with impulsivity and experiential avoidance. In addition, experiential avoidance moderated the relation between impulsivity and gambling behavior such that the association between impulsivity and gambling behavior was stronger at greater levels of experiential avoidance. However, contrary to hypotheses, mindfulness and values clarification were not significantly correlated with gambling behavior; however, both values clarification and mindfulness were moderators at a trend level. The findings of this study provide a preliminary picture of how ACT constructs are related to gambling behaviors and impulsivity among a community sample.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2016
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