Browsing by Subject "Self-monitoring"
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Adherence in an Optimized Program of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction(2010-08) VanWormer, ArinObjective: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs have been successful in treating stress across various populations, however, little is known about how to best promote adherence to MBSR program teachings. The purpose of this dissertation study was to examine adherence to MBSR practice and the feasibility of a 12-session adherence enhancement intervention in the context of an MBSR and support group program. Measures included MBSR practice time, commitment and confidence for regular MBSR practice, and stress levels. Common themes of MBSR practice experiences that may have influenced adherence to the MBSR program teachings were also explored. Design and Method: An exploratory, single-group, longitudinal research design was used with a sample of 11 women. An adherence intervention package that included self-monitoring logs, telephonic coaching, and financial incentives were implemented over an 11-week period as subjects participated in an 8-session MBSR course supplemented with 4 support group sessions (i.e., 12 sessions total over 11 weeks). In addition, a series of qualitative, semi-structured interviews were administered at weekly intervals. Findings: On average, participants with complete baseline and follow-up measures had a statistically significant 9 point (49%) increase from baseline in their MBSR practice scores from a self-report survey. In addition, logged MBSR practice time increased by a non-significant 35 minutes per day between baseline and completion. Although commitment and confidence levels remained stable during the study, results from correlation analyses indicated that higher MBSR practice survey scores were significantly associated with lower stress levels. Qualitative interviews indicated that lack of routine, lack of time, and limited personal space were the most common barriers to regular MBSR practice. Participants reported experiencing major emotional growth in regard to confronting and accepting their present stressors. Conclusions: The intervention package was feasible and acceptable to study participants, as indicated by the high degree of exposure to its components. There was also evidence indicting accelerating frequency of MBSR practice over time. However, improvements in commitment and confidence for regular MBSR practice, and stress levels were negligible. Future research should replicate the study intervention in a larger sample with more rigorous statistical controls.Item The effects of attitudinal balance on well-being.(2010-08) Fuglestad, Paul T.Although theories of cognitive consistency have received much empirical attention, little research has investigated the impacts of inconsistencies on people's relational and personal well-being. Drawing on balance theory (Heider, 1958), the present investigation examined the relations of imbalance (i.e., the extent of attitudinal discrepancy with close others) and imbalance reduction strategies to well-being and the moderating influence of self-monitoring (Snyder, 1974). It was hypothesized that discrepancy with close others regarding important attitudes (e.g., core values) would have negative effects on relational and personal well-being and that self-monitoring would moderate these relations. Participants completed the Self-Monitoring Scale, assessments of attitudes from the standpoint of self and close others (e.g., friends, romantic partner), and measures of relational (e.g., closeness, communication quality) and personal well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, anxiety). Across multiple studies, discrepancy with close others regarding the favorability of core values was consistently related to less relational and personal well being. This pattern was particularly true of romantic relationships and friendships and was moderated by self-monitoring. For low self-monitors, greater value discrepancy with friends and romantic partners predicted less relational and personal well-being, and the relation of discrepancy to personal well-being was partially mediated by relational well-being. For high self-monitors, greater value discrepancy with romantic partners predicted less relational well-being, but did not predict personal well-being. Additionally, the use of direct discussion as a means to address imbalance was related to better relationship functioning and greater well-being, whereas avoidance was related to negative outcomes. Results suggest that balance processes are important for close relationships and psychological well-being. Furthermore, individual differences in self-monitoring meaningfully moderate these processes.Item Mass media campaigns and conversation: testing short-term and long-term priming effects of topic-related conversation on conversational participants.(2009-08) Wirtz, John GarfieldThis dissertation investigates how participating in a topic-related conversation (i.e., a conversation focused on a specific event-related topic) may create short-term and long-term priming effects. In the case of topic-related conversations occurring prior to message exposure, it was expected that those conversations would function as a priming task and influence how subsequent mass media messages were evaluated. In the case of long-term engagement in topic-related conversation, it was expected that frequency of topic-related conversations and topic-related media use would predict current and future topic-related behavior. The dissertation presents the results of three studies that test hypotheses suggested by this line of reasoning. In Study 1, the basic hypothesis was that topic-related conversation would act as a priming task and influence how ensuing mass media messages would be evaluated. Consistent with what was predicted, prior topic-related conversation did influence how subsequent stimuli (i.e., two anti-binge drinking public service announcements) were evaluated. Study 2 was informed by the active-self account of prime-to-behavior effects (Wheeler, DeMarree & Petty, 2007, 2008). The study tested multiple hypotheses, including whether self-monitoring (Snyder, 1974) moderated the topic-related conversation--message evaluation relation and whether a measure of the active self-concept mediated the topic-related conversation--message evaluation relation. Consistent with what was predicted, self-monitoring did moderate the topic-related conversation--target stimulus evaluation relation. However, the hypothesis that scores from a measure of the active self-concept would mediate the topic-related conversation--target stimulus evaluation relation was not supported. Study 3 examined some longer-term effects of topic-related conversation. Influenced by prior research indicating that media use and conversation about the news can predict political participation (e.g., McLeod, Schuefele & Moy, 1999), the hypotheses for this study proposed that topic-related conversation about exercise and exercise-related media use would predict concurrent and future exercise-related behavior. Analyses indicated that at Time 1 increases in overall television use were associated with decreases in exercise, while increases in exercise-related conversation were associated with increases in exercise. A second analysis indicated that higher levels of sports television viewing and exercise-related conversation at Time 1 were associated with higher levels of exercise behavior at Time 2.