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Subject: search.filters.subject.Mindfulness (Psychology)

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    Mindfulness experiences of university staff in New Zealand : an integrated workplace mindfulness framework : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 1 February 2026.
    (Massey University, 2021) Shahbaz, Wahab
    Research on and the practice of mindfulness is increasing in the organisational context. It is generally understood that mindfulness is a human ability or practice which guides the cognitive and psychological processes of employees and informs their decisions and actions in everyday life. Many organisations thus offer mindfulness training programmes to their employees in order to obtain workplace benefits such as improving well-being, inter-relationships, and performance. Much existing work on mindfulness in the organisational context has focused on the consequences of mindfulness interventions and the benefits that the mindful individual can bring to their work. Despite the positive relationship that research has shown between mindfulness and workplace functions, we still know little about how employees actually experience mindfulness. Such an understanding is important to advance organisational strategies and training inventions to promote health, well-being, and the productivity of employees. University staff experience considerable stress at work, and in response many universities around the world have made mindfulness sessions available as part of their staff support practices. Thus, they were an appropriate group to research regarding mindfulness experiences. The purpose of this research was thus to explore the mindfulness experiences of university staff in order to understand their experiences in more depth. In particular, using positive organisational behaviour (POB) as a theoretical lens and conservation of resource (COR) as an additional tool, this thesis focuses on aspects of mindfulness experience that can give insight into how employees enact mindfulness, for example: their everyday practices of mindfulness; their perspectives about workplace outcomes of mindfulness; and what employees perceive to be the facilitating and hindering factors of mindfulness. The research addressed three key research questions: i) how do staff experience mindfulness in the university?; ii) how and why might mindfulness impact on the workplace functions of university staff?; and iii) what individual and workplace factors facilitate or hinder the mindfulness experiences of university staff? To meet the research objectives of this study, a qualitative approach was based on phenomenological enquiry. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 faculty and administrative staff from different universities in New Zealand who had attended mindfulness-based training programmes and/or who practised mindfulness. Based on a qualitative thematic analysis of interview material, an integrated workplace mindfulness framework was developed that helps us to understand how employees perceive their mindfulness experiences and practices. First, the framework presents five different kinds of mindfulness-related experiences including formal practices, informal moments, mindful interactions, a state of awareness, and the state of being present. These mindfulness experiences help us to comprehend how staff operationalise mindfulness in the university environment. Second, the framework provides a range of well-being, relationship, and performance-related consequences of mindfulness to address the question relating to the workplace outcomes of mindfulness. Third, the framework elaborates on different mechanisms and functions that explain the relationship between mindfulness and workplace outcomes such as attentional stability, psychological detachment, self-regulation, attentional control, and cognitive flexibility. The mechanisms help us to understand why mindfulness affects workplace functions. Finally, to address the question relating to individual and workplace factors that facilitate or hinder mindfulness, the framework highlights various factors including individual efforts, communal support, and sectoral culture that can influence the application of workplace mindfulness in the university setting. This study contributes to knowledge by providing a comprehensive framework which will assist in the refinement and development of many branches of mindfulness research. In particular, the study discusses relevant aspects of POB and COR to draw out implications for operationalisation, outcomes, mechanisms, and factors affecting workplace mindfulness in the university setting. Practice contributions are also provided. The thesis has implications for the refinement of training practices and organisational efforts in the university sector as well as in other professions to optimise mindfulness programmes for employees’ well-being and productivity.
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    Finding meaning in mindfulness : an interpretive phenomenological analysis : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Longmore, Josephine
    With deep origins in Eastern Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness practice (MP) has risen in popularity in Western culture due to an increased secular delivery of the practice in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Research has focussed largely on measuring the quantitative physical and psychological effects of MP and determining the efficacy of MP for treatments of various physical and psychological conditions. Through research, increased meaning in life has been correlated with positive well-being, and examinations into the link between meaning and MP has generated several theories. Negative experiences of MP have also been the subject of more recent research, with issues arising such as non-identification, depersonalisation, and depressive experiences. The current study attempted to answer the call for qualitative research into the experiential aspects of MP, to understand how MP may influence paths to meaning in secular individuals. This study aimed to complement existing quantitative data surrounding MP through qualitative Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Six participants took part in a semi-structured interview subjected to IPA by a single researcher. Three overarching themes as paths to meaning were apparent – ‘Awareness’, ‘Non-judgment’, and ‘Enhanced Connection’. The overarching theme ‘Enhanced Connection’ comprised of four themes – ‘Connection with Others’, ‘Authenticity – A new way of connecting to the self’, ‘Positive Perceptual Shift – A new way of connecting’, and ‘ Connection and Spirituality’. ‘Connection with Others’ consisted of four subthemes – ‘Belonging’, Co-creation of Meaning’, ‘Cycle of Positive Contribution’, and ‘Authenticity’. Negative experiences presented by participants consisted of issues of non-identification, performance expectation, the need for supervision/guidance, and a lack of holistic understanding within the Western secular framework of MP delivery. Despite the interpretive and subjective nature of analysis, and the small sample size, results of the current study were compelling, highlighting humanity’s inherent social nature, while touching on issues of decontextualisation of MP from the Buddhist framework.
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    What do mindfulness scales measure? : expectation effects examined : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Ghanbari Noshari, Mona
    The increasing popularity of mindfulness practices has seen an accompanying growth in research. However, most research has focused on the beneficial aspects of practicing mindfulness, but often without comparison to a control group, therefore the results that have been observed may not be “real” effects. In our current research, we aimed to see whether there were expectancy effects for mindfulness practice by designing two different studies and recruiting hundred and twenty participants to three different jigsaws (as a focused practice) groups: 1) Passive control group; which received no specific mention of mindfulness or mindfulness instruction in both studies, 2) Active control group; which received the label mindfulness on the task in study 1 (without any further intervention), and the introduction of negative information about mindfulness and possible downsides of practicing in study 2, and 3) Experimental group; which received actual mindfulness training in study 1, and positive information about mindfulness and advantages of practicing in study 2. A pretest and posttest design was employed using established self-report measures for mindfulness and wellbeing, in both studies of this research. The results indicated that supported expectancy effects for mindfulness as compared to the control condition. Also, while positive information led to improvements in scores compared to the control group, negative information led to a deterioration in scores compared to the control group. This research suggests that researchers need to be cautious in evaluating the self-reports of mindfulness practice due to expectancy effects.
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    Mobile mindfulness : a comparative study of mindfulness and relaxation apps, and the impact on employee wellbeing in the workplace : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Buckman, Antonia
    Organisations are looking for effective interventions to improve employee wellbeing in order to counteract high work demands. Mindfulness has recently gained in popularity as a readily available tool that can be utilised for a variety of self-improvement and wellbeing effects. Technological advances in the mobile health space have placed mindfulness interventions onto smartphone devices allowing anyone, anywhere, to access such tools. However, there remains a number of limitations on current research. This investigation explored the effectiveness of a mindfulness app within the workplace and its impact on employee wellbeing using both an active and waitlist control. A randomised semi-blind control trial was conducted with a diverse self-selecting sample, randomly assigned to one of three groups: mindfulness intervention, relaxation app active control, or passive waitlist control. Apps were used for three to five days per week over a four week period. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire (n = 95) measuring personality, mindfulness, and a range of wellbeing measures. Questionnaire was repeated at the end of the four week intervention (n = 67), and again four weeks post intervention (n = 52). The study explored impact of mindfulness on employee wellbeing, sustained benefits four weeks post intervention, effect of expectancy on intervention, impact on longer usage of intervention app, and impact of personality type in continuing the study and effect of the intervention. Results of repeated measure ANOVAs showed no significant effect of mindfulness on employee wellbeing, therefore no analysis was conducted of sustained results. Expectancy of the effectiveness of the trial positively correlated with self-rated perceived positive impact of the mindfulness intervention, but not for either control group. Length of time the app was used was not significant. There was a positive correlation between the intervention and the Positive subscale of Positive and Negative Affects Scale and negative correlations with the Autonomy and Self-Actualisation subscales of Ryff's Wellbeing Scales for the mindfulness intervention group, this differed to the active control group. There were no statistically significant changes in the waitlist passive control condition. Findings do not support the viability of smartphone-based mindfulness interventions to significantly improve employee wellbeing.
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    Network models of mindfulness : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Albany campus, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Smith, Joseph Hendry
    Contemporary mindfulness research at the level of self-report has often represented mindfulness as a latent (trait) variable. Recently, a novel psychometric methodology has been developed which allows mindfulness to be modelled as a complex system or network at the level of self-report. This network perspective is argued to provide a more plausible conceptualisation of mindfulness. A network perspective implies that a more densely connected network of practices may be indicative of a greater level of development of mindfulness. It also implies that certain practices may be more strongly interconnected or central than others. These highly central practices may be potentially useful targets for interventions. Mindfulness networks were estimated for practitioners and non-practitioners using the Friedberg Mindfulness Inventory (Study 1) and an adapted version of the Applied Mindfulness Process Scale (Study 2). A total of 371 regular mindfulness practitioners, 224 non-practitioners and 59 irregular practitioners were recruited online from the Amazon Mechanical Turk database. Across both measures, comparisons between practitioners and non-practitioners’ networks indicated that network density did not significantly differ, whereas evidence was found in support of a significant difference in network structure. Exploratory analyses revealed practitioners’ networks to be characterised by greater differentiation in their community structures relative to non-practitioners across both measures. In Study 1, Acceptance was revealed to be much more central to the practitioners’ network relative to non-practitioners; and Returning to the Present much more peripheral. The practice of Attending to Actions and/or the negative path it shared with Self-kindness were identified as possible targets to facilitate mindfulness in non-practitioners. In Study 2, highly eudemonic practices were revealed to be more central to the practitioners’ network relative to non-practitioners, whilst more foundational de-centering practices were more peripheral. These studies provide support for the plausibility of investigating mindfulness as a complex network at the level of self-report. However, the lack of difference in network density indicates that future research is needed to examine network dynamics in the context of regular mindfulness practice. Future research is also required to establish whether the networks estimated are behavioural or semantic.
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    Mindful eating and wellbeing : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Barnett, Stephanie
    Emerging evidence supports the application of mindful eating to individual health and wellbeing. The present study examined the relationship of mindful eating to specific health behaviour outcomes; physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake. The moderating influence of Self-Compassion and Self-Efficacy was also investigated. A total of 388 participants were recruited via an online quantitative questionnaire, which assessed demographics and health behaviours, as well as including the Mindful Eating Questionnaire, Self-compassion Scale-SF and the General Self-efficacy Scale. Results indicated mindful eating was significantly correlated with physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake. Self-Compassion and Self-Efficacy correlated highly with mindful eating practice, although played a minimal role in moderating the mindful eating and health behaviour relationship. Future studies could aim to include more detail around the specific types of exercise and foods being consumed in order to infer any health benefits. Findings have implications for the management of specific health indicators, including overweight, obesity, and restrictive eating disorders – these are discussed.
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    Ngā mea kōaro o ngā wā tamarikitanga, te taumahatanga o aua mea me ētahi mahi whakaora hinegaro mō ngā wāhine Māori = Adverse childhood experiences, HPA axis functioning and culturally enhanced mindfulness therapy among Māori women in Aotearoa New Zealand : a dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Ketu-McKenzie, Miriama Deborah
    Chronic health conditions such as obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety are prevalent among Māori women in New Zealand, as are adverse experiences in childhood and chronic stress. Recent studies have shown a link between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and chronic health problems later in life. Many of those studies propose that dysregulation in the stress response system - specifically the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis - mediates that link. Cortisol is the primary corticosteroid released by the HPA axis and is commonly used as a biomarker for assessing HPA axis functioning. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a therapy that uses a range of breathing techniques, stretches, formal meditations and awareness exercises designed to help regulate the stress response by changing the way the brain manages and relates to stress. Due to its Eastern roots, MBSR therapy assumes an holistic view of health that mirrors some of the key concepts promoted in Te Ao Māori. This research tested the HPA axis functioning of eight adult Māori women who had experienced high ACEs, and explored associations between cortisol dysregulation, visceral obesity (a risk factor for many chronic health conditions) and psychological distress. This research also tested the clinical effectiveness and cultural responsiveness of an MBSR course that had been enhanced to suit a Māori audience. Participants provided pre, mid and post-treatment salivary cortisol samples that measured changes to their acute stress cortisol response, as well as changes to their daily cortisol slope, their cortisol awakening response and their overall cortisol levels. They also provided pre and post-treatment waist circumference measurements. Self-report data assessing depression and anxiety levels, PTSD levels, stress eating habits, perceived stress levels and mindful awareness levels, was collected, as was qualitative data in the form of pre and post-treatment interviews. The results indicated that culturally enhanced MBSR therapy was well received with this sample of Māori women and that the participants reported a wide range of benefits as a result of practicing mindfulness meditation.
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    Primary teachers' knowledge, beliefs and perspectives on the practice of mindfulness in schools : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology in Education at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Kenwright, Debbie
    Youth mental health and wellbeing is a complex issue which requires prevention strategies from early childhood through entry into adulthood. Schools are well positioned to promote and develop student’s overall capacity for wellbeing and have a responsibility to do so. Mindfulness has been identified as a potential practice to support the development of wellbeing and human flourishing in both clinical and non-clinical settings. There is an increasing body of research which has found mindfulness-based interventions to have positive effects on human wellbeing and academic achievement as well. Mindfulness practice also develops an attitude of acceptance which fosters equanimity, creating space for reflection and perspective taking; allowing for self-acceptance and greater awareness of self and others. Increasingly mindfulness skills and capabilities are being fostered through mindful-based programs designed for school curriculums. The aim of this study was to gain a greater understanding of primary teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and perspectives about mindfulness in schools. Specifically, this study aimed to capture primary teachers’ views who have not yet been involved in the training or implementation of a formal mindfulness school based program. Placed within a constructivist epistemology this study included 45 participants (n=45) who completed an online survey. The survey was designed using mixed-method research methodology to gather teacher perspectives. Results revealed most primary teachers in this study were prepared to implement mindfulness in schools, and believed schools should be providing mindfulness programs. The results of this study indicate that the implementation of mindfulness in schools is both supported by teachers and viewed as feasible to implement in primary settings. Teachers understood some of the ways in which mindfulness promotes and develops valuable life skills for students in relation to improving their mental health, building individual capacity for coping, and being resilient, and improving student’s overall well-being. Implications for schools and teachers interested in beginning a mindfulness programme at primary school are discussed.
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    Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs towards the therapeutic use of mindfulness amongst psychotherapists in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Urgert, Samantha Jane
    Mindfulness has infiltrated psychology in the last two decades, and clinical efficacy in utilising mindfulness is increasing worldwide. Very little research has explored what mental health professionals know about mindfulness, and their attitudes towards its therapeutic use. Understanding practitioners’ knowledge and attitudes towards clinical tools is essential in future integration within therapy. The current study explored knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding various aspects of mindfulness among New Zealand psychotherapists, to identify whether knowledge of mindfulness was related to attitudes towards its use. A total of 53 psychotherapists completed a questionnaire that elicited quantitative responses about personal mindfulness, attitudes towards alternative therapies, and beliefs surrounding perceived competencies with use of mindfulness clinically. Psychotherapists are in agreement with proposed competencies, have positive attitudes towards its use, and are personally highly mindful. ANOVA revealed attitudes and competencies towards the use of mindfulness are related to religious affiliation and professional specialisation. Most had previous mindfulness education and believed it benefits their daily life, but suggested they would consider clinical use if their knowledge was greater. Psychotherapists’ personal mindfulness was not associated with attitudes towards, or competencies with its use. Despite a number of limitations, possible implications of the findings suggest future clinical utilisation of mindfulness within New Zealand, is reliant on understanding its current location within the minds of mental health professionals. A lack of education about mindfulness may be the reason for low utilisation, and this research may provide insight into areas of deficiencies. Knowledge in therapeutic mindfulness is pertinent in the improvement of future utilisation and infiltration within mental health professions, in turn accomplishing its clinical potential.