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The effects of a brief mindfulness induction on maternal autonomic activity

dc.contributor.authorWendt, Kathleen Ellen, author
dc.contributor.authorCoatsworth, J. Douglas, advisor
dc.contributor.authorLucas-Thompson, Rachel G., committee member
dc.contributor.authorAnderson, G. Brooke, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2021-01-11T11:20:23Z
dc.date.available2022-01-08T11:20:23Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.description.abstractBrief mindfulness activities are often included in preventive interventions for parents, but researchers do not know the type and combination of mindfulness components that beget the strongest effects on self-regulation. Focused attention meditation is associated with improved attention and self-regulation, but applications of such in interpersonal stressors are scarce. Using a randomized micro-trial design, the present study tested the effects of a brief mindfulness induction (focused attention meditation) on maternal autonomic processes, specifically change in respiratory sinus arrhythmia and tonic skin conductance level compared to resting state, during a goal-oriented task with her child (n = 40 mothers). Mothers were randomly assigned to listen to either a focused attention meditation or a control educational podcast before participating in an adapted Parent-Child Challenge Task (Lunkenheimer et al., 2017) with their 4.5-6.5-year-old children. A repeated measures linear mixed-effects model with basic covariance structure indicated an interaction effect between time and treatment for change in parasympathetic activity, such that mothers in the experimental group, on average, expressed relatively higher parasympathetic activation immediately following the induction period, compared to mothers in the control group. There were no statistically significant effects related to change in sympathetic activity. These results suggest a brief mindfulness induction can promote maternal parasympathetic processes during and immediately after the meditation. Beyond confirming pilot protocol viability, this work contributes to our understanding of the real-time, intra-individual effects of brief mindfulness inductions in interpersonal contexts.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierWendt_colostate_0053N_16384.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/219565
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2020-
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectmindfulness
dc.subjectparenting
dc.subjectautonomic
dc.subjectsympathetic
dc.subjectparasympathetic
dc.titleThe effects of a brief mindfulness induction on maternal autonomic activity
dc.typeText
dcterms.embargo.expires2022-01-08
dcterms.embargo.terms2022-01-08
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineHuman Development and Family Studies
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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