The matter of mindfulness : investigations into the mechanisms of mindfulness

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dc.contributor.advisorSolms, Marken_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorThomas, Kevinen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorIves-Deliperi, Victoriaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-10-06T11:36:52Z
dc.date.available2014-10-06T11:36:52Z
dc.date.issued2008en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes abstract.en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 126-145).en_ZA
dc.description.abstractMindfulness may be described as a state of heightened present-moment awareness that we all experience to a greater of lesser extent. Enhancing this quality of awareness through training has shown to alleviate stress and promote mental and physical well-being and, as a consequence, the clinical application of mindfulness is gaining in popularity. Because of this, there is a growing need to understand how mindfulness were investigaged in a series of research studies in this thesis, by means of literature analysis, clinical intervention, functional brain imaging and brain-lesion methods. In Study One a total of 10 commonly proposed mechanisms of mindfulness were identified through a qualitive systematic analysis of the literature: self-regulation, exposure, cognitive flexibility, acceptance, disidentification, awareness/insight, reattribution, attention, metacognition, and relaxation. Mediation analyses in Study Two confirmed that acceptance and cognitive flexibility significantly mediated the relationship between mindfulness and reduced symptoms of stress and the acceptance significantly mediated the relationship between mindfulness and mood disturbance. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was employed in Study Three to further test these findings and state mindfulness shown to mediate midline cortical regions associated with interoception. The findings of Study Three suggest that mindfulness may be associated with positive outcomes through a process of disidentification; a process described as removing the 'self' in the experiencing of passing events. Damage to the midline cortical brain regions identified in Study Three, however, showed to have no significant effect on naturally-occurring mindfulness, according the results of a pilot brain-lesion investigation in Study Four. Based on the findings of the studies in this thesis, it is suggested that mindfulness may reduce vulnerability to stress and emotional distress through a meta-mechanism of disidentification and through more direct mechanisms: acceptance and cognitive flexibility. The collected evidence supports the application of mindfulness training as an intervention to advance affective and cognitive well-being. At a broader level, the findings also establish a firmer relationship between mental control and optimal mental functioning.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationIves-Deliperi, V. (2008). <i>The matter of mindfulness : investigations into the mechanisms of mindfulness</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8182en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationIves-Deliperi, Victoria. <i>"The matter of mindfulness : investigations into the mechanisms of mindfulness."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8182en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationIves-Deliperi, V. 2008. The matter of mindfulness : investigations into the mechanisms of mindfulness. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Ives-Deliperi, Victoria AB - Mindfulness may be described as a state of heightened present-moment awareness that we all experience to a greater of lesser extent. Enhancing this quality of awareness through training has shown to alleviate stress and promote mental and physical well-being and, as a consequence, the clinical application of mindfulness is gaining in popularity. Because of this, there is a growing need to understand how mindfulness were investigaged in a series of research studies in this thesis, by means of literature analysis, clinical intervention, functional brain imaging and brain-lesion methods. In Study One a total of 10 commonly proposed mechanisms of mindfulness were identified through a qualitive systematic analysis of the literature: self-regulation, exposure, cognitive flexibility, acceptance, disidentification, awareness/insight, reattribution, attention, metacognition, and relaxation. Mediation analyses in Study Two confirmed that acceptance and cognitive flexibility significantly mediated the relationship between mindfulness and reduced symptoms of stress and the acceptance significantly mediated the relationship between mindfulness and mood disturbance. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was employed in Study Three to further test these findings and state mindfulness shown to mediate midline cortical regions associated with interoception. The findings of Study Three suggest that mindfulness may be associated with positive outcomes through a process of disidentification; a process described as removing the 'self' in the experiencing of passing events. Damage to the midline cortical brain regions identified in Study Three, however, showed to have no significant effect on naturally-occurring mindfulness, according the results of a pilot brain-lesion investigation in Study Four. Based on the findings of the studies in this thesis, it is suggested that mindfulness may reduce vulnerability to stress and emotional distress through a meta-mechanism of disidentification and through more direct mechanisms: acceptance and cognitive flexibility. The collected evidence supports the application of mindfulness training as an intervention to advance affective and cognitive well-being. At a broader level, the findings also establish a firmer relationship between mental control and optimal mental functioning. DA - 2008 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2008 T1 - The matter of mindfulness : investigations into the mechanisms of mindfulness TI - The matter of mindfulness : investigations into the mechanisms of mindfulness UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8182 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/8182
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationIves-Deliperi V. The matter of mindfulness : investigations into the mechanisms of mindfulness. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2008 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8182en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherPsychologyen_ZA
dc.titleThe matter of mindfulness : investigations into the mechanisms of mindfulnessen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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