Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Rostock.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Marburg.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Hamburg, 1976. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-249).

Thesis (Ph.D)--University of Edinburgh, 1992.

Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Educator stress and burnout are of major concern in the modern education system. Burnout is a condition that is common among many professions, particularly those in human services, however teaching has been credited as one of the main sources of the syndrome. Acceptance and Commitment Training is one form of treatment that may be able to ameliorate the symptoms of burnout. The present data provide an evaluation of an Online Acceptance and Commitment Training program for educators in the treatment of burnout symptoms and its effects on psychological flexibility. Altogether, nine participants took part in the study in a control group and an ACTraining group, and their pre- and post-assessments were analyzed. The results of the study yielded statistically significant reductions in the symptoms of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization related to burnout (t(4.597)=0.660, p=0.010; t(3.625)=3.341, p=0.033). The data suggest that the online program may have potential utility in reducing symptoms of burnout syndrome, and future research should be conducted to further determine the effectiveness of the program.

The current study tested the utility of the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure (IRAP) as an analogue cognitive defusion intervention to alter implicit attitudes toward Abraham Lincoln and Adolf Hitler. One-hundred and twelve participants were randomly assigned to either a control or defusion condition. Participants first completed a series of self-report measures assessing psychological functioning and distress, as well as attitudes toward Lincoln and Hitler. Control condition participants then completed three IRAPs measuring implicit attitudes toward Hitler and Lincoln (H/L IRAP). Defusion conditions participants completed a pre-intervention H/L IRAP, received a rationale for defusion before completing a defusion IRAP, and then completed a post-intervention H/L IRAP. All participants finished the study by completing a second set of self-report measures. Results of the study indicated that when taking into account participant knowledge of defusion there were significant differences in IRAP performance post-intervention between conditions, although there were no significant differences in performance pre- to post-intervention within the defusion condition. Additionally, there were no differences between conditions on self-report measures at either time point, suggesting the IRAP was sensitive to changes in participant attitudes that self-reports were unable to detect. Thus, the results of this study indicate that the IRAP is a viable analogue defusion intervention, and future research should look to expand the defusion effect produced by the IRAP.

An increasing number of publications from a variety of human service fields have sought to utilize mindfulness meditation as a means to reduce psychological distress and increase positive psychological outlooks. These studies typically involve mindfulness training and typically last anywhere from 4 hours to 8 weeks. To date, no published research has established the minimal amount of time for effective outcomes to benefit from mindfulness exposure. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether brief exposure to mindfulness training before a discrete event can lead to positive outcomes in that event and increased mindfulness in a group of university students. A group of 26 undergraduate and graduate students in two different classes were exposed to either a control task (listening to music) or a mindfulness intervention just prior to taking a quiz. The session lasted no more than 30 minutes and the mindfulness intervention itself was timed to not exceed 15 minutes. Visual inspection of the data yielded some positive outcomes in terms of increased performing on a quiz in comparison to quiz grades the week before. Statistical analysis suggested that these outcomes were not statistically significant. This study adds to the research on mindfulness as an intervention for positive outcomes. Implications for future research on practical benefits of mindfulness were discussed.

Behavior analysis has long been a field which has rooted itself in science and observable, measurable behavior, long avoiding the subject of private events such as thoughts and emotions and largely focusing applied work with individuals with disabilities. However, the prevalence of anxiety and depression among adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD) is an issue which can hinder the development of social relationships and success in higher education. The current study used a pre- post- group design to evaluate the efficacy of implementing two components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with adolescents and young adults with ASD to change the function of verbal statements made about the self while discussing a negative thought. Additionally, participants wore a biofeedback wristband to measure their heart rate while discussing the thought before and after completing either an acceptance + defusion activity or a control activity. The findings of this study suggest that an acceptance + defusion activity was effective in increasing pragmatic statements and statistically significant in decreasing unworkable statements. Although the findings regarding the changes in heart rate were not statistically significant, future studies should continue to investigate ACT's effects of private events such as thoughts, feelings, self-rules, and physiological processes. With limited research within the field of behavior analysis focusing on using ACT with individuals with ASD and DD, the results of this study support a clinical utility of ACT to improve the lives of individuals with ASD.

This study conducted convergent validation on participant’s identification with the prototypical values of histrionic personality disorder repertoire, an important part of acceptance and commitment psychotherapy (ACT). The Multiaxial Inventory of Personality (MCMI – III) was administered to two mixed groups of participants (cases versus controls). Participants were also interviewed using the SCID- II,and a structured interview The content analysis of the structured interviews showed that participants with the disorder had the highest mean in the “A-R-VP self-report identification” at all the 12 values examined on a 0 to 5 point scale, with scores closer to 5. Meanwhile, those without the disorder had scores of identification between 0 and 1. The results of the Student t test confirmed the findings. People with histrionic personality disorder identify themselves with a repertoire of twelve characteristic values of this disorder. / El presente estudio validó  convergentemente, tras un análisis de contenido de entrevistas estructuradas, a un grupo de participantes “casos” versus un grupo equivalente de “controles” mixto su identificación con un repertorio de valores prototípicos del trastorno histriónico de la personalidad. Se aplicó la entrevista SCID-II, el  Inventario Multiaxial  de Personalidad MCMI-III  y la entrevista estructurada. Se halló que los participantes con el trastorno mostraron las medias más altas en su reporte de identificación con  un conjunto de 12 valores examinados  una escala de 0-5 en oposición a quienes no tenían dicho trastorno, los cuales tuvieron puntajes de identificación entre 0 y 1. Los resultados de la prueba t de student confirmaron lo anterior. Se concluye  que  las personas evaluadas con trastorno histriónico de la personalidad  se identifican con un repertorio de doce valores característicos de este trastorno. / La présente étude a validé de manière convergente l’identification que les participants de deux groupes mixtes équivalents, l’un de cas et l’autre de contrôles, ont fait sur un répertoire de valeurs prototypiques du trouble de personnalité histrionique, en tenant compte de son importance dans la diffusion et l’acceptation dans la thérapie d’acceptation et d’engagement (ACT). L’interview SCID-II, l’Inventaire Multiaxial de Personnalité MCMI-III et une entretien structurée ont été appliquées. Après avoir analysé le contenu des entretiens structurés et l’auto-rapport (A-R-VP) des identifications avec les valeurs du trouble en question, il a été constaté que les participants avec le trouble de la personnalité histrionique montraient les moyens les plus élevés sur une échelle de 0 -5, avec des valeurs plus proches de 5, alors que celles sans trouble présentaient des scores d’identification entre 0 et 1 sur la même échelle. Les résultats du test t de Student ont confirmé ce qui précède. On conclut que les personnes évaluées avec un trouble de la personnalité histrionique sont identifiées avec un répertoire de douze valeurs caractéristiques de ce trouble / O presente estudo validou a identificação com um repertório de valores prototípicos do transtorno de personalidade histriônica de um grupo de participantes com esse distúrbio em oposição a outro grupo de participantes sem este trastorno de personalidade que são importantes na defusão e na deliteração no Terapia de aceitação e compromisso (ACT). Desta forma, formaram-se um grupo de casos e outro grupo de controles. Ambos os grupos foram misturados. A entrevista SCID-II, o Inventário de Personalidade Multiaxial MCMI-III e a entrevista estruturada foram aplicadas. Os participantes com o transtorno tiveram os meios mais elevados em seu relatório “A-R-VP de identificação com um conjunto de 12 valores con escores perto de 5, examinados em uma escala de 0 a 5, em oposição àqueles que não tinham o referido transtorno, que apresentavam escores entre 0 e 1. Os resultados do teste de Student t confirmaram o acima. Conclui-se que as pessoas avaliadas com transtorno de personalidade histriônica são identificadas com um repertório de doze valores característicos desta desordem.