Brief Mindfulness Observation
A summary of the study entitled: “Effects of Brief Mindfulness Instructions on Reactions to Body Image Stimuli Among Female Smokers: An Experimental Study” By : Adams, Benitez, Kinsaul, McVay, Barbry, Thibodeaux, Copeland published in 2013
This study began with the idea that smoking urges can be linked to negative thoughts due to poor self-image. In an attempt to assist those affected by poor self-image quit smoking the study wanted to test the effects self-image had on smoking urges. Specifically the experiment was set to test the results on female college smokers ages 18-26. The effect would be measured during a “body image challenge”, which was trying on a bathing suit, and the mindfulness instruction was a recording designed to lessen
self-consciousness and negative thoughts. The study was mostly made up of white participants. They also excluded over or underweight applicants as well as those at risk for eating disorders as they could be worsened by the experiments contents. They based their results off the addition of mindfulness instructions versus having none and measured the level of negative body thoughts and the level of smoking urge. They added a purse to sub out for the bathing suit to create a control against the personal nature of the bathing suit. They had four different groupings with each experiencing some combination of no instruction, body image through the bathing suit, having instructions, and body image through the purse. The study found that the groups who received the mindfulness instructions received themselves in a more positive light and felt less urge to smoke than the silent groups. Therefore, this study concluded that woman who use smoking as a coping mechanism for poor self-image could increase their self-image and decrease their urges to smoke by engaging in mindfulness therapy.
This study began with the idea that smoking urges can be linked to negative thoughts due to poor self-image. In an attempt to assist those affected by poor self-image quit smoking the study wanted to test the effects self-image had on smoking urges. Specifically the experiment was set to test the results on female college smokers ages 18-26. The effect would be measured during a “body image challenge”, which was trying on a bathing suit, and the mindfulness instruction was a recording designed to lessen
self-consciousness and negative thoughts. The study was mostly made up of white participants. They also excluded over or underweight applicants as well as those at risk for eating disorders as they could be worsened by the experiments contents. They based their results off the addition of mindfulness instructions versus having none and measured the level of negative body thoughts and the level of smoking urge. They added a purse to sub out for the bathing suit to create a control against the personal nature of the bathing suit. They had four different groupings with each experiencing some combination of no instruction, body image through the bathing suit, having instructions, and body image through the purse. The study found that the groups who received the mindfulness instructions received themselves in a more positive light and felt less urge to smoke than the silent groups. Therefore, this study concluded that woman who use smoking as a coping mechanism for poor self-image could increase their self-image and decrease their urges to smoke by engaging in mindfulness therapy.