Semester
Spring
Date of Graduation
2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Type
PhD
College
College of Applied Human Sciences
Department
Sport and Exercise Psychology
Committee Chair
Samuel Zizzi
Committee Member
Dana Voelker
Committee Member
Monica Leppma
Committee Member
Melissa Sherfinski
Abstract
In the last two decades, mindfulness has permeated sport, exercise, and performance psychology (SEPP). Mindfulness research in SEPP primarily focuses on the efficacy of manualized protocols on various outcomes related to performance and wellbeing; how athletes understand this complex construct, though, is largely unexplored in the literature. Additionally, some researchers suggest that the potentially paradoxical adoption of mindfulness in Western psychology may be contributing to limited outcomes, low engagement in, and poor adherence to mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). In addition, the exploration of self-compassion as a mechanism for change through mindfulness practice has increased in recent years, making it an important component to consider. The purpose of the present study was to investigate what college student-athletes (SAs) expect to gain from participating in a MBI, how they understand the concepts of mindfulness and self-compassion, and how these expectations and understandings change from beginning to end of an intervention. Intervention supported shifts in understanding were viewed through a constructivist-interpretivist lens. Individual interviews (n = 42) were conducted with all SAs on an NCAA DII swim team at the beginning and end of a 7-week MBI. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed multiple levels of change across members of the team, indicating that expectations may be tied to outcomes, and understanding may be a limiting factor for perceived outcomes. Results provide some evidence that SA expectations and understanding of mindfulness and self-compassion may be related to ambiguity caused by the blending of traditional Eastern mindfulness with Western psychological interventions.
Recommended Citation
Costalupes, Blake, "How do college student-athletes’ understanding and expectations of mindfulness and self-compassion change through an intervention?" (2023). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 11748.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/11748