Doctorate in Clinical Psychology: Main Research Portfolio (1) Methodologies For Experiential Mindfulness Inductions: A Narrative Synthesis; (2) High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Outcomes for Anxiety and Depression: A Service Evaluation Study in a Primary Care Talking Therapies Service; and (3) Experiential Induction of Mindfulness Response Styles in a Non-Clinical Sample Pilot Study.

: 1) Methodologies For Experiential Mindfulness Inductions: A Narrative Synthesis; 2) High Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Outcomes for Anxiety and Depression: A Service Evaluation Study in a Primary Care Talking Therapies Service; 3) Experiential Induction of Mindfulness Response Styles in a Non-Clinical Sample Pilot Study.

Abstract

Background: Brief mindfulness inductions are widely used in experimental research to influence attentional stance and response style. However, the clarity of instructional wording is rarely evaluated, particularly among participants without prior mindfulness experience. Ambiguities in these instructions may compromise fidelity and limit the interpretability of findings.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate and refine previously used mindfulness induction instructions to improve their clarity and construct validity.

Methods: This two-stage mixed-methods study tested brief mindfulness inductions, initially taken from existing literature, designed to evoke mindful acceptance or attentional avoidance. In Stage 1, cognitive interviews with ten mindfulness-naïve participants explored understanding of each instruction set. Using a two-phase analytic framework(descriptive and interpretive analysis; Collins, 2015), iterative adaptations were made to improve clarity and conceptual accuracy. Follow-up interviews with a subset of participants validated the revised versions. In Stage 2, 35 mindfulness-naïve participants were randomly assigned to the revised acceptance or avoidance condition before completing a 15-minute breath-counting task. Instruction adherence and changes in distress and anxiety were assessed using self-report visual analogue scales.

Results: Stage 1 produced two revised instruction sets. In Stage 2, both groups showed statistically significant adherence to their assigned instructions; however, the acceptance group reported significantly higher adherence scores than the avoidance group (d = 1.30), suggesting improved clarity and differentiation. Although changes in distress and anxiety were not statistically significant, descriptive trends favoured the acceptance condition.

Conclusions: Findings highlight a disconnect between research-based definitions of mindfulness and lay understanding, underscoring the need to develop and validate clear, accessible induction materials.

Date of Award	10 Sept 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Paul Chadwick (Supervisor)