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To examine whether a remote, online, group-based mindfulness intervention results in effects during the COVID-19 pandemic. 111 college students: 58 in the intervention group, 53 in a waitlist control group. Randomized control trial (RCT) using a 4-week Koru Mindfulness program, investigating pre-to-posttest changes in the intervention group compared to time-yoked control participants. Average effect size for all 21 variables measured was 0.48. The intervention produced significant benefits for mindfulness, rumination, worry, mood, stress, anxiety, three out of six aspects of psychological wellbeing (Autonomy, Environmental mastery, Self-acceptance) and physical activity. No significant effect was noted for depression (d = 0.33) or sleep (d = −0.13), and three aspects of psychological wellbeing (Personal growth, Positive relationships, Purpose in life). A remote, online, group-based mindfulness program yielded benefits on stress, anxiety, and mood in college students, even under the dire circumstances of a pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study on 138 undergraduate students used path analysis to investigate the relationship between creativity (interest, measured by a creative activities survey; and ability: fluency, originality, and elaboration) and different aspects of thought patterns presumed to influence the preparation and illumination phase of the creative process: habitual patterns of thought (ruminative brooding, ruminative self-reflection), thought suppression, thought intrusion, mind wandering, and associative ability. Such relationship was hinted at in Wallas's classical model of the creative sequence, but is rarely investigated. We found that creative behavior/interest was driven by self-reflection, thought intrusion, and the lack of a need for thought suppression; creative ability was fueled mainly by associative ability. The only variable that influenced both aspects of creativity was the lack of resistance to thought suppression; this distinguished the creativity variables from dysphoria, which was associated with a desire for thought suppression. The results suggest that what drives the need to create is not creative ability per se, but rather self-focused attention, as well as the feeling or experience of being found by thought, rather than finding it. That is, the need to create is associated with having thoughts that interrupt one's ordinary stream of consciousness and that are seen as welcome rather than interfering.

Background: Self-efficacy is an important predictor of performing health behaviors. Purpose: We invoked varying points of view (none, first person, third person) in standard instructions for breast self-exams (BSEs) to examine whether point of view taken would impact self-efficacy for and behavioral intentions regarding BSE. Methods: One hundred twenty women took part in an experiment that included reading instructions for proper performance of BSE. Measures of constructs from several common models used to predict health behavior (theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behavior, health belief model, and health action process approach) were also included. Results: Compared to a control group who did not read about performing BSE, standard instructions and third-person instructions predicted self-efficacy but first-person instructions did not. Further, barriers to and attitudes toward performing BSE were related to self-efficacy and self-efficacy, objective risk, past BSE behavior, and attitude were related to behavioral intentions. Discussion: Our results suggest that adopting a third-person perspective can increase self-efficacy for performing BSE. Translation to Health Education Practice: Given the relative ease with which point-of-view manipulations can be implemented, Health Educators should explore the utility of point of view in the practice of other health behaviors.