The Impact of Training and a Mindfulness Phone App Among Academic Advisors
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THE IMPACT OF TRAINING AND A MINDFULNESS PHONE APP AMONG ACADEMIC ADVISORS Deborah Sue Hendricks A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION May 2019 Committee: Paul Johnson, Advisor Cynthia Bertelsen, Graduate Faculty Representative Robert Gotfried Kristina LaVenia Matthew Lavery © 2019 Deborah Sue Hendricks All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Paul Johnson, Advisor This study examined the effectiveness of a mindfulness professional training session (MindfulnessPD) on usage of the 10% Happier phone app among academic advisors and the app's influence on levels of mindfulness and perceived stress. To date, there is a lack of research regarding the effectiveness of in-person mindfulness training on increasing usage of a mindfulness app for improving mindfulness and lowering perceived stress among academic advisors. A quantitative design was used to sample academic advisors (n = 33) at a large, state university in the Midwest. Paired samples t-tests indicated increased levels of mindfulness on the Mindfulness Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS) and decreased levels of perceived stress on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) among app users. The in-person MindfulnessPD training appeared to increase app usage and as a result, the 10% Happier app users reported increased mindfulness and decrease perceived stress. Finally, 85% of participants agreed that practicing mindfulness was beneficial to their self-care and wellbeing. iv This dissertation is dedicated to any reader who desires to learn more about the practice of mindfulness as a tool for their self-care toolbox. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to thank the Universe for the strength and wisdom to journey this path called life. Thanks to my wife, who has encouraged, loved, and supported me through every step and made my travels enjoyable. I still am head over heels in love with you and adore the human that you are. I would like to thank my three beautiful adult children who always believed in me and love me unconditionally. Going back to school later in life can be difficult, but the rewards are worth all the work. Never stop learning. I pray my appreciation for learning and growing will spread on to the generations to come. To my mom, you are probably the only other person on this planet that will read this dissertation more than once. You have been my biggest fan and for that, I am forever grateful. Thank you for your words of encouragement throughout this long journey. There were so many times I just needed to hear my mom’s voice and then I knew everything would be okay. Thank you, mom. To my dear friend Julie George, who gave me detailed feedback and help from the start of my academic journey. I am so appreciative for you and your never-ending support. You were my editor and chief for all articles, presentation, proposals, and this dissertation. Thank you. I want to send a shoutout to my close friends Christy, Amy, Clare, Liza, and Stacey, who believed I could do this even when I doubted. I love and admire you all and am so thankful to journey alongside you in this life. It’s never too late to learn and make a difference. My office co- workers deserve a special shout-out as they are offered constant support over the years and were there for me when I was at my lowest point. Thank you Marcy and Michelle for being there and cheering for me in my corner. Finally, I want to say a special thank you to all the faculty in the Leadership program including the chair of this project, Dr. Johnson, and the rest of the committee members, thank you. I am forever grateful for the time and energy you all invested in my life. I would not have vi been able to submit articles for publication or made the progress as gracefully if it were not for Dr. Lavery, who took the time to mentor me and show me what transformational leadership looked like. The faculty of the Leadership program gave me the tools and empowered me to chase my dreams. Having people in my corner who believed in me and showed me that I mattered was food for my soul. I made it this far because of a wonderful support system. THANK YOU ALL! vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................... 4 Background of the Problem ....................................................................................... 6 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 8 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................. 10 Academic Advising .................................................................................................... 12 Attention .................................................................................................................... 15 Attention and Relationship Building ......................................................................... 17 Stress .......................................................................................................................... 18 Stress in the Workplace ............................................................................................. 18 Mindfulness................................................................................................................ 19 Mindfulness, Attention, and Relationship Building .................................................. 22 Mindfulness and Managing Stress ............................................................................. 23 Mindfulness in the Workplace ................................................................................... 25 Mindfulness and Technology ..................................................................................... 31 Employee Participation and Leadership .................................................................... 36 Summary ................................................................................................................... 38 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................... 42 Research Design......................................................................................................... 42 Population and Sample .............................................................................................. 42 vii Context and Setting .................................................................................................... 43 Research Questions .................................................................................................... 43 Threats to Validity ..................................................................................................... 44 Procedure ................................................................................................................... 44 Treatments ................................................................................................................ 45 Variables ................................................................................................................... 46 Instrumentation .......................................................................................................... 46 Ethical Concerns ........................................................................................................ 47 Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 48 First Research Question ............................................................................................. 49 Second Research Question ......................................................................................... 49 Third Research Question............................................................................................ 49 Fourth Research Question .......................................................................................... 49 Summary ................................................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS ..................................................................................................... 51 Analyses ................................................................................................................... 51 First Research Question ............................................................................................. 52 Second Research Question ......................................................................................... 53 Third Research Question............................................................................................ 53 Fourth Research Question .......................................................................................... 54 Additional Questions ................................................................................................. 55 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 56 viii CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION ................................................................................................ 57 First