VCU Scholars Compass (Virginia Commonwealth University)
August 21, 2026
Margaret M. Poandl
Research on interventions designed to increase posttraumatic growth (PTG) among interpersonal trauma survivors is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a six-week trauma-informed mindfulness meditation intervention on PTG. Additionally, I examined outcomes of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and loneliness, as well as analyzed the variables of dispositional mindfulness,...
VCU Scholars Compass (Virginia Commonwealth University)
August 21, 2026
Belle Buzzi
Tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide, and current smoking cessation treatments are limited by low long-term efficacy. An interplay between positive and negative reinforcement drives high relapse rates. Psychedelic compounds, particularly psilocybin, have shown promising clinical outcomes for smoking cessation, yet the neurobiological and...
VCU Scholars Compass (Virginia Commonwealth University)
2009
Laura G. Kiken
1 citation
The present research examined if mindfulness reduced negativity bias on measures of attitude formation and cognitive style, as a potential explanation for the beneficial effects of mindfulness on emotional disturbance. Two studies were conducted. Study One was correlational and found that trait mindfulness inversely correlated with measures of negative cognitive style, and that the latter...
VCU Scholars Compass (Virginia Commonwealth University)
2006
Sangthong Terathongkum
1 citation
PROBLEM STATEMENT: Growing evidence indicates that psychological stress contributes to cardiovascular diseases through complex neuroendocrine mechanisms. Psychological stress leads to several physiological responses including increased heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) as well as decreased heart rate variability (HRV) through alterations in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), specifically...
VCU Scholars Compass (Virginia Commonwealth University)
1990
Zachary Grant Goodell
Within the last two decades, the United States has witnessed the growth of a phenomenon which the media has referred to as "The New Age Movement". This multi-faceted social pattern includes astrology, meditation, mysticism, and eastern philosophies, the popularity of which have increased significantly in the 1980's. This thesis is a case study of the "New Age Movement". First, I develop a...