The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on the Fear of Negative Evaluation and Automatic Thoughtsin Female Students

Abstract

Introduction: Mindfulness training is an effective method for lowering stress and negative thoughts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness training on fear of negative evaluation and automatic thoughts in female students.Method: This research was conducted as a semi-experimental research using pre-test post-test design with a control group. The sample consisted of 30 students (15 participants for each of the experimental and control groups). At first, 120 individuals were selected by purposive sampling and then 30 subjects were selected among the students who scored higher than the average score in the pre-test (fear of negative evaluation and automatic thoughts scales). Participants in the experimental groups received mindfulness training for eight sessions, while the control group did not receive any training. At the end of the training a post-test was taken from both groups. Multivariate covariance analysis was used to investigate the research hypotheses.Results: The results indicated that mindfulness training decreased significantly both fear of negative evaluation (p<0.05) and automatic thoughts (p<0.05).Conclusion: According to the results of this study, mindfulness training is effective in reducing the fear of negative evaluation and automatic thoughts, so providing this training for students can prevent the negative effects of these variables in the educational environment.