Daily breath-based mindfulness exercises in a randomized controlled trial improve primary school children's performance in arithmetic.
Katharina Voltmer, Finja Hondrich, Maria von Salisch
Scientific Reports December 13, 2023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49354-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 140 |
| Population | Third and fourth graders |
| Intervention | Breathing Break Intervention (BBI) |
| Duration | 9-week intervention, 5-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | Children who received the Breathing Break Intervention outperformed the active control group on an arithmetic test at a five-month follow-up, though teacher ratings showed no difference. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been shown to improve children's academic achievements. Because MBIs include different exercises (possibly with differential effects), the teacher-led Breathing Break Intervention (BBI) was developed which focuses exclusively on breathing exercises and body awareness. The short daily breathing practices of BBI were evaluated in terms of their effects on children's performance in mathematics. In a randomized controlled trial, N = 140 third and fourth graders (49% female) either received BBI (IG, n = 81) or participated in an active control group (ACG, n = 59). Students took a standardized arithmetic test and teachers rated their mathematics performance before (T1) and after (T2) the nine weeks of BBI, and in a follow-up five months later (T3). A mixed multilevel model with a quadratic term of time indicated a significant interaction effect between group and time on the arithmetic test after controlling for working memory updating and parental educational attainment. IG children did not show a steeper linear increase but differed significantly from ACG children in their trajectory of arithmetic performance. At T3, IG children outperformed ACG children. A multilevel ordinal logistic regression of teachers' ratings of students' mathematics performance revealed no significant differences between IG and ACG. Results suggest that daily breathing exercises in primary school classrooms contribute to enhancing children's performance in arithmetic.Preregistration: The study was preregistered at aspredicted.org (#44925).
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- School‐Based Mindfulness Interventions in Primary Education: A Systematic Review Psychology in the Schools October 15, 2026
- The predictive values of state and trait mindfulness on emotion understanding in primary school children Frontiers in Psychology July 10, 2026
- A randomized controlled trial comparing Mindfulness and Heartfulness meditation programmes on stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms and wellbeing among distance-learning postgraduates Frontiers in Psychology September 17, 2026
- Neuroplasticity and the Breath Improving Mental Well-Being at the Intersection of Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga May 9, 2026
Cites 15
- Improving stress management, anxiety, and mental well-being in medical students through an online Mindfulness-Based Intervention: a randomized study. Scientific Reports May 22, 2023
- The influences of mindfulness on high-stakes mathematics test achievement of middle school students Frontiers in Psychology April 6, 2023
- A Daily Breathing Practice Bolsters Girls’ Prosocial Behavior and Third and Fourth Graders’ Supportive Peer Relationships: A Randomized Controlled Trial Mindfulness June 15, 2023
- Mindfulness-based programs and school adjustment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of school psychology April 1, 2023
- Do mindfulness-based programmes improve the cognitive skills, behaviour and mental health of children and adolescents? An updated meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Evidence-Based Mental Health July 12, 2022
and 10 more in the library