The Effect of a Brief Mindfulness Practice on Perceived Stress and Sustained Attention: Does Priming Matter?
Rhiannon Y. Ueberholz, Alexandra J. Fiocco
Mindfulness June 6, 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-01913-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 220 |
| Population | Undergraduate students |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key findings | Both meditation groups showed decreased stress and fewer errors of omission; only the priming-plus-meditation group showed better total correct responses and fewer errors of commission than controls. |
Abstract
ObjectivesThe objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of a brief mindfulness practice on perceived stress and sustained attention, and to determine whether priming the benefits of mindfulness meditation enhances this effect.MethodsTwo hundred and twenty undergraduate students were randomly assigned to a control condition (CC), a meditation condition (MC), or a priming + meditation condition (PMC). Baseline and post-treatment measures included subjective stress ratings on a visual analog scale (VAS) and performance on a Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), determined by reaction time coefficient of variability (RTCV) and three measures of accuracy: correct responses, errors of commission, and errors of omission.ResultsRepeated measures analyses revealed that both the MC and the PMC displayed a decline in perceived stress relative to the CC. Analyses further revelated that the MC and PMC displayed fewer errors of omission relative to the CC. However, only the PMC displayed better performance relative to the CC with respect to total correct response and errors of commission. There were no significant between-group differences for RTCV.ConclusionsThese findings are novel and provide a foundation to further investigate the effect of priming on mindfulness engagement and its potential benefits.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-022-01913-8.
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 9
- Psychological and attentional outcomes following acute mindfulness induction among high anxiety individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research February 1, 2024
- Clinical effectiveness of mindfulness-based music therapy on improving emotional regulation in blind older women: A randomized controlled trial. Integrative Medicine Research December 1, 2023
- The influence of mindfulness meditation on mind wandering and its mechanism Advances in Psychological Science 2023
- Deficits of Attention function and Interventions in Individuals with Test Anxiety Journal of Research in Vocational Education August 31, 2023
- Neural and autonomic regulation during brief mindfulness and relaxation interventions in clinical populations: a multimodal MEG study protocol. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2026
and 4 more in the library
Cites 29
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Defining mindfulness by how poorly I think I pay attention during everyday awareness and other intractable problems for psychology's (re)invention of mindfulness: Comment on Brown et al. (2011). Psychological Assessment 2011
and 24 more in the library