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The Computational Mechanisms of Detached Mindfulness

Brendan Conway-Smith, Robert L. West

arXiv Preprint Archive September 3, 2024 preprint

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Theoretical or philosophical paper
Intervention Detached mindfulness
Topics Meditation
Keywords Q-bio.nc Cs.ai
Key points Proposes that a computational model of metacognitive skill can articulate the mechanisms by which detached mindfulness reduces emotional reactivity.

Abstract

This paper investigates the computational mechanisms underlying a type of metacognitive monitoring known as detached mindfulness, a particularly effective therapeutic technique within cognitive psychology. While research strongly supports the capacity of detached mindfulness to reduce depression and anxiety, its cognitive and computational underpinnings remain largely unexplained. We employ a computational model of metacognitive skill to articulate the mechanisms through which a detached perception of affect reduces emotional reactivity.