Brief Mindfulness Meditation Improves Attention in Novices: Evidence From ERPs and Moderation by Neuroticism

A brief, 10-minute mindfulness meditation session improved attentional performance in novice meditators compared to a control activity. In two studies, participants who listened to a meditation tape showed better accuracy on incongruent trials of a Flanker task without slowing down, and faster responses on the Attention Network Test without loss of accuracy. These benefits were moderated by neuroticism: individuals lower in neuroticism who meditated exhibited a larger N2 event-related potential to incongruent trials, indicating more efficient resource allocation, while those higher in neuroticism did not show this effect. The findings suggest even short meditation can enhance attentional resource allocation in some novices.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Past research has found that mindfulness meditation training improves executive attention. Event-related potentials (ERPs) have indicated that this effect could be driven by more efficient allocation of resources on demanding attentional tasks, such as the Flanker Task and the Attention Network Test (ANT). However, it is not clear whether these changes depend on long-term practice. In two studies, we sought to investigate the effects of a brief, 10-min meditation session on attention in novice meditators, compared to a control activity. We also tested moderation by individual differences in neuroticism and the possible underlying neural mechanisms driving these effects, using ERPs. In Study 1, participants randomly assigned to listen to a 10-min meditation tape had better accuracy on incongruent trials on a Flanker task, with no detriment in reaction times (RTs), indicating better allocation of resources. In Study 2, those assigned to listen to a meditation tape performed an ANT more quickly than control participants, with no detriment in performance. Neuroticism moderated both of these effects, and ERPs showed that those individuals lower in neuroticism who meditated for 10 min exhibited a larger N2 to incongruent trials compared to those who listened to a control tape; whereas those individuals higher in neuroticism did not. Together, our results support the hypothesis that even brief meditation improves allocation of attentional resources in some novices.