Effects of short mindful breathing meditations on executive functioning in two randomized controlled double-blinded experiments.
Elena Vieth, Lisa Von Stockhausen
Acta Psychologica August 15, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.104006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled double-blinded trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Mindful breathing meditation Progressive muscle relaxation |
| Duration | Experiment 1: 45 min over three sessions; Experiment 2: 80 min over four sessions |
| Measures | N-Back, CPT-II, Number-Letter Task |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Reaction time Research design Inhibition, psychological Inhibitory control Cognitive training Executive functions Progressive muscle relaxation Shifting State mindfulness Focused attention meditation Updating/working memory Breathing meditation |
| Key findings | Across two randomized controlled double-blinded experiments, short mindful breathing meditations produced no mindfulness-specific improvements in updating, inhibition, or shifting compared with progressive muscle relaxation or podcast listening. The authors conclude that early-stage mindfulness training effects may not be practice-specific or may be too transient for reliable pre-post measurement. |
Abstract
While current models of mindfulness propose benefits to the executive functions of inhibition, updating and shifting through mindful breathing meditations, empirical findings on the effects of short mindful breathing meditations are inconclusive regarding their specificity and dose-response relations. Therefore, we compared short mindful breathing meditations (Experiment 1, 45 min over three sessions; Experiment 2, 80 min over four sessions) with relaxation trainings (progressive muscle relaxation; active control) and listening to podcasts (passive control) in two randomized controlled double-blinded trials. Reaction time tasks were used to assess the executive functions of updating (N-Back), inhibition (CPT-II), and shifting (Number-Letter Task). Results of both experiments suggest no mindfulness-specific improvements in executive functions. We conclude that effects following the first stages of mindfulness training may not be specific to the practice or too transient to be reliably measured in pre-post intervention designs. Implications for research in the field are discussed.
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
Cites 29
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
and 24 more in the library