Mindfulness Enhances Episodic Memory Performance: Evidence from a Multimethod Investigation

Mindful attention, a receptive focus on present-moment experience, improves episodic memory—a key form of long-term memory. A three-study series using the Remember-Know paradigm and free recall found that self-reported mindful attention predicted better recognition memory (Study 1, 143 participants). Very brief focused-attention mindfulness training enhanced recognition memory compared to an active control (Study 2, 93 participants) and generalized to free recall (Study 3, 57 participants). The effect was mediated by intrinsic motivation. These results suggest mindfulness can benefit motivation and episodic memory, with implications for education and work performance.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Training in mindfulness, classically described as a receptive attentiveness to present events and experiences, has been shown to improve attention and working memory. Both are key to long-term memory formation, and the present three-study series used multiple methods to examine whether mindfulness would enhance episodic memory, a key form of long-term memory. In Study 1 (N = 143), a self-reported state of mindful attention predicted better recognition performance in the Remember-Know (R-K) paradigm. In Study 2 (N = 93), very brief training in a focused attention form of mindfulness also produced better recognition memory performance on the R-K task relative to a randomized, well-matched active control condition. Study 3 (N = 57) extended these findings by showing that relative to randomized active and inactive control conditions the effect of very brief mindfulness training generalized to free-recall memory performance. This study also found evidence for mediation of the mindfulness training-episodic memory relation by intrinsic motivation. These findings indicate that mindful attention can beneficially impact motivation and episodic memory, with potential implications for educational and occupational performance.