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The Effect of Brief Mindfulness Meditation on Attention Networks in University Students with Problematic Short-Video Use

Tingting Liu, Siti Hajar Halili, Norharyanti Mohsin, Bingqi Li

Behavioral Sciences August 25, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/bs16091487 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed
Population University students with problematic short-video use
Intervention Brief mindfulness meditation
Duration 4 weeks
Measures Attention Network Test
Topics Meditation
Key findings Brief mindfulness meditation did not produce an overall improvement in attention network function. Exploratory analyses showed a significantly lower executive control effect in the intervention group compared to the control group after Holm adjustment, suggesting a possible association with reduced conflict-processing cost, though the authors urge caution.

Abstract

To examine the effects of brief mindfulness meditation on attention network function in university students with problematic short-video use, participants were screened using the SPAI and an adapted IAT and assigned to an intervention or control group. The intervention group received 4 weeks of brief mindfulness meditation, whereas the control group received no training. Both groups completed the Attention Network Test before and after the intervention. MANCOVA examined group differences in alerting, orienting, and executive control while controlling for baseline performance, age, and sex. Follow-up ANCOVAs were exploratory and Holm-adjusted. The overall multivariate group effect was not significant. Exploratory analyses showed no significant between-group differences in alerting or orienting, whereas the intervention group showed a significantly lower executive control effect than the control group after Holm adjustment. Descriptive RT and ACC patterns across the five ANT conditions did not indicate a consistent improvement in task performance. Taken together, brief mindfulness meditation did not produce an overall improvement in attention network function. However, exploratory findings suggest that it may be associated with a lower conflict-processing cost in executive control. This finding should be interpreted cautiously and requires further verification.

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

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