Trait Mindfulness and Inhibitory Control in Young Adults: Moderation by Sex and Mediation by Resting EEG
Kyoungmin Noh, Nicholas Baumgartner, Manuela Cortes Ospina, Steve Amireault, Sarah Ullrich-French, Yu-Kai Chang, Shih-Chun Kao
Research Square March 5, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8868295/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 283 |
| Population | Young adults aged 18-30 (149 women) |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, flanker task, resting-state electroencephalogram (rsEEG) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Acting with Awareness was positively associated with accuracy selectively on incongruent trials, and this association was partially suppressed by eyes-open upper alpha power, which itself predicted better incongruent accuracy. Among women, Observing related to longer response times and Nonjudging to shorter response time variability. The authors argue that trait mindfulness relates to inhibitory control in a facet- and sex-specific manner, with upper alpha as a possible neural mechanism. |
Abstract
Abstract a. Objective b. To determine the relationship between facet-level trait mindfulness (TM) and inhibitory control (IC), and whether the relationship is moderated by sex and mediated by resting cortical activity. c. Methods d. 283 young adults (149 women; 18–30 years old) completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and a flanker task involving congruent and incongruent trials to induce varying IC demands. A sub-sample (n = 174) completed resting-state electroencephalogram (rsEEG) to quantify power in theta, alpha, and beta bands using individualized alpha-peak frequency. Linear mixed-effects models tested the associations of TM facets with IC, and the moderation by sex. The sub-sample tested the mediation effect of rsEEG on associations between TM facets and IC. e. Results f. Acting with Awareness (AA) was positively associated with accuracy, selectively for incongruent trials. Among women, observing was positively related to response time, whereas higher nonjudging was related to shorter response time variability. Mediation analysis showed an indirect effect of AA on incongruent accuracy via eyes-open upper alpha: while the negative association of AA with upper alpha was not significant (a-path), higher upper alpha predicted better incongruent accuracy (b-path) and partially suppressed AA’s otherwise beneficial association with incongruent accuracy. g. Conclusions h. The relationship between TM and IC varied across facets and differed between men and women. Upper alpha was positively related to IC but suppressed the beneficial association of AA with IC. These findings highlight the importance of facet-level analysis on TM when characterizing its associations with IC in a sex-specific manner and underlying neural mechanisms.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Inside the Mindful Mind Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2013
and 10 more in the library