The effect of a course mindfulness exercises on working memory indexes in adolescents
Nazin Behaein, Alireza Farsi, Elizabeth A. Franz, Mariusz Lipowski
Shenakht Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry June 11, 2023 DOI: 10.32598/shenakht.10.3.94 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Semi-experimental study with experimental and control groups Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Adolescents aged 14 to 18 years in the first district of Tehran city in 2022 (10 girls and 10 boys) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness exercises |
| Duration | 6 weeks, 20-45 minutes per session |
| Measures | Corsi Block software |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness exercises were associated with improved working memory performance: the mindfulness group showed significant pretest-to-posttest progress in correct responses, and the stage-by-group interaction was significant, while the group main effect was not. The authors conclude that mindfulness exercises can improve working memory indicators in adolescents. |
Abstract
Introduction: Research has shown that neglecting psychological skills such as mindfulness leads to a decline in physical and psychological performance in people.
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a course of mindfulness exercises on working memory indexes in adolescents.
Method: The present study was a semi-experimental study with two experimental and control groups. The statistical population consisted of teenagers aged 14 to 18 years in the first district of Tehran city in 2022. The participants included 20 adolescents (10 girls and 10 boys) who were available, selected, and randomly divided into two 10-member mindfulness and control groups. The mindfulness group exercises lasted 20-45 minutes per session for 6 weeks. Corsi Block software was used to measure working memory indexes. Mixed analysis of variance and independent and paired t-tests were used to analyze the data. All statistical analyzes were performed with SPSS software version 21 at the P<0.05 level.
Results: The results for the number of correct responses showed that the main effect of stage (F=26.85, P=0.0001, η2=0.59) and the interactive effect of stage-group (F=10.87, P=0.004, η2=0.37) were significant, but the main effect of group (F=0.23, P=0.59, η2=0.01) was not significant. The results of the paired-samples t test showed that the mindfulness group showed significant progress from the pretest to the posttest (P=0.0001).
Conclusion: The results of this study show the effect of mindfulness exercises on working memory indicators in adolescents. This type of intervention can be of great help to professionals in this field to improve people's cognitive and motor performance. Therefore, it is suggested to use mindfulness exercises to improve working memory and its effect on the process of cognitive decisions.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Mindfulness Enhances Episodic Memory Performance: Evidence from a Multimethod Investigation PLoS One April 26, 2016
- The effects of mindfulness training on mindfulness, anxiety, emotion dysregulation, and performance satisfaction among female student-athletes: The moderating role of age September 1, 2021
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Benefits Psychological Well-Being, Sleep Quality, and Athletic Performance in Female Collegiate Rowers Frontiers in Psychology September 1, 2020
- Mindfulness Meditation Improves Visual Short-Term Memory Psychological Reports May 25, 2020
- Mindfulness Training for Improving Attention Regulation in University Students: Is It Effective? and Do Yoga and Homework Matter? Frontiers in Psychology April 29, 2020