Mindfulness Training for Improving Attention Regulation in University Students: Is It Effective? and Do Yoga and Homework Matter?
Lena Wimmer, Silja Bellingrath, Lisa Von Stockhausen
Frontiers in Psychology April 29, 2020 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00719 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Non-randomized trial with pre- and post-assessments Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 180 |
| Population | University students |
| Interventions | Mindfulness training yoga awareness activities |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognition Attention Yoga University students Homework |
| Key findings | Mindfulness training, with or without a yoga component, produced no systematic or differential advantage on most measures of attention regulation; the only exception was speed in a cognitive flexibility task. Homework quantity and quality showed no consistent influence on outcomes. |
Abstract
The present study examined the effects of mindfulness training on attention regulation in university students and whether the potential benefits of implementation are influenced by the yoga component of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and/or by MBI homework practice. In a non-randomized trial with pre- and post-assessments, n = 180 university students were allocated to either mindfulness training (experimental groups), awareness activities (active control group), or no training (passive control group). Mindfulness was taught through two MBIs, one including yoga and the other excluding yoga. Attention regulation was operationalized via behavioral indicators, namely sustained attention, cognitive flexibility, cognitive inhibition, and data-driven information processing. With the exception of speed in a cognitive flexibility task, the results indicated no systematic or differential advantage arising from mindfulness training, with or without yoga, regarding the aspects of attention regulation. There was no consistent influence of homework quantity or quality. The implications for mindfulness training in academic contexts are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- The efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions on mental health among university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health 2023
- The effects of mindfulness enhanced Tai Chi Chuan training on mental and physical health among beginners: a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology 2024
- Mindfulness, cognitive load, and performance: examining the interplay of stress and self-regulation in physical education. BMC Psychology May 19, 2025
- Mindfulness y educación física en la población universitaria. Una revisión sistemática (Mindfulness and physical education in University population. A systematic review) Retos June 10, 2021
- Why is mindfulness helpful? Exploration of the flexibility of cortical control in practitioners of Buddhism. Consciousness and Cognition June 28, 2025
and 13 more in the library
Cites 29
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- 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
and 24 more in the library