Mobile Mindfulness: There's an App for That!
Katelyn J. Haschke
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 74 |
| Population | Adults participating in a brief mindfulness study |
| Interventions | Mindful breathing Body scan |
| Duration | Less than two minutes per day over a one week period; practice on their own for three days |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Brief app-guided mindfulness practices (mindful breathing or body scan) did not significantly improve most self-report outcomes compared to a control condition. A significant main effect of time appeared for negative affect and cognitive task performance across conditions. Exploratory analyses showed negative correlations between self-reported mindfulness, attention, and awareness and depression, anxiety, stress, and negative affect, with a non-significant positive correlation with positive affect and cognitive performance. |
Abstract
Previous research indicates that practicing mindfulness-based strategies over an extended period of time may positively impact individuals’ well-being, such as improved mood and cognitive performance (Chambers, Lo, & Allen, 2008; Kabat-Zinn, 1990; Kabat-Zinn, 2003; Mrazek, Franklin, Phillips, Baird, & Schooler, 2013). This research also indicates there may be immediate benefits to practicing mindfulness strategies; however, a majority of the existing literature on this topic has focused primarily on extended mindfulness-practices over several weeks with an in-person guide or trained researcher. The purpose of the current study was two-fold. First, how practicing one of two mindfulness-based strategies for a short period of time (e.g., less than two minutes per day over a one week period) influenced several psychological variables of interest (i.e., attention and awareness, depression, anxiety, stress, mood, and cognitive performance) was assessed. Second, the short mindfulness-based strategies were guided by a mobile-phone application; thus, the effectiveness of practicing mindfulness without the physical presence of a guide or researcher trained in meditation was assessed. Participants came to an initial lab session (Time 1) and completed self-report measures assessing the variables of interest along with a cognitive task to test their working memory capability. Participants either learned and practiced one mindfulness-based strategy (mindful breathing or a body scan) or engaged in a no-strategy (control) condition. After the initial lab session, participants in the mindfulness strategy conditions were instructed to practice the strategy on their own for three days using a mobile-phone application. Participants returned to the lab for a final lab session (Time 2) and once ii again practice the assigned mindfulness strategy, answered the self-report questionnaires, and completed the cognitive task. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that participants in the mindful breathing and body scan conditions compared to the control condition would show increases in attention and awareness, positive affect, and cognitive performance from the initial lab session (Time 1) to the final lab session (Time 2). It was also hypothesized that participants in the mindful breathing and body scan conditions compared to the control condition would show decreases in depression, anxiety, stress, and negative affect from Time 1 to Time 2. Seventy-four participants completed all parts of the current study; there were not significant differences across conditions and time on most of the self-report measures. However, there was a significant main effect of time on negative affect and performance on the cognitive task. Exploratory analyses were conducted to further probe the data for relationships between the variables of interest. A negative correlation between self-reported mindfulness, attention, and awareness was found in relation to depression, anxiety, stress, and negative affect. Although not significant, a positive correlation between self-reported mindfulness, attention, and awareness was found in relation to positive affect and cognitive performance. The results suggest that more research is needed on the effect of brief mindfulness practices guided by a mobile-phone application. Contributions of the current study, as well as future research and limitations, are discussed.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cites 17
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 26, 2009
- A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation versus relaxation training: Effects on distress, positive states of mind, rumination, and distraction Annals of Behavioral Medicine February 1, 2007
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
and 12 more in the library