Brief Meditation and the Interaction between Emotional Interference and Anxiety
Carolina Baptista Menezes, Mirtes G. Pereira, Izabela Mocaiber, Lisiane Bizarro
Psicologia Teoria e Pesquisa 2016 DOI: 10.1590/0102-3772e322216 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial (pilot) Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 31 |
| Population | Non-clinical adult sample |
| Intervention | Focused meditation training |
| Duration | Five days |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | In the control group, higher anxiety interacted with greater emotional interference and worse valence and arousal ratings of emotional images, while this pattern was not observed in the meditation group. The authors suggest that a five-day focused meditation training may help modulate anxiety effects on bias to negative stimuli and facilitate self-regulatory processes. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT This pilot study assessed the effects of a five day focused meditation training on the interplay between emotional interference and anxiety in a non clinical sample randomized into two groups (experimental=13; control=18). Emotional interference was indexed comparing the reaction times in an attention span task with negative or neutral distracting images. Anxiety experienced during the task was also assessed through self-report. Only in the control group higher anxiety levels interacted with greater emotional interference and a worse evaluation of valence and arousal of emotional images. These preliminary findings suggest that meditation may help modulating anxiety effects on bias to negative stimuli, and that even a short training may facilitate self-regulatory processes.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 10
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- How long does a mindfulness‐based stress reduction program need to be? A review of class contact hours and effect sizes for psychological distress Journal of Clinical Psychology March 23, 2009
- Effects of Brief and Sham Mindfulness Meditation on Mood and Cardiovascular Variables The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine July 28, 2010
- Impact of meditation training on the default mode network during a restful state Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience March 24, 2012
- Brief meditation training induces smoking reduction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences August 20, 2013
and 5 more in the library