Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility.
Consciousness and Cognition March 2009 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2008.12.008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational group comparison Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Experienced mindfulness meditators compared with meditation-naïve controls |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Measures | Stroop interference, d2-concentration and endurance test |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditators outperformed non-meditators on all attention measures, including Stroop interference and the d2-concentration and endurance test, and reported higher mindfulness. Self-reported mindfulness correlated moderately to highly with all attention measures, which the authors suggest indicates that mindfulness is closely linked to attentional functioning and cognitive flexibility. |
Abstract
This study investigated the link between meditation, self-reported mindfulness and cognitive flexibility as well as other attentional functions. It compared a group of meditators experienced in mindfulness meditation with a meditation-naïve control group on measures of Stroop interference and the "d2-concentration and endurance test". Overall the results suggest that attentional performance and cognitive flexibility are positively related to meditation practice and levels of mindfulness. Meditators performed significantly better than non-meditators on all measures of attention. Furthermore, self-reported mindfulness was higher in meditators than non-meditators and correlations with all attention measures were of moderate to high strength. This pattern of results suggests that mindfulness is intimately linked to improvements of attentional functions and cognitive flexibility. The relevance of these findings for mental balance and well-being are discussed.
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
Cited by 269
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Inside the Mindful Mind Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2013
and 264 more in the library
Cites 24
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- 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
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Psychosomatic Medicine July 1, 2003
and 19 more in the library