Acute Effects of Brief Mindfulness Inductions on Executive Function Performance: A Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis.
Ke Shi, Lena Wimmer, Clara Calia, Zsófia K. Takács
Neuropsychology Review November 6, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-026-09714-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review and three-level meta-analysis Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5,014 |
| Population | Participants in published studies of brief mindfulness inductions, with 2,503 in experimental groups and 2,511 in control groups |
| Intervention | Brief mindfulness exercises (mindfulness inductions) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognitive flexibility Executive functions Inhibitory control Meta-analysis Mindfulness induction Working memory |
| Key findings | Brief mindfulness inductions showed a small but significant effect on overall executive functions (g = 0.09, 95% CI [0.03, 0.16]). No significant differences emerged across working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, and induced state mindfulness did not predict effect sizes. The authors conclude that brief mindfulness exercises do not substantially improve executive functions and that the practical relevance of these null-to-small effects is very limited. |
Abstract
Evidence regarding the acute effect of brief mindfulness exercises (mindfulness inductions) on cognitive performance and executive functions (EFs) is mixed. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the overall effect on the component of EFs (i.e. inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility) and investigate if the level of induced state of mindfulness explains this effect. The current pre-registered, three-level meta-analysis and systematic review included 66 published studies with 187 effect sizes, including a total of 2,503 participants in the experimental groups and 2,511 participants in control groups. Standardized mean differences were calculated for the post-test difference between the mindfulness and the control condition. Results from three-level meta-analytic model revealed that there is a small but significant effect of mindfulness inductions on overall EFs (k = 66, g = 0.09 95% CI [0.03, 0.16], p < 0.01). Moderator analyses did not indicate significant differences across EF components (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility); descriptive subgroup analyses yielded larger pooled estimates for inhibitory control than for cognitive flexibility and working memory. No evidence that the level of induced state mindfulness predicts effect sizes. It should be noted that moderator analysis might have been underpowered so these non-significant results should be interpreted with caution. Brief mindfulness exercises do not seem to improve overall EFs substantially. We conclude that the practical relevance of these null to small effect sizes is very limited.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 26
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- 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
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- Research Review: The effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on cognition and mental health in children and adolescents – a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry October 22, 2018
and 21 more in the library