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Kevin R, Todd L, Rebecca S, Hélène H. Differential effects of digital mindfulness-based interventions on creative potential and responsibility among middle school students. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38825666 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Creativity and responsibility are enhanced by meditation among adults, but such effects have not been studied in adolescents. Moreover, the determinants of the ethical effect (such as responsibility) of meditation are unclear. AIMS To address this gap by investigating the impact of digital in-class meditation programmes in middle school, focusing on intentions (self-centred vs. responsibility-centred), on adolescents' creative potential and sense of responsibility. These intentions are operationalized by different purpose-based meditations. METHODS We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 107 year 7 adolescents from six classes, assigning them to two experimental groups and an active control group. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted over an 11-week period, including a creativity (EPoC) test comprising four exercises (graphic and verbal, divergent and convergent thinking), a responsibility and a mindfulness scale. RESULTS Our findings revealed no discernible effects on divergent thinking or self-reported mindfulness. However, we observed significant differences in graphic and verbal convergent creative thinking, as well as impacting responsibility scores, between a responsibility-centred meditation group and a self-centred meditation group. Moreover, distinctions were noted between control and self-centred meditation groups and between some classes. Effect sizes indicated that the interventions had a moderate but significant impact on the variables measured. CONCLUSION Our study reveals the effectiveness of digital meditation interventions in enhancing convergent creative thinking and responsibility among middle-school students. Notably, it shed new light on the importance of meditation intentions, which may be as significant as the form of meditation itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecchi Kevin
- Department of Psychology of Development, Education and Vulnerabilities, Laboratoire DIPHE (Développement, Individu, Processus, Handicap, Education), University Lumière Lyon 2, Lyon, France
| | - Lubart Todd
- Université Paris Cité & Univ Gustave Eiffel, LaPEA, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - Shankland Rebecca
- Department of Psychology of Development, Education and Vulnerabilities, Laboratoire DIPHE (Développement, Individu, Processus, Handicap, Education), University Lumière Lyon 2, Lyon, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Hagège Hélène
- Unité de Recherche CeReS, UR 14922, University of Limoges, Limoges, France
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2
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Hughes Z, Ball LJ, Richardson C, Judge J. A meta-analytical review of the impact of mindfulness on creativity: Framing current lines of research and defining moderator variables. Psychon Bull Rev 2023; 30:2155-2186. [PMID: 37442873 PMCID: PMC10728263 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02327-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Findings relating to the impact of mindfulness interventions on creative performance remain inconsistent, perhaps because of discrepancies between study designs, including variability in the length of mindfulness interventions, the absence of control groups or the tendencies to explore creativity as one unitary construct. To derive a clearer understanding of the impact that mindfulness interventions may exert on creative performance, two meta-analytical reviews were conducted, drawing respectively on studies using a control group design (n = 20) and studies using a pretest-posttest design (n = 17). A positive effect was identified between mindfulness and creativity, both for control group designs (d = 0.42, 95% CIs [0.29, 0.54]) and pretest-posttest designs (d = 0.59, 95% CIs [0.38, 0.81]). Subgroup analysis revealed that intervention length, creativity task (i.e., divergent vs. convergent thinking tasks) and control group type, were significant moderators for control group studies, whereas only intervention length was a significant moderator for pretest-posttest studies. Overall, the findings support the use of mindfulness as a tool to enhance creative performance, with more advantageous outcomes for convergent as opposed to divergent thinking tasks. We discuss the implications of study design and intervention length as key factors of relevance to future research aimed at advancing theoretical accounts of the relationship between mindfulness and creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Hughes
- School of Psychology and Computer Science, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, UK.
| | - Linden J Ball
- School of Psychology and Computer Science, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, UK
| | - Cassandra Richardson
- Department of Psychology, The University of Winchester, Winchester, SO22 4NR, UK
| | - Jeannie Judge
- School of Psychology and Computer Science, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, UK
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3
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Hur WM, Shin Y, Kim JY. Service Employees' Mindfulness and Job Crafting amid COVID-19: The Roles of Resilience, Organizational Health Climate, and Health-Oriented Leadership. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37359638 PMCID: PMC10166686 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04714-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Due to changes in the work environment resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, service employees' behavior, that proactively reshapes the content and meaning of work (i.e., job crafting), is increasingly important. We identified mindfulness as a key individual trait contributing to job crafting in the pandemic context. The purpose of our study was to examine the mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between mindfulness and job crafting, and the moderating effects of perceived organizational health climate and health-oriented leadership on the mindfulness-resilience relationship. We administered two-wave online surveys to 301 South Korean service employees after the onset of COVID-19 (January 20, 2020). Data for mindfulness, resilience, perceived organizational health climate, and health-oriented leadership were collected via participants' self-report in March, 2020. One month later (April, 2020), we obtained their self-ratings of job crafting. Results showed that resilience mediated the relationship between mindfulness and job crafting. The positive relationship between these two variables was more pronounced when perceived organizational health climate was high than when it was low. Perceived organizational health climate further moderated the indirect effect of mindfulness on job crafting through resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Moo Hur
- College of Business Administration, Inha University, 100, Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon, 22212 Republic of Korea
| | - Yuhyung Shin
- School of Business, Hanyang University, 222, Wangsimri-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763 Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Yeoun Kim
- Graduate School of Education, Kookmin University, 77, Jeongneung-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02707 Republic of Korea
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4
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Nübold A, Hülsheger UR. Personality states mediate the effect of a mindfulness intervention on employees’ work outcomes: A randomized controlled trial. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/08902070211012915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade, organizational researchers have increasingly recognized the value of studying personality states at work. This line of research has to date mainly focused on outcomes of and situational antecedents of personality state change at work. In this study, we draw on social cognitive theory of self-regulation and the social investment principle to test if a structured intervention can bring about changes in employees’ personality states at work. Specifically, we investigate the effect of a four-week low-dose mindfulness intervention delivered via a mobile application on employees’ personality state change in a multi-group experiment with a passive and an active control group. Employees ( N = 162), either practicing mindfulness, doing brain training exercises, or not receiving any treatment were tracked in a diary study across a period of four weeks. Results of growth curve analyses showed that compared to the control groups, the mindfulness intervention led to significantly more increases in employees’ daily mindfulness, emotional stability and agreeableness across the four-week period. Furthermore, daily agreeableness and emotional stability mediated the effect of the intervention on daily job satisfaction and performance. No intervention effects were found for daily openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion. Implications are discussed for research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Nübold
- Department of Work and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Ute R Hülsheger
- Department of Work and Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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5
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A comprehensive approach to study the resting-state brain network related to creative potential. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:1743-1753. [PMID: 33963459 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02286-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Studies related to creativity generally investigate cognition and brain functioning linked to creative achievement. However, this approach does not allow characterization of creative potential. To better define creative potential, we studied cognitive function related to creative processes and the associated brain resting functional connectivity. Therefore, in this pilot study, we constructed a cognitive functioning model via structural equation modeling assuming an influence of working memory (WM) and analytical thinking on creativity assessed by the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. On the basis of this model, we differentiated two groups with different functioning levels on the basis of their creative score. We identified one group as the high-creative potential group, with a positive correlation between WM and creativity and a negative correlation between analytical thinking and creativity. The other group was the low-creative potential group, with no correlation between WM and creativity and a negative correlation between analytical thinking and creativity. Then, we examined brain functional connectivity at rest and found that the high-creative potential group had increased connectivity in the attentional network (AN) and default-mode network (DMN) and decreased connectivity in the salience network (SN). Our findings highlight the involvement of the AN. We, therefore, linked this network to creative potential, which is consistent with cognitive theories suggesting that creativity is underpinned by attentional processes.
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6
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Task conflict and team creativity: The role of team mindfulness, experiencing tensions, and information elaboration. ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10490-021-09771-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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7
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Wu CL, Huang SY, Chen PZ, Chen HC. A Systematic Review of Creativity-Related Studies Applying the Remote Associates Test From 2000 to 2019. Front Psychol 2020; 11:573432. [PMID: 33192871 PMCID: PMC7644781 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.573432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The study examines how the remote associates test (RAT) has been used to examine theories of creativity through a review of recent studies on creativity. Creativity-related studies published between 2000 and 2019 were retrieved from the SCOPUS database. A total of 172 papers were chosen for further analysis. Content analysis shows that research on creativity using RAT mainly concerns remote association, insight problem-solving, general creative process, test development, individual difference, effect of treatment, clinical case, social interaction effect, and predictor or criterion. The study constructs a theoretical framework based on the 4P (Product–Person–Process–Place) model and demonstrates how empirical studies using the RAT explore the individual differences, internal processes, and external influences of creative thinking. In addition, the most commonly used version of the RAT is the Compound Remote Associates Problems (Bowden and Jung-Beeman, 2003a). Current research shows a trend whereby the creative thinking process has been receiving greater attention. In particular, a growing number of studies in this field have been carried out using cognitive neuroscience technologies. These findings suggest that the RAT provides researchers with a way to deepen their understanding of different levels of creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Lin Wu
- Program of Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Yuan Huang
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Zhen Chen
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsueh-Chih Chen
- Institute for Research Excellence in Learning Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Chinese Language and Technology Center, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
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8
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Yuan JP, Connolly CG, Henje E, Sugrue LP, Yang TT, Xu D, Tymofiyeva O. Gray Matter Changes in Adolescents Participating in a Meditation Training. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:319. [PMID: 32922278 PMCID: PMC7456888 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation has shown to benefit a wide range of conditions and symptoms, but the neural mechanisms underlying the practice remain unclear. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have investigated the structural brain changes due to the practice by examining volume, density, or cortical thickness changes. However, these studies have focused on adults; meditation’s structural effects on the adolescent brain remain understudied. In this study, we investigated how meditation training affects the structure of the adolescent brain by scanning a group of 38 adolescents (16.48 ± 1.29 years) before and after participating in a 12-week meditation training. Subjects underwent Training for Awareness, Resilience, and Action (TARA), a program that mainly incorporates elements from mindfulness meditation and yoga-based practices. A subset of the adolescents also received an additional control scan 12 weeks before TARA. We conducted voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to assess gray matter volume changes pre- to post-training and during the control period. Subjects showed significant gray matter (GM) volume decreases in the left posterior insula and to a lesser extent in the left thalamus and left putamen after meditation training. There were no significant changes during the control period. Our results support previous findings that meditation affects regions associated with physical and emotional awareness. However, our results are different from previous morphometric studies in which meditation was associated with structural increases. We posit that this discrepancy may be due to the differences between the adolescent brain and the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Yuan
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Colm G Connolly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Eva Henje
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,Department of Clinical Science/Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Leo P Sugrue
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Tony T Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Duan Xu
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Olga Tymofiyeva
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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9
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Does being mindful make people more creative at work? The role of creative process engagement and perceived leader humility. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN DECISION PROCESSES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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10
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Zhang Y, Chen S, Li S, Zhao Q, Zhou Z, Huang F, Wang F. The use of internet language enhances creative performance. The Journal of General Psychology 2019; 148:26-44. [PMID: 31851874 DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2019.1703628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Internet language is a creative product of the rapid development of computer-mediated communication. The present study was to investigate whether the use of Internet language enhances creative problem solving. In Study 1, sixty-two selected participants were equally divided into two groups according to their use experience of Chinese Internet language, and then both more and less experienced groups were asked to complete Chinese remote associates test and Chinese chengyu riddles. Results showed that the more experienced group performed significantly better in both the creative tasks. In Study 2, forty-six participants were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group was asked to learn Chinese Internet Language, while the control group was asked to learn scientific terminology. Two groups completed the aforementioned creative tasks in pretest and post-test. Results showed that the interaction between the group and test order was significant in Chinese chengyu riddle solving, in which the experimental group had a significantly higher average score in post-test than pretest. And there was no difference for the control group. These findings supported that Internet language use benefited creative problem solving, and it might be a convenient way in the practice of promoting creativity.
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11
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Zhao Y, Yuan Y, Shen W, Zhu C, Liu D. The relationships between bilingual learning, willingness to study abroad and convergent creativity. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7776. [PMID: 31579628 PMCID: PMC6766371 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Convergent creativity is a form of creative thinking that uses existing knowledge or traditional methods to analyze available information and generate an appropriate solution. The differences in the performance of participants in convergent creativity caused by bilingual learning is a popular research area in creativity. A final sample of 68 participants was asked to complete the remote associates test (RAT). The results indicate that a moderate positive correlation exists between bilingual learning and convergent creativity. Students who want to study abroad perform better on the RAT than those who do not, and this effect is mediated by second language proficiency. These findings suggest that improving students' English proficiency and increasing their opportunities to study abroad may be effective ways to promoting convergent creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhao
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- School of Rehabilitation Science, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Special Children's Impairment and Intervention, Nanjing Normal University of Special Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Wangbing Shen
- School of Public Administration and Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuanlin Zhu
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Dianzhi Liu
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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12
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Abstract
Whether internal insight can be recognized by experiencing (somatic feeling) remains an unexplored problem. This study investigated the issue by examining potential somatic markers of the "aha" experience occurring at the moment of sudden insight. Participants were required to solve a set of compound remote associates (CRA) problems and were simultaneously monitored via electrodermal and cardiovascular recordings. The "aha"-related psychological components and somatic markers were determined by contrasting insightful solutions with non-insightful solutions. Results showed that the "aha" experience was an amalgam entailing positive affects and approached cognition accompanied by a greater mean skin conductance response (mSCR) amplitude and a marginally accelerated heart rate than the "no-aha" one. These results confirm and extend findings of the multidimensionality of the "aha" feeling and offer the first direct evidence of somatic markers, particularly an electrodermal signature of an "aha" feeling, which suggests a sudden insight could likely be experienced by individuals' external soma.
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13
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Deepeshwar S, Nagendra HR, Rana BB, Visweswaraiah NK. Evolution from four mental states to the highest state of consciousness: A neurophysiological basis of meditation as defined in yoga texts. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2019; 244:31-83. [PMID: 30732843 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This chapter provides a theoretical introduction to states of consciousness and reviews neuroscientific investigations of meditation. The different states of consciousness consist of four mental states, i.e., cancalata (random thinking), ekagrata (non-meditative focusing), dharna (focused meditation), and dhyana (meditation) as defined in yoga texts. Meditation is a self-regulated mental process associated with deep relaxation and increased internalized attention. Scientific investigations on meditation reported changes in electrophysiological signals and neuroimaging measures. But most outcomes of meditation studies showed inconsistent results, this may be due to heterogeneity in meditation methods and techniques evolved in the last 200 years. Traditionally, the features of meditation include the capacity to sustain a heightened awareness of thoughts, behaviors, emotions, and perceptions. Generally, meditation involves non-reactive effortless monitoring of the content of experience from moment to moment. Focused meditation practice involves awareness on a single object and open monitoring meditation is a non-directive meditation involved attention in breathing, mantra, or sound. Therefore, results of few empirical studies of advanced meditators or beginners remain tentative. This is an attempt to compile the meditation-related changes in electrophysiological and neuroimaging processes among experienced and novice practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Singh Deepeshwar
- Department of Yoga and Life Sciences, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Swami Vivekananda Yoga University (S-VYASA), Bengaluru, India
| | - H R Nagendra
- Department of Yoga and Life Sciences, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Swami Vivekananda Yoga University (S-VYASA), Bengaluru, India
| | - Bal Budhi Rana
- Department of Yoga and Life Sciences, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Swami Vivekananda Yoga University (S-VYASA), Bengaluru, India
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14
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The contemplative exercise through the lenses of predictive processing: A promising approach. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2019; 244:299-322. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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15
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Shen W, Yuan Y, Tang C, Shi C, Liu C, Luo J, Zhang X. In Search of Somatic Precursors of Spontaneous Insight. J PSYCHOPHYSIOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1027/0269-8803/a000188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. A considerable number of behavioral and neuroscientific studies on insight problem solving have revealed behavioral and neural correlates of the dynamic insight process; however, somatic correlates, particularly somatic precursors of creative insight, remain undetermined. To characterize the somatic precursor of spontaneous insight, 22 healthy volunteers were recruited to solve the compound remote associate (CRA) task in which a problem can be solved by either an insight or an analytic strategy. The participants’ peripheral nervous activities, particularly electrodermal and cardiovascular responses, were continuously monitored and separately measured. The results revealed a greater skin conductance magnitude for insight trials than for non-insight trials in the 4-s time span prior to problem solutions and two marginally significant correlations between pre-solution heart rate variability (HRV) and the solution time of insight trials. Our findings provide the first direct evidence that spontaneous insight in problem solving is a somatically peculiar process that is distinct from the stepwise process of analytic problem solving and can be represented by a special somatic precursor, which is a stronger pre-solution electrodermal activity and a correlation between problem solution time and certain HRV indicators such as the root mean square successive difference (RMSSD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangbing Shen
- School of Public Administration and Institute of Applied Psychology, Hohai University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- School of Rehabilitation Science, Nanjing Normal University of Special Education, Nanjing, PR China
- School of Psychology and Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Chaoying Tang
- School of Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Chunhua Shi
- School of Public Administration and Institute of Applied Psychology, Hohai University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Chang Liu
- School of Psychology and Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Jing Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Capital Normal University, Beijing, PR China
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiaojiang Zhang
- School of Psychology and Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, PR China
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16
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Abstract
Electro photonic imaging (EPI) is being researched relative to its application for yoga therapy. Three parameters of interest in EPI measurements are as follows: Communication energy (C), integral or normalized area (IA), and Entropy (E). It is important to note that C indicates the total energy of communication for the organ system; IA is an indication of total amount of energy that is available for the organ system while entropy is an indication of the amount of coherence of the energy. Coherence and entropy are inversely related; this means less the entropy, more the coherence and vice versa. Illustrative cases of successful therapy with yoga practices in a wide variety of abnormal conditions are examined, and in every case, entropy is shown to decrease for the affected organ system while communication energy stays within stable range. Relative to the electromagnetic (Rubik) and living matrix (Oschman) models, it is suggested that the regulation of energy, its coherence in the biological system and interaction with life processes provide the basis for model building and design of health-promoting procedures. Further, this approach is examined relative to yoga theory, traditional medicine systems, and scientific developments in the field of gene expression and neuroplasticity and a generalized model that we call Unified System of Medicine is proposed. This model has direct implications on methods used to control the environmental factors to get robust results from EPI application for therapeutic purposes. Implications for furthering research in yoga therapy using EPI and implications of EPI as a translational technology between traditional medicine systems and modern medicine is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Konstantin Korotkov
- Department of Innovation Technologies, Research Institute of Physical Culture and Sport, St. Petersburg, Russia
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17
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Liu X, Lin X, Zheng M, Hu Y, Wang Y, Wang L, Du X, Dong G. Internet Search Alters Intra- and Inter-regional Synchronization in the Temporal Gyrus. Front Psychol 2018; 9:260. [PMID: 29559939 PMCID: PMC5845706 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Internet search changed the way we store and recall information and possibly altered our brain functions. Previous studies suggested that Internet search facilitates the information-acquisition process. However, this process may cause individuals to lose the ability to store and recollect specific contents. Despite the numerous behavioral studies conducted in this field, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying Internet searches. The present study explores potential brain activity changes induced by Internet search. The whole paradigm includes three phases, namely, pre-resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) scan, 6-day Internet search training, and post rs-fMRI scan. We detected the functional integrations induced by Internet search training by comparing post- with pre-scan. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and functional connectivity (FC) were used to detect intra- and interregional synchronized activity in 42 university students. Compared with pre-scan, post-scan showed decreased ReHo in the temporal gyrus, the middle frontal gyrus, and the postcentral gyrus. Further seed-based FC analysis showed that the temporal gyrus exhibited decreased FC in the parahippocampal cortex and the temporal gyrus after training. Based on the features of current task and functions exhibited by these brain regions, results indicate that short-term Internet search training changed the brain regional activities involved in memory retrieval. In general, this study provides evidence that supports the idea that Internet search can affect our brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Liu
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Xiao Lin
- Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ming Zheng
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yanbo Hu
- Department of Psychology, London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Lingxiao Wang
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Xiaoxia Du
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangheng Dong
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China.,Institute of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
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18
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Sharma K, Chandra S, Dubey AK. Exploration of Lower Frequency EEG Dynamics and Cortical Alpha Asymmetry in Long-term Rajyoga Meditators. Int J Yoga 2018; 11:30-36. [PMID: 29343928 PMCID: PMC5769196 DOI: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_11_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rajyoga meditation is taught by Prajapita Brahmakumaris World Spiritual University (Brahmakumaris) and has been followed by more than one million followers across the globe. However, rare studies were conducted on physiological aspects of rajyoga meditation using electroencephalography (EEG). Band power and cortical asymmetry were not studied with Rajyoga meditators. AIMS This study aims to investigate the effect of regular meditation practice on EEG brain dynamics in low-frequency bands of long-term Rajyoga meditators. SETTINGS AND DESIGN Subjects were matched for age in both groups. Lower frequency EEG bands were analyzed in resting and during meditation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-one male long-term meditators (LTMs) and same number of controls were selected to participate in study as par inclusion criteria. Semi high-density EEG was recorded before and during meditation in LTM group and resting in control group. The main outcome of the study was spectral power of alpha and theta bands and cortical (hemispherical) asymmetry calculated using band power. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS One-way ANOVA was performed to find the significant difference between EEG spectral properties of groups. Pearson's Chi-square test was used to find difference among demographics data. RESULTS Results reveal high-band power in alpha and theta spectra in meditators. Cortical asymmetry calculated through EEG power was also found to be high in frontal as well as parietal channels. However, no correlation was seen between the experience of meditation (years, hours) practice and EEG indices. CONCLUSION Overall findings indicate contribution of smaller frequencies (alpha and theta) while maintaining meditative experience. This suggests a positive impact of meditation on frontal and parietal areas of brain, involved in the processes of regulation of selective and sustained attention as well as provide evidence about their involvement in emotion and cognitive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanishka Sharma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science, DRDO, New Delhi, India
| | - Sushil Chandra
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science, DRDO, New Delhi, India
| | - Ashok Kumar Dubey
- Division of Bioscience and Engineering, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Delhi University, New Delhi, India
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19
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Jiao B, Zhang D, Liang A, Liang B, Wang Z, Li J, Cai Y, Gao M, Gao Z, Chang S, Huang R, Liu M. Association between resting-state brain network topological organization and creative ability: Evidence from a multiple linear regression model. Biol Psychol 2017; 129:165-177. [PMID: 28890001 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have indicated a tight linkage between resting-state functional connectivity of the human brain and creative ability. This study aimed to further investigate the association between the topological organization of resting-state brain networks and creativity. Therefore, we acquired resting-state fMRI data from 22 high-creativity participants and 22 low-creativity participants (as determined by their Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking scores). We then constructed functional brain networks for each participant and assessed group differences in network topological properties before exploring the relationships between respective network topological properties and creative ability. We identified an optimized organization of intrinsic brain networks in both groups. However, compared with low-creativity participants, high-creativity participants exhibited increased global efficiency and substantially decreased path length, suggesting increased efficiency of information transmission across brain networks in creative individuals. Using a multiple linear regression model, we further demonstrated that regional functional integration properties (i.e., the betweenness centrality and global efficiency) of brain networks, particularly the default mode network (DMN) and sensorimotor network (SMN), significantly predicted the individual differences in creative ability. Furthermore, the associations between network regional properties and creative performance were creativity-level dependent, where the difference in the resource control component may be important in explaining individual difference in creative performance. These findings provide novel insights into the neural substrate of creativity and may facilitate objective identification of creative ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingqing Jiao
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Delong Zhang
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | - Bishan Liang
- College of Education, Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University, China
| | - Zengjian Wang
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junchao Li
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuxuan Cai
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengxia Gao
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhenni Gao
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Song Chang
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruiwang Huang
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Ming Liu
- Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science of Guangdong Province, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
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20
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Shen W, Yuan Y, Liu C, Luo J. The roles of the temporal lobe in creative insight: an integrated review. THINKING & REASONING 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/13546783.2017.1308885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wangbing Shen
- School of Public Administration and Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
- School of Psychology and Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- School of Rehabilitation Science, Nanjing Normal University of Special Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Chang Liu
- School of Psychology and Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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21
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Tang YY, Tang Y, Tang R, Lewis-Peacock JA. Brief Mental Training Reorganizes Large-Scale Brain Networks. Front Syst Neurosci 2017; 11:6. [PMID: 28293180 PMCID: PMC5328965 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidences have shown that one form of mental training—mindfulness meditation, can improve attention, emotion regulation and cognitive performance through changing brain activity and structural connectivity. However, whether and how the short-term mindfulness meditation alters large-scale brain networks are not well understood. Here, we applied a novel data-driven technique, the multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) data to identify changes in brain activity patterns and assess the neural mechanisms induced by a brief mindfulness training—integrative body–mind training (IBMT), which was previously reported in our series of randomized studies. Whole brain rsfMRI was performed on an undergraduate group who received 2 weeks of IBMT with 30 min per session (5 h training in total). Classifiers were trained on measures of functional connectivity in this fMRI data, and they were able to reliably differentiate (with 72% accuracy) patterns of connectivity from before vs. after the IBMT training. After training, an increase in positive functional connections (60 connections) were detected, primarily involving bilateral superior/middle occipital gyrus, bilateral frontale operculum, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, right superior temporal pole, bilateral insula, caudate and cerebellum. These results suggest that brief mental training alters the functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks at rest that may involve a portion of the neural circuitry supporting attention, cognitive and affective processing, awareness and sensory integration and reward processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Yuan Tang
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Yan Tang
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Rongxiang Tang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO, USA
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22
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Lyddy CJ, Good DJ. Being While Doing: An Inductive Model of Mindfulness at Work. Front Psychol 2017; 7:2060. [PMID: 28270775 PMCID: PMC5318448 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.02060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mindfulness at work has drawn growing interest as empirical evidence increasingly supports its positive workplace impacts. Yet theory also suggests that mindfulness is a cognitive mode of "Being" that may be incompatible with the cognitive mode of "Doing" that undergirds workplace functioning. Therefore, mindfulness at work has been theorized as "being while doing," but little is known regarding how people experience these two modes in combination, nor the influences or outcomes of this interaction. Drawing on a sample of 39 semi-structured interviews, this study explores how professionals experience being mindful at work. The relationship between Being and Doing modes demonstrated changing compatibility across individuals and experience, with two basic types of experiences and three types of transitions. We labeled experiences when informants were unable to activate Being mode while engaging Doing mode as Entanglement, and those when informants reported simultaneous co-activation of Being and Doing modes as Disentanglement. This combination was a valuable resource for offsetting important limitations of the typical reliance on the Doing cognitive mode. Overall our results have yielded an inductive model of mindfulness at work, with the core experience, outcomes, and antecedent factors unified into one system that may inform future research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Lyddy
- Department of Management, School of Business, Providence College Providence, RI, USA
| | - Darren J Good
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, Graziadio School of Business and Management, Pepperdine University Malibu, CA, USA
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23
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Short-term Internet-search practicing modulates brain activity during recollection. Neuroscience 2016; 335:82-90. [PMID: 27555549 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Internet-searching behaviors may change ways in which we find, store and consider information. In this study, we tested the effect of short-term Internet-search practicing on recollection processes. Fifty-nine human subjects with valid data (Experimental group, 43; Control group, 16) completed procedures involving a pre-test, 6days of practicing, and a post-test. Behavioral and imaging results were obtained and within- and between-group comparisons were made at pre-test and post-test times. With respect to behavioral performance, six days of practicing was associated with improved behavioral performance during Internet searching: subjects in the experimental group showed shorter response times (RTs) and similar accuracy rates during recollection at post-test as compared to pre-test. During imaging and as compared to pre-test data, subjects in the experimental group showed during post-test recall relatively decreased brain activations bilaterally in the middle frontal and temporal gyri. Such findings were not observed in the control group. The findings suggest that six days of practicing Internet searching may improve the efficiency of Internet searching without influencing the accuracy of recollection, with neuroimaging results implicating cortical regions involved in long-term memory and executive processing.
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24
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Shen W, Yuan Y, Liu C, Zhang X, Luo J, Gong Z. Is creative insight task-specific? A coordinate-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on insightful problem solving. Int J Psychophysiol 2016; 110:81-90. [PMID: 27720998 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The question of whether creative insight varies across problem types has recently come to the forefront of studies of creative cognition. In the present study, to address the nature of creative insight, the coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation (ALE) technique was utilized to individually conduct three quantitative meta-analyses of neuroimaging experiments that used the compound remote associate (CRA) task, the prototype heuristic (PH) task and the Chinese character chunk decomposition (CCD) task. These tasks were chosen because they are frequently used to uncover the neurocognitive correlates of insight. Our results demonstrated that creative insight reliably activates largely non-overlapping brain regions across task types, with the exception of some shared regions: the CRA task mainly relied on the right parahippocampal gyrus, the superior frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus; the PH task primarily depended on the right middle occipital gyrus (MOG), the bilateral superior parietal lobule/precuneus, the left inferior parietal lobule, the left lingual gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus; and the CCD task activated a broad cerebral network consisting of most dorsolateral and medial prefrontal regions, frontoparietal regions and the right MOG. These results provide the first neural evidence of the task dependence of creative insight. The implications of these findings for resolving conflict surrounding the different theories of creative cognition and for defining insight as a set of heterogeneous processes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangbing Shen
- School of Public Administration and Institute of Applied Psychology, Hohai University, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- School of Rehabilitation Science, Nanjing Normal University of Special Education, China; School of Psychology and Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal University, China.
| | - Chang Liu
- School of Psychology and Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal University, China.
| | - Xiaojiang Zhang
- School of Psychology and Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal University, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Capital Normal University, China; Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
| | - Zhe Gong
- School of Psychology and Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal University, China
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25
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Shen W, Yuan Y, Liu C, Luo J. Uncovering the Framework of Brain-Mind-Body in Creative Insight. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1327. [PMID: 27630602 PMCID: PMC5005334 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wangbing Shen
- Institute of Applied Psychology and School of Public Administration, Hohai UniversityNanjing, China
- School of Psychology and Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal UniversityNanjing, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- School of Psychology and Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal UniversityNanjing, China
- School of Rehabilitation Science, Nanjing Normal University of Special EducationNanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Yuan Yuan
| | - Chang Liu
- School of Psychology and Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience, Nanjing Normal UniversityNanjing, China
- Chang Liu
| | - Jing Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, Capital Normal UniversityBeijing, China
- Jing Luo
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26
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Sun J, Chen Q, Zhang Q, Li Y, Li H, Wei D, Yang W, Qiu J. Training your brain to be more creative: brain functional and structural changes induced by divergent thinking training. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:3375-87. [PMID: 27159407 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2015] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Creativity is commonly defined as the ability to produce something both novel and useful. Stimulating creativity has great significance for both individual success and social improvement. Although increasing creative capacity has been confirmed to be possible and effective at the behavioral level, few longitudinal studies have examined the extent to which the brain function and structure underlying creativity are plastic. A cognitive stimulation (20 sessions) method was used in the present study to train subjects and to explore the neuroplasticity induced by training. The behavioral results revealed that both the originality and the fluency of divergent thinking were significantly improved by training. Furthermore, functional changes induced by training were observed in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and posterior brain regions. Moreover, the gray matter volume (GMV) was significantly increased in the dACC after divergent thinking training. These results suggest that the enhancement of creativity may rely not only on the posterior brain regions that are related to the fundamental cognitive processes of creativity (e.g., semantic processing, generating novel associations), but also on areas that are involved in top-down cognitive control, such as the dACC and DLPFC. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3375-3387, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangzhou Sun
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qunlin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Qinglin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yadan Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Haijiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Dongtao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Wenjing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China.,Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
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27
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Malinowski P, Moore AW, Mead BR, Gruber T. Mindful Aging: The Effects of Regular Brief Mindfulness Practice on Electrophysiological Markers of Cognitive and Affective Processing in Older Adults. Mindfulness (N Y) 2015; 8:78-94. [PMID: 28163795 PMCID: PMC5241348 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-015-0482-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
There is growing interest in the potential benefits of mindfulness meditation practices in terms of counteracting some of the cognitive effects associated with aging. Pursuing this question, the aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of mindfulness training on executive control and emotion regulation in older adults, by means of studying behavioral and electrophysiological changes. Participants, 55 to 75 years of age, were randomly allocated to an 8-week mindful breath awareness training group or an active control group engaging in brain training exercises. Before and after the training period, participants completed an emotional-counting Stroop task, designed to measure attentional control and emotion regulation processes. Concurrently, their brain activity was measured by means of 64-channel electroencephalography. The results show that engaging in just over 10 min of mindfulness practice five times per week resulted in significant improvements in behavioral (response latency) and electrophysiological (N2 event-related potential) measures related to general task performance. Analyses of the underlying cortical sources (Variable Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography, VARETA) indicate that this N2-related effect is primarily associated with changes in the right angular gyrus and other areas of the dorsal attention network. However, the study did not find the expected specific improvements in executive control and emotion regulation, which may be due to the training instructions or the relative brevity of the intervention. Overall, the results indicate that engaging in mindfulness meditation training improves the maintenance of goal-directed visuospatial attention and may be a useful strategy for counteracting cognitive decline associated with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Malinowski
- Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF UK
| | - Adam W. Moore
- Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF UK
| | - Bethan R. Mead
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Health and Society, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Thomas Gruber
- Institute for Psychology, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
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28
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Kasai Y, Sakakibara T, Kyaw TA, Soe ZW, Han ZM, Htwe MM. Psychological effects of meditation at a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar. J Ment Health 2015; 26:4-7. [PMID: 26698922 DOI: 10.3109/09638237.2015.1124405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Meditation is widely used as a therapeutic measure because it can effectively reduce stress, pain, and improve the mental health, but there are many unclear points about the psychological effects of meditation. AIMS The purpose of this study is to verify the psychological effects of meditation. METHOD The short version of Profile of Mood States (POMS-SF) and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) were conducted to compare 97 Myanmar people practicing Vipassana contemplation training with 81 Myanmar nurses who did not have any experience with meditation. RESULTS The results of our study revealed that meditation mitigated depressive mood, anger, hostility, and fatigue and increased vigor. The enhancement of psychological flexibility occurred only after practicing meditation for more than a year. CONCLUSIONS It can be considered that meditation mitigates anger, hostility and fatigue and increases vigor at a relatively early stage after starting meditation practice, and if meditation practice is continued for more than a year, enhancement of psychological flexibility can also be expected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Kasai
- a Department of Spinal Surgery and Medical Engineering , Mie University Graduate School of Medicine , Tsu City , Japan
| | - Toshihiko Sakakibara
- a Department of Spinal Surgery and Medical Engineering , Mie University Graduate School of Medicine , Tsu City , Japan
| | - Thein Aung Kyaw
- b Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , University of Medicine , Yangon-1, Yangon , Myanmar , and
| | - Zaw Wai Soe
- b Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , University of Medicine , Yangon-1, Yangon , Myanmar , and
| | - Zaw Min Han
- c Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , University of Medicine , Mandalay , Mandalay , Myanmar
| | - Maung Mg Htwe
- c Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , University of Medicine , Mandalay , Mandalay , Myanmar
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29
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Kong F, Wang X, Song Y, Liu J. Brain regions involved in dispositional mindfulness during resting state and their relation with well-being. Soc Neurosci 2015; 11:331-43. [PMID: 26360907 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1092469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mindfulness can be viewed as an important dispositional characteristic that reflects the tendency to be mindful in daily life, which is beneficial for improving individuals' both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. However, no study to date has examined the brain regions involved in individual differences in dispositional mindfulness during the resting state and its relation with hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. To investigate this issue, the present study employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to evaluate the regional homogeneity (ReHo) that measures the local synchronization of spontaneous brain activity in a large sample. We found that dispositional mindfulness was positively associated with the ReHo in the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), left parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), and right insula implicated in emotion processing, body awareness, and self-referential processing, and negatively associated with the ReHo in right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) implicated in response inhibition and attentional control. Furthermore, we found different neural associations with hedonic (i.e., positive and negative affect) and eudaimonic well-being (i.e., the meaningful and purposeful life). Specifically, the ReHo in the IFG predicted eudaimonic well-being whereas the OFC predicted positive affect, both of which were mediated by dispositional mindfulness. Taken together, our study provides the first evidence for linking individual differences in dispositional mindfulness to spontaneous brain activity and demonstrates that dispositional mindfulness engages multiple brain mechanisms that differentially influence hedonic and eudaimonic well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Kong
- a State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China.,b Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China
| | - Xu Wang
- a State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China.,b Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China
| | - Yiying Song
- a State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China.,b Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China
| | - Jia Liu
- c School of Psychology , Beijing Normal University , Beijing , China
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30
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Dahl CJ, Lutz A, Davidson RJ. Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice. Trends Cogn Sci 2015; 19:515-23. [PMID: 26231761 PMCID: PMC4595910 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 300] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Scientific research highlights the central role of specific psychological processes, in particular those related to the self, in various forms of human suffering and flourishing. This view is shared by Buddhism and other contemplative and humanistic traditions, which have developed meditation practices to regulate these processes. Building on a previous paper in this journal, we propose a novel classification system that categorizes specific styles of meditation into attentional, constructive, and deconstructive families based on their primary cognitive mechanisms. We suggest that meta-awareness, perspective taking and cognitive reappraisal, and self-inquiry may be important mechanisms in specific families of meditation and that alterations in these processes may be used to target states of experiential fusion, maladaptive self-schema, and cognitive reification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cortland J Dahl
- Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA
| | - Antoine Lutz
- Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon, France; Lyon 1 University, Lyon, France
| | - Richard J Davidson
- Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA.
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31
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Shen W, Yuan Y, Liu C, Luo J. In search of the ‘Aha!’ experience: Elucidating the emotionality of insight problem-solving. Br J Psychol 2015; 107:281-98. [DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Revised: 05/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wangbing Shen
- School of Public Administration and Institute of Applied Psychology; Hohai University; Nanjing China
- School of Psychology; Nanjing Normal University; Nanjing China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- School of Psychology; Nanjing Normal University; Nanjing China
| | - Chang Liu
- School of Psychology; Nanjing Normal University; Nanjing China
| | - Jing Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition; Capital Normal University; Beijing China
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health; Institute of Psychology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
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Fan Y, Tang YY, Tang R, Posner MI. Time course of conflict processing modulated by brief meditation training. Front Psychol 2015; 6:911. [PMID: 26191022 PMCID: PMC4490222 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Resolving conflict is a pivotal self-control ability for human adaptation and survival. Although some studies reported meditation may affect conflict resolution, the neural mechanisms are poorly understood. We conducted a fully randomized 5 h trial of one form of mindfulness meditation—integrative body-mind training (IBMT) in comparison to a relaxation training control. During the Stroop word-color task, IBMT group produced faster resolution of conflict, a smaller N2 and an earlier and larger P3 component of the event-related brain potentials. These results indicate that brief meditation training induces a brain state that improves the resolution of conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yi-Yuan Tang
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University , Lubbock, TX, USA ; Department of Psychology, University of Oregon , Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Rongxiang Tang
- Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael I Posner
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon , Eugene, OR, USA
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The Meditative Mind: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of MRI Studies. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:419808. [PMID: 26146618 PMCID: PMC4471247 DOI: 10.1155/2015/419808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade mind and body practices, such as yoga and meditation, have raised interest in different scientific fields; in particular, the physiological mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects observed in meditators have been investigated. Neuroimaging studies have studied the effects of meditation on brain structure and function and findings have helped clarify the biological underpinnings of the positive effects of meditation practice and the possible integration of this technique in standard therapy. The large amount of data collected thus far allows drawing some conclusions about the neural effects of meditation practice. In the present study we used activation likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis to make a coordinate-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging data on the effects of meditation on brain structure and function. Results indicate that meditation leads to activation in brain areas involved in processing self-relevant information, self-regulation, focused problem-solving, adaptive behavior, and interoception. Results also show that meditation practice induces functional and structural brain modifications in expert meditators, especially in areas involved in self-referential processes such as self-awareness and self-regulation. These results demonstrate that a biological substrate underlies the positive pervasive effect of meditation practice and suggest that meditation techniques could be adopted in clinical populations and to prevent disease.
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