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Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
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Published on: July 5, 2015

Mindfulness and mind-wandering: finding convergence through opposing constructs.

Michael D Mrazek1, Jonathan Smallwood2, Jonathan W Schooler1

  • 1Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California.

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|February 8, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mindfulness and mind-wandering are opposing states. Practicing mindful breathing reduces mind-wandering, validating mindfulness as a key factor in attention control.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Research on mindfulness and mind-wandering has increased, but their relationship remains unclear.
  • Mindfulness involves present-moment awareness, while mind-wandering is a shift away from the current task.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the opposing relationship between mindfulness and mind-wandering.
  • To validate the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS) as a measure of dispositional mindfulness.
  • To investigate the effect of mindful breathing on reducing mind-wandering.

Main Methods:

  • Study 1: Correlated MAAS scores with self-reported and indirect measures of mind-wandering.
  • Study 2: Compared behavioral indicators of mind-wandering during a Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) after mindful breathing, passive relaxation, or reading.

Main Results:

  • Negative correlations between dispositional mindfulness (MAAS) and mind-wandering measures confirmed their opposing relationship.
  • Mindful breathing significantly reduced behavioral indicators of mind-wandering compared to passive relaxation and reading.
  • The MAAS was validated as a reliable dispositional measure of mindfulness.

Conclusions:

  • Mindfulness and mind-wandering are inversely related constructs.
  • Mindful breathing is an effective intervention for reducing mind-wandering.
  • These findings integrate separate research streams on mindfulness and mind-wandering.