Brief Mindfulness Intervention Improved Self-Reported Acceptance but Not Neural or Behavioral Reactivity to Errors

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Mindfulness Research

Background:

• Acceptance is a core mindfulness component.
• Mindfulness interventions aim to increase acceptance and reduce emotional reactivity.
• Error processing involves neural and behavioral markers like ERN, Pe, and PES.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if a brief mindfulness intervention (MI) increases acceptance.
• To examine if MI reduces affective reactivity to errors.
• To assess changes in error-related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe), and post-error slowing (PES) after MI.

Main Methods:

• Pretest-posttest design with meditation-naïve participants (n=121).
• Random assignment to a 10-minute guided mindful breathing group or a control group (Ted talk).
• Flanker task administered before and after intervention to measure error processing.

Main Results:

• The mindfulness group reported significantly greater acceptance post-intervention.
• No significant changes were observed in ERN or post-error slowing (PES).
• Both groups exhibited practice effects (faster reaction times, larger Pe amplitudes).

Conclusions:

• A brief MI can enhance subjective acceptance.
• Short-term mindfulness practice may not be sufficient to modify neural or behavioral error reactivity.
• More extensive mindfulness training might be necessary to influence deeper cognitive-emotional processes.