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LPP slopes index attention dynamics: Evidence from mindfulness inductions
Ben Swanson1, Yanli Lin2, Matt R Judah2
1Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA. bs093@uark.edu.
Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience
|June 9, 2026
Summary
The study found that the slope of the late positive potential (LPP) reflects attentional dynamics. Mindfulness inductions, like focused attention, altered LPP slopes, validating their use as a neural marker for attention control.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
- Attention Research
Background:
- The late positive potential (LPP) is a neural marker of motivated attention to salient stimuli.
- Traditional LPP measurement (mean amplitude) may not capture rapid attentional dynamics.
- LPP slope (rate of amplitude change) is a newer metric, but its functional significance needs validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional significance and experimental sensitivity of LPP slope.
- To determine if LPP slope can serve as a neural marker for attention dynamics.
- To examine how focused attention (FA) and open monitoring (OM) mindfulness affect LPP slope during affective picture viewing.
Main Methods:
- Re-analysis of data from a within-subject crossover experiment (N=29).
- Attention manipulated via FA and open monitoring (OM) mindfulness inductions versus an active control.
- Participants viewed negative and neutral images during an affective picture viewing task.
Main Results:
- Focused attention (FA) induction resulted in flatter, more positive LPP slopes for both negative and neutral images, indicating enhanced attentional stability.
- Open monitoring (OM) induction selectively produced flatter LPP slopes for negative images, suggesting reduced reactive disengagement from aversive stimuli.
- LPP slopes demonstrated sensitivity to direct experimental manipulation of attentional control.
Conclusions:
- LPP slope is a sensitive neural marker for assessing attention dynamics.
- Mindfulness inductions differentially modulate LPP slope, providing experimental evidence for its utility.
- This study validates the use of LPP slope in understanding attentional control and its neural underpinnings.
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