No evidence for mindfulness intervention effects on metacognition in value-based decisions

Theoretical accounts posit that mindfulness and metacognition are closely linked. We therefore tested the hypothesis that mindfulness training improves metacognitive sensitivity in value-based decision making as well as the (metacognition-dependent) ability to anticipate preference reversals. In a pre-registered study following a pre-test/post-test design, healthy participants performed tasks measuring metacognitive sensitivity for decisions between smaller-sooner versus larger-later rewards and the ability to anticipate preference reversals after a mindfulness versus control training lasting 31 days. There was no evidence that the mindfulness training, relative to a control training, changed decision making, confidence ratings, or metacognitive sensitivity in the intertemporal choice task. Likewise, we observed no training effects on the willingness to prevent preference reversals via precommitment. For all non-significant training findings, Bayes factors support the null hypothesis (no influence of mindfulness training) over the alternative hypothesis. Taken together, our results provide no evidence that mindfulness training improves metacognitive skills in value-based choice (and even Bayesian evidence for a lack of mindfulness effects on metacognition), suggesting that the hypothesized link between metacognition and mindfulness might be weaker than assumed by theoretical accounts.