Sitting with it: An investigation of the relationship between trait mindfulness and sustained attention

The moderating role of extraversion in the relationship between trait mindfulness and pain adaptation

Introduction

Pain habituation, the reduction in response to repeated painful stimuli, is a positive adaptation process, while pain sensitization is linked to chronic pain. Traits like mindfulness and extraversion affect pain processing, but their influence on pain adaptation and potential interactions remains underexplored. This study aimed to examine the relationship between trait mindfulness, extraversion, and pain adaptation, assessing their predictive value and any interaction effects.

Materials and method

Fifty-two healthy participants, mean age = 23.29 ± 2.052 years, completed questionnaires measuring trait mindfulness and extraversion, followed by an experimental pain stimulation to assess pain adaptation. Correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were used to explore the relationships between traits and pain adaptation, and potential interaction effects.

Result

Trait mindfulness positively correlated with extraversion, but neither trait showed a significant correlation with pain adaptation. In addition, neither trait mindfulness nor extraversion significantly predicted pain adaptation. However, a significant interaction was found between the two traits, suggesting that extraversion moderates the relationship between trait mindfulness and pain adaptation.

Conclusion

Trait mindfulness and extraversion are interrelated traits whose interaction affects pain habituation and the extent to which individuals with higher levels of trait mindfulness exhibit greater pain adaptation appears to depend on their levels of extraversion. These findings suggest that trait mindfulness and extraversion may act as protective factors in chronic pain development. Mindfulness-based interventions may be particularly effective for individuals with specific personality traits. This can inform further research to explore these implications for pain management.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have emerged in recent years as a strong candidate for the treatment of a range of difficulties faced by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including cognitive, emotional, and social aspects. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a review that systematically examined the efficacy of MBIs for individuals with ASD and their caregivers.

METHODS

This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our literature search was conducted within the MEDLINE database. We included in the review only longitudinal or intervention studies focusing mainly on mindfulness principles, while we excluded mixed intervention studies. We only included studies that explicitly utilized quantitative methodologies for evaluating the outcomes of the interventions, including mental health indices (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) and assessments of cognitive and social skills (e.g., attention, prosociality). We conducted also a risk of bias assessment through the method of the Cochrane risk of bias tool for intervention studies ROBINS-I.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven studies were included in the review, and we grouped the studies by the targets of the interventions, i.e., adults (n = 12), children and adolescents (n = 9), caregivers and medical staff (n = 13), and combined intervention for both children/adolescents and their parents/caregivers (n = 5). The reviewed papers seem to support the feasibility and utility of mindfulness interventions for persons with ASD and their caregivers, but any recommendations based on this body of evidence should be made with caution due to the overall low quality of the studies conducted so far.

CONCLUSIONS

The review reveals a positive outcome, including the alleviation of psychological distress, reduced behavioral problems, and enhanced cognitive and social skills in individuals with ASD. Despite such promising results, the review notes a limitation in the scarcity of MBIs for young patients, emphasizing caution in universally endorsing the existing literature. Moreover, the results underline the urgency of the exploration of tailored interventions for different ASD subgroups, considering varying levels of autism, and expanding support to teachers in educational settings.

Mindfulness matters: Unveiling the relationship between trait mindfulness and procrastination - A three level meta-analysis

Procrastination is a personality tendency with several deleterious consequences. Trait mindfulness has been found to be associated with procrastination. Nevertheless, the relationship between trait mindfulness and procrastination has yielded inconsistent results in previous studies. Therefore, by utilizing a three-level random-effects meta-analysic model, the present study synthesized previous studies to investigate the relationship between trait mindfulness and procrastination and explore the potential moderators that may affect this relationship. A significant and negative relationship between trait mindfulness and procrastination (r = -0.365; p < 0.0001) was found by analyzing 36 effect sizes from 19 studies with 14,094 participants. The subsequent moderator analysis did not reveal any significant moderators. Overall, the current meta-analysis shed insightful light on information for future research on reducing procrastination by considering utilizing mindfulness-based interventions that make it easier for individuals to maintain a mindfulness state and enhance trait mindfulness, thereby reducing procrastination.

The relationship between sustained attention and parasympathetic functioning

Sustained attention (SA) is an important cognitive ability that plays a crucial role in successful cognitive control. Resting vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) has emerged as an informative index of parasympathetic nervous system activity and a sensitive correlate of individual differences in cognitive control. However, it is unclear how resting vmHRV is associated with individual differences in sustained attention. The primary aim of the current study was to assess if resting vmHRV was associated with individual differences in performance on a neuropsychological assessment of sustained attention. We further aimed to characterize the relationship between resting vmHRV and dispositional factors related to sustained attention, specifically attentional errors in daily life, self-regulation, mindfulness and media-multitasking. Based on previous work, we hypothesized higher resting vmHRV would be associated with better sustained attention across task-based and self-report measures. We did not find resting vmHRV to be significantly associated with performance measures on a task-based assessment of sustained attention. Further, resting vmHRV was not significantly associated with attention errors, self-regulation, mindfulness, or media-multitasking. This work stands to expand the current understanding between parasympathetic functioning, cognition, and behavior, investigating the unexplored domain of sustained attention and related dispositional factors.

From theory to practice: a novel meditation program at a global corporation

Global levels of stress, worry, sadness, and anger hit new highs in recent years, and employee well-being has been identified as a necessary focus in occupational health. Developed over 6 years in a large multi-national company, the Meditation Without Expectations™ 8-week course evolved from theories to practice. The intervention teaches 8 meditation techniques in a specific order and incorporates health coaching and adult learning principles that drive impact. The wellbeing program was offered using a virtual online platform to employees in more than 30 countries during 2021-22. Its effectiveness was evaluated using established standard questions and cutting-edge consumer research methods. The descriptive study uses quantitative and qualitative analyses from more than a thousand employees. Paired t-tests are used to compare pre- and post-course survey scores. The test subjects who completed the 8-week course had significant improvements (p < 0.0001) across genders, geographies, and durations of employment, and in all measured domains of stress, mindfulness, resiliency, and empathy, whereas the comparison group did not. Advanced topics analysis is used to extract common learning objectives from unstructured text submitted by enrolled employees, which helped focus the intervention on what people need or want to learn. A proprietary artificial intelligence model is used to classify subjects' comments after completing the course, finding highly positive outcomes with potential for new habit creation due to a mental model change. A framework of characteristics that make the intervention impactful is also shared.