Understanding the cognitive effects of school-based mindfulness intervention on adolescents

Abstract

Mindfulness has the potential to cultivate the capacity to sustain attention, a foundation of effective learning. In this research program with two studies, the overarching aim was to examine the cognitive effects of mindfulness among adolescents. The secondary aim was to investigate the psychological mechanism that explains the association between mindfulness and the cognitive capacities. Non-reactivity might be the mediator between mindfulness and the cognitive capacities because mindfulness practices develop the ability to be present with whatever arises in the field of experience without identifying with it. Study 1 was a correlational study that investigated the association between cognition and dispositional tendency in mindfulness. Grade 7 students (N = 124) from a coeducational secondary school in Hong Kong participated in this study. Participants were asked to complete a computerized working memory task (Operational Span Task, OSPAN), a listening comprehension task and a battery of self-report measures (Chinese translated Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised, CAMS-R; non-reactivity subscale of the Chinese Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, FFMQ-NR). Significant and positive association was found between mindfulness and the cognitive capacities as measured by OSPAN and listening comprehension. Mediation analysis revealed that the non-reactive tendency was a significant mediator between mindfulness and OSPAN but not listening comprehension. The preliminary findings reinforce the associations reported previously between mindfulness and cognition (Mrazek et al., 2013; Quach et al., 2016). However, causal relations and the mechanism of change remained to be elucidated. To address these concerns, Study 2, a field experiment of a school-based mindfulness intervention was conducted. Study 2 was a randomized controlled trial with two conditions to examine the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness intervention. Grade 7 student participants (N = 128) were randomly assigned to an experimental condition (mindfulness intervention, n = 64) or an active control condition (life education, n = 64). They were from the same secondary school as the participants in Study 1. Across the three assessment time points of (1) baseline, (2) post-intervention, and (3) three-month follow-up, participants completed the same measures of Study 1. ANCOVA of the post-intervention measures with baseline measures as covariate did not show group differences. However, paired sample t-tests showed that mindfulness participants had improved performance in OSPAN and listening comprehension at posttest. Less improvement was observed in their counterparts in the active control condition. The improved cognitive capacities were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Non-reactivity was not found to be a significant mediator between mindfulness and the outcome variables. These mixed findings point to the directions for future investigation. In addition to the self-report measures, objective measurement such as neuroimaging may provide a more thorough understanding into the mechanism of change. Furthermore, low home practice compliance and long interval between lessons in the present study might limit the quality of inference to be drawn. Overall, the results of the two studies provided preliminary evidence of potential benefits of mindfulness on cognition. Specifically Study 2 demonstrated the feasibility of mindfulness program in school setting and had implications on future implementation and evaluation of school-based mindfulness intervention.