East Carolina University : Research and Creative Achievement Week 2012
An Examination of the Psychological & Neurological Mechanisms of Mindfulness Meditation Practice, Suzanne M. Frisbee, Christyn L. Dolbier, PhD, Department of Psychology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858 Background: The stress levels of college students are much higher than other groups. Mindfulness meditation (MM), the practice of focusing one’s attention on the present moment without judgment, is an empirically supported stress reduction technique that is effective in reducing overall negative mood. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of MM can aid in the refinement of MM interventions, resulting in brief and effective MM that can be integrated into the busy lives of college students. Proposed mechanisms include specific brain activity experienced meditators achieve that corresponds to focused attention and emotion regulation. Of particular relevance to MM are theta brain waves in the frontal brain region that correspond to attentional processing, left-sided frontal activation that corresponds to emotion regulation, and alpha brain waves in the posterior brain region that correspond to relaxation. Purpose: The aims of this study are to: 1) examine the effects of MM on brain activity in a sample of undergraduates; and 2) relate brain activity to proposed psychological mechanisms by which MM achieves its benefits. Methods: This study began in the fall semester of 2011 and is ongoing through the spring 2012 semester. It employs an experimental within-group research design in which each participant receives a one-week MM intervention. Thirty undergraduates recruited through the Psychology Department's participant pool attend two identical lab sessions one week apart. Lab sessions will include: 20 minutes of MM led by instructional CD; brain activity assessed using an electroencephalogram before and during MM; and psychological measures assessed using surveys before and after MM. Participants are instructed to practice MM daily for one week in between lab sessions. Hypotheses: I hypothesize that compared to baseline levels, during MM participants will have greater: 1a) frontal theta activity; 2a) left-sided frontal activation; and 3a) posterior alpha activity. I further hypothesize that: 1b) frontal theta activity will correspond to self-reports of greater focused attention; 2b) left-sided frontal activation will correspond to self-reports of greater positive affect; and 3b) posterior alpha activity will correspond to self-reports of greater relaxation. I expect my hypotheses to show some support from the first lab session, but even stronger support from the second lab session.
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