Cited by 262Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesMind wandering and attention

Effects of Level of Meditation Experience on Attentional Focus: Is the Efficiency of Executive or Orientation Networks Improved?

Chan, Davina, Woollacott, Marjorie·2007·The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

Abstract

The present investigation examined the contributions of specific attentional networks to long-term trait effects of meditation. It was hypothesized that meditation could improve the efficiency of executive processing (inhibits prepotent/incorrect responses) or orientational processing (orients to specific objects in the attentional field). Participants (50 meditators and 10 controls) were given the Stroop (measures executive attention) and Global-Local Letters (measures orientational attention) tasks. Results showed that meditation experience was associated with reduced interference on the Stroop task (p < 0.03), in contrast with a lack of effect on interference in the Global-Local Letters task. This suggests that meditation produces long-term increases in the efficiency of the executive attentional network (anterior cingulate/prefrontal cortex) but no effect on the orientation network (parietal systems). The amount of time participants spent meditating each day, rather than the total number of hours of meditative practice over their lifetime, was negatively correlated with interference on the Stroop task (r = -0.31, p < 0.005).

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Crossref · 10.1089/acm.2007.7022

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Authors
Chan, D., & Woollacott, M.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Berkeley (US)
  • University of Oregon (US)
Venue
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
Published
2007-08
Volume
13
Issue
6
Pages
651-658
ISSN
  • 1075-5535 (ISSN-L)
  • 1557-7708
OpenAlex
W2023692990
Cited by
262
References
26
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 23
FWCI
7.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
Keywords
meditation, attentional networks, executive attention, Stroop interference, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, parietal cortex, response inhibition
MeSH terms
Adult, Cues, Female, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Middle Aged, Orientation, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, Visual Perception, Meditation

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