Mindfulness and mind wandering: The protective effects of brief meditation in anxious individuals

Xu, Mengran; Purdon, Christine; Seli, Paul; Smilek, Daniel

doi:10.1016/j.concog.2017.03.009

Cited by 78 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…More differently-and evidence suggests that they do-then ignoring their diversity may lead to underspecified or erroneous conclusions. Take, for instance, a study of mindfulness meditation's effects on rates of stimulus-dependent and stimulus-independent TUT [35]. Participants first completed a sustained-attention task intermittently interrupted by "thought probes" that asked whether any TUTs they experienced were stimulus-dependent or stimulus-independent (pretest).…”

Section: The Mind-wandering Family: Inclusion and Exclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind-wandering as a natural kind: A family-resemblances view

Seli¹,

Kane²,

Smallwood³

et al. 2018

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As empirical research on mind-wandering accelerates, we draw attention to an emerging trend in how mind-wandering is conceptualized. Previously articulated definitions of mind-wandering differ from each other in important ways, yet they also maintain overlapping characteristics. This conceptual structure suggests that mind-wandering is best considered from a family-resemblances perspective, which entails treating it as a graded, heterogeneous construct and clearly measuring and describing the specific aspect(s) of mind-wandering that researchers are investigating. We believe that adopting this family-resemblances approach will increase conceptual and methodological connections among related phenomena in the mind-wandering family and encourage a more nuanced and precise understanding of the many varieties of mind-wandering.

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Section: The Mind-wandering Family: Inclusion and Exclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mind-wandering as a natural kind: A family-resemblances view

Seli¹,

Kane²,

Smallwood³

et al. 2018

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Previous investigations have shown that empathy, which involves cognitive and emotional understanding of others, is related to emotional regulation [67] and the identification of others' situations, that enable the emergence of prosocial attitudes [8,20]. Other studies have shown that mindfulnessbased practices can contribute to the regulation of emotions as well as attentional focus (e.g., [3,6,51,[68][69][70]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Complex Dynamics at School Environment

et al. 2018

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In this work we use complex systems methodologies to analyze quantitatively the impact of an intervention involving cooperative and self-awareness activities on social interactions in children. The aim of this study is to evaluate behavioral plasticity of social relationships between peers in 6-7 year-olds who participated in the intervention conducted in a school context. The intervention consisted of 8 one-hour long sessions comprising mindfulness-based practices, collaborative activities that required cooperation, and perspective-taking instances in which children shared feelings, perceptions, and needs felt during the activities. We used complex network and game theory to evaluate pre-post-intervention variations. Social relationship was analyzed with a sociogram in both the intervention group and a control group which continued with regular classes. By means of the sociometric questionnaire we asked each child to mention which classmates he/she would choose as playmates and which he/she would not. Changes in the number of peers selected and rejected reflected changes in the pattern of social relationships pre-post-intervention. Our findings show that participating in the intervention positively modulated social interactions since we found an increase in the diversity and quality of positive links and a reduction in negative ones; a higher level of integration, indicated by enhanced positive networks where children with many positive connections tended to connect with those with few links; and more positive interactions between genders. These findings were not observed in the control group. Through the use of the mentioned methodologies, the current investigation provides new quantitative evidence of social network plasticity in children, an important topic which, to our knowledge, has been little studied. Results from this work indicate that positive transformations in social relationships can be fostered through the performance of this kind of intervention.

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“…The problem is that our own thoughts, which are often negative, as well as our automatic stressful reactions to them, get in the way of us fully participating in life as it is happening in the here and now. Despite the brain's hardwiring to wander off, the good news is we can train the brain to help us be more present (Xu, Purdon, Seli, & Smilek, 2017)-which is, when you stop to think about it, when life really happens. When we are more present, we might fi nd that we can connect and engage with ourselves, family, friends, and colleagues in ways that are healthy and enjoyable.…”

Section: Mindfulness and Its Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%