The Role of Executive Function in Children’s Mindfulness Experience

Abstract

Objectives The effects of a 6-week mindfulness program were examined to assess how executive function level played a role in students’ mindful experience. The effects of the mindfulness program were evaluated according to prospective outcomes across students’ level of executive function, in comparison to an active control group. Methods Classrooms were randomly assigned to a mindfulness-based program or a health-based active control group. Pre- and early adolescent students in the 5th to 8th grade (N = 52) from two MindfulMe! program classrooms and two HealthyMe! program classrooms (active control group) completed self-reported pre-test and post-test measures to assess mindful attention awareness, strengths and difficulties, anxious arousal, rumination, and optimism. A composite score was created from student-, teacher-, and parent-reported BRIEF2 screening forms to determine students’ approximate level of executive function prior to the beginning of the program. Results There was a significant decrease in rumination for students in the mindfulness-based intervention when compared to the active controls. Findings suggest executive function predicted an individual’s change score in total difficulties, mindful attention awareness, optimism, and anxious arousal, after participating in a mindfulness-based intervention. Conclusions Mindfulness-based interventions appear to particularly benefit those with higher levels of executive function; however, an active control did not variably impact students according to their level of executive function.

The Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Training in an Elementary School in Germany

“…To further explore the possible influence of mindfulness programs on attentional tasks, future studies should investigate attentional tasks beyond inhibition. Butterfield and Roberts ( 2022 ) discussed the role of EFs in children’s experiences of mindfulness because EFs may also matter for understanding nonsignificant outcomes in MBIs. The two authors consider that research on MBIs often presents nonsignificant results without appreciating the significant benefits that might accrue for a subset of participants.…”

“…Mindfulness meditation training has been suggested as one promising intervention (Yuan, 2021 ). Thus, integrating mindfulness interventions into the school day could be a valuable measure to promote mental health in pandemic times (Butterfield & Roberts, 2022 ).…”

“…Moreover, in addition to the passive control group, it would be useful to include an active control group (e.g., with relaxation techniques) in future studies to increase internal validity (Jalón et al, 2022 ). Butterfield and Roberts ( 2022 ) assumed an overestimation of the positive effects due to mindfulness compared with a passive control group who took part in their normal school routine. In addition, because this study involved fourth graders who moved on to secondary school after the school year, follow-up testing was not possible for organizational reasons.…”