Psychology
Understanding the Effects of Meditation on False Memories Using the DRM Paradigm
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Location
Indianapolis, IN
Subject Area
Psychology
Start Date
13-4-2018 10:45 AM
End Date
13-4-2018 11:45 AM
Sponsor
Amanda Hall (Butler University)
Description
Meditation and its effects on cognitive processing have been topics researched through multiple studies with the results varying regarding whether meditation has any effect on cognition. In a previous study, Levy et al. (2012) identified that participating in mindfulness meditation improved multitasking abilities under stress whereas research conducted by Wilson et al. (2015) denied the positive effects of mindfulness and instead observed impairments in some cognitive processes, including diminished reality monitoring accuracy and increased false recall amongst those participating in the mindfulness exercise. In our study, we looked to better understand the effects of meditation on cognition by exploring the effects of mindfulness, mind-wandering, and breathing-focused meditation on susceptibility to false memories. Using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, participants were directed to study 6 lists of words with a free recall task following each list. Our study is differentiated through the incorporation of a mindfulness meditation condition that focused participants’ attention on their bodies through a guided body scan, a “sham” meditation that instructed some participants to focus their attention on their breathing, and a mind-wandering condition in which some participants were encouraged to let their minds wander freely. After studying the first 6 lists of words, participants were given one of the three meditation conditions, lasting approximately 15 minutes, followed by 6 more DRM lists and recall tasks. All participants returned 24 hours later to complete a recognition test. Using both the immediate recall and delayed recognition tasks, we found that mindfulness meditation reduces false recognition, but not false recall.
Understanding the Effects of Meditation on False Memories Using the DRM Paradigm
Indianapolis, IN
Meditation and its effects on cognitive processing have been topics researched through multiple studies with the results varying regarding whether meditation has any effect on cognition. In a previous study, Levy et al. (2012) identified that participating in mindfulness meditation improved multitasking abilities under stress whereas research conducted by Wilson et al. (2015) denied the positive effects of mindfulness and instead observed impairments in some cognitive processes, including diminished reality monitoring accuracy and increased false recall amongst those participating in the mindfulness exercise. In our study, we looked to better understand the effects of meditation on cognition by exploring the effects of mindfulness, mind-wandering, and breathing-focused meditation on susceptibility to false memories. Using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, participants were directed to study 6 lists of words with a free recall task following each list. Our study is differentiated through the incorporation of a mindfulness meditation condition that focused participants’ attention on their bodies through a guided body scan, a “sham” meditation that instructed some participants to focus their attention on their breathing, and a mind-wandering condition in which some participants were encouraged to let their minds wander freely. After studying the first 6 lists of words, participants were given one of the three meditation conditions, lasting approximately 15 minutes, followed by 6 more DRM lists and recall tasks. All participants returned 24 hours later to complete a recognition test. Using both the immediate recall and delayed recognition tasks, we found that mindfulness meditation reduces false recognition, but not false recall.