Strengths and Weaknesses
Strength or Weakness and Why?
Sample Size
Named Issue it Affects
Weakness
Why: Difficult to Generalize it to whole population
Named Issue: Decreases Generalizability
What were participants required to do first?
Get a scan of their brain
Research method in this study
longitudinal experiment
The regions of interest during the pre and post brain scans
hippocampus, insuala (in both hemispheres), bilateral hippocampi, and bilateral insulae
When __________ the cahgnes in mindfulness scores betweent the MBSR and control groups. there was a __________ among the MBSR group in three subscales
comparing, significant increase
Strength or Weakness and Why?
Longitudinal Design
Name Issue it Affects
Strength
Why? limits participant variables that may have been impacted earlier cross-sectional studies on mindfulness and/or limited impact of participant variables
Name Issue: Increases Internal Validity
The Higher the Score on the FFMQ (Five factors of Mindfullness Survey meant?
Experimental Design in this study
Independent Measures
Brain's ability to change
Neuroplasticity
decreases
Strength or Weakness and Why?
Control Group
Name Issue it Affects
Strength
Why? Compares results to ensure that changes weren't due solelt to the passage of time
Name Issue: Increases Internal Validity
quantitative
neurogenesis
formation of new neurons and synapses between neurons
______ clusters in the brain of MBSR group had significant ___________in brain matter
Four, increase
Strength or Weakness and Why?
MRI Scan
Named Issue it Affects
Strength
Why? Objective, quantitative data
Named Issue: Increases Reliablity
How long was the recording of guided exercises to practice daily (homework)
45 minutes
The Aim of this study
the potential long-term effect of a mindfulness course by comparing grey matter concentration before and after intervention to identify regions that are associated with mindfulness
scan uses magnetic fields, radio waves, computerized enhancement to map out the brain structure
MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging
22.6 hours, 27 min/day
average time that participants spent on mindfulness homework over the eight-week course
Strength or Weakness and Why?
Use of questionaires
Named issue it affects
Weakness
Why? Could be Social desirablity
Named Issue: Descreases Internal Validity
What were the 5 factors measured on the five factors of mindfullness questionaire (FFMQ)
Observing
Describing
Acting with Awareness
NonJudging and inner-experience
No Reactivity
Independent and Dependent Variables in this study
IV: enrollment in MBSR program
DV: changes in grey matter, changes in questionaire responses
a state achieved through meditation that aims to increase awarenss of the present- enables people to look at themselves in a compassionate way
Mindfulness
In the control group, __________cluster showed signifcant decrease in grey matter
PCC (Poste cingulate cortext)