MISC
Define mindfulness.
A state of present-moment awareness associated with compassionate, nonjudgmental and non-reactive responses
What was the aim of the study?
To investigate the potential long term effect of a mindfulness-based stress reduction» t program on brain grey matter density
Describe the ethics
informed consent was taken, two participants withdrew because they were uncomfortable. Not every participant left in the same psychological state that they entered in.
What is MBSR
It is an evidence-based, 8 week program that teaches individuals how to manage stress and improve their overall well-being through mindfulness practices
What is FFMQ?
The FFMQ is a self-report questionnaire
How does meditation affect the brain according to Hölzel et al?
meditation increases gray matter density in brain areas linked to memory, learning, and emotion regulation. This shows that meditation can physically change the brain, supporting the idea of neuroplasticity.
What was the research method?
Experimental using longitudinal design
Explain how this study could be applied to everyday life
The results might be useful for people who are experiencing memory problems. They could be enrolled into MBSR program to help them increase brain density in the hippocampus, which can help their memory.
Identify two of the 3 types of mindfulness exercises Ps learned in the study.
1. body scan
2. mindful yoga
3. sitting meditation
Identify three of the Five Facets of Mindfulness assessed by the FFMQ.
observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging to inner experience, non-reactivity to inner experience
Outline two assumption of the biological approach.
Behaviour, cognition, and emotions can be explained by brain structures, genetics, the role of hormones, and evolution.
Similarities and differences between people can be understood in terms of biological factors and their interaction with other factors
What was the conclusion of the study?
There was a longitudinal change in the brain grey matter concentration as a result of the eight week MBSR program. Participating in mindfulness activities can increase brain grey matter. Holzel et al concluded that the adult nervous system has the capacity for plasticity, and the structure of the brain can change in response to training, and increased grey matter results from repeated activation of a brain region.
Describe the validity
Outline two weaknesses of using an MRI in the Holzel study.
Describe why the FFMQ uses reverse scoring.
It reduces response bias, which is when Ps answer questions without paying close attention to their content. By reducing response bias and forcing Ps to pay closer attention, reverse scoring increases the validity of the Ps responses.
Describe individual and situational explanations
Individual- participants had a wide range of times engaged in the different parts of the program. Therefore, there may be some personality types that engage in the program more or less successfully.
Situational- the process of engaging in the program did affect grey matter density compared to the control group who did not engage in mindfulness techniques.
For the Holzel study, identify:
a. experimental design
b. independent variable
c. dependent variable (2)
1. Independent measures - Ps either took part in the MBSR or they didn't.
2. Exposure to the MBSR course
3. #1 - changes in grey matter as measured by the MRI, #2 - changes in FFMQ results
Strengths of Reliability
Outline how Rs used an MRI in the Holzel study
Desribe a result from the FFMQ in the Holzel study.
The experimental group significantly increased their score on 3 of the 5 subscales of the FFMQ
The increase in the scores of the experimental group was significantly greater than the control group.
Outline one assumption of the biological approach.
Explain how it applies to the Holzel study.
Behaviour, cognition, and emotions can be explained by brain structures, genetics, the role of hormones, and evolution. In the Holzel study, the participants' behavior (meditation) was shown to influence their brain structures (increasing gray matter concentration in certain areas).
Describe the sample
Sixteen participants (6 males, 10 females) enrolled in an MBSR course at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, with two withdrawing due to discomfort. A control group of 17 (11 males, 6 females) did not participate in MBSR. Participants were required to be physically and psychologically healthy, medication-free, right-handed, and committed to attending all sessions and completing daily mindfulness homework. They had minimal prior meditation experience and no MRI contraindications.
Evaluate the generalisability of the results in Holzel et al.
Strengths: Sample was somewhat representative as it included... Wide range of ages 25-55, Males and females, Some variety of ethnicity
Weaknesses: All seeking treatment for STRESS (non-stressed Ps may react differently), Excluded those with mental disorders (so results may not apply to them), All right-handed (left-handed brains may function differently)
On average, how much time did the experimental group spend doing homework, body scan practice, mindful yoga, and sitting meditation?
Formal homework- 22.6 hours
Body scan practice- 699 mins (335-1002 mins)
Mindful Yoga- 327 mins (103-775 mins)
Sitting meditation-332 mins (0-755 mins)
Describe the correlation between FFMQ score change and grey matter change.
There was no correlation between these factors.