Mindfulness and working memory capacity: two comprehensive meta-analyses examining working memory as a mechanism of mindfulness

Mindfulness has been shown to be beneficial for a wide range of psychological outcomes, yet the mechanisms through which mindfulness exerts its salutary effects are unclear. One proposed mechanism explaining how mindfulness works is working memory capacity (WMC). The aim of this project was to examine the potential mechanistic relationship between mindfulness and WMC by conducting two related meta-analyses, one examining the correlation (r) between trait/dispositional mindfulness and WMC, and one examining the overall effect (g) of mindfulness-based interventions on WMC. Compiling data from 4,594 participants across 42 unique studies, the correlation meta-analysis found an overall small, positive, statistically significant association between trait mindfulness and WMC (r = 0.127). Compiling data from 7,474 participants across 108 unique studies, the intervention meta-analysis found an overall small-to-medium, positive, statistically significant effect of mindfulness interventions on WMC (g = 0.376). The results of both meta-analyses did not differ significantly based on participant clinical status, intervention type, treatment length, or WMC measure validity, and quality control analyses suggested robust findings. Moderator analyses in the correlation meta-analysis indicated that the overall effect was significantly higher among youth and males. Potential explanations for the effect of age include greater malleability in cognitive capacity among developing brains, difference in measure choice, and higher statistical variability. However, there were no age or gender differences found in the intervention meta-analysis. Moderator analyses in the intervention meta-analysis indicated that the overall effect was higher for studies with a control condition and for studies with some risk of publication bias, both of which suggest a strength of the findings, as mindfulness-based interventions improved WMC over-and-above control interventions and regardless of the quality of study design. Differences in the effect size between the two meta-analyses may indicate measurement limitations, as self-reported measures of trait/dispositional mindfulness may not capture the same cognitive facets of mindfulness as mindfulness-based interventions. Taken together, the results of these meta-analyses provide mixed evidence in support of WMC as a mechanism of mindfulness, with the specification that WMC may be a mechanism of only the cognitive components of mindfulness.

Author dc:creator

• Gomez, Angelina F.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Lyons, Michael J.

• Clinical psychology
• Mechanism
• Meta-analysis
• Mindfulness
• Review
• Working memory
• Working memory capacity

Statement dc:rights

• Attribution 4.0 International

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2144/53088

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.bu.edu:2144/53088