Study shows that meditation ‘turbocharges’ memory, intelligence, and cognitive capacity

Study shows that meditation ‘turbocharges’ memory, intelligence, and cognitive capacity

Recent research published in Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology suggests that even brief periods of meditation mindfulness can have a profound impact on our ability to learn and make decisions. Participants who practiced meditation mindfulness not only improved their ability to learn from unexpected positive results, but they also demonstrated greater openness to new experiences, favoring the exploration of new options over dependence on familiar choices.

A growing body of evidence suggests that meditation mindfulness, a practice rooted in ancient traditions and now integrated into several contemporary psychological therapies, could have far-reaching effects on cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and stress reduction. In addition to these recognized benefits, the researchers behind the new study sought to understand if and how a brief mindfulness intervention could directly influence the way individuals learn from feedback in decision-making scenarios where outcomes are not guaranteed.

“Our interest in this topic was driven by the recognition of mindfulness meditation’s remarkably potent influence on human cognition and its ability to modify deeply held social biases.”explained study author Marius Golubickis, professor at the University of Aberdeen and head of the Aberdeen Computational Social Cognition Laboratory.

“The revelation that even brief 5-minute meditation sessions can have substantial impacts highlights the practicality and accessibility of these practices for people who lead busy lives. This exploration of the simplicity and effectiveness of mindfulness meditation opens up fascinating avenues for enhancing learning and personal development, highlighting its vital role in our cognitive arsenal.”

The researchers recruited a sample of 60 participants with little or no prior experience in meditation. The backgrounds of the participants were diverse in terms of educational background, ranging from high school to doctorate. These participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a meditation group mindfulness or a control group.

For those in the mindfulness, the intervention consisted of a 5-minute guided meditation focused on conscious breathing. This exercise aimed to cultivate awareness in the present moment in a non-judgmental way, guiding participants to observe their breathing and gently redirect their focus whenever distractions arise. In contrast, the control group engaged in a 5-minute task involving Chinese puzzles (Tangram), selected as a neutral activity unlikely to influence cognitive or emotional states in the same way as mindfulness meditation.

After these activities, all participants performed the main experimental task: a Probabilistic Selection Task. This task was designed to simulate decision making under uncertainty by requiring participants to choose between pairs of symbols based on probabilistic feedback about their correctness.

The symbols, derived from Japanese Hiragana characters, were presented in pairs (AB, CD, EF), with each pair having a defined probability that choosing a symbol would result in positive feedback. For example, choosing symbol A over B would result in a correct answer 80% of the time. This structure allowed researchers to create a learning environment in which participants needed to discern and adapt to these probabilities over time, mirroring real-life decisions where outcomes are often uncertain.

To analyze the data, the researchers employed advanced computational modeling techniques, specifically the Reinforcement Learning Drift Diffusion Model (RL-DDM). This model integrates reinforcement learning theories, which explain how behavior is shaped by feedback, with decision-making processes, capturing both choice probabilities and response times.

Golubickis and his colleagues found that participants who engaged in the meditation mindfulness showed an enhanced ability to learn from positive feedback in uncertain decision-making scenarios compared to those in the control group. This enhanced learning rate following positive feedback suggests that the meditation mindfulness helps individuals process and utilize information that exceeds their expectations more effectively, thereby optimizing their decision-making process in situations characterized by uncertainty.

Computational modeling analysis provided insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying these effects. A meditation mindfulness appeared to influence several key cognitive processes involved in learning and decision making. Specifically, the meditation group exhibited faster learning rates from positive prediction errors, meaning they were quicker to adjust their expectations and behavior based on unexpectedly positive outcomes.

“Perhaps the most notable finding was the significant impact of brief mindfulness on the learning process, particularly its ability to increase sensitivity to positive surprises,” Golubickis told PsyPost. “This subtle change suggests that even short periods of mindfulness meditation can profoundly influence our cognitive responses to unexpected positive outcomes, highlighting the potential of mindfulness to enhance how we perceive and learn from our experiences.”

The group of mindfulness also showed an increase in response caution, as evidenced by a higher decision threshold in the RL-DDM analysis. This finding implies that mindfulness meditation leads individuals to require more evidence before making a decision, reflecting a more deliberate and less impulsive approach to choosing between uncertain options.

Furthermore, the researchers found that the meditation mindfulness influenced the tendency to exploration

Source: Atrevida

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