The effects of mindfulness on executive processes and autobiographical memory specificity

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Abstract

Previous studies have found that mindfulness training reduces overgeneral memories and increases autobiographical memory specificity (e.g., [Williams, J. M. G., Teasdale, J. D., Segal, Z. V., & Soulsby, J. (2000). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces overgeneral autobiographical memory in formerly depressed patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 150–155]). However, little work has investigated the mechanisms underlying this effect. The present study explored the role of executive processes as a mediator of MBCT effects in an unselected sample. An autobiographical memory task, a cognitive inhibition task, a motor inhibition task, a cognitive flexibility task and a motor flexibility task were administered before and after intervention. Compared to matched controls, MBCT participants showed increased autobiographical memory specificity, decreased overgenerality, and improved cognitive flexibility capacity and capacity to inhibit cognitive prepotent responses. Mediational analyses indicated that changes in cognitive flexibility partially mediate the impact of MBCT on overgeneral memories. Results are discussed in terms of Conway's [2005. Memory and the self. Journal of Memory and Language, 53, 594–628] autobiographical memory model.

Section snippets

Participants

The study was a quasi-experimental mixed design with a between-subjects variable (Mindfulness group vs. Matched group) and a within-subject variable (Pre-test vs. Post-test). For the Mindfulness group, the study was advertised during information sessions for individuals interested in an 8 session mindfulness program and presented as an investigation of the impact of mindfulness training on different cognitive functions. Twenty-six people who responded to this advertisement were informed of the

Group equivalence

Preliminary analyses indicated no difference between Mindfulness group and Matched group at Pre-test on STAI-trait, t(34) = .49, p = .630, BDI-II, t(34) = .95, p = .354, and SCL-90-R (Global Score Index), t(34) = 1.03, p = .312. Further analyses ascertained that there were no group differences for the sub-scales of the SCL-90-R. Both groups can thus be considered as equivalent. Groups' characteristics are displayed in Table 1.

General statistical analyses

The main analyses consisted of a 2 × 2 mixed-design ANOVAs with Group (Mindfulness

Discussion

The aim of this study was to examine the role of executive processes on the impact of mindfulness on autobiographical memory specificity. In general, our hypotheses were confirmed. First, the study replicates Williams et al. (2000) observation and extends them to a non-depressed sample. Our data reveal that mindfulness training increases specific and decreases general (i.e., extended and categorical) autobiographical memories retrieval. Second, this study also finds that mindfulness training

Acknowledgements

Data collection has been made possible by the UCL Psychology Department Consulting Center (CPS) and the help of François Nef, Claude Maskens, Sandrine Deplus, and Fabienne Bauwens. We thank Nathalie Vrielynck and Damien Brevers for their help in the inter-rater agreement.

The authors also appreciate helpful comments of Sanah Sheikh, Ronald M. Rapee and two anonymous reviewers on earlier drafts of this paper.

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