Individual Differences in Dispositional Mindfulness Predict Attentional Networks and Vigilance Performance

Cásedas, Luis; Cebolla, Ausiàs; Lupiáñez, Juan · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-01850-6

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Summary

This study investigates the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and objective attentional performance, addressing inconsistencies in prior research likely caused by underpowered sample sizes. The authors utilized a large sample of 219 meditation-naïve participants to examine how individual differences in mindfulness predict performance across three classic attentional networks (phasic alertness, orienting, executive control) and two components of vigilance (executive and arousal). The research was motivated by the theoretical link between mindfulness—defined as present-moment attention with an accepting attitude—and attentional mechanisms, specifically the capacity to sustain focus and regulate inner experience. The experimental design employed the ANTI-Vea, a novel cognitive-behavioral task that simultaneously assesses attentional networks and vigilance. Participants completed the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) to measure dispositional mindfulness, alongside self-report measures for attentional control and mind-wandering. The ANTI-Vea task included trials for flanker interference (executive control), spatial cues (orienting), warning tones (phasic alertness), target detection over time (executive vigilance), and rapid response to countdowns (arousal vigilance). Correlational analyses using Kendall’s Tau were performed to determine associations between FFMQ scores and task outcomes, with Benjamini-Hochberg correction applied to control for Type I error. Results indicated that higher scores in the "non-reactivity to inner experience" facet of mindfulness predicted faster reaction times and higher accuracy in overall attentional network trials. Additionally, higher non-reactivity and higher total FFMQ scores predicted faster reaction times and fewer lapses in arousal vigilance trials. The "describe" facet was negatively associated with lapses in arousal vigilance. However, no significant associations were found between mindfulness scores and executive control or executive vigilance performance. The observed correlations were small in magnitude, ranging from τb = .103 to .119. The findings suggest that dispositional mindfulness is linked to improved global attentional processing and arousal vigilance, with non-reactivity to inner experience serving as the primary driver of this association. The lack of association with executive processes is attributed to the high cognitive demands of the task, which may mask subtle individual differences. These results clarify the specific attentional mechanisms supported by mindfulness traits, highlighting that while mindfulness enhances sustained arousal and general processing speed, it does not necessarily improve conflict resolution or executive vigilance in this context. The study underscores the importance of adequate statistical power in detecting small but meaningful relationships between psychological traits and cognitive performance.

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• sustained attention vigilance