Dan Harris in the video refreshes the traditional view of meditation as a rigid or religious ritual by advocating the three simple steps of practicing mindfulness meditation: “sit upright”, “feel your breath” and “return your attention to the breath”. (Harris, 2014) Its beneficial effects are revealed through Harris’s recount of personal experience of having better control of his emotions and impulses, embracing a positive mindset, as well as achieving self-esteem and a sense of fulfilment in life. Various case studies evidently support his message by demonstrating the wide applications of meditation in military training, performing and business firms. Empirical evidence from scientific studies and brain scans show that meditation can lower …show more content…
The brain scans evidently prove that meditation would cause “greater cortical thickness in the anterior regions of the brain”, hence Dan Harris’s claims. (Kang et al., 2012, p. 27)
ANOVA = Analysis of variance = a statistical model for comparing means.
Interaction = within the context of ANOVA, this is when the effect of an IV on a DV varies as a function of another IV (see ANOVA footnote 1 example).
Confounding [variable, element—p.778) = a confounding variable is an extraneous component within the experiment that correlates with both the independent and dependant variables and influences the interpretation of the relationship between the targeted variables studied. It also “compromises the internal validity of a study by making inferences about causality impossible” (Burton, Westen & Kowalski, 2014, p. 53)
Retrospective [measure—p.778] = a retrospective measure is a backward-looking process and involves post-program evaluations of the tasks performed. Instead of focusing on the outcomes, a retrospective measure is used to determine the key potential factors that lead to the observed
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nutrition class). The within-groups independent variable is time of testing (before training vs after training) and examining of TUTs (task-unrelated thoughts) . Dependent variable(s) (DV)
The dependent variables are the quality of performance in GRE and WMC and the amount of TUTs (task-unrelated thoughts), or in other words, the number of times of mind wandering.
An experimental design involves a random assignment of subject to different test groups which ensures the internal validity of the experiment. Whereas, a quasi-experimental design does not include any randomisation and the researchers have little control over the independent variables. Therefore it may compromise the certainty of the causal relationship between two variables studies.
An experimental design would best describe this study since the participants consented to be randomly assigned to either the mindfulness training class or the nutrition class. The random assignment ensures the internal validity of the study and eliminates “self-selection effects” (Mrazek, Franklin, Phillips, Baird & Schooler, 2013, p. 778). The participant were given impression that two programs have the equal potential to be effective in reducing mind wandering and improving task performance. Blind study minimises the placebo effect which would compromises the outcome
Hafenbrack, A. C., Kinias, Z., & Barsade, S. G. (2014). Debiasing the mind through meditation:
Another confound that may impact the results of this study could be the testing effect. Repeated testing may lead to better or worse performance. Changes in performance on the test may be due to prior experience with the test and not to the independent variable. In addition, repeated testing fatigues the subjects, and their performance declines as a result (Jackson, 2012). Because the professor is interested in determining if the implementation of weekly quizzes would improve test scores, an experimenter and/or an instrumentation effect may also affect results.
Experimental research is the one type of research that allows psychologists to make causal statements. It is where the researcher changes one or more variables that may have an effect on some other variables (King, 2016). The hypothesis is a specific expectation about what is going to happen in the experiment (King, 2016). In the research, the hypothesis was that women would perceive fat talk to be more socially acceptable than men (Katrevich et al., 2014). The other elements of experimental method are dependent and independent variables. The independent variable (IV) is the cause of the results, and it is changed by the experimenter to find the effects, but the dependent vari...
PB5: Identify potential sources of bias in the investigation and any possible confounding variables. (2 marks) Individual differences may affect the findings. For example, the individual may not understand a particular word, and therefore will
For thousands of years people have practiced mediation for spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. Albeit there are many mediation types, in this paper I will be discussing and focusing on mindfulness mediation. Before further exploring mindfulness mediation, it is crucial to define mediation as a whole. Tang, Holzel, & Posner, 2016 state “Meditation can be defined as a form of mental training that aims to improve an individual’s core psychological capacities, such as attentional and emotional capacities” (p.213). Having that in mind, we can dive into mindfulness mediation. Mindfulness meditation is defined as “nonjudgmental attention to present-moment experiences (Tang, Holzel, & Posner, 2016).” A useful analogy to consider is going to the gym, going to the gym allows one to enhance the body, well similarly, practicing mindfulness is akin to taking the mind to the psychic gym, it enhances it. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on your breathing and then bringing your mind’s attention to the present all while dismissing discursive thoughts and maintaining a special focus on breathing.
05 May 2014. Barbor, Cary. " The Science of Meditation.
As psychological field of study advances with its technologies to investigate changes in the mind, using such technology to look at effects of mindfulness meditation would strengthen its argument and understanding of the mechanisms in the brain, to change meditators into the new awaken state. This essay will reveal the evidence of mindfulness meditation making an impact on the mind. First, this essay will present the studies which found physiological functional differences in the body for those who did mindfulness meditation. Second, this essay will present the studies which found functional differences in the brain for those who perform mindfulness meditation. Third, this essay will present the studies which found structural differences in the brain for those who performed mindfulness meditation.
Meditation is an age-old practice that has renewed itself in many different cultures and times. Despite its age, however, there remains a mystery and some ambiguity as to what it is, or even how one performs it. The practice and tradition of meditation dates back thousands of years having appeared in many eastern traditions. Meditation’s ancient roots cloud its origins from being attributed to a sole inventor or religion, though Bon, Hindu, Shinto, Dao, and later, Buddhism are responsible for its development. Its practice has permeated almost all major world religions, but under different names. It has become a practice without borders, influencing millions with its tranquil and healing effects.
Randomized Controlled Trials can be used to in several types of evaluations, including new therapies (i.e. Cognitive behavioral therapy versus emotionally focused therapy when treating couples), community interventions, and diagnostic techniques (O'Brien, 2013). The RCT study design randomly assigns participants into an experimental group or a control group. As the study is conducted, the only expected difference between the control and experimental groups is the outcome variable being studied (O'Brien, 2013).
The first grant proposal addressed the effects of meditation on life-span cognitional developmental processes. From my understanding, there is a strong connection to the mindset and self-awareness, as one chooses to mediate for their own reason. Based on the informed information, meditation is used to decrease stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The provided background information and predicted research study will help determine the pros and cons of the process, using the meditation techniques.
A researcher uses an experiment to scientifically test out a hypothesis. In an experiment there are many different factors that are involved. There is the independent variable, which is the cause, it is the one that is being manipulated, and the dependent variable, which is the effect, is the response. When conducting a experiment it is important to make sure that the only thing than can affect the dependent variable is the independent variable. This is known as internal validity. Using random assignment to separate the participants into groups helps eliminate any outside factors, and creates an equal chance for all participants to be apart of the experimental conditions. There are many pros and cons to this type of method. The experimental method creates a strong control of the variables involved in the experiment, which allows an easier determination on cause and effect. If needed, it is fairly easy to replicate an experiment and is less time consuming than other research methods. However there are many downfalls as well. When conducting an experiment the setting of where the experiment is taking place is more artificial which may cause certain behaviors that wouldn’t occur in real life. This is known as external validity, which is the measure of how much the results of a study can be generalized and used in different situations, and people. To improve external validity cover stories are created when conducting experiments so the participants are not aware of what is really going on, or experiments are done in a natural setting as opposed to in a laboratory. However, this creates less control over confounding variables that can affect the experiment, which can create bias results (Aronson,
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). (2010). Health info. Meditation: An introduction. Retrieved from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm
An important part of an experiment is random assignment. If the participants for the study are randomly assigned to create two groups, and the researcher has enough participants in the study to have the desired “probabilistic equivalence” (Trochim & Donnelly, 2008, p. 187) then the researcher will feel a sense of confidence that the study will have internal validity in order to assess whether or not the treatment caused the outcome hypothesized. Well-c...
By utilizing a set of research methods, that inducts different types of mindfulness meditation training programs, and advanced mindfulness practitioners to matched control, with a capitulation of detection that enhance our understanding of the nature of mindfulness. While providing insights that will help me to target symptoms and populations that are likely to benefit from mindfulness meditation
Meditation is not a time devoted to thinking or reflecting about oneself, but a time to redirect one’s thoughts and emotions away from the outside world and onto something simple, such as the wind or one’s own breathe. By learning how to meditate, an individual can learn how to react appropriately to “the circumstances one finds oneself in, i...