Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-2018

Publication Title

Journal of Cognitive Enhancement

Volume

2

Abstract

A brief breathing exercise designed to induce a mindful state could benefit reading comprehension performance, but has not been previously examined. Furthermore, the mechanisms of how an induced mindful state benefits cognition are not well understood. The purposes of this study are to test the effectiveness of a brief mindful breathing exercise on reading comprehension performance and examine two potential mechanisms (mind wandering and stress reduction). Undergraduate students (N = 104) engaged in either a mindful breathing exercise or control sham exercise, indicated their stress levels, and completed a reading comprehension assessment during which they self-reported their mind wandering. The mindful breathing exercise benefited performance, but the mechanisms for this benefit were not mind wandering or stress reduction.

Issue

3

First Page

305

Last Page

310

DOI

10.1007/s41465-018-0067-2

ISSN

2509-3304

Rights

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41465-018-0067-2.

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