Differences in Emotional Conflict Processing between High and Low Mindfulness Adolescents: An ERP Study.

Xiaomin Chen,Xinmei Deng

doi:10.3390/ijerph19052891

Abstract

Mindfulness is a state of concentration that allows individuals to focus on their feelings and thoughts without judgment. However, little is known regarding the underlying neural processes of mindfulness. This study used ERPs to investigate the differences between high and low trait mindfulness adolescents during emotional conflict processing. Nineteen low mindfulness adolescents (LMSs) and sixteen high mindfulness adolescent (HMSs) individuals were asked to complete a face Stroop task. The task superimposed emotional words on emotional faces to generate congruent (CC) and incongruent (IC) conditions. Continuous electroencephalogram data were recorded during the face Stroop task. Results revealed that for N450, the interaction of congruency and group was significant. The incongruent trials evoked a larger N450 than the congruent trials in the HMSs, whereas there were no significant differences between the two conditions in the LMSs. There were significant main effects of congruency for SP (slow potential). The incongruent trials evoked a larger SP than the congruent trials. The results suggest that mindfulness may only affect early conflict monitoring rather than later conflict resolution. The findings expand the neural basis of the effect of mindfulness on inhibitory control.

Highlights

Mindfulness has an impact on individual emotions, such as by reducing pressure [1], lowering negative emotions [2], and improving positive emotions [3], etc
This study examined the effects of mindfulness on adolescent inhibitory control and expands the neural basis of mindfulness for adolescent inhibitory control
We found that the high mindfulness group induced a larger N450 in the inconsistent condition, whereas the low mindfulness group did not show a consistent effect

Summary

Introduction

Mindfulness has an impact on individual emotions, such as by reducing pressure [1], lowering negative emotions [2], and improving positive emotions [3], etc. Previous research has shown that adolescence is fraught with challenges, such as significant psychology fluctuation, greater social stress and unstable interpersonal relationships [4]. Examining the underlying mechanisms of mindfulness and emotional response through ERP may help adolescents survive this stormy period. Mindfulness is a state of concentration that allows individuals to focus on their feelings and thoughts without judgment [7]. Mindfulness is generally thought of as having two components: (1) focus attention on current thoughts and feelings, rather than shifting attention to other time [8] and (2) the psychological attitude of accepting the current experience [9], in which they do not immerse their attention in negative thoughts [8]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion