Authors:

Amelia Goodwill

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

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About Paper:

Effects of Focused Attention Meditation vs. Affirmation Practice on Working Memory Working memory (WM) is a core cognitive system involved in attention, learning, and goal-directed behavior, yet it is limited in capacity and influenced by attentional control. Brief interventions such as focused attention (FA) meditation and self-affirmation (SA) may enhance WM through distinct mechanisms, including improved attentional regulation or strengthened cognitive self-beliefs. This study examines the effects of FA vs. SA on WM, while exploring differences between individuals with and without self-reported ADHD-related symptoms. Sixty undergraduate participants will be recruited and screened using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1. 1). Based on screening, participants will be categorized by ADHD-related symptom status and randomly assigned to FA, SA, or control groups (n=20 each). All participants will complete a baseline Operation Span (O-span) task, followed by a distractor task. Experimental groups will complete an 8-minute guided intervention: either breath-focused meditation or spoken affirmations. The control group will listen to a neutral audio clip. Participants will then complete a second O-span task to assess changes in WM. Both interventions are expected to improve WM relative to control. Participants with ADHD-related symptoms are expected to benefit more from FA, whereas those without symptoms may benefit more from SA. This study aims to better understand how brief cognitive strategies influence WM and improve attention and academic performance.

Source:

University of Oregon / 2026

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Amelia Goodwill