Search Research Library:

Research Library
Publication

Mindfulness and Divergent Thinking: The Value of Heart Rate Variability as an Objective Manipulation CheckMindfulness and Divergent Thinking: The Value of Heart Rate Variability as an Objective Manipulation Check

- Published: 2017
- Julia Keller1¹, Eric Ruthruff², and Patrick Keller¹
- Copyright © 2017 by authors, all rights reserved. Universal Journal of Psychology 5(3): 95-104, 2017. DOI: 10.13189/ujp.2017.050301.1. Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, South Dakota State University, United States. 2. Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, United States.
- Download the complete paper, click here.

Abstract

Mindfulness (MF) is a form of mental training that has been linked to increased creativity in problem-solving. Most MF studies recruit participants interested in meditation, and thus are biased towards positive effects. Participants in this study (n = 73) therefore signed up for "mental training," not "mindfulness meditation"; the vast majority (54) had little to no prior meditation experience. This is also the first such experiment to use an objective measure of MF (coherence, a physiological correlate of MF that can be indexed by heart rate variability or HRV) as a manipulation check. Participants were randomly assigned to either MF training or a control condition (a memory exercise), and completed a test of divergent thinking (Unusual Uses Task) before and after mental training. Coherence was significantly higher in the MF group and heart rate was significantly lower in the MF group.

Download the complete paper, click here.

Visit our Research Library to continue browsing our extensive collection of research studies, articles and other materials.