February 2012 PMID 21910559

Mindfulness training affects attention--or is it attentional effort?

Christian Gaden Jensen, Signe Vangkilde, Vibe Frokjaer, Steen G Hasselbalch

Mentions

9
Peak: 5 in Aug 2024
across 3 sources since Dec 2023

Extended reach

9,107
potential audience

Total likes

35

Video views

603

Mentions per month

Dec 2023 – Aug 2024

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter5 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Blogs2 articles

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The reviewers focus on how mindfulness training could change perceptions of mental effort, with phrases like 'interesting consequence' and 'might change our fundamental negative associations,' showing curiosity and some engagement with the topic. The tone is exploratory, highlighting personal implications and inviting further reflection rather than outright agreement or critique.

AgreementModerate agreement

The discussions generally show some recognition of the study's findings about mindfulness affecting attention, though not in a strongly debated manner.

InterestModerate interest

The posts express curiosity about the emotional experience of mental effort and how mindfulness might alter perceptions of effort, indicating moderate interest.

EngagementModerate engagement

Participants are engaging with the concepts by discussing potential psychological effects and the nature of mental effort, but not deeply analyzing the research methods.

ImpactNeutral impact

While the discussions acknowledge interesting findings, they seem more exploratory and not suggesting any major societal influence yet.

Abstract in brief

  • Mindfulness training, specifically MBSR, appears to improve certain aspects of attention and reduce stress, but previous studies may have overstated these effects because they did not adequately control for "test effort" or motivation.
  • In this study, improvements in attention were observed across different groups, including those with financial incentives, but MBSR uniquely enhanced selective attention, perception thresholds, and working memory, suggesting some specific benefits of mindfulness practice.
  • The findings highlight that improvements in attention might be influenced by factors like motivation and effort rather than mindfulness alone, emphasizing the need for future research that uses less confounded measures to isolate the true effects of mindfulness on attention and stress reduction.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Ravi S. Kudesia
@rskudesia · X

Mental effort overwhelmingly feels unpleasant. One of the most interesting consequences of mindfulness training is that it might change our fundamental negative associations about effort, making us more willing to expend mental effort (e.g., https://t.co/B93FCZ7r9B)

Aug 8, 2024 · 27 likes · 4 shares · 2,865 followers View post →
Wystan
@WystanTBS · X

RT @rskudesia: Mental effort overwhelmingly feels unpleasant. One of the most interesting consequences of mindfulness training is that it m…

Aug 8, 2024 · 4 shares · 3,000 followers View post →
Jody
@Kalieezchild · X

RT @rskudesia: Mental effort overwhelmingly feels unpleasant. One of the most interesting consequences of mindfulness training is that it m…

Aug 8, 2024 · 4 shares · 1,577 followers View post →
Andy Hafenbrack
@andyhafenbrack · X

RT @rskudesia: Mental effort overwhelmingly feels unpleasant. One of the most interesting consequences of mindfulness training is that it m…

Aug 8, 2024 · 4 shares · 917 followers View post →

All mentions

Andy Hafenbrack
@andyhafenbrack · X

RT @rskudesia: Mental effort overwhelmingly feels unpleasant. One of the most interesting consequences of mindfulness training is that it m…

Aug 8, 2024 · 4 shares · 917 followers View post →
Mauricio Bravo - Markeavelo
@markeavelo · X

RT @rskudesia: Mental effort overwhelmingly feels unpleasant. One of the most interesting consequences of mindfulness training is that it m…

Aug 8, 2024 · 4 shares · 105 followers View post →
Jody
@Kalieezchild · X

RT @rskudesia: Mental effort overwhelmingly feels unpleasant. One of the most interesting consequences of mindfulness training is that it m…

Aug 8, 2024 · 4 shares · 1,577 followers View post →
Wystan
@WystanTBS · X

RT @rskudesia: Mental effort overwhelmingly feels unpleasant. One of the most interesting consequences of mindfulness training is that it m…

Aug 8, 2024 · 4 shares · 3,000 followers View post →
Ravi S. Kudesia
@rskudesia · X

Mental effort overwhelmingly feels unpleasant. One of the most interesting consequences of mindfulness training is that it might change our fundamental negative associations about effort, making us more willing to expend mental effort (e.g., https://t.co/B93FCZ7r9B)

Aug 8, 2024 · 27 likes · 4 shares · 2,865 followers View post →