Table 1.
Demographics, Attention Task Performance, and Other Characteristics of Study Groups
| Measure | Meditation-naïve | Meditators | Group difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | t53 (p) |
| Age (years) | 36.54 (8.01) | 39.90 (10.12) | 1.35 (n.s.) |
| Current IQ | 117.62 (11.84) | 116.86 (15.28) | 0.20 (n.s.) |
| Performance | |||
| Verbal attention task | |||
| Number of screens completed | 104.12 (26.00) | 118.76 (53) ↑ | 2.06 (.044) |
| Correctly detected targets | 206.00 (51.41) | 234.31 (52.11) ↑ | 2.02 (.048) |
| Commission errors | .038 (.20) | .034 (.19) | 0.77 (n.s.) |
| Omission errors | 2.04 (2.73) | 3.21 (2.78) | 1.57 (n.s.) |
| Unclicked (after clicking) | 1.04 (1.66) | 1.03 (1.40) | .89 (n.s.) |
| Reaction time per screen (ms) | 7,323.85 (3,289.09) | 6,078.93 (1,278.87) | 1.89 (n.s.) |
| Visuospatial attention task | |||
| Number of screens completed | 13.88 (4.29) | 15.48 (3.95) | 1.44 (n.s.) |
| Correctly detected targets | 229.12 (61.89) | 250.21 (61.27) | 1.27 (n.s.) |
| Commission errors | .04 (.20) | .24 (.51) | 1.90 (n.s.) |
| Omission errors | 20.81 (23.29) | 28.48 (26.29) | 1.14 (n.s.) |
| Unclicked (after clicking) | 1.08 (1.76) | .90 (1.08) | .46 (n.s.) |
| Reaction time per screen (ms) | 27,549.73 (9,454.27) | 23,434.58 (5,636.01) ↓ | 1.98 (0.05) |
| TCI—Temperament | |||
| Novelty seeking | 9.28 (2.51) | 9.57 (2.61) | 0.413 (n.s.) |
| Harm avoidance | 7.00 (4.61) | 4.68 (3.64) | 1.90 (n.s.) |
| Reward dependence | 9.80 (2.36) | 8.86 (2.29) | 1.48 (n.s.) |
| Persistence | 1.84 (1.34) | 2.97 (1.70) ↑ | 2.67 (.01) |
| TCI—Character | |||
| Self-directedness | 18.96 (6.16) | 21.72 (2.99) ↑ | 2.45 (.018) |
| Cooperativeness | 21.48 (2.99) | 22.52 (2.64) | 1.35 (n.s.) |
| Self-transcendence | 3.80 (3.01) | 9.83 (3.12) ↑ | 7.19 (< .0001) |
| Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire | t52 (p) | ||
| Observe | 25.72 (5.76)* | 31.14 (4.52) ↑ | 3.89 (< .001) |
| Describe | 30.48 (4.92)* | 30.69 (3.39) | 0.18 (n.s.) |
| Awareness | 27.76 (4.24)* | 30.52 (5.45) ↑ | 2.05 (.05) |
| Nonjudgment | 27.72 (5.41)* | 33.41 (4.50) ↑ | 4.22 (< .001) |
| Nonreactivity | 21.72 (2.82)* | 26.62 (4.72) ↑ | 4.50 (< .0001) |
Note. TCI = Temperament and Character Inventory (Cloninger, 1994). n.s. = nonsignificant (p values > .05; ↓ = lower; ↑ = higher.
*
n = 25 (1 participant did not complete this questionnaire).