Does Brief Focused Attention and Open Monitoring Meditation Affect the Attentional Blink?

Objectives A number of studies indicate that meditation training affects performance on the attentional blink (AB). This is taken as evidence has an influence processes. One such experiment found AB to be reduced after adult, non-meditators completed a brief, single session open monitoring (OM). was compared two control conditions: focused attention (FA) and relaxation condition in which participants read magazines. The objective present study assess whether this effect could replicated with larger sample. Methods consisted forty each three groups: FA, OM relaxation. After inductions, measured rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task consisting targets (T1 T2). overall target accuracy were between groups using Bayesian frequentist statistics. Results There no differences conditions. However, higher than group for both conditional T2 T1 accuracy. results non-meditators, any reduction brief OM, relative likely small (d = 0.27 [− 0.17, 0.72]). Conclusions In there allocation differently it reduces blink. may affect resources ways improve task. interpretation supported by that, over course RSVP task, arousal increased greater extent group.