Meditation-induced cognitive-control states regulate working memory task performance

Single-bout focused-attention meditation (FAM) and open-monitoring (OMM) are assumed to bias metacontrol states towards more persistent versus flexible processing, respectively. In Experiment 1, we tested whether monitoring updating of working memory (WM) representations in an N-back task with high (3-back), medium (2-back), low (1-back) WM demands (varied within participants) is affected by preceding single-bout FAM or OMM between participants compared a control group). The results showed that promotes performance the but not (3-back) demand condition, whereas did affect performance. A replication 2-back condition only (Experiment 2) no effect, 3-back 3) produced similar pattern as promoting condition. Taken together, these findings suggest does promote if capacity neither too nor low.