Active Control, Focused-attention Meditatioin, Open-monitoring Meditation
Conditions
Keywords
dismantling mindfulenss, focused-attention, open-monitoring, creativity, EEG
Brief summary
Purpose of the Study This clinical trial aims to find out whether a 5-day mindfulness training program can help improve creativity in academic researchers. The study focuses on answering these key questions: Can focused-attention (FA) and open-monitoring (OM) meditation boost creativity in academic researchers? Do FA and OM meditation have different effects on creativity? How does the training affect brain activity (measured by electrical signals)? Researchers will compare the effects of FA and OM meditation with a control group that listens to audio recordings, to see which method-if any-helps improve creativity. What Participants Will Do Join one of three groups: FA meditation, OM meditation, or audio listening (control), and take part in daily practice for 5 days. Come to the research center for testing three times. Keep a daily log of how they engage with the training.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALFocused-attention meditation
This is a type of mindfulenss meditation, which instructes participants to keep focusing on own breathing with a sitting and rest posture.
BEHAVIORALOpen-monitoring meditation
This is a type of mindfulenss meditation, which instructs participants to stay aware of their vision with a sitting and rest posture.
BEHAVIORALAudio-listening control
Participants listen to stories about creativity with a sitting and rest posture.
Sponsors
Zhejiang University
Westlake University
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Currently enrolled graduate students (Master's or PhD) or other research personnel (e.g., postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, or academic researchers). * Aged 18 years or older and under 65 years. * No current diagnosis of severe mental disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder). * Not currently taking mood-stabilizing medication (e.g., SSRIs), to avoid confounding effects on mindfulness training and EEG outcomes
Exclusion criteria
* Simultaneously participating in other mindfulness-based psychological intervention programs or courses that cannot be paused during the study period. * Suicidal ideation or planning reported within the past two weeks. * Inability to attend in-person assessments at the laboratory site. * Refusal or inability to provide informed consent.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Divergent thinking | Pre- and post- assessments after a 15-min training at Day1 (before 5-day practice), Day7 (after 5-day practice), and follow-up (1 month after 5-day practice). | Divergent thinking, a key component of creativity, will be assessed using the Alternative Uses Task (AUT). In this test, participants are asked to think of as many different uses as possible for a common object-like a brick, knife, or pillow-within a limited time. The scores including three factors: fluency, flexibility, and originality, which will be gained via TranDis, a semantic distance scoring system based on transformer-based language models. |
| Convergent thinking | Pre- and post- assessments after a 15-min training at Day1 (before 5-day practice), Day7 (after 5-day practice), and follow-up (1 month after 5-day practice). | Convergent thinking, a key component of creativity, will be measured by the Remote Associate Test (RAT). In this test, participants are given three words and must identify a fourth word that links all three. |
| EEG | During the whole tests at Day7 (after 5-day practice) | Quantitative EEG power spectral density (PSD) across frequency bands (delta: 0.5-4 Hz, theta: 4-8 Hz, alpha: 8-13 Hz, beta: 13-30 Hz, gamma: \>30 Hz) will be measured at Day 7 (post-intervention). Absolute and relative power in each band will be extracted from resting-state EEG (eyes closed), task-state EEG (15-min mindfulness or control), and task-state EEG during creativity tests, recorded at standardized scalp locations. Changes in spectral power will be used as indicators of neurophysiological responses to the mindfulness training. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness | Assessments at Day1 (before 5-day practice), Day7 (after 5-day practice), and follow-up (1 month after 5-day practice). | Mindfulness is assessed using the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS). The PHLMS is a 20-item scale with two factors named Awareness and Acceptance. Participants will rate on a 5-point scale (1 = never, 5 = very often) according to the frequency that they experienced the described item within the past week. The score range for the PHLMS is 20 to 100. |
| Metacognition | At Day1 (before 5-day practice), Day7 (after 5-day practice), and follow-up (1 month after 5-day practice). | Cognitive Self-Consciousness (CSC), a subscale of the Metacognition Questionnaire (MCQ), will be used to assess participants' tendency to monitor and reflect upon their own thinking processes. The subscale includes 6 items. Participants rate statements such as "I am constantly aware of the way my mind works" on a 4-point scale (1 = do not agree, 5 = agree very much). The score range is 6 to 30. |
| Attention | Assessments at Day1 (before 5-day practice), Day7 (after 5-day practice). | Sustained attention will be measured using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). The SART is a computerized test for the measurement of sustained attention and response inhibition. Participants' performance will be evaluated by the time of response and the correct rate. |
| Depression | Assessments at Day1 (before 5-day practice), Day7 (after 5-day practice), and follow-up (1 month after 5-day practice). | Depression will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 is a 4-point scale (0 = Not at all, 3 = Nearly every day) with 9 items. The score range is 0 to 27. |
| Anxiety | Pre- and post- assessments after a 15-min training at Day1 (before 5-day practice), Day7 (after 5-day practice), and follow-up (1 month after 5-day practice). | Anxiety will be measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scle (GAD-7). It is a 4-point scale (0 = Not at all, 3 = Nearly every day) with 7 items. The score range is 0 to 21. |
Countries
China
Outcome results
None listed