1. Jonathan Greenberg Under the supervision of Prof. Nachshon Meiran
“Mind the trap”: Mindfulness Practice Associated with Reduced Cognitive Rigidity
Jonathan Greenberg
Under the supervision of Prof. Nachshon Meiran

2. Learning from experience is often crucial for our adaptive functioning and survival
Utilize – conscious or uncioncious
We get better at things because we rely on previous information. “I’ve been here before. I know what to do”

3. May experience hinder adaptive responding?
Rigidity
“…The tendency to form and perseverate in the use of mental and behavioral sets”
(Schultz & Searman, 2002, pp. 1)
Many kinds of rigidity, I’ll focus on a cognitive aspect, “stuckness” in the past

4. Rigidity may play a key role in psychopathology:
Suicidal Ideation
Depression
Mania
Eating disorders
OCD
Alcoholism
ADHD

5. A method for decreasing such rigidity may be of value regarding treatment of these and other conditions

6. Mindfulness Practice
“Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994)

7. Mindfulness associated with alleviation of symptoms in:
Suicidal tendencies
Depression
Mania
Eating disorders
OCD
Alcoholism
ADHD
Psoriasis
PTSD
Chronic pain
Cancer
Heart desease
GAD

8. Mindfulness and cognitive rigidity:
Stroop Task
Nonsensical sentence completion (Hayling task)
Verbal fluency
Focus on overcoming habits

9. The present study Mindfulness practice Rigidity
Overcoming recently formed habits

10. Hypothesis: Mindfulness meditators will exhibit lower levels of rigidity than non-meditators, due to more of a “Beginners mind”.
The practice – we think we know (breath, reactions) – NO FURTHER PROCESSING

11. Participants 12 Long term mindfulness meditators 13 “Pre-meditators”
9.32 years of practice on average
Practicing 4 hours a week on average
13 “Pre-meditators”
Non-meditators who are registered for their 1st mindfulness retreat
Equivalent in age, academic degree, academic abilities (PET score)

12. Eisntellung water jar task:
“Please solve the following problems. Try to solve rather quickly, yet make sure you use the shortest and simplest solution”.
(Luchins, 1942)

17. Eisntellung water jar task
6 “set” trials
3 “critical” or “trap” trials
2 “extinction” trials
Rigidity score - 1 point for each:
Long solution on a “critical” or “extinction” trial
“Extinction” trial solved in more than 90 seconds
Explain trap

18. RESULTS

19. (p<0.01)

20. Long term meditation associated with reduced rigidity
Willing and able to let go of habits, and utilize alternatives when appropriate

21. Mindfulness and treatment of psychiatric symptoms
Many conditions characterized by a stereotyped or undifferentiated view of the environment
“Things always go wrong”’
“There is no other way”
“The world is dangerous, I must always be alert and prepared”
Need for “un-learning” thought patterns and responses
Notice alternatives
Step out of habit and Utilize alternatives

22. Current Work Randomized experimental study design
8 week mindfulness intervention
Participators vs. waiting list
Pre-intervention: Alphabet maze
Post-intervention: Water Jar task

23. Alphabet maze
(Cowen, Wiener, & Hess, 1953)

24. Thanks:
Prof. Nachchson Meiran
Thank you for listening

26. Self reported measures

27. Hayling Task
“Please complete the sentence with an unrelated, nonsensical word as quickly as possible”:
“The captain decided to stay with the sinking…”
Paperclip?
(e.g Heeren,Van Broeck, & Philippot, 2009)

28. Stroop Task: “Please name the colour of the ink”:
Congruent Condition
Green
Yellow
Red
Blue
Incongruent Condition
Green
Yellow
Red
Blue
Some did not find such an efffect (anderson et al)
(Moore, & Malinowski, 2009)

29. Verbal Fluency
“Say as many words as you can think of beginning with the letters F, A, and S”
1 minute
(e.g Zeidan, et al, 2010; Heeren,Van Broeck, & Philippot, 2009)