PSY 2100 Research Methods in Psychology A

PSY 2100 Research Methods in Psychology A

The expression mindfulness" refers to a certain approach to focusing on the present moment, shown by an open and non-judgmental mindset (Chiesa, Calati, & Serretti, 2011). The view of "meditation" covers several types of practices, ranging from relaxation practices to exercises aimed at achieving higher goals such as enhanced mental health (Lutz, Slagter, Dunne, & Davidson, 2008). Together, these views emphasise the nature of mindfulness and meditation while highlighting their impact on the improvement of focus and attention in the present moment (Eberth & Sedlmeier, 2012). The study of mindfulness practices, specifically focused attention (FA) meditation, has shown that long-term FA training can result in less activation in the neural systems that control focus on an object (Lutz, Slagter, Dunne, & Davidson, 2008). This shift could enhance one's abilities in tasks requiring sustained and selective attention (Lutz, Slagter, Dunne, & Davidson, 2008). While these studies are compelling and show strong evidence of the link between mindfulness practices and the increase in FA, it is important to note some of the limitations of these studies. A handful of these studies compared mindfulness training to a waiting list, making it challenging to determine if the observed outcomes are specifically because of mindfulness or could be achieved through other interventions, such as simple relaxation (Chiesa, Calati, & Serretti, 2011). Other limitations of these studies could be the alterations in research tests employed in each study Chiesa, Calati, & Serretti, 2011). With that in mind, these results are a strong starting point for future research, as future research should look to eliminate these limitations for strong results.

This study intends to investigate the impacts of a 2-week breath-counting program has on attention and mindfulness. This study is seeking to better understand how partaking in a breath-counting program could enhance attention levels after the completion of the 2-week intervention. The study aims to enhance the existing knowledge in attention and mindfulness, by examining the potential benefits of a short-term breath-counting intervention on attentional focus. This study used the method of experimental research, has there was a controlled group and a variable in the second group, this allows for the measurement of change in the level of attention after the two weeks between the two groups.

Hypotheses 1; it is hypothesised that there will be no noticeable difference in attention score in the Time 1 score on attention between the controlled group and the breath counting group.

Hypotheses 2; It is hypothesised that the breath counting group will show significant improvement in attention scores after two weeks of breath work training compared to the control.

Hypotheses 3; It is Hypothesised that the breath counting group will show noticeable improvement in increased attention scores from Time 1 to Time 2 tests.