Characteristics of attentional bias in meditators: An ERP study

Abstract

Attentional bias is closely related to individual mental health. To explore the effect of mindfulness meditation on attentional bias, we use the dot‐probe task to measure and compare the attentional bias of 16 Shaolin monks with meditation experience (meditator group) and 18 ordinary people without meditation experience (control group). The results were as follows: (1) The control group showed attentional bias to anger stimuli, while the meditator group did not show attentional bias; (2) The P1 amplitude induced by emotion stimuli was significantly less in the meditator group than in the control group; (3) When the control group observed angry‐neutral faces, the P2 amplitude was greater than when they saw neutral‐neutral faces. In comparison, there was no significant difference in P2 amplitude when the meditator group viewed faces with different emotions. This leads us to contend that people highly practiced in meditation can reduce their attentional bias to negative information, and show the cognitive characteristics of “impartial” treatment to external information.

Differences in attentional function between experienced mindfulness meditators and non-meditators

“…Generally, it is modulated by attention and associated with the initiation of an executive process when identifying unusual stimuli ( 20 , 42 ). The P2 is an indicator of attentional engagement during cognitive processing ( 43 ). In our study, meditators showed higher P2 amplitudes and shorter RTs, suggesting more efficient attentional functioning during stimulus perception, although the task accuracy rate was approximately the same for both groups (potentially due to a ceiling effect).…”