Journal article
Exploring mindfulness attentional skills acquisition, psychological and physiological functioning and well-being: Using mindful breathing or mindful listening in a nonclinical sample
Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, Vol.30(3), pp.103-118
2020
Abstract
This study involved applying mindful awareness to external attentional targets by substituting the breath with nature sounds or music in mindfulness practice. We hypothesized that this would influence mindfulness attentional skills acquisition, psychological functioning, physiological well-being, and session attendance. Seventy-nine healthy adults either mindfully focused on the breath (Control), nature sounds (Nature Sounds), or music tracks (Music) throughout an 8-week structured group mindfulness program. Participants completed the Outcome Rating Scale and session rating questionnaire every session, and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Brief Resilience Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-42 at the start and end of the program. Heart rate variability was assessed using the Alive Programme at the start and end of the program too. We analyzed both quantitative and qualitative outcomes in this study. Both Nature Sounds and Music conditions had enhanced session attendance rates compared with the Control condition. Each condition showed unique patterns of mindfulness attentional skills acquisition. Furthermore, only Nature Sounds and Music conditions showed within-condition reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Participants in Nature Sounds and Music conditions also reported increased likelihood to generalise skills acquired in the sessions into daily life, noted imagery, and acknowledged the impermanence of their experiences. Future research should involve applying the current study’s protocol to suitable subclinical populations to further elucidate the process involved in mindfully attuning to nature sounds and music and to augment mindfulness attentional skills, psychological functioning, physiological well-being, and session attendance.
Details
- Title
- Exploring mindfulness attentional skills acquisition, psychological and physiological functioning and well-being: Using mindful breathing or mindful listening in a nonclinical sample
- Authors/Creators
- L.-M. Loo (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityJ.B. Prince (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityH.M. Correia (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
- Publication Details
- Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, Vol.30(3), pp.103-118
- Publisher
- American Psychological Association
- Identifiers
- 991005541766407891
- Copyright
- © 2020, American Psychological Association
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Allied Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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