The effects of a systematic manipulation of mindfulness practice on self-reported levels of mindfulness and stress, displacement behaviors, and heart rate

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to explore the immediate effects of guided mindfulness practice, and to determine whether longer durations of practice would have proportionally greater effects than shorter practices on heart rate, mindfulness scores, stress scores, and/or displacement behaviors. Participants listened to audio recordings of guided mindfulness practices and biographical books on tape. Levels of mindfulness and stress were measured before and after audio, and heart rate and displacement behaviors were measured during audio. Results of the current study showed that some individuals may reap benefits from practices as short as 5 minutes, and, interestingly, that longer practices, for these participants, did not produce significantly greater effects. The current research builds on previous studies that demonstrate mindfulness practice can have numerous beneficial effects. There were significant differences in heart rate for four of the six participants who completed the study, where the average heart rate was lowest in the final condition of the session. Scores on the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) did not change reliably as a function of the duration of the mindfulness practices, but there was a reliable decrease in rate and duration of displacement behaviors for the majority of participants when comparing the mindfulness conditions to the other conditions, especially prose, which was the comparison condition. There was not a difference based on the length of the mindfulness practices. The majority of the participants in the current study indicated that the mindfulness practice was at least somewhat helpful in managing stress, specifically in regards to their jobs or schooling and in dealing with challenges.