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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03456505

Dissecting De-automatization

The proposed study will assess the effects of mindfulness meditation training on an eye blink conditioning (EBC) task in a sample of novice meditators. This methodology will allow investigation of whether mindfulness interrupts classical conditioning through the process of de-automatization. Implicit learning rates, as reflective of unconscious habit formation and measured by the frequency of conditioned responses during the EBC, will be a main outcome of interest. The proposed study will also assess the effects of mindfulness meditation training on an emotion regulation (ER) task, with a specific focus on reappraisal of negative images and savoring of positive images.

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Key information

Conditions

Mindfulness

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 18-60,
  • willingness to participate in study interventions and assessments.

Exclusion criteria

  • Prior experience with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, or Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention, or a history of meditation practice,
  • Learning disability, significant memory problems or significant attentional disruptions as determined by self-report,
  • History of head injury resulting in loss of consciousness.

Treatment and study plan

Mindfulness meditation training

Behavioral

A researcher will guide participants through 5 mindfulness meditations, each lasting 11 minutes in length.

Active Listening

Behavioral

A researcher will read participants 5 selections from The Natural History of Selborne, each lasting 11 minutes in length.

Primary outcomes

  1. Conditioned Eyeblink Frequency

    Time frame: 9 minutes

    Between group differences in the frequency of conditioned eyeblinks over the six reinforcement blocks.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Positive Emotion Regulation Task

    Time frame: 5 minutes

    Between group differences in affective change occasioned by savoring positive images will be measured by comparing increases in self-reported positive affect (5-point Likert scale) from pre- to post- positive image, viewing block.

  2. Negative Emotion Regulation Task

    Time frame: 5 minutes

    Between group differences in affective change occasioned by positively reappraising negative images will be measured by comparing increases in self-reported negative affect (5-point Likert scale) from pre- to post- negative image, viewing block.

  3. Self-Transcendence (NADA-State)

    Time frame: 2 minutes

    Between group differences in the degree to which mindfulness training alters participants' sense of self as measured by the nondaul awareness dimension assessment's (NADA) state form.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Utah

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Dissecting De-automatization: The Effect of Mindfulness Training on Unconscious Habit Formation

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Mar 7, 2018
Registry last updated
Oct 1, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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