Differential benefits of mental training types for attention, compassion, and theory of mind.

ABSTRACT: Mindfulness- and, more generally, meditation-based interventions increasingly gain popularity, effectively promoting cognitive, affective, and social capacities. It is unclear, however, if different types of practice have the same or specific effects on mental functioning. Here we tested three consecutive three-month training modules aimed at cultivating either attention, socio-affective qualities (such as compassion), or socio-cognitive skills (such as theory of mind), in three training cohorts and a retest control cohort (N = 332). While attentional performance improved most consistently after attention training, compassion increased most after socio-affective training and theory of mind partially improved after socio-cognitive training. These results show that specific mental training p

SUBMITTER: Trautwein FM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6891878 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature