A comparison of the effectiveness of mindfulness training and computerized working memory training in improving working memory performance of healthy adults in the age range between 18 and 55 years
A comparison of the effectiveness of mindfulness training and computerized working memory training in improving working memory performance of healthy adults
Deakin University
120 participants
Sep 1, 2023
Interventional
Conditions
Summary
Participants are asked to fill in 4 online questionnaires of memory, mindfulness, attention, mood and mind-wandering, and complete two online tasks of working memory and reasoning ability prior to training. Participants are asked to complete similar tests after the training is completed. After completing baseline measures, participants are then randomly assigned to either of the training groups (mindfulness training or computerised working memory training). Working memory training group is our intervention group and participants in this group will complete their training from the DREAM website by playing CrushStations game. The game is based on the principles of n-back task, a measure of working memory capacity popularly used in working memory training research. Different types and colors of ocean animals will be displayed on participant's screen, and at a later recall test, participants will be asked to recall and remember types and colors of ocean animals. Group 2 is our active control group where participants will complete mindfulness training via the Mindfulness Coach Explorer app. Participants will practice open monitoring and focused attention types of meditation during their training. Both groups will train for 21 minutes in each sitting, for 4 days a week and for 6 weeks altogether. It is hypothesised that working memory training group will show improved performance at post-test on the measures of working memory and reasoning ability, whereas mindfulness training group will show improved performance on the measures of mood, mind-wandering, and mindfulness trait.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria1
- Healthy adults on the age range between 18 and 55 years without a current diagnosis of a psychological or neurological condition
Exclusion Criteria2
- Anyone above the age of 55 years and below the age of 18 years.
- Anyone with a current diagnosis of psychological or neurological condition (including but not limited to, severe traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumours, dementia or other neurodegenerative disease, epilepsy, or intellectual disability)
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Interventions
Group 1 is our intervention group and participants in this group will complete working memory game training. Participants will be able to complete their training via an already developed brain training website call the DREAM website. The website was developed by Professor Jan L. Plass of the New York University. Participants will be expected to complete their training online from the comfort of their home. The game is called 'CrushStations' and has similarities with the n-back task, a measure of working memory popularly used in working memory training research studies. The game is made adaptive which means that difficulty level is increased based on participant's performance. Participants will have different types and colors of sea creatures displayed on their screen to remember, and will be asked to recall the type and color of the sea creatures at a later recall test. Participants will be expected to train four days a week for six weeks altogether, and for twenty one minute in each sitting. To monitor adherence to the intervention, participants will be informed via a Plain Language Statement and Consent Form that the DREAM website will share their training information with the Deakin research team about how frequently they completed their training, including number of minutes spent completing training in each sitting, total number of days trained in a week, number of weeks trained altogether and levels completed altogether.
Locations(2)
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ACTRN12623001205628