Robot-Assisted Mindfulness Practice: Analysis of Neurophysiological Responses and Affective State Change

Mindfulness is the state of paying attention to the present moment on purpose and meditation is the technique to obtain this state. This study aims to develop a robot assistant that facilitates mindfulness training by means of a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) system. To achieve this goal, we collected EEG signals from two groups of subjects engaging in a meditative vs. nonmeditative human robot interaction (HRI) and evaluated cerebral hemispheric asymmetry, which is recognized as a well defined indicator of emotional states. Moreover, using self reported affective states, we strived to explain asymmetry changes based on pre and post experiment mood alterations. We found that unlike earlier meditation studies, the frontocentral activations in alpha and theta frequency bands were not influenced by robot guided mindfulness practice, however there was a significantly greater right sided activity in the occipital gamma band of Meditation group, which is attributed to increased sensory awareness and open monitoring. In addition, there was a significant main effect of Time on participants self reported affect, indicating an improved mood after interaction with the robot regardless of the interaction type. Our results suggest that EEG responses during robot-guided meditation hold promise in realtime detection and neurofeedback of mindful state to the user, however the experienced neurophysiological changes may differ based on the meditation practice and recruited tools. This study is the first to report EEG changes during mindfulness practice with a robot. We believe that our findings driven from an ecologically valid setting, can be used in development of future BCI systems that are integrated with social robots for health applications.Comment: accepted for conference RoMAN202

Resonating Experiences of Self and Others enabled by a Tangible Somaesthetic Design

Digitalization is penetrating every aspect of everyday life including a human's heart beating, which can easily be sensed by wearable sensors and displayed for others to see, feel, and potentially "bodily resonate" with. Previous work in studying human interactions and interaction designs with physiological data, such as a heart's pulse rate, have argued that feeding it back to the users may, for example support users' mindfulness and self-awareness during various everyday activities and ultimately support their wellbeing. Inspired by Somaesthetics as a discipline, which focuses on an appreciation of the living body's role in all our experiences, we designed and explored mobile tangible heart beat displays, which enable rich forms of bodily experiencing oneself and others in social proximity. In this paper, we first report on the design process of tangible heart displays and then present results of a field study with 30 pairs of participants. Participants were asked to use the tangible heart displays during watching movies together and report their experience in three different heart display conditions (i.e., displaying their own heart beat, their partner's heart beat, and watching a movie without a heart display). We found, for example that participants reported significant effects in experiencing sensory immersion when they felt their own heart beats compared to the condition without any heart beat display, and that feeling their partner's heart beats resulted in significant effects on social experience. We refer to resonance theory to discuss the results, highlighting the potential of how ubiquitous technology could utilize physiological data to provide resonance in a modern society facing social acceleration.Comment: 18 page

The impact of mindfulness based interventions on the psychological capital of leaders

This mixed method study examined the relative impact of virtual and classroom-based mindfulness training on the psychological capital (PsyCap) of leaders. The control group (n = 9) and the experimental group (n = 15) participated in an 8-week program and completed pre and post-assessments PsyCap levels. A virtual program was delivered to the control group. A classroom based program was delivered to the experimental group. The experimental group exhibited significant improvement in all four psychological traits which make up the PsyCap construct: efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism. The control group exhibited significant improvement only in self-reported hope scores. The qualitative results from the experimental group were encouraging, emphasizing key learnings from the classroom experience which made an impact at the personal and professional levels. Continued research in this area is anticipated to understand more antecedents to increasing PsyCap levels, leadership effectiveness and benefits of mindfulness based interventions, and enable organizations to better support leaders with mindfulness resources in the workplace

Systematic review regarding the use of mindfulness-based mobile applications to reduce psychological symptoms and enhance well-being among general and clinical population adults: benefits, limitations and future directions

Mindfulness is now utilized throughout Western Society and is part of the growing behavioral health, self-help, and wellness movements. Mobile applications have become increasingly popular for a wide variety of uses related to physical health, mental health, and self-improvement. Therefore, mindfulness-based mobile applications have promise both as stand-alone tools for end-users seeking self-help resources and as clinician-recommended adjunctive tools to enhance the process and outcomes of professional therapy. This systematic review identified, reviewed, and synthesized the findings from studies (n = 29) concerning the impact of mindfulness-based mobile applications on specific aspects of psychological functioning in both the general population and clinical samples. The aim was to clarify the conclusions warranted based on the extant literature regarding the benefits, limitations, and future directions of mindfulness-based mobile applications with respect to enhancing well-being and reducing depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and stress among clinical and general population adults. English-language studies published between 2009 and 2021 that examined iOS and/or Android compatible mindfulness-based mobile applications were included in the review. The results indicated that mindfulness-based mobile applications are effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress (both perceived and physiological), in addition to improving well-being. Areas for future research are discussed

Implementation and impact of the Mindfulness Meditation Training for Sport (MMTS) 2.0 protocol with a division III women's college basketball team and coaching staff

This study examined the Mindfulness Meditation for Sport 2.0 protocol (MMTS 2.0) (Baltzell & Summers, 2018), a six-week integrated mindfulness and self-compassion training, with a Division III women’s basketball team and coaching staff. The study design replicated a mixed method approach used in previous MMTS 2.0 studies, using an identical battery of eight validated quantitative instruments (with the student athletes only), as well as a qualitative interview guide (slightly modified for this study for sport-specificity). Both student athletes and coaches were interviewed post-training in order to explore their self-reported perceptions of the impact and the benefits and challenges of the MMTS 2.0 training. The MMTS 2.0 protocol was delivered by the researcher to fifteen total participants (n=15), ten student athletes and five coaches, over six weekly one-hour sessions. In addition to the weekly group sessions, as part of the MMTS 2.0 training, home practice was encouraged using audio-recorded meditations. The primary objective of the MMTS 2.0 training was to increase the student athletes’ and coaches’ poise as defined by ability to cope with the experience of negative thoughts and emotions that may be present due to the pressures of competition and training. In addition, the objectives of increased focus and psychological flexibility were investigated. The researcher hypothesized that the MMTS 2.0 intervention would show increases in measures of mindfulness and self-compassion, and other indices of sport-related performance variables (e.g., flow, grit, psychological inflexibility, etc.), as well as participant well-being. Reductions in sport-related anxiety and psychological inflexibility were hypothesized. The quantitative findings revealed no statistically significant results regarding the eight quantitative measures as well as no demonstrated moderate effect sizes. The qualitative results indicated strong support for the training. Both groups, student athletes and coaches, described a range of perceived impacts, aligning with the training’s core objectives of increased poise, focus and psychological flexibility. The emerging themes in the interview data revealed evidence for overall enhancements in awareness, focus, stress management, and strong support for enhanced team climate. The discussion synthesizes the findings and offers suggestions for future implementation and coach involvement

Minecraft and Montessori: Connecting In-class and Remote Students During COVID-19 Restrictions

The purpose of this study was to find out whether playing Minecraft: Education Edition would help in-class and remote students make personal connections. This action research project took place in a Grade 3, 4 and 5 public Montessori school during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Of the 23 students, 14 were present in the classroom, while nine others were transitional learners with separate online teachers. Students were asked to reflect on their interactions with other players through interviews, journals and surveys. Parents participated by completing a pre-and post-survey. Students reported an increase in friends and acquaintances matching quantitative data collected by the teacher. Remote learners did not make as many connections as in-class students, likely due to technical difficulties with software and scheduling differences. Implications around the game\u27s colonial mission, racial and gender bias as well as environmental sustainability, need further research

Mindfulness and the Virtual School: Effects of Mindfulness Interventions in the Aftermath of Emotional Trauma and Isolation.

This action research studied the effects of mindfulness, meditation, and simple yoga exercises on children in the aftermath of emotional trauma and isolation due to COVID-19. The research further explored how these strategies interact with Montessori philosophy and whether a public Montessori school’s virtual upper elementary environment can accommodate such practices. The study took place over four weeks. Thirty-one upper elementary students in a public metropolitan Montessori school received daily guidance on mindfulness and mediation via Google Meet and instructional videos. The researcher used online pre- and post-surveys, checklists, and students’ journals to collect data. Over the course of the study students demonstrated increased comfort level when expressing emotions. Further study could examine the impact these interventions have if delivered in the non-virtual Montessori classroom

Nuove tecnologie per garantire il benessere fisico: strategie didattiche e motivazionali

The introductory part of this paper will discuss the importance of the use of new technologies, analysing their typologies and benefits, in the context of prevention and treatment of chronic and degenerative diseases, with the aim of guaranteeing physical well-being and the consequent improvement of the quality of life in modern society. In the second section, the contribution, using a narrative theoretical method, will deal with the methodologies applied in the pursuit of the  aforementioned aim. In the final section, the benefits found in the population will be highlighted, underlining how the linkbetween new technologies and physical well-being will make them inextricably complementary in the future.La parte introduttiva di questo contributo discuterà l’importanza dell’utilizzo delle nuove tecnologie, analizzandone le tipologie e i benefici, nell’ambito della prevenzione e cura delle malattie croniche e degenerative, con l’obiettivo di garantire il benessere fisico e il conseguente miglioramento della la qualità della vita nella società moderna. Nella seconda sezione, il contributo,utilizzando un metodo teorico narrativo, tratterà le metodologie applicate nel perseguimento del suddetto obiettivo. Nella sezione finale verranno evidenziati i benefici riscontrati nella popolazione, sottolineando come il legame tra le nuove tecnologie e il benessere fisico le renderà indissolubilmente complementari in futuro

Smartphone apps for mindfulness interventions with suicidality in Asian youths: literature review

Background: The advent of mobile technology has ushered in an era where smartphone applications can be used for intervention for suicidality. Objective: Review recent research relevant to smartphone application that can be used for mindfulness intervention for suicidality in Asian youths. Methods: The inclusion criteria for this review is papers published in peer reviewed journals from 2007 to 2017 with usage of search terms namely ‘smartphone application’, and ‘mindfulness’, assessed against the inclusion criteria and screened by an experienced Asian clinician to be of clinical utility for mindfulness intervention for suicidality with Asian youths. Results: Initial search on databases yielded 375 results. 14 Full text papers that fit the inclusion criteria were assessed for eligibility and 10 papers were included in the current review. Conclusions: This review highlighted the paucity of evidence-based and empirically validated research into effective smartphone applications that can be used for mindfulness interventions for suicidality with Asian youths

The Future of Mindfulness in the Workplace

Having employees who are more mindful in the workplace, holds the potential to transforms every aspect of a company. By being more aware of themselves and the worlds they operate in, workers could find opportunities to improve their own experience and the way they interact with each other, customers, stakeholders, and more broadly how they plan and prepare for the future. Although there is much interest in these programs among companies today, efforts to realize the benefits are still embryonic and face many challenges. Of companies who have launched programs, many have been around for three years or less and have only been developed in a limited number of attributes. Despite this, nearly all companies that have implemented mindfulness programs claim to have realized some benefits from them. However, the nature of most benefits remain at a qualitative level rather than from strong statistical studies. The goals of this research were to showcase why organizations should proactively implement mindfulness programs, identify the roadblocks and different approaches organizations can use to implement mindfulness programs, and specify the best practices for achieving results from mindfulness programs. The mindfulness efforts that have been most impactful are introductory talks, app usage, and guided meditations. Companies that have had mindfulness programs for longer periods of time have implemented more attributes and achieved more employee participation. In order to further realize the potential of mindfulness, companies should establish high profile commitment and an accountable champion, develop a broader community of involvement, and work diligently to make sure stigmas do not get in the way