The Effect of Brief Focused Attention Meditation on Measures of Attention

Many people need thanking for their part in this PhD, this section could be its own thesis. Though it has sometimes felt like a lonely road, I could not have made it without the love and support of a whole bunch of brilliant people. Firstly, my supervisor Dinkar Sharma. Dinkar, your time and patience has not only helped me develop as a researcher over the last 6 years, through both my MSc and my PhD, but has been a shining example of how to be present and give your time generously to others. It is a quality I have learnt to appreciate, and I can only hope that with practice I will be able to emulate it. Secondly, my family. To Stuart, my lovely husband, thank you for your patience and support throughout. For having high standards for yourself (they rub off!) and for being there, consistently. To Ina, toddlers have a way of reminding yourself not to get your head stuck in the clouds and your giggles never fail to raise my spirits. To all of the family who have cooked, babysat, consoled and cajoled over the last two years, don't think it went unnoticed - I am forever grateful. With particular thanks to Julie and Chloe for much cooking, babysitting and consoling. Thirdly, my friends. You have kept me going. Special mentions are needed for some wonderful individuals. To Anna, Stefan, Matt and Aife, you have listened to me on good days and bad days and have been there throughout, thank you. To Lizanne for hugs, as and when needed by both of us. To Saghi, for loving Ina so much. To Lindsey for mum chats, a job, and for reminding me of the positive impact I can have on the world. To Chloe F. for reminding me how much I still have to learn. And finally, to the all of staff and students in the School of Psychology I have worked with in the last six years. All of you have made this journey exciting, interesting and formative. You have supported and encouraged me and I could not ask for a nicer group of people

The Effect of Longitudinal Short-Meditation Interventions on the Cognitive Alerting Network

Introduction Research shows that an improved ability to maintain an alert state, that is a readiness to engage in attentional processing, arises in long-term meditators. This paper extends this finding, demonstrating improved vigilance in novices using short meditation interventions. Method We used a longitudinal design (1 pre-test session, 8 sessions x 8 minutes over 4 weeks) which was completed by 57 undergraduate novices. Each session, other than the pre-test session, contained an intervention (body scan meditation vs. mindful colouring vs. video watching) followed by an Attention Network Test (ANT), as well as mood and mindfulness state questionnaires. Results A significant interaction was found between groups in their ANT Alerting scores from pre-test to post 8th intervention (F (2, 54) = 3.17, p = .050). The meditative groups’ alerting scores remained fairly stable but both the control groups’ scores increased on the final test meaning that they took longer to respond. There was also a significant interaction between Mindful Attention Awareness Scale scores pre- and post- individual interventions (F (2, 52) = 3.21, p = .049) with the meditation and colouring groups increasing their mindfulness scores compared to a reduction in the video group score. Discussion Results suggest that even short mindfulness interventions can positively impact individuals’ abilities to maintain higher levels of attentional alertness and vigilance in certain tasks. However, the duration of these effects remains unclear

Prevalence and nature of bullying in schoolchildren aged 10–14 years and its association with malocclusion: A cross-sectional study in the South East of the UK

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of, and relationship between, bullying and malocclusion in schoolchildren aged 10–14 years in the South East of the UK. Design: Cross-sectional cohort study. Setting: Sixteen primary and secondary schools in South East of the UK. Participants: Schoolchildren aged 10–14 years who were consented to participate. Methods: The prevalence and nature of bullying were measured using a questionnaire. Traits of malocclusion and the need for orthodontic treatment was assessed by clinical examination and determined by the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) Dental Health (DHC) and Aesthetic components (AC). Results: Complete data were collected for 698 participants. The number defined as being bullied was 68 (9.7%). There was no difference in the prevalence of bullying between gender, ethnicity or age. Higher rates of bullying were reported in mixed sex schools ( P = 0.03). Participants with an increased overjet ( P = 0.02) and/or a greater need for treatment, as measured by IOTN DHC ( P = 0.01) and AC ( P = 0.01), reported higher rates of bullying. While there was no difference in the overall prevalence of bullying between genders, boys were more likely than girls to experience physical bullying ( P <0.001) and being called names ( P = 0.03) Conclusion: A significant relationship was evident between being bullied and certain traits of malocclusion