Mindfulness increases analytical thought and decreases just world beliefs

Abstract

A growing body of research has found that engaging in mindfulness may alter thought processes in a range of different manners, such as increasing psychological well-being, decreasing stress, decreasing implicit racism, and many other positive psychological effects. The present study investigated whether engaging in mindfulness meditation would influence analytical thought processes. Participants listened to a 10-minute audio recording via noise-canceling headphones then answered a series of questions. Individuals who listened to the mindfulness recording answered more Cognitive Reflection Test questions analytically while participants in the control group answered them more intuitively. Participants in the mindfulness condition also indicated significantly lower scores on the Belief in a Just World scale