Effects of Acute Exercise, Mindfulness Meditation, and Mindfulness Meditation Neurofeedback on ...

99 Pages·2016·14.39 MB·English

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Master's Theses Master's Theses and Graduate Research
Fall 2015
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Claire Evelyn Balgemann
San Jose State University
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Balgemann, Claire Evelyn, "Effects of Acute Exercise, Mindfulness Meditation, and Mindfulness Meditation
Neurofeedback on Stroop Performance" (2015). Master's Theses. 4621.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.j63m-fmu3
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4621
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EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXERCISE, MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, AND
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION NEUROFEEDBACK ON STROOP PERFORMANCE

A Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of the Graduate Program in Human Factors and Ergonomics
San José State University

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science

by
Claire E. Balgemann
December 2015
©2015
Claire E. Balgemann
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
The Designated Thesis Committee Approves the Thesis Titled
EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXERCISE, MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, AND
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION NEUROFEEDBACK ON STROOP PERFORMANCE

by

Claire E. Balgemann

APPROVED FOR THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IN HUMAN FACTORS &
ERGONOMICS
DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

SAN JOSÉ STATE UNIVERSITY

December 2015

Dr. Emily H. Wughalter Department of Kinesiology
Dr. Sean Laraway Department of Psychology
Dr. David Schuster Department of Psychology
ABSTRACT
EFFECTS OF ACUTE EXERCISE, MINDFULNESS MEDITATION, AND
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION NEUROFEEDBACK ON STROOP PERFORMANCE
by Claire E. Balgemann
Empirical research has demonstrated that acute aerobic physical exercise,
neurofeedback, and mindfulness meditation independently have positive effects on
executive performance. Technology has enabled a new intervention that combines
neurofeedback and mindfulness meditation; however its effects on executive function are
unknown. The aim in the present study was to understand how executive function may
be enhanced in healthy individuals. Forty-two participants were randomly assigned to one
of three intervention groups: acute physical exercise, mindfulness meditation, or
mindfulness meditation neurofeedback delivered via the Muse brain-sensing headband.
Participants completed 50 trials of the Stroop task, a well-established measure of
executive function. A statistically significant one-way ANOVA revealed that
participants made fewer errors after undergoing the mindfulness meditation
neurofeedback intervention than they did following acute physical exercise. These
findings demonstrate that mindfulness meditation neurofeedback may boost aspects of
executive function that relate to lower Stroop task error rates.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would first like to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Emily H. Wughalter, for
providing intellectual guidance while allowing me the freedom to develop my project
independently. Thank you for your insightful comments throughout the versions of this
thesis and for lending direction and cohesion to the final product. To my committee
members, Dr. Sean Laraway and Dr. David Schuster, my sincere appreciation for your
encouragement, ideas, and support. This work is substantially stronger as a result of your
input and guidance.
Thank you to Dr. Yasser Dessouky for helping me to find a space to complete a
full day’s worth of data collection that happened to be scheduled during the university’s
campus orientation day. Your willingness to assist an unknown graduate student saved
the day.
I would also like to thank my parents, who have always selflessly backed my
education and whatever unusual pursuits attracted my interest. Thank you for giving me
the freedom and confidence to explore so many different paths.
Finally, my profound thanks to Güneş Kayacik, without whom I can honestly say
I never would have gone back to school at all, let alone completed this thesis. Thank you
for your encouragement, optimism, and patience throughout the planning, writing,
analyzing, and agonizing that came with this thesis.

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For Scott

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Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
Contributions of the study ............................................................................................... 3
Purpose of the study ........................................................................................................ 3
Definition of Terms ......................................................................................................... 4
Limitations ...................................................................................................................... 6
Delimitations ................................................................................................................... 6
Review of Literature ........................................................................................................... 8
Physical exercise ............................................................................................................. 8
Exercise type as a moderating variable…………………………………………..10
Exercise intensity as a moderating variable……………………………………...11
Participant fitness level as a moderating variable………………………………..13
Exercise activity as a moderating variable……………………………………….14
Timing of cognitive task as a moderating variable………………………………15
Type of cognitive task as a moderating variable………………………………...16
Mindfulness meditation ................................................................................................ 17
Historical background……………………………………………………………18
Practical applications of mindfulness meditation………………………………..19
Mindfulness meditation and cognitive performance……………………………..21
Neurofeedback .............................................................................................................. 24
Historical background……………………………………………………………25
Neurofeedback procedures……………………………………………………….26
Neurofeedback and cognitive performance……………………………………...28
Mindfulness meditation neurofeedback ........................................................................ 29
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Summary of the Review of Literature .......................................................................... 30
Method .............................................................................................................................. 32
Design and Analysis of Data ......................................................................................... 33
Participants .................................................................................................................... 33
Measures ....................................................................................................................... 35
Instrumentation ............................................................................................................. 38
Stationary bicycle………………………………………………………………...38
Heart rate monitor………………………………………………………………..39
Muse brain-sensing headband……………………………………………………39
Muse Calm application…………………………………………………………..40
Stopwatch………………………………………………………………………...46
Tally counter……………………………………………………………………..46
Procedure ...................................................................................................................... 46
Results ............................................................................................................................... 50
Participants .................................................................................................................... 50
Effect of study interventions on Stroop task time ......................................................... 54
Effect of study interventions on Stroop task number of errors ..................................... 55
Summary of Results ...................................................................................................... 59
Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 60
Limitations and Future Directions ................................................................................ 61
Practical implications .................................................................................................... 68
Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 69
viii
References ......................................................................................................................... 71
Appendix A ....................................................................................................................... 81
Appendix B ....................................................................................................................... 82
Appendix C ....................................................................................................................... 84
Appendix D ....................................................................................................................... 87

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