Relating mindfulness and executive function in children

Despite the important role of cognitions in mindful awareness, research on the cognitive processes underlying mindfulness in young populations is scarce. This study explores the association between the core executive functions (i.e. inhibition, working memory, and shifting) and mindfulness within th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical child psychology and psychiatry 2020-04, Vol.25 (2), p.435-445
Main Authors: Geronimi, Elena M C, Arellano, Brenda, Woodruff-Borden, Janet
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child
Child & adolescent psychiatry
Child Behavior - physiology
Children
Cognition
Executive function
Executive Function - physiology
Female
Humans
Inhibition
Inhibition, Psychological
Male
Memory
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Mindfulness
Models, Psychological
Short term memory
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Summary:Despite the important role of cognitions in mindful awareness, research on the cognitive processes underlying mindfulness in young populations is scarce. This study explores the association between the core executive functions (i.e. inhibition, working memory, and shifting) and mindfulness within the same model in a sample of children. Seventy-two parent–child dyads participated in the study. Difficulties with executive functioning and child mindfulness level were assessed. Inhibition, working memory, and shifting were significantly correlated with mindfulness. Furthermore, moderate to good fit was found in a model testing the association between mindfulness and the latent executive function variable composed by the three executive functions, and individual executive functions demonstrated significant loadings in relation to the latent variable. In a model relating mindfulness to each individual executive function, mindfulness was uniquely associated with inhibition, working memory, and shifting. The application of current theoretical models of mindfulness to child populations and clinical implications are discussed.
ISSN:1359-1045
1461-7021
DOI:10.1177/1359104519833737