COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES FOLLOWING MULTIMODAL MEDITATION AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF A CONTROLLED INTERVENTION STUDY

Abstract

Background: Mindfulness-based and meditation interventions have gained increasing attention as accessible approaches for enhancing cognitive functioning and psychological well-being among university students. However, limited research has examined the independent and combined effects of specific meditation components, particularly sound-based and color-focused meditation, on attention, working memory, and affective outcomes.

Objective: This secondary analysis investigated predictors of cognitive and emotional outcomes following sound meditation, color-focused meditation, and combined meditation interventions among university students with no prior meditation experience.

Methods: This secondary analysis utilized data from a prospective convenience-controlled meditation intervention involving 142 university students. Participants were assigned to one of four groups: sound meditation (n = 31), color-focused meditation (n = 34), combined sound and color meditation (n = 51), or a non-intervention control group (n = 26). The intervention was delivered over eight weeks through instructor-led sessions conducted three times weekly. Outcomes were assessed using the Alloway Working Memory Assessment (AWMA-2), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT-3). Pre- and post-intervention comparisons and between-group analyses were performed.

Results: Participants receiving meditation interventions demonstrated improvements in attention, working memory, and affective functioning relative to baseline. The combined meditation group showed the most consistent pattern of improvement across cognitive and emotional outcomes, including enhanced recall performance, reduced attentional errors, increased positive affect, and decreased negative affect. Significant associations were also observed between meditation adherence and cognitive improvements.

Conclusion: Sound and color meditation practices were associated with beneficial cognitive and emotional outcomes among university students. The combined intervention appeared to yield broader benefits than either technique alone. Although findings are promising, further randomized controlled studies are required to confirm effectiveness and clarify underlying mechanisms