Effects of transcendental meditation on fine motor skill. 1976

L R Williams, and B L Vickerman

46 college female volunteers were given 66 10-sec. trials on the pursuit rotor task in 3 practice sessions (18, 30, and 18 trials/sessions). After the first 18 trials, the 23 subjects who were practiced Transcendental Meditators mediated for a 20-min. period followed by a 5-min. "waking" phase prior to the performance of a further 30 trials on the rotor. A 4-min. rest was taken before resuming practice for the final 18 trials. The other 23 subjects, who were not meditators, followed the same procedures except instead of mediating they sat quietly with closed eyes. In terms of performance, learning, reminiscence and intra-individual variability, the two groups were similar. These results were not in accordance with the expectations that these parameters would reflect the facilitative effects of Transcendental Meditation on alertness, awareness, consistency, and resistance to stress. After the meditation session, inter-individual variability was increased for the mediation group. While the conclusion that the practice of Transcendental Meditation does not benefit acquisition of fine perceptual-motor skill appears strong, further investigation would assist in obtaining a more complete understanding of such effects on perceptual-motor behavior.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007206 Individuality Those psychological characteristics which differentiate individuals from one another. Individual Differences,Difference, Individual,Differences, Individual,Individual Difference
D007858 Learning Relatively permanent change in behavior that is the result of past experience or practice. The concept includes the acquisition of knowledge. Phenomenography
D009048 Motor Skills Performance of complex motor acts. Motor Skill,Skill, Motor,Skills, Motor
D011214 Practice, Psychological Performance of an act one or more times, with a view to its fixation or improvement; any performance of an act or behavior that leads to learning. Practice (Psychology),Practice, Psychology,Practicing, Psychological,Practicing, Psychology,Psychological Practice,Psychological Practicing,Psychology Practice,Psychology Practicing
D012064 Relaxation Therapy Treatment to improve one's health condition by using techniques that can reduce PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS; PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS; or both. Relaxation Techniques,Therapeutic Relaxation,Ecotherapy,Nature Therapy,Relaxation Technics,Therapy, Relaxation,Ecotherapies,Nature Therapies,Relaxation Technic,Relaxation Technique,Relaxation, Therapeutic,Technic, Relaxation,Technique, Relaxation,Techniques, Relaxation,Therapy, Nature
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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