The study examined the effects of a 30-minute mindfulness meditation session on perceived stress levels and cortisol levels in college students. 39 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to either a meditation group or a control group. Personality traits, health behaviors, perceived stress scales, and cortisol samples were measured. Results found no significant differences in perceived stress or cortisol levels between the meditation and control groups, suggesting a brief mindfulness meditation did not reduce stress. However, emotional stability was found to negatively correlate with perceived stress levels.

1. The relationship between cortisol, perceived stress, and mindfulness meditation among
college students
Rachael Blais and Tessa Hagen
Kerry Michael (Faculty Advisor)
Participants:
-Undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota, Morris
-18 years or older.
-Recruited in classrooms and by email listervs.
-39 total participants; 9 male, 30 female.
Procedure:
-Participants were randomly assigned to either meditation or control condition
-The experimental group participated in a 30 minute mindfulness meditation
activity, while the control group read a magazine for the equivalent amount of time
Materials:
-Measures taken included affect scales, perceived stress scales, and salivary cortisol
samples.
-Personality and health behaviors taken into account for analysis.
-Cortisol levels were quantitatively measured using a salivary assay kit.
Analyses:
- Main analysis used ANOVAs where the experimental and control groups are the
independent variables and cortisol and perceived stress levels are the dependent
variables.
-Other analysis used correlations in examining relationships between stress,
personality, and health habits.
AbstractIntroduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Tables
The present study sought to build upon Cresswell et al.’s (2014) mindfulness
meditation experiment as a brief intervention for college students. We proposed
that a 30-minute mindfulness meditation session would reduce perceived stress and
stress hormone levels. We also proposed that stress may be impacted by personality
and health habits. Results do not support either hypothesis. However, negative
correlations were discovered between personality factors and perceived stress levels.
Mindfulness, or focused conscious attention, is the practice of placing one’s self in
the present moment, focusing on breathing and heart rate, and lessening distraction
from past or future thoughts (Thompson & Waltz, 2007). In determining perceived
and hormonal stress levels, an individual’s own perception of their stress can be an
effective measure (Cohen, 1984); while the main hormone associated with the stress
response is cortisol. Long-term elevations in cortisol are associated with a spectrum
of adverse health outcomes (Cresswell et al., 2014). Personality characteristics, such
as conscientiousness - a person’s ability for self-control and adhering to social norms
- and neuroticism - emotional instability - may play a role in how effective
mindfulness meditation can be in altering stress levels (Thompson & Waltz, 2007).
Previous researchers found that conscientiousness positively correlated with
mindfulness and neuroticism was negatively correlated. They concluded that
conscientiousness, as a personality characteristic and individual element, has shown
to be a protective factor promoting positive health behaviors, whereas neuroticism
can be an adverse factor. There are constructs to mindfulness and meditation in
which it may be easier for conscientious individuals to get the most out of these
techniques (Thompson & Waltz, 2007).
College and emerging adulthood can be very stressful; it is a period of transitions,
social stress, and risk-taking behaviors (Reynolds, 2013). Since personality traits are
relatively stable over time, individual differences may become a predictor for these
risk-taking and health behaviors (Thompson & Waltz, 2007). An intended outcome
of this study was to see if stress levels can be affected by personality factors during
a mindfulness meditation exercise.
This study aims to determine whether mindfulness meditation could be a factor for
decreasing perceived stress and lowering cortisol levels, while also increasing
protective health behaviors among college students. This study also tested whether
individual differences in personality could aid in mindfulness techniques. The
purpose of this study is to supplement the previous literature of mindfulness and
stress, specifically to continue Cresswell et al.’s (2014) findings.
Perceived Stress:
There were no significant differences between experimental and control groups with
change in perceived stress(F=.114; p=.737). See Table 1.
Emotional stability and perceived stress levels displayed a significant negative
correlation, (r = -.649; p=.000). The relationship between conscientiousness and
perceived stress levels was not significant n (r = -.187; p=.254).
High caffeine use was positively correlated with higher perceived stress levels
(r=.326, p=.046)
Cortisol:
There were no significant differences in baseline cortisol or cortisol reactivity
between experimental and control group (F=.074; p=.787). See Table 2.
Our hypothesis was not supported; a 30-minute mindfulness meditation did not
reduce perceived stress or stress hormone levels. We found no significant difference
between control and experimental groups before and after experimental procedures.
This shows that a short mindfulness meditation intervention may not be an
effective strategy in reducing stress among college students.
In examining the relationships between positive and negative affect, perceived
stress, and cortisol levels we found that positive affect dropped in both groups;
although this finding lacked significance (r= -.142; p= .387). Meanwhile, negative
affect dropped slightly in the experimental group, and increased in the control
group after the experiment (was this significant?). This finding demonstrates how
both positive and negative affect, or feelings and emotions, can be lowered after
engaging in mindfulness meditation.
This study supports previous psychologists’ claims that emotional stability
negatively correlates with perceived stress (r= -.649, p= .000); Scores in affect and
perceived stress did not change for those who were more emotionally stable, but
were more variable in those that were more emotionally instable. However, results
do not support that conscientiousness positively correlates with
mindfulness. Instead, conscientiousness showed no significant relationship with
perceived stress, cortisol, affect scores, or mindfulness (Thompson & Waltz, 2007).
Relationships between health habits and all measures of stress were also
explored. Many young adults use maladaptive coping mechanisms, such as drug
use, to reduce stress levels (Bogg & Roberts, 2004). We found similar findings in
that pervasive caffeine use is positively correlated with higher perceived stress levels
(r=.326, p=.046), as well as with cortisol levels (r = -.087, p=.603). Alcohol,
meanwhile, contrary to previous research, was not significantly related to perceived
stress (r= -.200, p= .228).
Limitations
While there appeared to be no relationship between perceived stress and cortisol
levels, it is important to note that the experiment took place between 7 pm and 9
pm due to scheduling conflicts with participants. Performing the study at a later
hour may have affected cortisol levels, as levels are generally quite low at this time
of day. It is also important take into account that a majority of participants
demonstrated high levels of conscientiousness.
Future Directions
Future research may be able to provide more detailed insight into different stress-
reducers that account for individual differences. While this study does not support
the claim that conscientiousness is a factor in reducing stress and increasing health
behaviors, future research in a population with more variability in this trait may be
able to determine the affect they have on the efficacy of mindfulness meditation
(Bogg & Roberts, 2004).
Previous research has claimed that training may be necessary for meditation
effectiveness, and as this study did not find that a short mindful meditation
intervention reduced perceived stress or stress hormone levels, more long-term
training may be necessary to produce significant benefits of mindfulness meditation
(Cresswell et al., 2014).
Table 1
Table 2
Bogg, T., & Roberts, B. W. (2004). Conscientiousness and health-related behaviors: A meta-analysis of the
leading behavioral contributors to mortality. Psychological Bulletin, 130(6), 887-919.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.6.887
Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., Mermelstein, R. (1983). A global measure of perceived stress. Journal of Health and Social
Behavior, 24(4), 385-396.
Cresswell, D., Pacilio, L.E., Lindsay, E.K., Brown, K.W. (2014). Brief mindfulness meditation training alters
psychological and neuroendicrince responses to social evaluative stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 44,
11-12.
Reynolds, E.K., Schreiber, W.M., Geisel, K., MacPherson, L., Ernst, M., Lejuez, C.W. (2013). Influence of social
stress on risk-taking behavior in adolescents. Journal of Anxiety Disorders 27, 272-277.
Thompson, B. and Waltz, J. (2007). Everyday mindfulness meditation: Overlapping constructs or not? Personality
and Individual Differences 43, 1875-1885. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2007.06.017
This project was supported by the University of Minnesota's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program