Feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effects of a home-based, cognitive-oriented virtual reality mindfulness intervention on child attentional networks and executive functions: a pilot study

Abstract

Executive functions (EFs) and attentional processes determine many aspects of children’s life and highly influence their psychosocial functioning and academic achievement. More recently, mindfulness has emerged as a promising intervention for enhancing these cognitive processes; however, further research is needed to understand the specific cognitive mechanisms that are implicated and can be improved. The goal of this study was twofold: 1) to examine the feasibility, acceptability and overall user experience of the VR ChildMindfulness App, a home-based, cognitive-oriented Virtual Reality (VR) mindfulness intervention developed for children aged 8-12 years and 2) to examine the preliminary effects of mindfulness practice on children’s EFs and attentional networks to shed light on the specific cognitive mechanisms underlying the interplay among mindfulness, attentional processes, and EFs. Four children carried out the intervention and practiced cognitive-oriented mindfulness exercises, 3 times per week, for 8 weeks via a VR headset. The User Experience Questionnaire, the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, the State Session Questionnaire, the Satisfaction Questionnaire and a semi-structure interview were used to assess the feasibility, acceptability and user experience of the VR ChildMindfulness App. In addition, pre- and post-assessment cognitive measures including the Attentional Network Test (ANT), the Attentional Orienting Task (AOT), Forward / Backward Dot Matrix tasks and the parent-form of the Behavior Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF-2) were used to assess the effects of the VR intervention on children’s cognition. Results indicated that the VR ChildMindfulness App is a feasible and acceptable intervention, while preliminary results revealed improvements in children’s cognition in everyday life as indicated by parents’ report on BRIEF-2 and time effects on ANT.