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Mindful Music Interactive Object (MMIO): An attentional control training device as part of a Mindfulness Sonic Experience to enhance Emotion Regulation Abilities in healthy individuals.

Mindful Music Interactive Object (MMIO): An attentional control training device as part of a meditative practice for stress/anxiety control.

CHAPTER 1. Introduction

Emotion Regulation abilities, well being and illness.

• Emotion Regulation strategies and approaches.

• Mindfulness description, benefits and APA quote.

• Mindfulness and Attention.

1.1 Motivation

• Growing interest in contemplative practices.

• Fields in which the study is based: assistive technology, psychology, mindfulness, music experience design.

• Target audience, explain why healthy population.

• MMIO concept fundamentals explained:

• Mindfulness.

• Cognition.

• Sound

1.2 Problem Statement

Mindful Music Interactive Object (MMIO): An attentional control training device to cultivate Mindfulness as a strategy to support Emotion Regulation Abilities in healthy individuals.

• The problem of automatic, reactions and non observation of the self.

• The problem of non conscious behaviors, consumism and modernism.

• The difficulties of the meditation instructions and the contextualization.

• MMIO as the solution.

1.3 Research Focus

• Overall aim: to develop a tool to train attention, to generate mindfulness meditative states, to potentially be a factor of emotion regulation abilities deployment.

• Specific objectives of the research:

1. Define mindful emotion regulation as an intervention.

• 2. Outline the neural structures implicated in music related to emotion regulation abilities.

• 3. Identify the music experiences that affect those neural structures.

• 4. Design a mindful emotion regulation music experience that includes the identified activities.

CHAPTER 2. Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

• Mindfulness intervention as an strategy to develop emotion regulation abilites.

• Results of the studies on neural mechanisms implicated in emotion regulation processes through music activities and minfulness training.

• Justifying the importance of the integration of music and mindfulness as a combined strategy to adress emotion regulation, namely Mindfulness Sonic Experience to Support Emotion Reulation Abilities.

• MSEERA can be experienced through MMIO.

2.2 Emotion Regulation

• Emotion regulation definition (healthy population definition).

• Positive and negative emotion regulation abilities.

• Clinical and therapeutic settings overview.

2.3 Mindfulness from a Contemplative Model of Mind

• Buddhism adaptation

• Four skills for contemplative mental practices.

• focus attention to physical sensations.

• focus attention to emotional responses

• focus attention to thoughts.

• attitude towards the objects of the first three categories.

2.4 Psychological Mechanisms of Mindfulness

• Psychological Mechanisms

• Attention

• Non Judgement

• Neural Mechanisms

• Attention and patterns

• Emotion and patterns

2.5 Neural Mecahnisms of Mindfulness

2.6 Therapeutic Applications of Mindfulness

• Clinical and therapeutic settings

• Mindfulness interventions

• Examples of clinical conditions teated with these interventions

• Anxiety disorders

• Substance abuse

• Cancer

• Heart disease

• Arthritis

• Fibromyalgia

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Psoriasis

• HIV

2.7 Mindful Emotion Regulation

• Refer to the different models

• Justify the use of mindful emotion regulation model

• Mindfulness emotion regulation intervention definition

• Mindfulness training and meditation practices definition

• Meditation skills:

• focused attentional

• open monitoring

2.8 Music to facilitate Emotion Regulation abilities

•  Music stimuli definition

• Music therapeutic characteristics

• Neural mechanisms underlying emotional responses to music

• Music affects on emotion regulation phenomenon systematic review

2.9 Neural Structures implicated in music related to emotion regulation abilities

Systematic review results

• Systematic review recommended activities

2.10 Music experiences and neural activation patterns impacting the emotion regulation ability.

Music characteristics that produce desired neural activation patterns that impact a person’s ability to regulate their emotions.

List of music characteristics and refer to the next chapter where they will be explained.

2.11 A Mindfulness Sonic Experience to Support Emotion Regulation Abilities. MSEERA.

• Intro: Mention the integration of the motion regulation intervention by Farb et al. to SMEERA.

• State again the selected adaptations from studies

• Define the goals of designing the music experience in relation to mindfulness

• Define the overall aim of the experience

• Conclusion: The inclusion of this model for the experience of this study.

• Specify why the emotion regulation validation requires a therapeutic setting.

• Emphasize that the study is limited to facilitate the training of attention through the device, to generate mindfulness states.

CHAPTER 3. Mindfulness Sonic Experience to support Emotion Regulation Abilities (MSEERA) Overview and Mindful Music Interactive Object (MMiO).

3.1 Introduction

•  MSEERA definition.

•  MMIO description.

3.2 Mindfulness Sonic Experience to support Emotion Regulation Abilities (MSEERA)

•  Introduction to the four activities (last paragraph of 2.4.2).

•  Explain the inclusion of the mindfulness emotion regulation model and the importance of the sound as a reinforcer.

3.2.1 Music Improvisation

Music  improvisation definition

• Study results

• Adaptation for my experience

3.2.2 Rhythm

• Rhythm definition

• Study results

• Adaptation for my experience

3.2.3 Harmony

• Harmony definition

• Study results

• Adaptation for my experience

3.2.4 Mindful Music Listening

• Mindful Music listening definition

• Study results

• Adaptation for my experience


3.3 Mindful Music Interactive Object (MMiO)

3.3.1 Software Design

3.3.1.2 Structuring music stimuli to facilitate meditative states for an emotion regulation strategy through a mindful music experience: Sound Design.

3.3.1.2 Algorithms – Harmony – Generative Music – Patterns – Rhythm

3.3.2 Hardware Development

3.3.2.1 Behavior

3.3.2.2 Electronic Components

• schematics

3.3.2.3 Shape

• sketches

3.3.3 Branding

3.5.3.1 Ideation • cards for prethesis class / add maps, cards, words, mood board, tech research, interviews last semester.

3.5.3.2 Competitive Analysis of existing meditation tools

3.5.3.3 Preliminary Marketing Validation

3.3.4 Identity Design

3.4 Resources

3.4.1 Advisors and Collaborators

Dana Karwas / Ideation and Concept. DeAngela Duff / Methodology. Luke Dubois / Technology. Alex Ruthmann / Music Experience. Grace Kim / Occupational Therapy. Christie Leece / Assistive Technology.

Ralph Vacca / Emotion Regulation Advice. Saul Cassio / Psychological Advice. Stephanie Tanus / Psychological Advice. Florencia Castro / 3D Modeling. Mahe Dawen / 3D Printing.

3.4.2 Materials and Vendors

• 1 Arduino Uno microcontroller.

• 1 Fluxamasynth MIDI synthesizer.

• 1 Motion Plug 3 axis accelerometer, gyro & compass.

• 1 Stereo 3.7W Audio Amplifier .

• 1 Speaker 0.5W (8 ohm).

• 1 Tactile Button .

• 1 3D Printed case (PLA).

3.4.3 Budget

• list of materials and costs.

Chapter 4. User Study Design and Preliminary Experimental Research.

4.1 Introduction

• describe what is the user experience test.

•  define why it is just considered a preliminary research regarding emotion abilities.

4.2 Method

• Data Collection and observation. TMS questionnaire, previous studies and my own questions for user experience testing and feedback. / questions fall 2014 about meditation and the new tests.

4.3 Challenges and Considerations

•  Specify why is this a preliminary experimental research

4.4 Experimental Design

4.4.1 State and alternative hypothesis

• Null Hypothesis (H0): Music technology can contribute to the achievement of meditative states as a tool for emotion regulation.

• Alternative Hypothesis (H0): Music technology can not contribute to the achievement of meditative states as a tool for emotion regulation.

4.4.2 Participants and Procedure

4.4.1 Target Population

• Healthy individuals.

4.4.2 Subjects

NYU Engineering School students.

4.4.3 Stimuli

Sounds produced by MMIO.

4.4.4 Procedure

• Instructions / paste Sonic Meditation introduction text.

• Length and why.

• Physical place description.

• Technology used for the test.

4.5 Data Analysis. Questionnaires and user experience tests.

• Read in TMS how to validate the answers.

• Emotion answers.

• User experience feedback.

4.6 Results

• Results.

• Hypothesis true or false.

4.8 Limitations

• Lomitations about not having a therapist to guide the outcome of the practice.

• Limitations about short term sessions.

• Time constraints for deep emotional regulation testing.

Chapter 5. Conclusion

• Conclusion remarks on the tests, outline of next steps. Findings and Limitations.

5.1 Findings

• sound helps to get attention.

• attitude, intention, attention.

5.2 Recommendations

integration of the sonic experience to other emotion regulation strategies and models.

• develop long term tests to validate the impact on emotion regulation abilities.

• integrate other sensors to input biofeedback.

5.3 Next Steps

• Design a smaller PCB.

• Add biosensors (heart rate, body temperature & skin conductance) to generate sound feedback from physiological data.

• Add recording system.

• Add bluetooth shield.

References

Appendices

• Meditation questions fall 2014.

• Tests April 2015.

• User study instructions.