Research Interests

In recent years I have been pursuing two main avenues of research. One of them is firmly based in mainstream cognitive neuroscience, while the other is concerned with effects of buddhist practice, especially buddhist meditation.
In particular, I am working on cognitive and physiological aspects of selective visual attention by employing behavioural methods (measuring performance on a variety of computerised cognitive tasks) as well as electrophysiological recordings (EEG).
In relation to buddhist meditation practice I am interested in investigating the changes that take place in the psychological as well as the physiological domain when people engage in regular meditation practice. For instance: Are there improvements in attentional or perceptual functions? Are there changes in experience that are relevant in everyday life, for instance are meditating buddhists less stressed or more optimistic?

Current Projects

Selective Visual Attention

Within cognitive psychology there has been an ongoing discussion regarding the question as to how selective visual attention operates. Usually it is compared to a spotlight or zoom lens, which highlights a particular area of the visual space for preferred processing. Generally, it has been assumed that only one such spotlight or zoom lens operates which ‘highlights’ one continuous region of space. However, in a recent study we have employed steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) to show that, in fact, two unconnected regions of space can be attended to simultaneously, while an intermediate area is ignored. These findings not only disprove the long held assumption that spatial attention can only ‘highlight’ one continuous region of space, it also provides a very powerful example of how SSVEPs can be used to investigate functions of the visual/attentional systems. Most importantly, by frequency-tagging individual elements, the SSVEP methodology allows to measure the deployment of attention to several elements at the same time, what traditional methods like transient event related potentials (ERPs) or functional imaging methods are unable to achieve.

In relation to above-mentioned findings we are currently investigating what role the two cerebral hemispheres play in these processes: Is it easier to attend to two objects or locations when they appear in different visual fields and thus are projected to different hemispheres as compared to when they appear in the same visual field?

Another question we are interested in is what mechanisms are involved when we are searching for something particular. For instance, if we try to find something red, a successful strategy may be to selectively pay attention to everything red in the visual field. Is the brain able to selectively ‘highlight’ everything red simultaneously, or does it, maybe, suppress everything else that is not red?

Related publications:

• Gruber, T., Malinowski, P. & Müller, M.M. (2004). Modulation of oscillatory brain activity and evoked potentials in a repetition priming task in the human EEG. European Journal of Neuroscience, 19, 1073-1082. [download]
• Hübner, R. & Malinowski, P. (2001). How to produce an absent-advantage in visual search. Perception & Psychophysics, 63(2), 258-271. [download]
• Malinowski, P., Fuchs, S. & Müller, M.M. (2007). Sustained division of spatial attention to multiple locations within one hemifield. Neuroscience Letters, 414 (1), 65–70. [download]
• Malinowski, P. & Hübner, R. (2001). The effect of familiarity on visual-search performance: Evidence for learned basic features. Perception & Psychophysics, 63(3), 458-463. [download]
• Müller, M. M., Andersen, S., Trujillo, N. J., Valdés-Sosa, P., Malinowski, P., & Hillyard, S. A. (2006). Feature-selective attention enhances color signals in early visual areas of the human brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA, 103(38), 14250-14254. [download]
• Müller, M. M., Malinowski, P., Gruber, T., & Hillyard, S. A., (2003). Sustained division of the attentional spotlight. Nature, 424(6946), 309-312. [download]

Cognitive and physiological effects of Buddhist practice

The buddhist scriptures and meditation instructions very clearly predict that consequent meditation training leads to a refined ability to observe ones own cognitive processes. As cognitive neuroscience is inherently interested in understanding these processes, a slowing down of cognition – as may occur through meditation practice – and a direct observation of the ongoing processes may offer rich insights into the nature of cognition.
Here the first question to be asked is, whether the predicted changes in cognition (e.g. enhanced perception) can be confirmed. Furthermore, are they accompanied by particular changes in brain activity?
Based on these findings one may then go on asking whether these direct observations of ones cognitive processes offer insight into the nature of perception/cognition itself.

Meditation practice and attentional networks: Funded by the BIAL Foundation, this one-year project (August 2009 - July 2010) investigates the effect of regular meditation practice on the dynamics of attentional networks by means of high density EEG recordings. It is carried out in collaboration with Prof Gruber (University of Osnabrück) and Dr Supp (University Hospital, UKE, Hamburg).

Related publications:

• Moore, A. & Malinowski, P. (2009). Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility. Consciousness & Cognition, 18(1), 176-186.

Buddhist practice and subjective well-being

When asked about the purpose of his teachings the historical Buddha Shakyamuni answered about 2560 years ago in the following way: “I teach because all beings want to be happy and to avoid suffering.” Here, obviously, psychology kicks in. Are buddhists really happier people? Does their happiness or – to put it into psychology jargon - their ‘subjective well-being’ improve the more they get involved and experienced in buddhist practice?
This question generates more and more interest and first results, including our own study into subjective well-being and meditation (König, Asendorpf, McIlroy, Tydecks & Malinowski, in preparation), suggest that this really might be the case.

Related publications:

• König, R., & Malinowski, P. (2008). Does Buddhist meditation increase happiness? 4th European Conference on Positive Psychology: Book of Abstracts, 1-4 July 2008, Opatija, Croatia, 314. [poster]

Implementing mindfulness in everyday life

Does one need to become buddhist to benefit from the meditation methods developed within the various buddhist meditation schools? – Not necessarily! Some of the methods practiced within buddhism are available to anybody who is interested in taking responsibility for their own life and improving their own situation. In particular, John Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme has become a very popular approach for training people in becoming more aware and mindful in daily life. MBSR primarily focuses on patients with chronic diseases and thus has a strong focus on developing a different perspective on the disease and the stress and pain it may cause. A quite significant body of research exists trying to evaluate this approach and some well controlled studies suggest that it really is beneficial for the patients.
My own interest is, however, less related to clinical applications. I am in the process of establishing a programme which focuses on ordinary people who, like all of us, are faced with pressures of life and would like to take active measures to develop a more balanced approach. Here my first concern is to determine whether a mindfulness-based approach is also helpful for the general population and under what circumstances. On the longer term I would then be interested in pin-pointing the main processes of change and development that take place when we develop a more mindful way of life.
Some projects are already under way:

Mindfulness and Eating Behaviour: In a one-year project funded by Mersey Care (NHS Trust) we are investigating how naturally occuring mindfulness is related to eating disorders. The long term aim is to use the findings from this study in the development and evaluation of a mindfulness-based intervention for eating disorders.

Mindfulness in Teacher Training: Funded by an LJMU Learning & Teaching grant we are investigating the effects of a mindfulness course on the teaching experience of new and established teachers.

Related publications:

• Lattimore, P. & Malinowski, P. (2008). Watching how you eat! Mindfulness and disinhibited eating. Meeting abstract, Appetite, 51, 762. [abstract]  [poster]
• Malinowski, P. (2008). Mindfulness as psychological dimension: Concepts and applications. Irish Journal of Psychology, 29(1),153-164.

Former Projects

Functional brain asymmetries in processing hierarchically structured objects

The majority of objects we encounter have a hierarchical structure. Trees consist of trunk and branches, houses of walls, windows, roof, etc. Over the last 30 years evidence has accumulated that these different levels of visual objects are processed in parallel by the brain. Furthermore, it seems the case that the right hemisphere of the neo-cortex is specialised for the overall (or global) shape or properties of objects while the left hemisphere is specialised for detailed (or local) aspects.
Although this division of labour is well-established, there is still considerable uncertainty as to what exactly the underlying mechanisms are: What are the crucial aspects the two hemispheres really differ in?
Here my research focuses on disentangling sensory and attentional mechanisms, also investigating the role the magnocellular and parvocellular visual pathways may play in these processes.

Related publications:

• Hübner, R., & Malinowski, P. (2002). The effect of response competition on functional hemispheric asymmetries for global/local processing. Perception & Psychophysics, 64(8), 1290-1300. [download]
• Malinowski, P. (2001). Funktionelle Gehirnasymmetrien bei der Verarbeitung globaler und lokaler Merkmale visueller Szenen. Dissertation, Universität Konstanz. Electronic Publication, Universität Konstanz, http://www.ub.uni-konstanz.de/kops/volltexte/2001/684
• Malinowski, P., Hübner, R., Keil, A., & Gruber, T. (2002). The influence of response competition on cerebral asymmetries for processing hierarchical stimuli revealed by ERP recordings. Experimental Brain Research. 144(1), 136-139. [download]