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Accelerating Cognitive and Self Development: Longitudinal Studies with Preschool and Elementary School Children.
Abstract
Two longitudinal experiments investigated the impact on cognitive and self-development of techniques for holistic personal growth—the Word of Wisdom technique for young children and the Transcendental Meditation technique. A six-month study with 37 experimentals and 29 controls reported increases in principal components of psychological differentiation and general intelligence in experimentals, covarying for pretest and control variables. Secondly, a 45-week study with 25 experimental and 25 controls found increases in principal components of self-concept, analytical ability, and general intellectual performance among experimental participants (analysis of covariance). These techniques appear to accelerate the natural developmental consolidation of awareness at a deeper level—the thinking level versus the perceptual level—and may be important adjuncts to current educational interventions.
... Measurement of brain function during the Transcendental Meditation technique shows increases in brain coherence both during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique and afterwards in activity [24,28,29]. The primary areas of the brain activated are the frontal and prefrontal executive areas responsible for attention, executive function, emotional stability, and anxiety ( Figure 1) [28,30]. ...
... Measurement of brain function during the Transcendental Meditation technique shows increases in brain coherence both during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique and afterwards in activity [24,28,29]. The primary areas of the brain activated are the frontal and prefrontal executive areas responsible for attention, executive function, emotional stability, and anxiety ( Figure 1) [28,30]. ...
... Shecter (1978) found increased fluid intelligence as measured by Raven Progressive Matrices (Raven et al., 1984) in a 14-week randomized study of Canadian secondary students who learned Transcendental Meditation in contrast to a self-development course. Dixon et al. (2005) reported increased intellectual analytic ability, as measured by Raven Progressive Matrices and the Children's Embedded Figures Test (a measure of field independence), over 11 months among American upper-primary school students beginning the Transcendental Meditation technique. In addition, increased field independence over a three-month period was found in a random assignment study of individuals who learned the Transcendental Meditation technique (Pelletier, 1974). ...
This longitudinal study evaluated the effects of the addition of twice-daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation® technique in the school day on intellectual ability, personal well-being, and academic performance among a class of students at a technical high school in Mexico
in contrast to a matched group of control students from the same school all taking a curriculum of instruction in the construction trade. The class of 50 experimental students, in contrast to the class of 48 control students, displayed increased intellectual ability (Ravens Progressive Matrices test) after nine months, increased personal well-being (personal development questionnaire) after three months, and higher national examination scores at post-test. These results are consistent with previous research in other countries and support the value of the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique in educational settings.
... The few investigations available in literature showed that this specific type of meditation had a beneficial effect in primary school children, in particular in their levels of attention and cognitive development. Moreover, TM was associated with improved academic performance (Dixon et al., 2005;Warner, 2005). An interesting study by Grosswald et al. (2008) explored the effects of TM on symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ...
p style="text-align: justify;">Various investigations have applied meditation protocols in the school context, with beneficial effects. Transcendental meditation, however, received little attention in primary school settings and few controlled studies are available. The present study is aimed: 1) to investigate the implementation of a school protocol (Quiet Time-QT) based on Transcendental Meditation ™ in a primary school setting 2) to test its efficacy in promoting strengths and resilience in children, using a controlled research, with a cross over design. 92 students attending fourth and fifth class of a primary school were assigned to either the QT intervention, or to a waiting list condition. Children assigned to the waiting list received the QT protocol after few months. Before and after the intervention children were evaluated by their teachers using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). A Repeated Measures MANOVA was applied to compare the two groups. After the QT intervention children in the experimental condition showed fewer emotional and behavioral difficulties (SDQ) compared to children in the waiting list. An overall positive effect of QT was observed in the total sample in improving children’s strengths and emotional well-being. Participants enjoyed the practice of meditation in the school setting. Conclusions: the results of this controlled investigation showed that the QT school protocol is feasible in the school setting, and it yielded improvements in children’s strengths and well-being. Meditation programs could be easily included in the educational system to sustain children positive development.</p
... Memory and knowledge retention have been previously highlighted in the literature on Transcendental Meditation. For example, while memory typically declines with age, Nidich et al. (2005) observed higher levels of fluid reasoning, verbal intelligence, long-term memory and speed of processing in meditating elders compared to controls, and in a controlled longitudinal study, Dixon et al. (2005) found evidence in primary school children of improved intellectual performance associated with memory, conceptual maturity, and the ability to see and remember complex relationships among simple elements. ...
Most of the literature that has emerged about the impacts of home isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests it causes mildly to acutely adverse psychosocial and physiological responses, particularly in children. Such responses relate to the separation children experience from their normal routine, including loneliness, anxiety, and depression, and adversities associated with school performance.
In this case study, we explore the intersection between three phenomena in Perú: (1) practice of Transcendental Meditation by school students at a (2) provincial school during (3) home isolation. The study conducted semi-structured interviews at a school in Puno with seven students, three parents, and two teachers. A proto-theoretical model of stress, the stress response, and outcomes in three psychosocial categories—cognitive, affective, and conative—guide the research. Findings suggest the practice had a salutary effect on student experience and academic achievement, including multifactorial benefits related to learning, calmness, anxiety, and grades.
... Shecter (1978) found increased fluid intelligence as measured by Raven Progressive Matrices (Raven et al., 1984) in a 14-week randomized study of Canadian secondary students who learned Transcendental Meditation in contrast to a self-development course. Dixon et al. (2005) reported increased intellectual analytic ability, as measured by Raven Progressive Matrices and the Children's Embedded Figures Test (a measure of field independence), over 11 months among American upper-primary school students beginning the Transcendental Meditation technique. In addition, increased field independence over a three-month period was found in a random assignment study of individuals who learned the Transcendental Meditation technique (Pelletier, 1974). ...
Academic procrastination is common among students, yet few studies
offer effective psycho-educational intervention programs. The present
brief qualitative study examined the effect of increasing self-regulation
behaviors and self-efficacy beliefs to reduce academic procrastination
among 11 undergraduate students participating in an intervention
group. Results indicated that participants described cognitive, behavioral, and emotional changes and reported decreased procrastination
through the intervention. In addition, a sense of belonging within the
group and an understanding of underlying causes of their delay behaviors contributed to behavioral changes. The brief intervention program decreased academic procrastination and moderately increased
academic self-regulation and self-efficacy. Taken together, it seems
integrating cognitive, behavioral, and emotional aspect of academically related behaviors (e.g., raising awareness and familiarity with
time-management tools, understanding restrictive thoughts) support
the management of academic procrastination by students.
... The authors also report findings associated with increased intelligence scores for primary-grade students who meditate, as well as increased creativity when compared to controls, a finding replicated in later studies by the same authors (Nidich and Nidich 1989;Nidich, Nidich, and Rainforth 1986) and by others (e.g. Dixon et al. 2005). Nidich and Nidich (1987) also presented results associated with moral reasoning and prosocial behavior of meditating children compared to controls at two alternative schools, finding greater prosocial choice and behavior for self and others by the students who practiced Transcendental Meditation. ...
Approximately 2000 indigenous students at Institución Educativa Privada Prescott in Puno, located in the Andes high on the Altiplano of Lake Titicaca, have been instructed in Transcendental Meditation. In this study, we examine the impact of home isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic on physical, cognitive, and emotional health, and school performance for a group of 54 meditating students, and contrast these results to a comparison group of 53 meditating students who reported their health and learning prior to the pandemic. The study is the first to consider the association of home isolation on students practicing meditation in a group: (A) at the same time of day and in the same place as part of their daily school routine and (B) during online sessions at the same time of day but in a different place. Findings indicate both approaches to group meditation before and during the pandemic produced favourable results for health and school performance.
... The results of this research support a previous preliminary study indicating that TM develops self-efficacy (Lindon, 2010). Numerous other studies on TM have shown improvements in the qualities associated with self-efficacy, including 'self-confidence ', 'self-esteem' and 'self-respect' (Chandler et al., 2005;Dixon et al., 2005), 'optimism' (Alexander et al., 1993), 'problem solving' and 'resourcefulness' (Alexander et al., 1989;Alexander, et al., 1991), 'resilience' (Wendt et al., 2015;Alexander et al., 1989); and 'perseverance' (Alexander et al., 1993). Changes in these qualities reflect an inner development of life, bringing about positive changes in perceived ability to promote change in daily life. ...
Vulnerable women living in poverty in Uganda, who are primarily single, illiterate mothers, face high levels of physical and psychological stress. Our study assessed the impact of the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique on self-efficacy, perceived stress, and mental and physical quality of life of these women. This single-blind controlled study involved eighty-one women who were assigned to either practice of the Transcendental Meditation program (n = 42) or wait-list (delayed start) control group (n = 39). Participants learned the Transcendental Meditation program over five sessions, then practiced at home for twenty minutes twice a day, and attended twice monthly group meetings over a three-month period. The primary outcome measure was self-efficacy using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Perceived stress using Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, and physical and mental quality of life using subscales of the Medical Outcomes Survey (MOS, HIV version) were secondary outcome measures. Significant improvements were shown in self-efficacy (p < .001), perceived stress (p < .010), and mental and physical well-being (p < .010). Compliance with TM home practice was > 88%. This is the first controlled study to demonstrate the effect of TM in the daily lives of mothers living in impoverished conditions. Further questionnaires were administered to participants at 8 months and at 36 months with questions about changes they may have experienced in their daily life since starting TM. “Yes”, “No” self-reported answers suggested that the women experienced improved health, improved relationships with others, and increased employment rates. These findings taken as a whole have important implications for developing self-efficacy, improving mental and physical quality of life, and reducing stress in the lives of these vulnerable women.
... Measurements of brain function show increases in brain coherence both during the practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique, and afterwards in activity [21], [30], [31]. The primary areas of the brain that are activated are the frontal and prefrontal executive areas responsible for attention, executive function, emotional stability, and anxiety ( Figure 5) [32], [31], [33], [34]. Study of college students demonstrated increased frontal coherence and reduced stress reactivity in the group practicing the Transcendental Meditation technique compared to controls [35], [36]. ...
... This 15-item scale measuring the frequency of mindful states in day-to-day life, using both general and situation specific statements was created by Carlson & Brown (2005). Based on a mean of all the 15 items, MAAS scores can range from 1 to 6. Higher scores indicate higher or more mindfulness or being open to experiences and possibilities and an open or receptive awareness of and attention to what is occurring in the present moment. ...
The purpose of these studies was to analyze the effectiveness of meditation as a method of increasing level of consciousness in students and to investigate whether meditation and level of consciousness contribute to an individual's problem solving ability in a variety of domains. İn the first study, participants (N = 450) were recruited via online and asked to complete a detailed demographics questionnaire, the Situational Self-Awareness Scale, the Mindful Awareness Scale, and the Troyer Level of Consciousness Inventory. Study two was administered in person to 45 university educational psychology students in which they were asked to complete the demographics questionnaire, the Troyer Level of Consciousness Inventory, and a set of problem solving questions. Results from both studies indicated that individuals who meditate/pray performed better on problem solving tasks and had a significantly higher level of consciousness than individuals who did not prayer or meditate.
... Reluctance during the early stages of the program reflected our over-riding desire to offer classes that are meaningful to children from both Buddhist and non-Buddhist families and that accord with the current learning strategies of our participating students. However, the Transcendental Meditation (TM) literature indicates that their particular mantra technique greatly improves well-being and socially engaged values in children ('Maharishi School';Dixon et al. 2005;Jones 2003;Nidich et al. 1983) and could well be a fruitful field for later research.In Chapter 1 I cited just some of the plethora of programs that use meditative techniques with children in culturally inclusive educational contexts worldwide, and which vouch positive effects, but there is very little peer-reviewed research. Rather, most research leads have been taken from psychology. ...
This is a case study of the development of the Buddhist Education in Victorian Schools program in state primary schools. It is located alongside the theoretical and policy
frameworks of Australian state schooling and a growing but disparate international movement that is applying meditative techniques and principles with roots in the Buddha- Dharma in secular and pluralist education. The meta-ethics of wisdom and compassion, it is argued, are the foundation for spiritual education, personal development and positively engaged citizenship in the Dharma. These are also and congruent with the intrinsic aims of education.
A paucity of data in school children generally, and in non-Western schools specifically, related to health, school performance, and practice of meditation necessitated this study. The fact that almost no prior research of this type has been conducted in Latin America makes the present investigation especially worthwhile. This mostly quantitative study was carried out with 91 randomly selected school children, ranging in age from 11 to 16 years, in a remote Peruvian town in the central Andean mountains called Huay-Huay. Using a 47-question, paper-and-pencil instrument to ask students about their experience with meditation in four categories (i.e., physical health, cognitive health, emotional health, and school performance), this observational study considered whether or not the practice of meditation had a self-reported impact on student personal health and academic life, and if so to what extent. Data indicate that a majority of children in Huay-Huay reported benefits across all measures, and these were apparently stronger when students practiced meditation more regularly. Qualitative reports support these conclusions. Gender and grade level did not appear to influence this outcome.
Consciousness-based education has been described as both an innovative method for developing the consciousness, and thereby the creativity, learning ability and behaviour, of students, and a pedagogical approach designed to reverse negative trends in schools. For either purpose, it has in the last 20 years been implemented in hundreds of schools in 49 countries, for which a considerable body of literature documents its impact on the mental and physical health, learning ability, social relations, and academic achievement of students. However, while the approach has been implemented in two schools in northern Bali, Indonesia – SMA Negeri Bali Mandara and SMK Negeri Bali Mandara – the nature and scope of its potential impact on individual and collective life have yet to be examined. Using an embedded multiple-case research design, the present study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by exploring the experiences and viewpoints of current students, former students, teachers, a Principal, and parents of students participating in consciousness-based education in Bali. Results from this unique educational setting indicate that outcomes are somewhat consistent with international findings, but several unique characteristics of secondary education in Bali have emerged which shine further light on understanding this novel pedagogical approach to student development.
Practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique in schools and universities throughout the world has been well researched over a 50-year period suggesting it is a useful tool for student development and learning. However, introduction of the practice into school systems throughout Latin America is a relatively recent phenomenon and no research has been published on the likely or actual outcomes from this initiative. Moreover, research conducted on the practice in international settings has typically involved investigation of standard educational variables – such as academic performance, intelligence, and behavior – and has mostly used only quantitative methods and designs to do so. For this study, conducted on the practice in Puno, Perú, we have adopted a learning history approach using a third-person action research method of semi-structured interviews to hear and understand the distinct voices of parents and teachers about the consequences of practicing Transcendental Meditation on the personal, academic and social lives of Aymara school children. Results from frequency and saliency analysis indicate that a series of confirmatory as well as unique knowledge outcomes have emerged in this setting, and these are discussed in the context of international empirical results to create a learned history of the practice in Perú.
Consciousness-based education balances academic challenge with students' ability to master the material (1) using a block system to spread academic work across the semester, (2) teaching strategies to connect individual lectures to larger discipline principles, and (3) incorporating Transcendental Meditation practice into the curriculum. Brain integration and constructive thinking were compared in 27 freshman/senior pairs involved in consciousness-based university education. As seniors, these subjects had higher levels of brain integration, associated with emotional stability and success in life, and higher global constructive thinking, associated with work success and stable personal and social relationships. These variables typically do not change during college.
Global business today (Lawler and O’Toole,1 Hitt,2 Stead, Stead, and Starik3) calls for every worker to set goals, influence other people, and create and implement process innovations that are cognizant of organizational systems, customers, and the natural environment—in effect, it calls for every member of the organization to be a leader. Can we rely on the leadership training and development programs today to cultivate such leaders? Despite society’s investment in the multibillion dollar leadership training industry, relatively little research exists on the effectiveness of leadership programs.4
This paper draws from three different bodies of research to discuss the hypothesis that age-appropriate experiences enhance brain and cognitive development throughout the life span. These age-appropriate experiences could be considered as the drivers of development at each age, including drivers to foster development beyond adult abstract thinking, as described in Piaget's formal operational stage. We explore how a nurturing caregiver is the driver in the first 2 years of life, how language learning is the driver from 3 to 10 years, and how problem solving is the driver in the teenage years. To develop beyond adult rational thinking, we suggest that the driver is transcending thought, which can result when practicing meditations in the automatic self-transcending category, such as Transcendental Meditation.
Cutting edge volume devoted to optimal adult development. Postconventional stages of personality development involve growth well beyond the average, and have become a rapidly growing subject of research not only in developmental psychology circles, but also in areas such as executive leadership development. The present work is the first to bring together many of the major researchers in the field, showcasing diverse perspectives ranging from the spiritual to the corporate. The contributors present research on essential questions about the existence and prevalence of high levels of personal growth, whether such achievement is correlated with other kind of psychological growth, whether high levels of growth actually indicate happiness, what kinds of people exhibit these higher levels of development, how they may have developed this expanded perspective, and the characteristics of their viewpoints, abilities, and preoccupations. For anyone interested in Ken Wilber's integral psychology as well as those in executive coaching, this volume is an invaluable resource and will be a standard reference for years to come.
This authoritative volume, written by two well-known psychologist-philosophers, presents a model of the person and its implications for psychological theory and practice. Professors Ramakrishna Rao and Anand Paranjpe draw the contours of Indian psychology, describe the methods of study, explain crucial concepts, and discuss the central ideas and their application, illustrating them with insightful case studies and judicious reviews of available research data and existing scholarly literature. The main theme is organized around the thesis that psychology is the study of the person and that the person is a unique composite of body, mind and consciousness. The goal of the person is self-realization. Self-realization consists in the realization of ones true self as distinct from the manifest ego and it is facilitated by cultivating consciousness. Cultivating consciousness leads to a kind of psycho-spiritual symbiosis resulting in personal transformation, altruistic value orientation and flowering of the hidden human potential.
Innovative Interventions in Child and Adolescent Mental Health is a unique composite of the literature on various innovative interventions for children and adolescents, and provides a developmental and neurobiological rationale for utilizing innovative interventions with this population. Based on the latest research, this book emphasizes that children and adolescents need more than just talk therapy. These innovative interventions can be applied in a variety of practice settings including schools, juvenile justice, community-based counseling centers, and residential treatment. This book bridges the gap between theory and practice, and provides a historical, theoretical, and research-based rationale, as well as a helpful case study, for each type of intervention being discussed.
This article examines the development of self-regulation skills in early childhood and the possibilities of children's contemplative practices as a viable tool to facilitate this development. Current research indicates that self-regulation skills in early childhood education make a significant contribution to school readiness, and long-term academic success. This link establishes the need to bridge the gap between scientific research and classroom practice to implement more programmes that facilitate this development in early childhood classrooms. The development of self-regulation skills are discussed and examined specifically in relation to being mindful, achieving focussed attention and increased awareness of social–emotional behaviours. The contemplative practices, an umbrella term for mindfulness and meditational-based practices, are viewed as potential vehicles to facilitate self-regulation skills in the early childhood classrooms. Additional research is recommended to determine whether children exposed to these programmes will demonstrate more appropriate social–emotional behaviours, including enhancing children's self-regulation skills leading to long-term academic success.
Transcendental Meditation, as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is a simple technique practised for 15-20 minutes twice daily, sitting comfortably with eyes closed. It can be learned easily by anyone regardless of age, educational background, or culture. The technique is effortless and requires no belief, nor any change in lifestyle or diet. Over five million people have learned Transcendental Meditation (TM) around the world over the past 50 years. Instruction involves a standard seven-step course taught by qualified teachers who have undergone an extensive and systematic training programme, ensuring quality and consistency in instruction worldwide. Scientific research on Transcendental Meditation comprises more than 600 studies
In order to identify potential training to enhance comprehensive soldier fitness, this analysis searched MEDLINE via PubMed and elsewhere for 33 reasonably significant modalities, screening over 11,500 articles for relevance regarding soldier resilience. Evaluation of modalities that are exclusively educational or cognitive/behavioral in nature is deferred. Using the volume and quality of research over 40 parameters distributed among the five domains of resilience (physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and family life), these data allow culling of most of the meditative modalities and discrimination among the remaining techniques. The resulting order of merit is Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and progressive muscle relaxation. Transcendental Meditation, mindfulness, and progressive muscle relaxation, in that order, have the most supporting data. Fortuitously, they also represent a cross section of the domain of techniques regarded as meditation, stress management, or relaxation, with three very different mechanisms of action. They are suitable potential options for improving soldier resilience.
82 subjects, ages 7 to 11 yr., from two private schools, Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment and a Montessori school, were given the Children's Embedded Figures Test. The 48 students of the former (20 boys, 28 girls, M age = 8.98 yr.), who practice the Transcendental Meditation program as part of their curriculum, scored significantly higher on field independence than the 34 Montessori school subjects (17 boys, 17 girls, M age = 8.60 yr.).
Investigated points raised by D. S. Holmes (see record
1984-25288-001) and E. M. Morrell (see record
1986-26552-001) on the effect of meditation on reduction of somatic arousal, reviewing 31 studies. Results show that there is reduced somatic arousal during the transcendental meditation technique in comparison with rest, yet other physiological changes indicative of increased alertness are also present. This difference may be assessed by looking at the adaptive efficiency of physiological processes rather than reduction of somatic arousal during stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Unpaid, normal volunteers (20 men and 20 women) were administered the autokinetic test, the embedded-figures test (EFT), and the rod-and-frame test (RFT) prior to meditation instruction. After 3 mo. of instruction in Transcendental Meditation, Ss were retested and demonstrated increased ego distance and field independence on all of the above tests. These variations in an autonomic, enduring response clarify several issues in research on perceptual style and meditation.
We investigated the nature of the relationship between experiences of transcendental consciousness and psychological health. In Study 1, three groups with different levels of experience in transcendental meditation (TM) and in the TM-Sidhi program (techniques that have been shown to produce experiences of transcendental consciousness) were studied, using the self-investigation method of Hermans (1976). We employed blind interviewers and raters with various attitudes toward TM to minimize the possible impact of a variety of artifacts. Cross-sectionally, experience with TM and the TM-Sidhi program was positively related to a general measure of psychological health (p = .002); longitudinally, the meditating groups improved more than the control group on the psychological health measure (p less than .03). In Study 2, two contrast groups of long-term participants were similar on several confounding variables but differed on physiological indicators of experiences of transcendental consciousness. The groups with the positive physiological indicators showed a trend toward higher scores on the psychological health factor (p = .092), indicating that psychological health may be developed through the systematic cultivation of transcendental meditation and the TM-Sidhi program.
This paper explores subjective reports and physiological correlates of the experience of "consciousness itself"--self awareness isolated from the processes and objects of experience during Transcendental Meditation practice. Subjectively, this state is characterized by the absence of the very framework (time, space, and body sense) and content (qualities of inner and outer perception) that define waking experiences. Physiologically, this state is distinguished by the presence of apneustic breathing, autonomic orienting at the onset of breath changes, and increases in the frequency of peak EEG power. A model, called the junction point model, is presented that integrates pure consciousness with waking, dreaming, or sleeping. It could provide a structure to generate a coherent program of research to test the full range of consciousness and so enable us to understand what it means to be fully human.
(1) The continuous performance test, a procedure for the detection and study of brain damage in humans, is described. (2) Three groups of Ss, each including a brain-damaged and a non-brain-damaged subgroup, were tested on this procedure. (3) The brain-damaged subgroups were significantly inferior to their non-brain-damaged controls on the measures yielded by the CPT, and these differences were increased when the difficulty of the task was increased. (4) The CPT is sufficiently reliable and yields sufficiently large differences between subgroups to suggest that it might ultimately prove useful as a clinical instrument for the diagnosis of brain damage. (5) An interpretation of the inferior performance of the brain-damaged Ss was offered in terms of impairment in attention or alertness and suggestions were made about future research relating cerebral events and CPT performance.
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Students of social inequality and stratification, especially those outside the discipline of sociology, frequently underestimate the quality of information on employment and occupation which can be elicited in social surveys. A brief overview of the current technology of occupation classification and scaling is offered in the hope of encouraging researchers to adopt more or less standard conventions which would render their work more reliable, valid, and comparable.
This study examined the relationship between the Draw A Person: A Quantitative Scoring System and the WISC-R with a referred school-aged population. The significance of difference between the standard scores that the two tests yield was examined, as well as the convergent and concurrent validity of the Draw A Person. Additionally, the differences between specific pairs of scores (e.g., PIQ vs. DAP) required for significance when interpreting results for an individual subject were computed. Results indicated that the DAP yields mean scores approximately 4 points lower than the WISC-R, as expected due to softening of the Wechsler norms, and the standard scores correlated significantly (DAP Total Test/FISQ r = .51). Implications for the use and interpretation of these measures as part of a test battery are presented.
In this paper we argue that it is ill-advised to use impressionistic or outdated measures of SES in psychological research. After we critique such inappropriate measures, 2 occupation-based measures, the Duncan Socioeconomic Index and the Siegel Prestige Scale, are recommended as the best measures of the SES of individuals or household heads. Another strategy is described for measuring household or family SES where the household characteristics and composition vary.
This two-year longitudinal study investigated the effect of participation in a special university curriculum, whose principal innovative feature is twice-daily practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) and TM-Sidhi program, on performance on Cattell's Culture Fair Intelligence Test (CFIT) and Hick's reaction time. These measures are known to be correlated with general intelligence. One hundred college men and women were the subjects—45 from Maharishi International University (MIU) and 55 from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI). The experimental group (MIU) improved significantly on the CFIT (t=2.79, P<0.005); choice reaction time (t=9.10, P<0.0001); SD of choice reaction time (t=11.39, P<0.0001), and simple reaction time (t=2.11, P<0.025) over two years compared to the control group, which showed no improvement. Possible confounds of subject's age, education level, level of interest in meditation, father's education level, and father's annual income were controlled for using analysis of covariance and stepwise regression. The results replicate the findings of previous longitudinal studies on intelligence test scores at MIU, and indicate that participation in the MIU curriculum results in improvements in measures related to general intelligence.
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is an increasingly popular mental technique producing relaxation. To assess specific personal effects, a role construct repertory grid and an Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) were completed by subjects, once before and twice after starting the regular practice of TM. Comparison subjects did not learn TM and were assessed in the same ways at the same times. Initially the two groups differed only in that meditation subjects tended to judge other people to be more unlike their ideal selves than did comparison subjects. This difference was maintained.
With meditation subjects the grid results showed a systematic pattern of significant changes over the three tests. These indicate that meditators came to perceive their actual-selves as being increasingly similar to their ideal- and social-selves and that they developed a more strongly defined concept of their actual-selves. The strength of definition of self concepts was indicated by the newly defined index ‘Self Defining Polarization’ (SDP). EPQ results showed increased extraversion in meditators. Comparison subjects did not show consistent or significant changes between tests on any measure.
Subjects practising Transcendental Meditation appear to have experienced consistent and definable changes of a generally beneficial nature. The value of TM as a therapeutic tool is thereby suggested.
Theorizes that variations in learning and the level of learning of students are determined by the students' learning histories and the quality of instruction they receive. Appropriate modifications related to the history of the learners and the quality of instruction can sharply reduce the variation of students and greatly increase their level of learning and their effectiveness in learning in terms of time expended. (7 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Electronic computers facilitate greatly carrying out factor analysis. Computers will help in solving the communality problem and the question of the number of factors as well as the question of arbitrary factoring and the problem of rotation. "Cloacal short-cuts will not be necessary and the powerful methods of Guttman will be feasible." A library of programs essential for factor analysis is described, and the use of medium sized computers as the IBM 650 deprecated for factor analysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Presents a life-span model of development based on the Vedic psychology of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This model proposes that systematic transcendence, as cultivated through the transcendental meditation (TM) program, will promote self-actualization (SA). Statistical meta-analysis is presented of 42 studies on the effects of TM and other forms of meditation and relaxation on SA. The effect size of TM on overall SA was approximately 3 times as large as that of other forms of meditation and relaxation. Factor analysis of the 12 scales of the Personal Orientation Inventory revealed 3 independent factors: Affective Maturity, Integrative Perspective on Self and World, and Resilient Sense of Self. On these 3 factors, the effect of TM was 3 times as large. The magnitude of these consistent differential effects suggests that systematic transcendence is the key factor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Twenty students taking the first year of an MSc course at Cranfield Institute of Technology were randomly allocated to a Transcendental Meditation or control group. There was some evidence that six months' practice of Transcendental Meditation produced an improvement in postgraduate academic performance.
In this article I introduce a framework that represents a first step toward a unified explanation of diverse expressions of cognitive development and aging. Its basic tenet is that resistance to interference (i.e., the capacity for inhibition) is a major, albeit underrated, factor in the development of intellectual competence and declining mental ability later in life. To support this claim, I review evidence suggesting that young children, older adults, and individuals with frontal lobe lesions demonstrate a similar pattern of performance deficits in a wide range of interference-sensitive tasks, including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, measures of field dependence, illusions of judgment, the Stroop Test, selective attention tasks, the Brown-Peterson task, and text processing. The linchpins of the framework are the frontal lobes of the brain, a system that is heavily involved in the ability to effectively inhibit or suppress stimuli or associations that are not relevant to the task at hand. It is also the last region of the brain to develop and appears to be the first to undergo involution later in life.
Incl. app., bibliographical references, index, answers pp; 593-619
This study investigates the effects of the regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique on habitual patterns
of visual perception and verbal problem solving. The study’s predictions were expressed in the context of Norman’s model,
which suggests that meditation reduces conceptually driven processes. It was specifically hypothesized that the TM technique
involves a reduction of habitual patterns of perceptual and conceptual activation, resulting in (1) more effective application
of schemata to new information and (2) less distracting mental activity during performance. This was predicted to result in
improved task performance on task conditions in which either (1) habitual patterns of performance hinder or do not aid performance
or (2) habitual patterns aid performance. Subjects began the TM technique, relaxed, or added nothing to their daily schedule
for 2-week periods. In addition to generalized effects of the interventions, the immediate effects of the TM technique, relaxation,
and reading were compared on a letter perception task. The general hypothesis was supported for tasks of tachistoscopic identification
of card and letter-sequence stimuli, but not for the verbal problem solving task of anagram solution.
This study investigated cortical/cognitive relations in 30 4th, 8th and 12th grade students. All students were administered the Figural Intersection Test, a measure of cognitive development, and performed, three times with different targets, an event-related potential (ERP) oddball/selective-attention task. Two independent factors emerged from the ERP task that predicted development--speed of processing (P300 latency to Block 1 targets) and maturation of executive functioning (a composite ERP variable calculated as the ratio of RT and P300 latency divided by the accuracy to Block 2 targets). These two variables loaded on orthogonal factors in a principal components analysis, and were the only variables included in a stepwise regression of physiological variables on cognitive development. Speed of processing is modulated by myelination and synaptogenesis, and executive functioning is modulated by maturation of the frontal system. These electrophysiological markers could index these cortical transformations underlying cognitive development.
This study investigated effects of transcendent experiences on contingent negative variation (CNV) amplitude, CNV rebound, and distraction effects. Three groups of age-matched subjects with few (<1 per year), more frequent (10-20 per year), or daily self-reported transcendent experiences received 31 simple RT trials (flash (S(1))/tone (S(2))/button press) followed by 31 divided-attention trials - randomly intermixed trials with or without a three-letter memory task in the S(1)-S(2) interval). Late CNV amplitudes in the simple trials were smallest in the group with fewest, and largest in the group with most frequent transcendent experiences. Conversely, CNV distraction effects were largest in the group with fewest and smallest in the group with most frequent transcendent experiences (the second group's values were in the middle in each case). These data suggest cumulative effects of transcendent experiences on cortical preparatory response (heightened late CNV amplitude in simple trials) and executive functioning (diminished distraction effects in letter trials).
Awareness and cognition: The role of awareness training in child development. Applications of Maharishi Vedic Science
- T Q Warner
Warner, T.Q. (2005). Awareness and cognition: The role of awareness training
in child development. Applications of Maharishi Vedic Science. [Special
issue]. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 17, 47-64.
Creative thinking and the Transcendental Meditation technique
- F Travis
Travis, F. (1979). Creative thinking and the Transcendental Meditation technique. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 13, 169-180.
- H Gardner
Gardner, H. (1982). Developmental psychology (second edition). Canada: Little,
Brown.
The effect of the Transcendental Meditation program on the organization of thinking and recall (secondary organization)
- D E Miskiman
Miskiman, D.E. (1976). The effect of the Transcendental Meditation program on
the organization of thinking and recall (secondary organization). In D.W.
Orme-Johnson & J.T. Farrow (Eds.), Scientific research on the Transcendental Meditation program: Collected papers, Vol. 1 (385-392). Rheinweiler,
W. Germany. MERU Press.