Psychology (Schonert et al. - Cognitive Development)

Question 1

What is Mindfulness?

Answer 1

Mindfulness is the human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us, having a cool head in the situation of disaster for example.

Question 2

How does Mindfulness help and what can you do to achieve it?

Answer 2

Helps us to make less emotionally guided decisions -> reducing impact of limbic system and amygdala

More rational decisions

Helps us to be decisive

Be the best „you“ -> - aware, in control, happy, physically - mentally - emotionally well

Controlled breathing, meditation and yoga will help

Question 3

What was the aim of Schonert et al. ?

Answer 3

Wanted to test their hypothesis that an social and emotional learning (SEL) program involving mindfulness and caring for others specifically designed for elementary school students, would enhance cognitive control, reduce stress, promote well being and pro-sociality to produce positive school outcomes.

Question 4

Schonert et al. Procedure?

Answer 4

4 Classes of combined 4th and 5th graders were randomly assigned to receive SEL with mindfulness program versus a regular social responsibility program. Measures assessed EFs (or executive functions like reaction time), stress physiology via salivary cortisol (A commonly used tool for assessing adrenal hormones), well-being (self-reports), prosociality and peer acceptance (peer reports), and math grades.

Trained research assistants who were blind to any of the conditions, administered the assessments and collected diurnal cortisol samples for students pre and posttest. Teacher measures of children’s achievements in math were also collected. Children were told that they were participating in a research study that was aimed at understanding “children’s experiences in school” and their “attitudes and beliefs about their classmates and themselves.” These assessments were administered to students during one 45-min regular class period.

Method: The Method was a school selection and randomization.

Public school district with approx 35,000 students in suburban, predominantly middle-class community near a large western canadian city.
Socioeconomic status (SES) and other variables such as school size, achievement level, ethnic and racial diversity were aimed to be roughly similar.
Four elementary schools in the same district were chosen.
All principals and teachers agreed to participate and were aware that once they decided to participate, their classroom was likely to be randomized as part of being a comparison classroom.
After collection of baseline data, randomization was executed via a coin flip that assigned two of the four classrooms to receive the MindUP (Mindfulness practices - practices where you practice mindfulness which is when you consciously perceive the current moment without any kind of judgment) curriculum and two to receive the district program that focused on the promotion of social responsibility (BAU - Business as usual condition).

Question 5

Findings

Answer 5

Children in the Social and emotional learning program improved more on their cognitive control, stress physiology, more emotional control, mindfulness of course, greater decrease in self-reported symptoms such as depression and were rated by peers as more prosocial (voluntary actions that are intended to help or benefit other individuals or groups of individuals).

Question 6

What is the sample of Schonert et al. ?

Answer 6

48 pps in MindUP (46% female and 54% male)

51 pps in BAU (42% female and 58% male)

Question 7

Conclusion

Answer 7

Mindfulness programs like MindUP have the potential to improve children’s physical and mental wellbeing and have a positive impact on their relationships with others

Question 8

Schonert et al. LIMITATIONS

Answer 8

Third, with regard to our teacher and peer assessments, raters were not blind to treatment condition. Although peers as participant observers can provide important sources of information about their classmates’ behaviors both inside and outside of the classroom, our peer behavioral assessment measure of prosocial and aggressive/antisocial behaviors may have been influenced by peers’ knowledge about the experimental condition. Less reliable

Small sample, less generalizable plus middle income socioeconomic status.

Question 9

Schonert et al. STRENGTHS

Answer 9

All principals and teachers agreed to participate and were aware that once they decided to participate, their classroom was likely to be randomized as part of being a comparison classroom. 98% of the parents / legal guardians gave consent (Informed consent)

Socioeconomic status (SES) and other variables such as school size, achievement level, ethnic and racial diversity were aimed to be roughly similar. Controlling extraneous variables (internal validity).