Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Social Validity Assessment and Intervention Evaluation of Mindfulness Education and Practices with High School Students

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Mindfulness Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We conducted a two-phase study with ninth-grade high school students (N = 84) who participated in a 10-week mindfulness education program. In phase 1, an intervention was introduced to increase the number of meditation sessions and minutes of formal mindfulness practices they performed. In phase 2, the students completed a social validity assessment by rating their satisfaction with and approval of the mindfulness education program. Intervention had a variable effect with the students and they positively endorsed several outcomes from mindfulness training, particular mindfulness practices, and future interest in mindfulness. We discuss implications from the study for planning and implementing school-based mindfulness education programs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig.1
Fig.2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baer, R. A. (2004). Assessment of mindfulness by self-report: the Kentucky inventory of mindfulness skills. Assessment, 11, 191–206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barnes, V., Bauza, L., & Treiber, F. (2003). Impact of stress reduction on negative school behavior in adolescents. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 1, 7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchemin, J., Hutchins, T., & Patterson, F. (2008). Mindfulness meditation may lessen anxiety, promote social skills, and improve academic performance among adolescents with learning disabilities. Complementary Health Practice Review, 13, 34–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broderick, P. C., & Metz, S. (2009). Learning to BREATHE: a pilot trial of mindfulness curriculum for adolescents. Advances in School Mental Health Promotion, 2, 35–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burke, C. A. (2010). Mindfulness-based approaches with children and adolescents: a preliminary review of current research in an emergent field. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 19, 133–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniels, A. C., & Daniels, J. E. (2004). Performance management: changing behavior that drives organizational effectiveness. Atlanta: Performance Management Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Felver, J. C., Doerner, E., Jones, J., Kaye, N. C., & Merrel, K. W. (2013). Mindfulness in school psychology: applications for intervention and professional practice. Psychology in the Schools, 50, 531–547.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felver, J. C., Frank, J. L., & McEachern, A. D. (2014). Effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of the soles of the feet mindfulness-based intervention with elementary school students. Mindfulness, 5, 589–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R. (2006). Still thinking: the case for meditation with children. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 1, 146–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flook, L., Smalley, S. L., Kitil, J. M., Galla, B. M., Kaiser-Greenland, S., Locke, J., et al.(2010). Effects of mindful awareness practices on executive functions in elementary school children. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 26, 70–95.

  • Greenland, S. K. (2010). The mindful child. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harnett, P. H., & Dawe, S. (2012). The contribution of mindfulness-based therapies for children and families and proposed conceptual integration. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 17, 195–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huppert, F. A., & Johnson, D. M. (2010). A controlled trial of mindfulness training in schools: the importance of practice for an impact on wellbeing. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5, 264–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go, there you are: mindfulness meditation in everyday life. New York: Hyperion.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A. E. (1977). Assessing the clinical or applied importance of behavior change through social validation. Behavior Modification, 1, 427–452.

  • Lane, K. L., Kalberg, J. R., Bruhn, A. L., Driscoll, S. A., Wehby, J. H., & Elliott, S. N. (2009). Assessing social validity of school-wide positive behavior support plans: evidence for the reliability and structure of the primary intervention rating scale. School Psychology Review, 38, 135–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luiselli, J. K., Worthen, D., Carbonell, L., & Queen, A. H. (2016). Social validity assessment of mindfulnes education and practices among high school students. Journal of Applied School Psychology (in press).

  • Napoli, M., Krech, P. R., & Holley, L. C. (2005). Mindfulness training for elementary school students: the attention academy. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 21, 99–125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rempel, K. D. (2012). Mindfulness for children and youth: a review of the literature with an argument for school-based implementation. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 46, 201–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saltzman, A., & Goldin, P. (2008). Mindfulness based stress reduction for school-age children. In S. C. Hayes & L. A. Greco (Eds.), Acceptance and mindfulness interventions for children, adolescents, and families (pp. 139–161). Oakland: Context Press/New Harbinger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sauer, S., Walach, H., Schmidt, S., Hinterberger, T., Lynch, S., Bussing, A., et al. (2013). Assessment of mindfulness: review of state of the art. Mindfulness, 4, 3–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Lawlor, M. S. (2010). The effects of a mindfulness-based education program on pre- and early adolescents’ wellbeing and social emotional competence. Mindfulness, 1, 137–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Roeser, R. W. (2016). Handbook of mindfulness in education: Integrating theory and research into practice. New York: Springer

  • Semple, R. J., Reid, E. F. G., & Miller, L. (2005). Teaching anxiety with mindfulness: an open trial of mindfulness training for anxious children. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 19, 379–392.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Singh, N. N. (Eds.) (2015). Buddhist foundations of mindfulness. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, M., & Gauntlett-Gilbert, J. (2008). Mindfulness with children and adolescents: effective clinical application. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 13, 395–407.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wall, R. B. (2005). Tai Chi and mindfulness-based stress reduction in a Boston public middle school. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 19, 230–237.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, M., & Penman, D. (2011). Mindfulness: an eight-week plan for finding peace in a frantic world. New York: Rodale.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf, M. M. (1978). Social validity: the case for subjective measurement or how applied behavior analysis is finding its heart. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 11, 202–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zenner, C., Herrnleben-Kurz, & Walach, H. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in schools: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00603.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Kathleen Giles, Head of School, faculty, and students for their support of mindfulness education, and Taylor Kennedy for assisting with data summary and analysis.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to James K. Luiselli.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Worthen, D., Luiselli, J.K. Social Validity Assessment and Intervention Evaluation of Mindfulness Education and Practices with High School Students. Mindfulness 8, 903–910 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0664-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-016-0664-z

Keywords

Navigation