A Demonstration Study of the Quiet Time Transcendental Meditation Program.
Frontiers in Psychology January 1, 2021 Gabriella Conti, Orla Doyle, Pasco Fearon et al.
A demonstration study assessed the feasibility of Quiet Time (QT), a classroom-based Transcendental Meditation intervention, in two pilot settings in the United Kingdom and Ireland, targeting children in middle childhood. In the UK, 89 students participated: sixth graders received QT, while fifth graders used the Headspace app. In Ireland, 100 fifth- and sixth-grade students from two schools participated: one received QT, the other served as a control. Recruitment and retention were high, and the intervention was accepted by students, parents, and teachers. Implementation fidelity was lower in the UK due to a later start and test preparation. Suggestive evidence indicates that QT improved working memory in both settings and, in Ireland, improved the ability to control responses. The results inform a future larger randomized controlled trial.