Overcoming challenges in meditation assessment: Development and validation of the Meditation Pictographic Scale (MPS)
Ylenia D'elia, Óscar Lecuona, Rocío Herrero, Rosa Maria Baños Rivera, Maja Wrzesien, Ausiàs Cebolla
PsyArXiv November 11, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/4xez7_v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Qualitative |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 373 |
| Population | Adults |
| Interventions | breath counting loving-kindness decentering |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The Meditation Pictographic Scale (MPS) detected meditation-induced changes with items clustering into positive, negative, and distortion-related experiences, demonstrating stable psychometric properties and sensitivity to specific meditation practices. |
Abstract
Measuring subjective experience during meditation remains methodologically challenging due to reliance on verbal self-reports for embodied phenomena. To address this, we developed the Meditation Pictographic Scale (MPS) using a first-person phenomenological approach. We developed and validated the MPS across four phases: (1) qualitative interviews to refine pictographic items; (2) administration to adults (N = 373) in a randomized controlled trial, comparing three meditation practices (breath counting, loving-kindness, decentering) and active control; (3) psychometric analysis, including sensitivity to change, congruent correlations with related constructs, and internal structure via network analysis and exploratory factor analysis; and (4) assessment of structural changes across meditation states. Results showed that the MPS detected meditation-induced changes, with items clustering into positive, negative, and distortion-related experiences. The MPS demonstrated stable psychometric properties and sensitivity to specific meditation practices, offering a novel, non-verbal tool for studying meditation states, self-related processes, and altered states of consciousness.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |