Embodying critical consciousness in higher education : a pilot RCT of a mindfulness-based intervention for college students of color
Bini Sebastian
August 1, 2023 DOI: 10.32469/10355/97003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Embedded mixed methods design (RCT with two intervention groups and one control group, plus qualitative content analysis) |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28 |
| Population | College students of color with a low sense of belonging |
| Duration | Four-week workshop series, with measures at pre-intervention and post-intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Intervention counseling Randomized controlled trial Clinical psychology Belongingness Distress Psychotherapist |
| Key findings | The mindfulness-based critical consciousness intervention increased mindfulness, college self-efficacy, belongingness, and critical consciousness, and decreased distress in intervention participants relative to controls. |
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to understand the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention for students of color who experiences a low sense of belonging. An embedded mixed methods design including a quantitative component (RCT of two intervention groups that underwent the same intervention and one control group) and a qualitative component (content analysis) was utilized to test the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based critical consciousness intervention for college students of color. Twenty-eight students of color were randomly allocated to either an intervention or a control group. The intervention groups attended a fourweek mindfulness-based workshop series and completed measures of mindfulness, distress, colleges self-efficacy, belongingness, and critical consciousness at pre-intervention and postintervention. The control group completed the aforementioned measures at pretest and posttest. As predicted, repeated measures ANOVAs revealed increases in mindfulness, colleges selfefficacy, belongingness, and critical consciousness, as well as decreases in distress, for intervention group participants over time relative to control participants. This study also utilized an inductive content analysis to explore how, if at all, the intervention influenced the students of color in the intervention groups. In the qualitative exploration, four subordinate themes emerged: (a) Mindfulness, (b) Motivation to Decrease Academic Distress, (c) Sense of Belonging, (d) Critical Consciousness. Implications for higher education are discussed.
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 |