Building courage, strength, and knowledge: Mindfulness training reduces psychological threat and increases engagement in college physics
Tessa M. Benson-Greenwald, Avital Pelakh, Michael J. Tumminia, Sara Jahanian, Michael S. Diamond, Eric Kuo, Melanie L. Good, Timothy J. Nokes-Malach, Brian M. Galla
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 6, 2026 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2521857123 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Preregistered Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | College students in introductory physics courses |
| Intervention | Mindfulness training |
| Duration | 5-day mindfulness training |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Education |
| Key findings | A five-day mindfulness training reduced students' feelings of psychological threat and increased their course engagement, suggesting mindfulness can support learning and persistence in STEM courses. |
Abstract
Significance Many college students experience introductory physics courses as psychologically threatening contexts. Yet, succeeding in these high-stakes gateway courses is necessary to declare majors in engineering and physical sciences. We tested whether mindfulness, which centers attention to subjective experiences, can help provide students with tools to navigate their physics-related emotions. Course-wide survey data revealed that over half of students felt psychologically threatened in their physics course. In a preregistered RCT, a 5-d mindfulness training reduced students’ feelings of threat and increased their course engagement. This work suggests that mindfulness can support learning and persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) courses by helping students build resilience in how they interpret and respond to stress.
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 |