Personal Variables Predicting Voluntary Participation in and Attrition from a Meditation Program
Stephen M. Rivers, Nicholas P. Spaños
Psychological Reports December 1, 1981 DOI: 10.2466/pr0.1981.49.3.795 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 147 |
| Population | Students |
| Intervention | meditation |
| Duration | Four-session training program; 5-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key findings | Meditation volunteers scored higher on absorption than non-volunteers, but 91% stopped meditating within one month after training. Pretest self-esteem and psychosomatic symptoms predicted attrition from meditation. |
Abstract
147 students were assessed on absorption, hypnotic susceptibility, and three measures of “psychological well-being” (self-esteem, depressive affect, psychosomatic symptoms) and were then invited to participate without cost in a program to learn meditation. Those completing the four-session training program were followed for 5 mo. by phone and mail. Analysis indicated that (a) meditating volunteers scored higher on the pretest absorption measure than non-volunteers, (b) 91% of the volunteers had stopped meditating 1 mo. after training, and (c) the pretest self-esteem and psychosomatic symptoms measures predicted attrition from meditation. The implications of these findings for meditation research are discussed.