Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Academic Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Procrastination in High School Students
Mahboubeh Amani
International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture 2025 DOI: 10.61838/ijbmc.v12i4.923 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test, and control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | High school students |
| Duration | Eight-week intervention |
| Measures | Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand et al., 1992), Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer et al., 1982), Procrastination Assessment Scale – Student Version (PASS) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The authors report that MBCT produced significant improvements in intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and self-efficacy and a significant reduction in academic procrastination relative to a no-treatment control group, with the largest effect sizes for procrastination reduction and self-efficacy improvement. They conclude that MBCT is effective for these outcomes but note that long-term effects and comparisons with alternative educational interventions remain to be studied. |
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of MBCT on academic motivation, self-efficacy, and academic procrastination among high school students. Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and control group was used. The study included 30 high school students selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 15), which received an eight-week MBCT intervention, or the control group (n = 15), which received no treatment. Data were collected using validated scales: the Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand et al., 1992), the Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer et al., 1982), and the Procrastination Assessment Scale – Student Version (PASS). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to assess between-group differences.
Findings: The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (p < 0.01) and self-efficacy (p < 0.01), along with a reduction in academic procrastination (p < 0.01). Effect sizes were highest for reducing procrastination (η² = 0.773) and improving self-efficacy (η² = 0.686).
Conclusion: MBCT is an effective intervention for enhancing academic motivation and self-efficacy while reducing procrastination in students. However, future studies should explore long-term effects and compare MBCT with alternative educational interventions.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |