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A reasoned action approach to meditation behavior among cadets at the United States Military Academy.

Ryan G. Erbe, Peter Meindl, Elise M. Dykhuis, Gabriela Boatright, Travis Tilman

Military psychology : the official journal of the Division of Military Psychology, American Psychological Association July 3, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/08995605.2023.2197840 (opens in new tab)

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Characteristics Survey-based pilot study and replication study Peer reviewed
Population Cadets at the United States Military Academy
Topics Meditation
Keywords Emotional well-being Behavior determinants Emotion regulation Reasoned action approach
Key findings In both a pilot study and a replication study, Reasoned Action Approach constructs predicted cadets' meditation behavior and behavioral intention. Injunctive norms, reflecting perceived expectations of important others, were notably associated with intention to meditate. The authors argue that authority figures in cadets' social context should signal support for meditation to encourage adoption.

Abstract

Military members face emotion-regulation challenges due to the high-pressure nature of the profession as evidenced by rates of mental health issues within military populations. Identifying behaviors that are efficient and effective at promoting emotion-regulation and helping military members adopt them is essential. Recently, meditation has been shown to reduce stress, enhance attention control and emotion regulation, along with reducing military-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms. One way to promote this behavior in a military context is to enable future officers to adopt the behavior. We aimed to examine determinants of meditation intention and behavior among cadets at the United States Military Academy using the Reasoned Action Approach, a behavior framework used to explain and change behavior. By identifying these determinants, military practitioners can tailor meditation interventions to increase the likelihood that cadets will adopt the practice and eventually help soldiers under their command use meditation as well. We conducted a pilot study and a replication study that confirmed Reasoned Action Approach constructs were predictive of behavior and behavioral intention. Of significance was the perceived norm impact on meditation intention, specifically injunctive norms. Implications include the importance of authority figures within cadets' social context providing support for meditation's utility.

Comparable studies

Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients 2003 Pre-post intervention study n = 59
Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample 2010 Pre-post intervention study
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students 2003 Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study n = 302
Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls 2011 Controlled trial with wait-list control group n = 60
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents 2011 Within-group waitlist controlled trial n = 22

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