Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: a randomized controlled trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether a mindfulness-based SEL program could improve cognitive control, reduce stress, enhance well-being, prosociality, and academic outcomes in elementary school students.
Results Summary
The SEL program with mindfulness improved cognitive control, stress physiology, empathy, emotional control, optimism, and peer acceptance while reducing depressive symptoms and aggression. It also enhanced school self-concept and prosocial behavior.
Population
4th and 5th-grade elementary school students (N = 99).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SEL program with mindfulness | increase | cognitive control | children in the SEL program | - | improved more | #1 |
SEL program with mindfulness | decrease | stress physiology | children in the SEL program | - | improved more | #2 |
SEL program with mindfulness | increase | empathy | children in the SEL program | - | reported greater | #3 |
SEL program with mindfulness | increase | perspective-taking | children in the SEL program | - | reported greater | #4 |
SEL program with mindfulness | increase | emotional control | children in the SEL program | - | reported greater | #5 |
SEL program with mindfulness | increase | optimism | children in the SEL program | - | reported greater | #6 |
SEL program with mindfulness | increase | school self-concept | children in the SEL program | - | reported greater | #7 |
SEL program with mindfulness | increase | mindfulness | children in the SEL program | - | reported greater | #8 |
SEL program with mindfulness | decrease | self-reported symptoms of depression | children in the SEL program | - | showed greater decreases | #9 |
SEL program with mindfulness | decrease | peer-rated aggression | children in the SEL program | - | showed greater decreases | #10 |
SEL program with mindfulness | increase | prosocial | children in the SEL program | - | were rated by peers as more | #11 |
SEL program with mindfulness | increase | peer acceptance (or sociometric popularity) | children in the SEL program | - | increased in | #12 |
The authors hypothesized that a social and emotional learning (SEL) program involving mindfulness and caring for others, designed for elementary school students, would enhance cognitive control, reduce stress, promote well-being and prosociality, and produce positive school outcomes. To test this hypothesis, 4 classes of combined 4th and 5th graders (N = 99) were randomly assigned to receive the SEL with mindfulness program versus a regular social responsibility program. Measures assessed executive functions (EFs), stress physiology via salivary cortisol, well-being (self-reports), prosociality and peer acceptance (peer reports), and math grades. Relative to children in the social responsibility program, children who received the SEL program with mindfulness (a) improved more in their cognitive control and stress physiology; (b) reported greater empathy, perspective-taking, emotional control, optimism, school self-concept, and mindfulness, (c) showed greater decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and peer-rated aggression, (d) were rated by peers as more prosocial, and (e) increased in peer acceptance (or sociometric popularity). The results of this investigation suggest the promise of this SEL intervention and address a lacuna in the scientific literature-identifying strategies not only to ameliorate children's problems but also to cultivate their well-being and thriving. Directions for future research are discussed.