Cognitive training promotes academic success: An analysis of focused meditative practices on student quiz performance

The cognitive skills required for successful academic performance includes self-regulatory functioning, an ability to enact conscious control over thoughts, feelings, and actions. The current studies examined the effects of brief periods of meditation on the academic performance of students at California State University, Northridge. Participants from four different psychology classes (three lower division and one upper division class) randomly received either brief meditation training or rest, followed by a traditional class lecture that ended with a quiz on that same lecture material. Results from the three lower-division classes all indicated that meditation improved quiz performance, but quiz scores in the upper-division class were unchanged following meditation. Our findings show that meditation may be an effective method of improving academic performance. Limitations of the studies and directions for future research are discussed.