Analyzing the Methods of a Peer-reviewed Study.docx

1 Analyzing the Methods of a Peer-reviewed Study Student's Name Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Instructor's Name Due Date

2 Analyzing the Methods of a Peer-reviewed Study The Schreiner and Malcolm (2008) paper "The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation: Changes in Emotional States of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress" compares pre-existing datasets. The researchers provided the following details about the dataset and their research procedures: 50 people enrolled in 10-week meditation programs at two meditation centers in Sydney, Australia, made up the participants. These individuals, who represent a wide spectrum of people interested in mindfulness meditation, were chosen from the general population. The participants' gender distribution was 32 females and 18 men, with an average age of 46 ( Younis et al., 2008 ). The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale — the researchers, therefore, used 21 Items (DASS-21) to gauge the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. This self-report measure was created to evaluate and distinguish between these three emotional states. It was possible to compare the scale to a pre-existing dataset for measuring levels of stress, anxiety, and depression because it had previously been constructed and validated. The variables of depression, anxiety, and stress levels were examined before and after the 10-week mindfulness meditation program. They wanted to see if mindfulness meditation affected these emotional states and if people with varied levels of severity responded differently to the practice. They assumed that following the 10-week meditation course would significantly reduce individual levels of despair, anxiety, and stress ( Younis et al., 2008 ). Moreover, those suffering from depression, anxiety, or stress would react differentially to meditation practice, with equivalent reductions in anxiety and stress but a little less dramatic reduction in depression. Also, those more stressed and anxious would benefit more from meditation practice. Consequently, the researchers employed repeated measures ANOVAs for depression, anxiety, and stress, with severity levels as between-group factors and time (before and after the meditation course) as a

3 within-subject variable to evaluate these hypotheses. They also utilized the results of the Eyes Test as variables to account for regression artifacts. Establishing the validity and reliability of research requires a discussion of the data and methods section since it promotes transparency, allows for a review of the study design and statistical analysis, and may lead to replication ( Ahmed & Ishtiaq, 2021 ). The study's approach may be evaluated and improved upon by other researchers, thereby advancing the body of scientific knowledge, and the conclusions are more credible due to this transparency. Consequently, the following criticisms of the Methods and Data section are offered: The length and frequency of meditation periods within each 2-hour class are not explicitly covered in the text. Understanding the program's dose and intensity may be aided by knowing these specifics. In addition, other than the Eyes Test, the paper does not mention any potential confounding or control variables. The validity of the results might be increased if other factors that could affect the emotional states being examined were considered. Additionally, the sample size of 50 individuals is small, which might restrict how broadly the findings can be applied. References

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4 Younis, M. B., Al-Rawashdeh, A. B., Rubbai, Y., Al-Sayeh, A. M., & Jaradat, A. (2020). Effectiveness of Mindfulness Meditation Program on Perceived Stress Reduction among New University StudentsBy. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research (09752366) , 12 (4). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247830631_The_Benefits_of_Mindfulness_Me ditation_Changes_in_Emotional_States_of_Depression_Anxiety_and_Stress Ahmed, I., & Ishtiaq, S. (2021). Reliability and validity: Importance in Medical Research. methods , 12 , 13.