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The Effects of Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) on Relationship Satisfaction in Couple Therapy
No full textThis thesis explores the integration of loving-kindness meditation (LKM) into couple therapy sessions and its impact on relationship satisfaction. Meditation, historically rooted in religious practices, has increasingly been adopted in Western therapeutic contexts due to its demonstrated benefits for mental health and interpersonal well-being. Although mindfulness-based interventions have gained popularity in psychotherapy, research specifically examining the use of LKM in couple therapy remains limited. This study investigates whether incorporating LKM into therapy sessions enhances relationship satisfaction compared to standard therapy alone. Couples were randomly assigned to either a control group, which received standard therapy, or an experimental group, which practiced LKM for 10 minutes at the beginning of each session before continuing with standard therapy. Relationship satisfaction was measured using the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS), and change scores were compared between groups using an independent two-sample t-test. Results indicated no statistically significant difference between groups, suggesting that the inclusion of LKM did not lead to greater improvements in relationship satisfaction. These findings offer insight into the complexities of implementing meditation-based interventions in clinical couple therapy settings and highlight directions for future research
Proactive Semantic Suppression as a Form of Linguistic Control in Bilinguals
No full textCurrent literature is divided on the topic of the bilingual advantage, or the question of whether bilingualism confers a distinct advantage in executive control, specifically in cognitive processes like inhibitory control and task-switching (Bialystok et al., 2005; Paap & Greenberg, 2013). This study seeks to provide more insight into underlying mechanisms of cognitive control in bilinguals compared to monolinguals by investigating proactive linguistic control, the bilingual ability to activate one linguistic system while suppressing irrelevant semantic information in the other (Declerck & Koch, 2023; Rainey et al., 2021). The Stroop task, a widely used test for executive functioning, was employed as the cognitive performance measure for its inclusion of semantic information and its demonstration of inhibition of interfering information (Stroop, 1992). Bilinguals were cued to preemptively switch into their native language, thus activating proactive linguistic control. It was hypothesized that bilinguals would exhibit better performance on the Stroop task as measured by response time, accuracy, or both. Contrary to the original hypothesis, no significant differences were found between the bilingual and monolingual groups. Furthermore, bilingual performance was not moderated by linguistic distance, or how dissimilar their native language was to English (Chiswick & Miller, 2005). The results may contribute to the growing body of research in opposition to the bilingual advantage, though weaknesses in study design and insufficient power due to sample size may obscure the underlying trend in the population
An Examination of How Professional Relationships and Professional Development Influence the Lived Experiences of African American Women Serving as Superintendents in Texas
No full textThis qualitative research study investigated the effects of professional relationships and professional development on the experiences of 11 African American women superintendents in Texas, a historically underrepresented minority in educational leadership. It explored the challenges these women have had in advancing to and excelling in superintendent positions, emphasizing the need for mentoring, networking, and ongoing professional development. Despite the variety of students, educational leadership, especially at the superintendent level, is primarily White and male. This study used qualitative approaches, particularly semistructured interviews, to explore the perspectives of African American women superintendents about how professional relationships and growth impact their careers. It sought to shed light on the systemic difficulties and individual tactics that influence their professional paths, thus adding to the discussion of diversity and inclusion in educational leadership. By focusing on these superintendents’ lived experiences, the research not only showed the ongoing challenges caused by racial and gender biases but also emphasized the necessity of support structures and professional organizations in promoting their growth. The results are intended to influence policies and practices that might increase the participation of African American women in leadership roles in the education sector, resulting in a more equitable and diverse leadership landscape.
Keywords: African American women, barriers, gender bias, glass ceiling, in-district support, professional development, professional mentee, professional mentor, professional relationships, superintenden