Effects of Sensitivity Training and Transcendental Meditation on Perception of Others

Abstract

This study compared the effects of six weeks of sensitivity training and Transcendental Meditation on subjects' perceptions of others. A semantic differential which measured the participants' sensitivity to others was administered before and after the respective treatments to determine significant differences within and between the groups. Prior studies indicate that sensitiviry training tends to increase individual awareness of others' behavior as measured by perceived characteristics (1, 4, 5 ) . Other studies indicate increases in capacity for intimate contact (5, 6 ) and increased sociability ( 2 ) . and better interpersonal relationships ( 3 ) from Transcendental Meditation. Eighteen (nine men, nine women) graduate students in counselor education were involved in the sensitivity training. Their ages ranged from 21 to 34 yr. Nineteen participants (nine men and 10 women) were involved in Transcendental Meditation. They ranged in age from 10 to 50 yr. A 15-point semantic differential of 24 word-pairs was derived from Cattell's inventory of 171 personality factors. External raters judged the instrument for content validity. The Transcendental Meditation participants had a pretest mean of 7.6 ( a = 1.6) and the sensitivity groups had a mean of 9.0 ( a = 2.0). A two-tailed test gave a t of 2.28, a significant value. The sensitiviry group's scores were significantly higher. On posttest the meditating students had a mean of 8.8 ( a = 1.6) and the sensitivity group a mean of 8.9 (cr = 2.4; t = .2 which is nonsignificant). A t test for uncorrelated preto posttest changes between groups was significant ( p = .05). As the counseling students generally scored higher on the pretest, this could have limited achievement gain. Significant but small posttest gains for the Transcendental Meditation group suggest that the meditation may increase rated perception of ochers.