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Presence and Performance: Academic and Social Outcomes of Guided Meditation

Last registered on October 01, 2025
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Presence and Performance: Academic and Social Outcomes of Guided Meditation
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016897
Initial registration date
September 28, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
October 01, 2025, 7:45 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Viet Nam
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Thanh Dang
Affiliation
Monash University
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Paulo Santos
PI Affiliation
Monash University
PI Name
Khanh-Nam Pham
PI Affiliation
University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-10-02
End date
2025-10-31
Keywords
Behavior, Education
Additional Keywords
Mindfulness, Prosociality
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study investigates the causal impact of mindfulness meditation, delivered through the Contemporary Meditation app, on two distinct domains: academic performance and prosocial orientation. First-year students at a Vietnamese university were randomly assigned to either a treatment group (guided meditation) or a control group (non-meditative tasks), both administered via mobile apps over four weeks. Improvements in executive functions and social-emotional connection are examined as potential mechanisms underlying these effects.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Dang, Thanh, Khanh-Nam Pham and Paulo Santos. 2025. "Presence and Performance: Academic and Social Outcomes of Guided Meditation." AEA RCT Registry. October 01. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16897-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2025-10-05
Intervention End Date
2025-10-26

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Academic performance, Prosocial behavior
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
Allocation of treatment is stratified on the basis of gender (male/female) and entrance score (above/below median of sample).
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Students will be assigned to experimental groups using stratified randomization based on gender and entrance exam scores. The procedure is as follows:
1. Students are divided by gender (male and female)
2. Within each gender, students are further split into two groups based on whether their entrance exam scores are above or below the median entrance score of those who express interest in this intervention.
This results in multiple strata defined by combinations of gender × entrance score level. Within each stratum, students are randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
0
Sample size: planned number of observations
600 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
300 students control, 300 students treatment
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee
IRB Approval Date
2025-08-13
IRB Approval Number
46864
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials