Higher education students face increased mental health risks. This cause calls for pedagogical strategies that support both student learning and well-being. This project investigates if a Contemplative Reading (CR) intervention within two bachelor courses that feature different literary/philosophical works positively affects students’ perspective agility (PA), a capacity linked to mental health. The study uses multiple data sources: pre- and post-survey data, reflective journals and focus groups.

Background information

Most students read texts primarily to extracting information. Contemplative Reading (CR) encourages students to read texts slowly and dialogically (instead of solely instrumentally), with reflective pauses for writing and dialogue. By deliberately shifting the pace of reading, CR may uncover meanings of texts that may otherwise remain unnoticed. CR has been shown to reduce stress and foster positive qualities, like openness to dialogue. The intervention integrates four CR sessions into two bachelor courses – Asian Philosophies and Literature and the Meaning of Life. CR may enhance Perspectival Agility (PA), the capacity to navigate multiple perspectives without defensiveness. By enhancing psychological/cognitive flexibility and perspective-taking, CR may contribute to both deeper learning and improved mental health.

Aims

This project aims to answer the following research questions

• Does the practice of contemplative reading enhance students’ perspectival agility?
• Does contemplative reading have differential effects on students’ perspectival agility when applied to Indigenous Asian Texts (Daoist, Buddhist) compared to other literary of philosophical works?

The expectation is that CR strengthens PA by cultivating cognitive and psychological flexibility and perspective-taking.

Project description

To answer the research questions, surveys assessing cognitive flexibility, psychological flexibility, and perspective-taking will be administered at the beginning and end of the courses to capture changes in PA. On top of that, students are asked to complete reflective journals after each CR session. At the end of the courses, participants respond to open-ended questions about their overall experience with CR. Finally, the course coordinators conduct two semi-structured focus groups per course, based on the themes from the end-of-course survey.

References

• Flavel, S., & Hall, B. (2023). Perspectival agility. In S. Flavel & C. Robbiano (Eds.), Key concepts in world philosophies: A toolkit for philosophers(pp. 121–132).
• Goldin, D., Alvarez, L. M., & van Harscher, H. (2025). Cognitive flexibility: What mental health professionals need to know. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 63(4), 20–27.
• Gorenflo, D. W., & Crano, W. D. (1998). The multiple perspectives inventory: A measure of perspective-taking. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 57(3), 163–177.
• Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., & Astin, J. (2011). Toward the integration of meditation into higher education: A review of research evidence. Teachers College Record, 113(3), 493–528.
• Zajonc, A. (2016). Contemplation in education. In K. A. Schonert-Reichl & R. W. Roeser (Eds.), Handbook of mindfulness in education(pp. 17–28).