Contemplative Research & Buddhist Education:
A Reference Guide to “Psychological Measures”
Overview for Stakeholders
The BEA Framework’s primary goals focus on cultivating wisdom and compassion through Buddhist teachings. Relevant psychological research also suggests that students engaging with these practices may be fostering measurable psychological capacities (also known as developmental processes) that support academic success, emotional well-being, and social connection. This creates compelling evidence for educators working within systems that value and prioritize scientific research while honoring the framework’s deeper contemplative aims.
We are publishing a Learning Pathway that will group the learning goals into these categories, based on which measures they might naturally support, for educators interested in working with, or assessing a specific measure, or who want to ensure they have targeted a well-rounded set of these measures in their students. These correlations are tentative suggestions, which we hope to confirm with future research.
Important Note: While we are suggesting specific correspondence between learning goals and psychological measures, we would hope to see developmental gains associated with a child’s engagement along multiple, interacting goals over time, within the context of an immersive learning environment.
Psychological Measures Enhanced by Buddhist Learning
Executive Function & Thinking Skills
Cognitive Flexibility
Seeing situations from multiple perspectives
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Examining suffering from different viewpoints
- Exploring interdependence
- Perspective-taking in stories
- Considering multiple solutions to ethical dilemmas
Self-Regulation
Response inhibition: thinking before acting, resisting impulses
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Mindfulness meditation
- Breathing practices
- Noticing emotions without immediately reacting
- Pause-and-reflect activities
- Waiting practices (like waiting for everyone to be served before eating)
- Taking time to gather more information before responding
Working Memory
Relating ideas and facts to one another; making sense of anything that unfolds over time
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Following multi-step meditation instructions
- Remembering and applying ethical guidelines
- Keeping multiple perspectives in mind during discussions
- Reflecting on cause-and-effect relationships
- Connecting past experiences to present learning
- Relating different aspects of teachings to each other
Awareness & Attention
Mindfulness
Present-moment awareness without judgment, including setting aside distracting thoughts and mind-wandering
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Basic meditation
- Mindful breathing
- Body awareness practices
- Mindful listening
- Present-moment activities
- Practices that train cognitive inhibition such as maintaining mental focus despite internal distractions
Attention
Selective/focused attention and sustained attention
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Concentration meditation
- Sustained focus on breath or object
- Deep listening practices
- Contemplative arts
- Walking meditation with bells (focusing without making sound)
- Household chores done mindfully
- Craft activities like beadwork or weaving
Social & Emotional Development
Compassion
Understanding and caring about others’ experiences
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Loving-kindness meditation
- Perspective-taking exercises
- Hearing stories of others’ experiences
- Practicing empathy through role-play
Secure Attachment
Healthy patterns for trusting relationships
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Sangha (community) practices
- Refuge concepts
- Consistent ritual and routine
- Group support activities
- Teacher-student mentoring
Positive Affect
Joy, appreciation, and positive emotional responses
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Gratitude practices
- Celebrating others’ success (mudita)
- Joyful activities
- Appreciation exercises
- Loving-kindness meditation
Self-Compassion
Being kind to oneself when making mistakes
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Teaching that mistakes are part of learning
- Practicing non-judgmental awareness
- Cultivating patience with one’s own learning process
- Understanding that everyone makes mistakes
- Recognizing that mistakes can be evidence of courage to try new things
Character & Physical Development
Ethical Development
Increasingly sophisticated moral reasoning
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Discussing ethical dilemmas
- Applying precepts to real situations
- Exploring consequences of actions
- Considering what benefits others
Psychomotor Development
Physical coordination and body awareness
Buddhist practices that develop this:
- Walking meditation
- Contemplative arts
- Mindful movement
- Ritual activities
- Embodied practices
Implementation Guidelines
For Educators
- Focus on authentic Buddhist learning- PM benefits emerge naturally
- Use regular classroom observation to notice PM development
- No specialized psychological training or assessment tools required
- Document student growth through normal teaching interactions
For Assessment
- Observe PM development through typical classroom activities
- Look for evidence in student work, discussions, and behavior
- Combine contemplative understanding with PM observation
- Use age-appropriate indicators for each psychological measure
