CHAPTER 8: SCHOOl-BASEd MindFulnESS PROTOCOlS • 159how they tended to associate. We hypothesized that self-compassion and eating disorder
thoughts and behaviors were inversely related. We then looked at the role anxiety played
in predicting eating disorder behaviors and how self-compassion might influence that rela-
tionship. We conducted an analysis that helped us confirm our hypothesis; that is, that those
with high anxiety were at more risk for eating disorder thoughts and behaviors. However,
for those who engaged in self-compassion, such risk was reduced. That is, self-compassion
appears to predict a weaker relationship between anxiety and eating disorder thoughts and
behaviors (Cook-Cottone, Rovig, & Guyker, manuscript in preparation). This is compel-
ling. The next step would be to create an intervention that taught self-compassion to mid-
dle school students and see if that group experiences an increase in self-compassion and
decreased eating disorder risk while the control group remains unchanged or experiences
increased risk. In this way, the latter design gives us more confidence in terms of the protec-
tive influence of self-compassion.
Case studies are another way to begin to test out hypothesized relationships among
variables. There are also some very interesting case study designs. Depending on the design
and the statistical measures done, case studies and case series can also vary substantially.
Because there are fewer students involved in the case study it can be difficult to make gen-
eralizations about the success or lack of success and apply it to larger groups of students.
Case studies are often good to show that an intervention may have some positive effects
and should be explored on a larger level. Also, because there is more attention paid to the
intervention’s influence on students, the case study can provide insight into what the active
ingredients are. So, the take-away is that while case studies have some drawbacks in terms
of generalizability, they can provide valuable information in terms of answering the larger
research questions of, “Can this work?” and “How does it work?”
Another design that has a similar generalizability challenge, yet offers a lot in terms
of insight, is qualitative research. Qualitative research focuses on the lived-experience of
the participants and explores in detail the perceptions of the participants. There are many
different subtypes of qualitative research. They share the commitment of amplifying the
voice and experiences of participants and the effort to reduce research bias in terms of the
researcher’s perceived expectations or views. For example, my team just completed a study
of the Encinitas School District lawsuit in which a group of parents asserted that the yoga
program being taught at the school was religious in nature and therefore should not be
taught (Cook-Cottone, Lemish, & Guyker, 2016). Having read and watched all of the news
reports on the lawsuit, my team went in with a few preconceptions regarding the experi-
ences of the teachers, administrators, and researchers who were involved in the yoga inter-
vention during the time of the lawsuit. As a team, we discussed how stressful and disruptive
the lawsuit must have been to the day-to-day operations of the schools and classrooms, and
were ready to handle resistance, anger, and anything that came up as we conducted the
study. At the end of our week of collecting data, we were surprised to find that very few
people reported extreme stress, negative feelings, or tensions. Nearly all of the people we
interviewed supported the right of the families to engage in the lawsuit and believed that it
spoke to the quality of our society that these families could have a voice and ask questions.
Across the board, no matter their beliefs in terms of the religious nature of yoga, school
personnel supported the legal process and the importance of creating a school environment
in which students felt safe and supported. Teachers, administrators, and researchers were
kind and respectful. Because we were doing a qualitative study, we were able capture the
authentic respectful experience of those who worked for the school district.