Development of “The Colombo Intake Interview to identify skilled meditators for scientific research (CIISMR)”

Abstract

Background: Buddhist-derived meditation is a well-known phenomenological practice that enhances overall well-being of individuals. However, broad and less-rigorous criteria in recruiting suitable meditation practitioners affect the reliability of results obtained through meditation research. Therefore, we aimed at developing an instrument to identify and recruit skilled meditators to be used in work conducted to understand the physiological, psychological, social, and environmental effects of meditation. Methods: Extensive literature reviews, interviews and focus groups with experts in the field of meditation were utilized in developing the instrument. Judgmental validation of the generated items was ensured through establishing their face, content and consensual validity. Internal consistency reliability and factor structure of the scale was explored to analyze its psychometric properties. Cut-off marks were determined in order to develop a scoring system for the instrument. Results: Twenty five items were categorized under five sections (A, B, C1, C2, D) that addressed six factors: duration of the meditation practice, details of the meditation practice, peripheral awareness, stable attention, alertness, and emotional stability. Three further qualitative items were added under section E. An exploratory factor analysis process resulted in a two-factor structure between the Likert scale items as theoretically expected. Scores to identify ‘skilled meditators’ were determined as: Section C1>7 (fall-back score; 7-9, ideal score; 10-12), Section C2>14 (fall-back score; 14-16, ideal score; 17-20) and Section D>25 (fall-back score; 25-29, ideal score; 30-35). Conclusion: An instrument named, “The Colombo Intake Interview to identify skilled meditators for scientific research (CIISMR)”, consisting of 28 items exploring six factors that identify a “skilled meditator” was developed and validated to the Sri Lankan context. The importance of using a combination of these six factors is discussed.