Award Name: Outstanding Thesis Award

Recipient’s Name: Tim Wachtel, M.S. in Psychology Graduate

Thesis Title: The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Sustained Attention in Adults With ADHD

Thesis Committee Chair: Dr. Heather Walen-Frederick

 

Your background is in business (change management, quality improvement). Why did you decide to earn a master’s degree in psychology?

I was burned out from working the systemic side of business and wanted to concentrate on the human side. After a great deal of soul-searching, with the intent of finding my purpose in life, all roads led to a psychology/business career.

 

What is mindfulness meditation?

It’s a technique drawn from Buddhist meditation. Simply, it’s being in the present moment—not the past or the future, but in the here and now. It helps people focus at work, in the classroom, wherever they are. I meditate twice a day for 20 minutes and find that I have more peace, calmness, and awareness of myself and those around me as a result.

 

What was the impetus for your thesis topic?

It was based on my newfound interest in meditation and what I had read about its positive physiological effects. I knew that meditators had to maintain a high level of concentration to reach certain states of awareness. While I am not close to anyone affected by ADHD [Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder], I do know that ADHD is a problem in the workplace. So I proposed that meditation could assist adults with ADHD by possibly stimulating the regions of the brain where attention is deficient.

 

You had conducted no previous research on ADHD. Why not choose a topic you were more familiar with?

 It would have been easy for me to write a thesis in an area where I have experience. But I wanted to challenge myself.

 

Since the subject was new to you, you had to become an “expert” very quickly. How did you do it?

To gain the knowledge I needed to write the paper, I reviewed more than 250 journal articles. I chose to print most of them and highlight important passages I would likely be incorporating during the writing process. I know this is a lot of paper (my printer nearly died), but I found it extremely worthwhile.

 

That’s a substantial literature review. How did you manage the additional reading?

I developed a plan for tackling my research, which included cataloging sources, developing outlines, etc. As a former project manager, I had sound time-management and documentation skills. Self-discipline was a key, too. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of discipline and sticking to your plan.

 

Any advice for Walden students writing a research paper?

Don’t be afraid to challenge your committee members on various points. After all, it is your thesis/dissertation.

 

Your proposed study is compelling. Will you ever carry out the research?

I won’t do it myself, but I would love to hand over the study to clinicians for improvement and testing. It’s unfortunate that those suffering from ADHD are typically administered pharmaceuticals to relieve their symptoms. I feel interventions must be created that eliminate the root cause of the problem—not just mask over the symptoms. This is where I believe meditation could serve a wonder ful purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

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