Long Term Effects of the Lifespring Trainings

The ancients taught "Know Thy Self," and the quest for self-knowledge has been a continual pursuit of mankind throughout the ages.

Only in recent years has there been an opportunity for the general public to attend organized, educational courses that explore core subjects of responsibility, acceptance, accountability, commitment, and mastery. Lifespring provides a powerful opportunity for self-examination and growth.

Lifespring has chosen to be on the leading edge in sponsoring research aimed at increasing the effectiveness of our courses as an integral component of our commitment to supporting people in having their lives and the world work.

Among the first of these studies was the 1978 report by Dr. Everett Shostrum, which considered the long-term effects of the Lifespring courses as measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI). Shostrum's study showed statistically significant gains for participants on all POI scales that measured levels of "self-actualizing behavior."

Spontaneity, self-regard, self-acceptance, inner directedness, and the capacity for intimate contact all increased among graduates, while no gains were cited for the control group. Even after six months, the gains arising from participation in the Lifespring courses were still evident.

The procedures and exercises used in the Lifespring courses are continually volunteered to medical and psychological experts for review. This action has been applauded as evidence that Lifespring has continued to act responsibly and in the highest interest of our students.

Accordingly, presented here are the recent findings of three prominent individuals in the psychological community. Lee Ross, professor of psychology at Stanford University, conducted research aimed at measuring consumer satisfaction of the Basic and Advanced Courses. Dr. Ross collected data over a 12-month period, analyzed its implications, and released that information here for publication.

In addition, Doctors Morton Lieberman and Irvin Yalom, acclaimed group psychology experts, examined the Lifespring Basic Training in order to make recommendations for possible improvement and to determine any psychological implications associated with participating in the course.
Providing an objective bank of information to document the results of our courses is vital to the ongoing development of Lifespring. We are pleased to present the findings of these eminent researchers.

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