Evaluating Theory-Driven Messaging to Overcome the Barriers to Meditation: Large-Scale Digital Field Experiment.
JMIR mental health July 7, 2025 Michael Bowen, Michael Beam, Joakim Semb et al. 2 citations
A large-scale digital experiment on the Spotify mobile app tested whether messages addressing specific barriers to meditation could encourage people to try meditation. Among approximately 1.33 million U.S. adults aged 18 and older, the most effective message—which countered the barrier that meditation requires being alone in a quiet place—had a click-through rate 1.57 times higher and an activation rate 1.55 times higher than a control message with no barrier-focused content. The least effective message, targeting knowledge barriers, performed worse than the control, with a click-through rate odds ratio of 0.91 and activation rate odds ratio of 0.66. After seven days, engagement differences between conditions largely disappeared. Theory-driven messaging can boost initial interest but may not sustain long-term behavior change.