Scientific Reports
September 5, 2026
Merrisa Lin, Nairán Ramírez‐Esparza, Natalie J. Shook
Despite experiencing more negative life events, older adults often report better emotional well-being than younger adults, a phenomenon known as the well-being paradox. Although socioemotional selectivity theory suggests that age-related shifts toward present-moment goals may contribute to this pattern, the psychological factors underlying these age differences remain unclear. In particular,...
Cognition & Emotion
June 12, 2026
Jenna M Wilson, Jerin Lee, JoNell Strough et al.
Mindfulness has been linked to lower psychological distress. Yet, it remains unclear how, or the mechanism(s) by which, mindfulness reduces psychological distress, particularly during times of heightened, prolonged stress. The present research utilised secondary analysis of data from two independent studies to 1) assess whether greater trait mindfulness protected U.S. adults against...
Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice
February 19, 2026
Ilana Haliwa, Cara L. Sedney, Morgan Rosensteel et al.
1 citation
Chronic pain disproportionately affects US adults living in rural areas, leading to higher rates of opioid prescriptions. Mindfulness-based interventions are non-pharmaceutical treatments that can be effective at managing chronic pain. However, little is known about whether mindfulness is a potentially viable intervention target in rural populations. The goals of the current study were to...
2020
Jenna M Wilson, Audrey Weiss, Natalie J. Shook
Abstract Perceived social support has consistently been associated with better psychological well-being, but the pathway(s) through which social support increases positive psychological outcomes (e.g., life satisfaction) and reduces negative psychological outcomes (e.g., depression) remain unknown. Potentially, social support may encourage a more balanced, self-forgiving, and positive...
Journal of Research in Personality
December 1, 2014
Laura G. Kiken, Natalie J. Shook
68 citations
The current research investigated whether mindfulness is differentially associated with thoughts that emphasize positive or negative valence. In Study 1, trait mindfulness was inversely associated with negative rumination but unassociated with positive rumination, controlling for state affect. In Study 2, participants completed either a mindful breathing meditation or a comparable control...