The predictive values of state and trait mindfulness on emotion understanding in primary school children
Frontiers in Psychology July 10, 2026 Katharina Voltmer, Annette M. Klein
Breath-based state mindfulness, but not self-reported trait mindfulness, was positively associated with emotion understanding in German primary school children over an eight-month school year. The multilevel model, controlling for gender, working memory updating, and concentration performance, showed a significant effect of state mindfulness on emotion understanding alongside time and working memory updating. The authors suggest that brief mindfulness practices may support social-emotional competences even without explicit social-emotional learning components, highlighting their potential relevance in school contexts.