Intervention-induced changes in state mindfulness do not predict trait changes in mindfulness, self-compassion, or perceived stress.
Kira S A Borgdorf, Gabriela Küchler, Cornelia Wrzus, Corina Aguilar-Raab
Scientific Reports November 21, 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-27697-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 166 |
| Population | Healthy younger and older German adults |
| Intervention | Socioemotional Competence Training |
| Duration | 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Perceived stress Self-compassion Socioemotional intervention State-trait associations |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | State mindfulness increased during a socioemotional training without explicit mindfulness labeling, but these increases did not predict improvements in trait mindfulness, self-compassion, or perceived stress. |
Abstract
Previous research has identified state mindfulness as a key change mechanism in explicitly mindfulness-based interventions to increase trait mindfulness and reduce stress. This study extends previous work by examining trajectories of state mindfulness and their associations with trait indicators of mindfulness, self-compassion, and perceived stress when mindfulness practices are delivered within a Socioemotional Competence Training (SECT) without explicit mindfulness labeling. A sample of 166 healthy younger and older German adults (75.2% female; Mage = 46.26; SDage = 18.70) participated in the 8-week SECT. State mindfulness was assessed weekly, whereas trait mindfulness, self-compassion, and perceived stress were assessed before, during, and after the training. Second-order latent growth models suggest significant pre-post improvements in all state and trait variables (d = |0.38| to |0.62|), but trait changes were not predicted by changes in state mindfulness. These findings indicate that while state mindfulness increases during the Socioemotional Competence Training, these increases alone appear insufficient to drive changes in trait mindfulness and related outcomes. Results suggest that intervention framing could play a crucial role in facilitating explicit connections between state experiences and trait development, contributing to our understanding of mindfulness as a change mechanism in psychological interventions.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Disconnecting to recover: how digital detox tourism shapes attention restoration and psychological well-being through perceived environmental restorativeness and mindfulness Frontiers in Psychology September 3, 2026
- Psychological trajectories following brief mindfulness training: a longitudinal comparison of active and passive controls Frontiers in Psychology August 26, 2026
Cites 42
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
and 37 more in the library