Mapping a Culture of Mindfulness: Lay Conceptions of Mindfulness and Why They Matter
Patton Burchett, Adrian J. Bravo, Mark Mclaughlin, Kevin Vose, Matthew Haug, Cheryl L. Dickter
Mindfulness May 11, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-026-02853-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Mixed-methods study Preregistered Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | US adults: 50 inexperienced college students and 50 experienced community members |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Contemplation Context archaeology Qualitative research Qualitative analysis Stress linguistics Spirituality Content analysis Psychotherapist |
| Key points | Lay people's definitions of mindfulness differ by prior contemplative experience, with experienced participants more often emphasizing attention/observing and MBSR tenets, and inexperienced participants more often emphasizing calming/grounding and awareness. |
Abstract
Abstract Objectives Prior scholarly literature has investigated definitions of mindfulness, yet limited research has examined how contemporary mindfulness is culturally constructed among lay individuals (i.e., non-academic researchers). The present mixed-methods study sought to provide an initial mapping of the context of ideas and cultural orientations that inform lay people’s understanding of mindfulness. Further, we assessed how one’s level of contemplative experience informs qualitative definitions of mindfulness among US participants. Participants were also asked quantitative questions about their views of mindfulness and their understanding of the relationship between “mindfulness” and “meditation”.
Methods: Our analytic sample ( n = 100; 61.6% female) consisted of 50 inexperienced college student participants (ISPs) as well as 50 experienced community members (ECMs).
Results: Using qualitative content analysis, six categories were identified: (1) “Religious, Spiritual, and Philosophical,” (2) “Attention/Observing,” (3) “Calming and Grounding,” (4) “Tenets of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction,” (5) “Virtue Cultivation” and (6) “Awareness”. Based on chi-square tests, ECMs endorsed Categories 2 and 4 more frequently than ISPs, while ISPs endorsed Categories 3 and 6 more than ECMs. ECMs more often endorsed mindfulness as intended for “seeing that there is no substantive self” (vs. “cultivating an authentic self”) and that “mindfulness is a specific type of meditation” compared to ISPs. ISPs were more likely to endorse that “mindfulness is different from meditation” compared to ECMs.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that lay people’s preconceived ideas about what mindfulness is, and what it entails, vary based on prior contemplative experience. Further, these findings help illustrate that conceptions of mindfulness in the USA may be influenced by distinctive cultural framings. Preregistration This study was not preregistered.