Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs.
Michael D. Mrazek, Jonathan Smallwood, Jonathan W. Schooler
Emotion February 6, 2012 DOI: 10.1037/a0026678 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindful breathing |
| Duration | 8 minutes of mindful breathing |
| Measures | Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), Sustained Attention to Response Task |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mind-wandering Cognitive psychology Convergence economics Psychotherapist Cognition |
| Citations | 604 |
| Post-publication review | 1 comment on PubPeer (opens in new tab) · last active September 2016 |
| Key findings | Dispositional mindfulness negatively correlates with mind-wandering, and a brief mindful breathing intervention reduces behavioral indicators of mind-wandering. |
Abstract
Research into both mindfulness and mind-wandering has grown rapidly, yet clarification of the relationship between these two seemingly opposing constructs is still absent. A first study addresses the relationship between a dispositional measure of mindfulness (Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale, MAAS) and converging measures of both self-reported and indirect markers of mind-wandering. Negative correlations between dispositional mindfulness and 4 measures of mind-wandering confirm the opposing relationship between the 2 constructs and further validate the use of the MAAS as a dispositional measure of mindfulness. A second study demonstrated that 8 minutes of mindful breathing reduces behavioral indicators of mind-wandering during a Sustained Attention to Response Task compared with both passive relaxation and reading. Together these studies clarify the opposition between the constructs of mindfulness and mind-wandering and so should lead to greater convergence between what have been predominately separate, yet mutually relevant, lines of research.