Who Wants to be Mindful? Personality Predictors of Meditation Practice

People higher in openness and agreeableness are more likely to have tried meditation, while those higher in openness, agreeableness, and curiosity hold more positive expectations about it. Neuroticism predicts greater perceived barriers to meditation. Personality traits do not strongly predict whether someone chooses to join a study advertised as being about meditation versus one described more generally. These findings help explain which personality characteristics draw individuals to meditation and may guide the design of tailored meditation programs.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Meditation has received increasing interest from scientists and the public for potential benefits to mental health and well-being. We examined personality predictors and expectancies of meditation to understand who engages with meditation. We also investigated whether personality traits predict interest in information relating to meditation and well-being activities, and self-selection into meditation research. Method Across two studies ( n = 377 and n = 667), participants completed a range of personality and meditation-related questionnaires. To examine selection effects, two versions of the study advertisement were used: The first described the study as focused on meditation whereas the second omitted this wording. Data were analysed using Pearson’s correlations, logistic and linear regression models. Results We found that increased openness and agreeableness were associated with increased likelihood of having tried meditation. Whereas openness, agreeableness, and curiosity predicted positive expectancies of meditation, neuroticism predicted higher perceived barriers. Finally, we found little evidence that personality predicts self-selection into studies advertised as focussing on meditation. Conclusions Overall, these findings shed new light on personality traits that predict engagement in meditation practice and may help explain why different people seek out meditation. This knowledge may inform the development of tailored (and thereby more effective) meditation programs. Preregistration Both studies were preregistered on the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/y32tk (Study 1), and https://osf.io/2qk64 (Study 2).