The Effects of Mindfulness on Shame: Exploring Mediation by Cognitive Flexibility and Self-Compassion in a Chinese Adult Population.
Xiaoshuo Zhang, Jinghong Wang, Yuzheng Wang, Jinyan Wang, Fei Luo
PsyCh Journal December 10, 2024 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.817 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study plus longitudinal follow-up study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 481 |
| Population | Chinese adults in Beijing and Chengdu (481 in Study 1; 128 followed up in Study 2) |
| Duration | 8-month follow-up (Study 2) |
| Measures | Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire, Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, Self-Compassion Scale, Self-Conscious Affect-3 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Cross-sectional studies Shame Empathy Self concept Cognition Middle aged China Female Young adult Surveys and questionnaires East asian people Cognitive flexibility Self‐compassion |
| Key findings | Mindfulness was negatively associated with shame cross-sectionally and predicted lower shame 8 months later, while shame did not predict later mindfulness. Cognitive flexibility and self-compassion fully mediated the cross-sectional mindfulness-shame link, suggesting both may explain how mindfulness relates to reduced shame. |
Abstract
To examine the effects of mindfulness on shame and the mechanisms mediated by cognitive flexibility and self-compassion in a Chinese adult population in daily life, we conducted two studies. Study 1 was a cross-sectional study using the Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Self-Conscious Affect-3, which were administered to 481 adults in Beijing and Chengdu. For Study 2, an 8-month follow-up study was conducted on 128 of the adults. The results of Study 1 showed that (1) the awareness of action and nonjudgment dimensions, and the total score of mindfulness were significantly correlated with shame; (2) cognitive flexibility and self-compassion could fully mediate the prediction of mindfulness on shame. The Study 2 showed that (1) mindfulness and shame were significantly negatively correlated in both phases of measurement; (2) controlling for T1 shame, T1 mindfulness was able to negatively predict T2 shame; controlling for T1 mindfulness, T1 shame was not able to predict T2 mindfulness. There is a longitudinal association between mindfulness and shame, and only mindfulness scores are predictive of the shame and not vice-versa; both cognitive flexibility and self-compassion can provide explanations for the prediction of shame by mindfulness. Enhancing levels of mindfulness can help alleviate individuals' shame levels.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 18
- 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
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Can Inner Peace be Improved by Mindfulness Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial Stress and Health November 22, 2013
- Mindfulness to improve the mental health of university students. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Public Health 2023
and 13 more in the library