Does mindfulness improve one’s affective state? Temporal associations between trait mindfulness and positive and negative affect
Current Psychology August 24, 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04999-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal observational study Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 319 |
| Population | Community adults |
| Duration | 3 months, with measurements at three time points separated by three months each |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Measure (FFMQ), positive affect, negative affect |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key findings | Trait mindfulness, assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Measure, predicted a decrease in negative affect over three months but did not predict an increase in positive affect. Negative affect also predicted decreases in overall mindfulness, suggesting a reciprocal relationship, and all five mindfulness facets predicted reductions in negative affect, while negative affect predicted reductions in three facets: non-reacting, acting with awareness, and describing. |
Abstract
Abstract Although cross-sectional and daily diary studies have noted associations among trait mindfulness and positive and negative affect, lacking are studies that longitudinally examine these relationships over a period of months. We tested whether trait mindfulness (assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Measure) predicted an increase in positive affect and a decrease in negative affect across 3 months. A sample of 319 community adults completed self-report measures of mindfulness, positive affect, and negative affect at three times of measurement separated by three months each. As hypothesised, overall mindfulness, tested with a random intercepts cross-lag path model, predicted over three months a decrease in negative affect, but, contrary to predictions, did not predict an increase in positive affect. In the reverse direction, within-subject negative affect predicted decreases of overall within-subject mindfulness, which suggests that this relationship may be reciprocal over time. When examined at the facet level of mindfulness, all five within-subject facets of the FFMQ predicted reductions in within-subject negative affect over time. In return, within-subject negative affect predicted reductions in three within-subject mindfulness facets: non-reacting, acting with awareness, and describing. On balance, the results of this study suggest that trait mindfulness, as assessed with the FFMQ, was much more successful in predicting diminished negative affect than in predicting a boost in positive affect. Further, the presence of negative affect seems to exert an inhibiting influence over time on the implementation of several mindfulness facets.
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
- Smartphone Mindfulness Intervention Reduces Anxiety Symptoms and Perceived Stress in Autistic Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial Mindfulness April 8, 2025
- Bidirectional relationships between mindfulness and symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum. Journal of reproductive and infant psychology May 7, 2025
Cites 7
- 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
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
- Meta-analytic evidence for effects of mindfulness training on dimensions of self-reported dispositional mindfulness. Psychological Assessment 2016
- Mindfulness training promotes upward spirals of positive affect and cognition: multilevel and autoregressive latent trajectory modeling analyses. Frontiers in Psychology 2015
and 2 more in the library