Linking observing and nonreactivity mindfulness to parenting: Moderated direct and indirect effects via inhibitory control.
Na Zhang, Jingchen Zhang, Abigail H. Gewirtz, Kirby Deater-Deckard
Journal of family psychology : JFP : journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43) September 11, 2023 DOI: 10.1037/fam0001152 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 607 |
| Population | 294 fathers (95.9% deployed) and 313 mothers (81.5% nondeployed) from 336 military families with a child aged 4-13 years at baseline |
| Duration | Baseline, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, computerized Go/No-Go task, theory-driven empirically validated coding system for observed parenting behaviors |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Parent-child relations Parenting Parents Adolescent Child, preschool Female Military deployment |
| Key findings | For fathers, the association between Observing and effective parenting two years later was negative at low Nonreactivity but positive at high Nonreactivity. Fathers' Observing predicted decreased inhibitory control one year later when Nonreactivity was low, whereas mothers' Observing predicted increased inhibitory control when Nonreactivity was high. Inhibitory control did not mediate the Observing-parenting relationship. |
Abstract
To disentangle the effects of key dimensions of dispositional mindfulness on parenting, the present study tests the hypotheses that parental Nonreactivity moderates the association between Observing and effective parenting behaviors, and that parental inhibitory control mediates the relationship between Observing and parenting depending on levels of Nonreactivity. The sample consists of 294 fathers (95.9% deployed) and 313 mothers (81.5% nondeployed) from 336 military families with a child aged between 4 and 13 years at baseline. Parents reported Observing and Nonreactivity at baseline using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and completed a computerized Go/No-Go task for assessing inhibitory control at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Families completed a series of in-home interaction tasks at baseline and 2-year follow-up, and effective parenting behaviors were observed and coded using a theory-driven, empirically validated coding system. Results showed that when fathers reported low Nonreactivity, the association between Observing and effective parenting behaviors 2 years later was negative, but this association became positive when fathers reported high Nonreactivity. Fathers' Observing was associated with decreased inhibitory control 1 year later when they reported low (vs. high) Nonreactivity, whereas mothers' Observing was associated with increased inhibitory control 1 year later when they reported high (vs. low) Nonreactivity. The hypothesized effect of inhibitory control as a mediator was not found. Understanding specificity in the effects of dispositional mindfulness dimensions on parenting behaviors will drive effective and efficient designs of mindful parenting interventions. Future research should use dismantling experimental designs to test the synergistic effects of Observing and Nonreactivity in parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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
Cites 10
- 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
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- A Model of Mindful Parenting: Implications for Parent–Child Relationships and Prevention Research Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review May 2, 2009
- Meta-analytic evidence for effects of mindfulness training on dimensions of self-reported dispositional mindfulness. Psychological Assessment 2016
and 5 more in the library