The Power of Mindfulness: Examining Power Imbalances, Mindfulness, and Couples' Relational and Sexual Well-Being.
Chelom E Leavitt, Amber A Price, Daniel Smedley, J B Eyring, Jeremy B Yorgason, Erin K Holmes
Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy August 11, 2023 DOI: 10.1080/0092623x.2023.2243929 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using actor-partner interdependence modeling Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,519 |
| Population | Mixed-sex newlywed couples in a nationally representative sample (Wave III) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Sexual behavior Emotions Men Sexual partners Female |
| Key findings | Trait mindfulness and sexually mindful awareness buffered the negative association between one's own perceived power imbalance and relational well-being for both men and women. Sexually mindful non-judgment, by contrast, accentuated the negative association between perceived power imbalance and sexual well-being for men. |
Abstract
Perceptions of power imbalance are common in relationships. We used the relational model of mindfulness to examine links between marital perceptions of power, relational and sexual well-being and to evaluate whether trait mindfulness and sexual mindfulness moderate these associations. Using a nationally representative sample (N = 1,519 couples at Wave III) of mixed-sex newlywed couples, an actor-partner-interdependence model indicated that trait mindfulness and state sexually mindful awareness buffered the link between men's and women's own perceived power imbalance and relational well-being. Sexually mindful non-judgment, however, accentuated the negative association between perceived power imbalance and sexual well-being for men. We discuss the need for therapists to consider the need to encourage mindful awareness to attenuate perceptions of power imbalances and to evaluate how sexually mindful non-judgment influences men's feelings of sexual well-being. Therapeutic implications of these findings are also discussed.
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 4
- From Self-Esteem to Selflessness: An Evidence (Gap) Map of Self-Related Processes as Mechanisms of Mindfulness-Based Interventions Frontiers in Psychology November 22, 2021
- Mindful Mates: A Pilot Study of the Relational Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Participants and Their Partners. Family Process September 2017
- Has the science of mindfulness lost its mind? BJPsych Bulletin December 2016
- Self-expansion as a mediator of relationship improvements in a mindfulness intervention. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy October 1, 2007