Keep calm, pay attention, and carry on: Anxiety and consciousness mediate the effect of, mindfulness on driving performance in young drivers
Pedro Valero‐Mora, Ana Martí-Belda-Bertolín, Mar Sánchez‐García
Transportation Research Part F Traffic Psychology and Behaviour October 12, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2021.09.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 98 |
| Population | Drivers between the ages of 19 and 29 |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Citations | 20 |
| Key findings | The authors propose that the relationship between mindfulness and driving performance is indirect, with personality traits such as conscientiousness and neuroticism potentially mediating it. They tested this mediation model in 98 drivers aged 19 to 29 using questionnaires and a driving simulator, but the abstract reports no results on whether mediation was supported. |
Abstract
Road traffic crashes are currently one of the main causes of deaths in the world and many efforts have been made to develop effective interventions to reduce them. Mindfulness has risen as a method for improving mental and physical well-being and has been hypothesized as potentially beneficial for driving performance. This has led to some commercial ventures based on such hypothesis, despite that the empirical evidence backing up them is still limited. Besides, at the moment there is not yet a clear account of the specific mechanism underlying this proposals. So, it seems plausible that the relationship between mindfulness and driving performance is indirect, and that personality traits such as conscientiousness and neuroticism may play a mediation role between mindfulness and driving performance. A sample of 98 drivers between the ages of 19 and 29 completed questionnaires assessing mindfulness, anxiety trait and anxiety state, and the big five personality traits. Driving performance was assessed in a driving simulator. A mediation model was fitted with conscientiousness and neuroticism set as mediators of the effects of the relationship between the subject’s mindfulness levels and the driving performance.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise Regular practitioners of physical exercise or meditation | 1978 | Retrospective study | n = 77 |
| Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems Healthy humans | 2020 | Observational study | |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Intervenciones psicológicas basadas en mindfulness y sus beneficios: estado actual de la cuestión Clínica y Salud October 10, 2016
- Can Mindfulness Be Too Much of a Good Thing? The Value of a Middle Way Current Opinion in Psychology January 7, 2019