Mindfully motivated: Can a brief session of mindfulness meditation enhance motivation towards personal goals?
Aidan Smyth, Marina Milyavskaya
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 200 |
| Population | Adults participating in laboratory experiments on meditation and motivation |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | Study 1: follow-up 10 minutes after manipulation; Study 2: follow-up 20 minutes after manipulation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Across two experiments, mindfulness meditation produced greater self-reported motivation toward personal goals than a podcast comparison condition, with the difference persisting 10 to 20 minutes later; goal motivation also increased from before to after meditating. No condition differences appeared for anagram task motivation, which remained unchanged. The authors argue these results oppose the idea that meditation impairs motivation and suggest it may benefit personal goal pursuit. |
Abstract
Recent research suggests that mindfulness meditation may impair motivation towards traditional laboratory tasks. The present research explored the effects of meditation on motivation towards personal goals and an anagram task. In Study 1 (n = 200), participants in the mindfulness condition reported greater goal motivation than those in a comparison podcast condition (due to a decrease in the podcast condition); this difference remained 10 minutes later. Exploratory analyses revealed no differences between conditions in post-manipulation anagram motivation. In Study 2 (n = 120), participants in the mindfulness condition reported greater goal motivation than those in the podcast condition; this difference remained 20 minutes later. There were no differences between conditions in anagram motivation. Furthermore, goal motivation increased from before to after meditating, whereas anagram motivation remained the same. These findings oppose the notion that meditation impairs motivation and instead suggest that meditation may offer motivational benefits for personal goal pursuit.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 11
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
- Contemplating Mindfulness at Work Journal of Management November 19, 2015
- Mindfulness-Based Programs in the Workplace: a Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials March 2, 2020
and 6 more in the library