The Intersection of Self-Control Theory, Objective Self-Awareness, and Mindfulness
Richard H. Morley
International Journal of Indian Psychology June 25, 2018 DOI: 10.25215/0602.076 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (pre-post survey) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 118 |
| Population | Undergraduate students taking a statistics test |
| Duration | Surveys administered immediately before and after a statistics test |
| Measures | Grasmick et al. (1993) Self-Control Scale, Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Positive Negative Affect Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | After a statistics test, undergraduates showed significantly increased negative affect, decreased self-esteem, and reduced self-control, and these changes correlated with exam satisfaction. Self-reported impulsivity, self-centeredness, and preference for physical over mental tasks increased. With mindfulness as a covariate, none of the changes remained significant, suggesting mindfulness may buffer stress-related shifts in self-control. |
Abstract
This study investigates how changes in self-awareness impact criminological self-control and the degree to which mindfulness buffers against these changes. To accomplish this task, 118 undergraduate participants were recruited and surveyed prior to and after a statistics test. Surveys included the Grasmick et al. (1993) Self-Control Scale which measures criminal impulsivity. Additional scales included the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Positive Negative Affect Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. These results showed a significant increase in negative affect, a significant decrease in self-esteem, and a significant reduction in self-control after the posttest. These changes were significantly correlated with exam satisfaction. Also, the participants demonstrated self-reported increases in several items on the Self-Control scale including impulsivity, self-centeredness, and a preference for physical compared to mental tasks. When mindfulness was included as a covariate, none of the changes were significant. Results and limitations are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cites 12
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience December 3, 2007
- Increased default mode network connectivity associated with meditation Neuroscience Letters October 28, 2010
- The salience network causally influences default mode network activity during moral reasoning Brain April 9, 2013
and 7 more in the library