Clarifying the Associations between Mindfulness Meditation and Emotion: Daily High- and Low-arousal Emotions and Emotional Variability.
Dusti R Jones, Jennifer E Graham-Engeland, Joshua M. Smyth, Barbara J. Lehman
Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being November 2018 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12135 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 115 |
| Population | College students (64% female, 72% White, mean age 19.03) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | Daily practice for one week |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Daily diary Emotion variability Emotional arousal Mindfulness meditation Negative emotion Positive emotion |
| Key findings | More time spent meditating, but not random assignment to the mindfulness condition, predicted increased lower-arousal emotions, including significantly greater feelings of quiet and calm and marginally greater relaxation and sleepiness, with a significant valence-by-arousal interaction. Mindfulness meditation was not associated with emotional variability. The authors suggest positive emotion should be separated by arousal when examining mindfulness effects. |
Abstract
Research examining the effects of mindfulness meditation (MM) on emotion seldom considers differences by arousal level or emotion variability. In the present study, 115 participants (64% Female, 72% White, Mage = 19.03) were randomly assigned to a brief MM intervention condition (n = 60) or a wait-list control condition (n = 51). Participants in the MM condition were trained in MM and instructed to practice MM daily for one week. All participants provided daily diary reports of both higher- and lower-arousal positive (PE) and negative (NE) emotions. Emotions were weighted by valence and arousal. Multilevel modeling was used to examine valence, arousal, and their interaction; multivariate regression was used to examine emotional variability. More time spent meditating (but not the MM condition itself) was associated with increased lower arousal emotions, and exhibited a significant effect on the interaction between valence and arousal. Examination of individual emotion items suggested that more time meditating significantly predicted increased feelings of quiet and calm and marginally increased relaxation and sleepiness among participants, but did not predict any other emotions assessed in daily life. MM was not associated with emotional variability. These results may suggest that PE should be separated by arousal when examining the effects of MM interventions.
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
Cited by 7
- Assessing the effects of an 8-week mindfulness training program on neural oscillations and self-reports during meditation practice bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) February 13, 2024
- How Meditation Promotes Well‐Being: Applying a Dual‐System Theory Social and Personality Psychology Compass February 1, 2025
- Temporal Changes in Mindfulness Skills and Positive and Negative Affect and Their Interrelationships During Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Cancer Patients Mindfulness July 1, 2022
- Characterizing Nature Videos for an Attention Placebo Control for MBSR: The Development of Nature-Based Stress Reduction (NBSR). Mindfulness June 2022
- Comparing the Psychological Effects of Meditation- and Breathing-Focused Yoga Practice in Undergraduate Students Frontiers in Psychology November 12, 2020
and 2 more in the library
Cites 17
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
- Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion October 1, 2008
and 12 more in the library