Personality Predicts Utilization of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction During and Post-Intervention in a Community Sample of Older Adults.
Tessa Barkan, Michael Hoerger, Autumn M Gallegos, Nicholas A Turiano, Paul R. Duberstein, Jan A Moynihan
The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 2016 DOI: 10.1089/acm.2015.0177 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Community sample of older adults |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 6-month follow-up |
| Measures | NEO Five-Factor Inventory, weekly practice logs, 6-month follow-up survey |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Openness and agreeableness predicted greater use of MBSR techniques during an 8-week program and at 6-month follow-up, controlling for age, education, and sex. Openness related to use of a variety of techniques; agreeableness related to meditation use during the intervention. Mediation analysis suggested personality affected post-intervention use directly and through initial uptake. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a promising intervention for older adults seeking to improve quality of life. More research is needed, however, to determine who is most willing to use the four techniques taught in the program (yoga, sitting meditation, informal meditation, and body scanning). This study evaluated the relationship between the Big Five personality dimensions (neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) and use of MBSR techniques both during the intervention and at a 6-month follow-up. The hypothesis was that those with higher levels of openness and agreeableness would be more likely to use the techniques. Participants were a community sample of 100 older adults who received an 8-week manualized MBSR intervention. Personality was assessed at baseline by using the 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Use of MBSR techniques was assessed through weekly practice logs during the intervention and a 6-month follow-up survey. Regression analyses were used to examine the association between each personality dimension and each indicator of MBSR use both during and after the intervention. As hypothesized, openness and agreeableness predicted greater use of MBSR both during and after the intervention, while controlling for demographic differences in age, educational level, and sex. Openness was related to use of a variety of MBSR techniques during and after the intervention, while agreeableness was related to use of meditation techniques during the intervention. Mediation analysis suggested that personality explained postintervention MBSR use, both directly and by fostering initial uptake of MBSR during treatment. Personality dimensions accounted for individual differences in the use of MBSR techniques during and 6 months after the intervention. Future studies should consider how mental health practitioners would use these findings to target and tailor MBSR interventions to appeal to broader segments of the population.
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
Cited by 21
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Predicting Individual Preferences in Mindfulness Techniques Using Personality Traits Frontiers in Psychology June 18, 2020
- Who Wants to be Mindful? Personality Predictors of Meditation Practice Mindfulness February 1, 2025
- The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Thriving Programs on High School Students’ Perceived Stress, Mindfulness, Thriving and Self-Efficacy Levels Acta Educationis Generalis February 1, 2022
- The therapeutic role of self-transcendence in moral injury recovery: theory, mechanisms, and clinical implications Frontiers in Psychiatry June 10, 2026
and 16 more in the library
Cites 7
- Association of an Educational Program in Mindful Communication With Burnout, Empathy, and Attitudes Among Primary Care Physicians JAMA September 22, 2009
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Older Adults: Effects on Executive Function, Frontal Alpha Asymmetry and Immune Function Neuropsychobiology 2013
- Ecological momentary assessment versus standard assessment instruments for measuring mindfulness, depressed mood, and anxiety among older adults. Journal of Psychiatric Research April 2016
- One-on-one Mindfulness Meditation Trainings in a Research Setting. Mindfulness February 1, 2014
- On the Relationship Between the Practice of Mindfulness Meditation and Personality-an Exploratory Analysis of the Mediating Role of Mindfulness Skills. Mindfulness June 18, 2011
and 2 more in the library