The mismeasurement of mindfulness: Evidence from network analysis of a jangle fallacy in popular mindfulness scales
Polina Beloborodova, Kirk Warren Brown
PsyArXiv September 29, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/b9yjz (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study using psychometric network analysis |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 588 |
| Population | National adult sample (with additional independent samples totaling 680 used for measure selection) |
| Measures | Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | All Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire subscales and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale showed stronger connections with established constructs (body awareness, emotion expression, attention regulation, emotion regulation) than with each other. The authors argue this indicates a "jangle fallacy," in which popular mindfulness instruments measure established concepts rather than a distinct mindfulness construct. |
Abstract
Many scientific papers on mindfulness and its psychological implications are published annually, yet doubts persist regarding the validity of self-report mindfulness measures, as some researchers argue that they capture established concepts instead of mindfulness itself. We explored this possibility empirically by examining the relation between two commonly used measures: the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and such constructs as body awareness, emotion expression, attention regulation, and emotion regulation. After selecting measures with high factor loadings from a pool of candidates using independent samples for each FFMQ facet (total N = 680), we applied them to a national adult sample (N = 588). Results of psychometric network analysis revealed stronger connections of all FFMQ subscales with better-established constructs rather than with each other. A similar pattern emerged for the MAAS. Findings suggest a jangle fallacy in these popular mindfulness instruments, measuring established concepts instead of a distinct mindfulness construct.
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 6
- Connectome-Based Predictive Modeling of Trait Mindfulness. Human Brain Mapping 2025
- Limited Validity of Breath-Counting as a Measure of Mindfulness in Ruminative Adolescents. Psychophysiology May 1, 2025
- A multivariate twin study of the genetic association between present moment attention and subjective wellbeing Scientific Reports October 14, 2023
- Dynamic functional connectivity signatures of focused attention on the breath in adolescents. Cerebral Cortex February 5, 2025
- Connectome predictive modeling of trait mindfulness bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) July 14, 2024
and 1 more in the library