Mindfulness meditation does not make people more present-biased
Josep Gisbert, Daniel Navarro‐Martinez, Andrés Martín-Asuero, Jordi Quoidbach
Scientific Reports October 15, 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-64198-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Series of three laboratory experiments and one longitudinal field study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Guided mindfulness exercises eight-week mindfulness course |
| Duration | Brief guided exercises in laboratory studies; eight-week mindfulness course in field study |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation did not increase present bias or meaningfully alter intertemporal choices across three laboratory studies and one eight-week field study. Participants showed no shift toward preferring smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed rewards after mindfulness training. |
Abstract
One essential aspect of mindfulness practice is to help people focus on the present moment. Although this present-focused attention has been linked to several positive outcomes, it also raises the possibility that mindfulness could increase present bias, with potentially negative consequences for decision-making. Across three laboratory studies and one longitudinal field study, we examined whether mindfulness meditation affects intertemporal choice. In the laboratory studies, participants completed brief guided mindfulness exercises before making economic decisions involving trade-offs between smaller immediate rewards and larger delayed rewards. In our field study, participants completed an eight-week mindfulness course offered by an established mindfulness institute, and they made intertemporal choices before and after their training. Across all four studies, mindfulness did not increase present bias or meaningfully alter intertemporal decisions.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |