Mindfulness and sustainability: correlation or causation?
Sonja M Geiger, Paul Grossman, Ulf Schrader
Current Opinion in Psychology October 5, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.09.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Health status Socioeconomic factors |
| Key findings | Argues that robust evidence that mindfulness-based interventions promote sustainable lifestyles remains rare. Most available data are cross-sectional, showing a small positive relationship between some facets of dispositional mindfulness and diverse consumption behaviors, while a prospective study's null effects blunt claims of direct effects on consumption. The authors contend that indirect effects, including greater subjective well-being and lower materialistic values, justify further research. |
Abstract
Mindfulness-based approaches have been suggested as a potential remedy for an increasingly unsustainable consumption level in early industrialized countries. This article reviews twelve current empiric papers (2005ø2013) on five different potential pathways in which mindfulness is thought to unfold its effects on sustainable behaviors. Unfortunately, robust empiric evidence on the instrumentality of mindfulness-based interventions to promote sustainable lifestyles is still rare. Most of the available data originates from cross-sectional studies evidencing a small, positive relationship between some facets of dispositional mindfulness and diverse consumption behaviors. Null-effects of one prospective study blunt claims on the effectiveness of mindfulness practice to directly change consumption patterns though. Nevertheless, indirect effects including promotion of subjective well-being and decline of materialistic values are encouraging enough to justify future research on the topic. Specific recommendations for such future research are given.