Mind-Wandering and Mindfulness as Mediators of the Relation Between Online Vigilance and Well-Being
Niklas Johannes, Harm Veling, Jonas Dora, Adrian Meier, Leonard Reinecke, Moniek Buijzen
PsyArXiv October 15, 2018 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/2erwy (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational survey with path model Preregistered |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 371 |
| Population | Survey respondents (general adult sample, details not specified) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Online vigilance was associated with more mind-wandering and less mindfulness. Only reduced mindfulness mediated the relationship between online vigilance and lower well-being: those preoccupied with online communication reported lower life satisfaction and affective well-being when they also experienced reduced mindfulness. |
Abstract
As mobile technology allows users to be online anywhere and at all times, a growing number of users report feeling constantly alert and preoccupied with online streams of online information and communication—a phenomenon that has recently been termed online vigilance. Despite its growing prevalence, the consequences of this constant orientation towards online streams of information and communication for users’ well-being are largely unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether being constantly vigilant is related to cognitive consequences in the form of increased mind-wandering and decreased mindfulness, and examined the resulting implications for well-being. To test our assumptions, we estimated a path model based on survey data (N = 371). The model supported the majority of our preregistered hypotheses: Online vigilance was indeed related to mind-wandering and mindfulness, but only mindfulness mediated the relation with decreased well-being. Thus, those mentally preoccupied with online communication were overall less satisfied with their lives and reported less affective well-being when they also experienced reduced mindfulness.