Don't just do something, sit there! Decisiveness as a product of mindfulness and acceptance traits
Christopher Jon Anderson, Steven Jay Lynn
PsyArXiv October 23, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/ktcbm_v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (two studies) |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 64 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Regret sensitivity was the strongest and most consistent predictor of decisiveness across two studies (β = -.31 in Study 1, n = 64; β = -.50 in Study 2, n = 49). Mindfulness and acceptance also predicted decisiveness, though acceptance's association attenuated in Study 2. The authors suggest that unwillingness to accept the irreversibility of past choices may undermine confident commitment to future ones. |
Abstract
Decisiveness, the capacity to commit to difficult choices, has traditionally been studied through cognitive and motivational frameworks, leaving the role of one's relationship to inner experience open. Two studies examine dispositional mindfulness, acceptance, and regret sensitivity as predictors of decisiveness. In Study 1 (n = 64), all three significantly predicted decisiveness. In Study 2 (n = 49), regret sensitivity and mindfulness remained significant, though acceptance's association attenuated, coinciding with a stronger acceptance-mindfulness correlation. Across both studies, regret sensitivity was the strongest and most consistent predictor (β = -.31 in Study 1 and -.50 in Study 2), suggesting that an unwillingness to accept the irreversibility of past choices may undermine confident commitment to future ones. Mindfulness and acceptance predicted decisiveness independently of their association with regret. These findings extend decision avoidance research beyond cognitive and affective accounts, positioning decisiveness as an expression of practical wisdom within a broader psychology of character.
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 |