Impact of a Momentary Mindfulness Intervention on Rumination, Negative Affect, and their Dynamics in Daily Life.
Teresa Bolzenkötter, Andreas B. Neubauer, Peter Koval
Affective Science June 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-024-00291-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Micro-randomized trial Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 91 |
| Population | Adults using a smartphone app |
| Intervention | brief mindfulness intervention |
| Duration | 10-day intervention with eight prompts per day |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Ambulatory assessment Micro-randomized trial Negative affect Mindfulness mindfulness Short mindfulness interventions Mindfulness exercise Rumination rumination Negative thought patterns |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | Brief mindfulness interventions reduced momentary rumination and negative affect but did not alter their dynamical relationship. |
Abstract
Rumination and negative affect are mutually reinforcing experiences. Their dynamic relation can confer vulnerability to psychopathology. Cultivating mindfulness has been proposed to buffer against such downward spirals of negativity. However, it remains unclear whether practicing mindfulness in daily life causally impacts rumination, negative affect, and their dynamics. We investigated this using a micro-randomized intensive longitudinal trial. Participants (N = 91) were prompted eight times per day for 10 days using a smartphone app. At each prompt, participants were randomized to complete a brief mindfulness intervention or an active-control task and then reported levels of rumination and negative affect. Results of dynamic structural equation models showed that the mindfulness intervention led to lower levels of rumination and negative affect but that it had no reliable impact on their dynamics. Thus, cultivating mindfulness in daily life may be a promising approach for decreasing rumination and negative affect but not their dynamical relation. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-024-00291-9.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Mindfulness buffers the effect of negative affect on rumination: A daily diary study during a mindfulness‐based intervention Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being September 30, 2026
- Perceived self-control mediates momentary mindfulness and affective states in daily life: a dynamic structural equation modeling approach Motivation and Emotion September 9, 2026
- Self-Control Mediates Momentary Mindfulness and Affective States in Daily Life: A Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling Approach Research Square June 9, 2026
- The association between mindfulness and social anxiety in university students: the chain mediation role of rumination and self-compassion. Frontiers in Psychology April 23, 2026
- Mindfulness-based intervention for patients with generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2026
Cites 5
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression. Industrial Psychiatry Journal October 29, 2024
- Upward spirals of positive emotions counter downward spirals of negativity: insights from the broaden-and-build theory and affective neuroscience on the treatment of emotion dysfunctions and deficits in psychopathology. Clinical Psychology Review November 1, 2010