Understanding Of Mindfulness Research Articles

How does dispositional mindfulness foster prosocial behavior? A cross-cultural study of empathy’s mediating role and cultural moderation

BackgroundDespite growing recognition of dispositional mindfulness (DM) in psychological research, its cross-cultural mechanisms in promoting prosocial behavior remain unclear, particularly regarding the mediating role of different empathy dimensions.PurposeThis study investigated how DM influences prosocial behavior across cultural contexts, examining both the mediating effects of different empathy dimensions and the moderating role of cultural background in Chinese and Indonesian samples.MethodsParticipants included 683 university students (357 Chinese, 326 Indonesian) who completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and Self-Report Altruism Scale Distinguished by the Recipient (SRAS-DR). Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using PROCESS macro.ResultsChinese participants demonstrated higher DM levels than Indonesian participants. In the Chinese sample, both perspective taking (PT) and empathic concern (EC) mediated DM’s effects on prosocial behavior toward family (PBF), friends (PBFr), and strangers (PBS). However, in the Indonesian sample, PT and EC only mediated effects on PBFr. Cultural background significantly moderated DM’s indirect effect on PBS through PT, with stronger effects in the Chinese sample. Fantasy and personal distress showed no significant mediating effects in either cultural context.ConclusionThis study reveals that DM enhances prosocial behavior through selective influence on different empathy dimensions, with cultural background moderating specific pathways. These findings extend our understanding of mindfulness’s cross-cultural mechanisms and provide practical implications for culturally-adapted mindfulness interventions.

Validating a Short-Form Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire Among Chinese Early Adolescents

ObjectivesWhile an increasing number of mindfulness-based interventions have shown promising effects in improving child and youth well-being, mindfulness research remains challenged by using valid multifaceted measurements to operationalize the complicated concept of mindfulness across cultural contexts. This study examines the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the short-form Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) in Chinese nonclinical early adolescents.MethodParticipants were 551 Chinese early adolescents (mean age = 10.38 ± 0.80, 41.38% girls). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were conducted to test factor structure and dimensionality of the short-form FFMQ. Measurement invariance was tested by gender and grade. Internal consistency and convergent validity were assessed.ResultsOur results support the validity of a three-factor, 15-item version of the FFMQ (FFMQ-15) that includes Attention (4 items from the original Actaware subscale, 1 item from the Describe subscale), Observe (4 items from the Observe subscale, 1 item from the Nonreact subscale), and Internal Awareness (3 items from the Nonjudge subscale, 2 items from the Describe subscale). Cronbach’s α for the FFMQ-15 total score was 0.82, and McDonald’s ω was 0.86 (subscales: α = 0.66 to 0.79, ω = 0.71 to 0.82). FFMQ-15 showed acceptable measurement invariance across gender and grade. These findings support the internal consistency and validity of FFMQ-15 among Chinese early adolescents.ConclusionsThis study validates a short-version FFMQ among Chinese early adolescents. Our findings warrant further cross-cultural research of adolescents’ understanding of mindfulness facets.PreregistrationThis study is not preregistered.

Impact of mindfulness dimensions on work engagement among white-collar employees during the new normal in Malaysia

This study examines the impact of mindfulness dimensions on work engagement among white-collar employees during the new normal in Malaysia. Employees today feel disengaged from their company in an environment where productivity and performance are critical. Research has indicated that elevated mindfulness levels have positive effects on the workplace and are a strong indicator of employee engagement. Previous studies have not thoroughly examined the impact of various facets of mindfulness on employee work engagement following the pandemic. This study investigated the impact of the four dimensions of mindfulness on employee engagement. This study was based on positivist philosophy and a deductive approach. Data for this quantitative study came from 227 employees in Malaysia's private sector who were employed in white-collar jobs. We gathered the primary data using a survey strategy and a self-administered questionnaire. The study's findings demonstrate a positive and significant relationship between work engagement and the four dimensions of mindfulness. More specifically, work engagement was most impacted by the mindfulness acceptance dimension, followed by the mindfulness awareness dimension. The study provided implications for both employers and employees regarding organizational programs aimed at enhancing mindfulness and work engagement, particularly in light of emerging work trends like remote work culture. This study expanded on the understanding of mindfulness at work for future researchers by looking at how mindfulness affects work engagement for white-collar workers and provided fresh insights, such as the greatest influence of the mindfulness-acceptance dimension.

Conceptualizing Mindfulness Using Construal Level Theory: A Two-Dimensional Model

Construal Level Theory (CLT) is a well-established, comprehensive framework that provides an account of the relationship between construal level and psychological distance, and the effects they have on cognitive processing and a wide range of phenomena. In this article we present a conceptualization of mindfulness based on the theoretical foundations of CLT. In light of mindfulness definitions and current research, it is difficult to determine whether mindfulness entails low psychological distance and concrete, non-conceptual representations of experience, or high psychological distance and abstract representations. We argue that mindfulness uniquely combines both. The two-dimensional model we present posits that mindfulness is characterized by a simultaneous decreased psychological distance from external sensory experiences and increased psychological distance from internal mental experiences. We highlight the uniqueness of this quality of mindfulness, and demonstrate how the formulation presented here not only aligns well with but also integrates research on mindfulness as a state of consciousness as well as a personality disposition. We further argue that this combination underlies the beneficial effects of mindfulness and delineate how it enables individuals to leverage the advantages and mitigate the drawbacks associated with both high and low levels of construal and psychological distance. The proposed two-dimensional model resolves contradictions in the literature, aiming to deepen our understanding of mindfulness, its benefits, and core mechanisms.

Secular, religious or spiritual? A sociological portrait of UK mindfulness teachers

ABSTRACT Mindfulness is commonly defined in the public and professional realms as a secular therapeutic technique, but less attention has been paid to the practitioners at the vanguard of the contemporary UK mindfulness milieu and the extent to which their personal beliefs align with this profile. Drawing on a nationwide survey of 768 teachers of mindfulness, as well as 82 semi-structured interviews and a focus group with selected mindfulness practitioners, this article presents a detailed sociological portrait of UK mindfulness teachers, including their religious and spiritual identities, understandings of mindfulness, and strategies for negotiating these across personal and professional domains. The analysis reveals a far more spiritual cohort than might have been assumed, raising questions about the nature, function and significance of increasingly widespread mindfulness teaching practices in Western societies, and offering insights into the evolution of contemporary relations between ‘the secular’, ‘the religious’ and ‘the spiritual’ within the modern world.

Wu Wei in Mindfulness: A Systematic Perspective.

Resuming the theoretical and historical conceptualization of mindfulness research is of utmost importance if we want to transcend the positivistic and instrumental trend in the present field and to understand better what mindfulness is and how mindfulness works. Based on von Fircks (2023)'s introduction of Daosim's wu wei into Meadian Social Psychology, this commentary continues dialoguing the two different traditions for understanding mindfulness's functioning by exploring the systematic principle underlying wu wei. From the systematic perspective, we can distinguish: 1) two focus of meaning in wu wei: (a) not forcing/interfering and (b) the existence of a spontaneously evolving system; 2) two positions a person can take faced with the spontaneous system: (a) as stepping back and not interfering; (b) as actively connecting and cultivating new relations into systems. Based on the two positions, the dynamic emergence of altered I from mindfulness is also approached in two different ways.

Making Mindfulness Meditation a Healthy Habit

ObjectivesThe benefits of mindfulness meditation can only be achieved if it is practiced, but health behavior research tells us that initiating and maintaining long-term behavior change is difficult. We propose that mindfulness meditation can be usefully viewed as a health behavior and that this perspective generates insights into how individuals can be supported to develop a healthy habit of mindfulness practice.MethodWe synthesize health behavior models with research on mindfulness practice and with mindfulness curricula to develop the Sussex Mindfulness MEDitation (SuMMed) model. This new theoretical model of mindfulness meditation as a health behavior outlines the stages individuals progress through as they develop a sustained habit of meditation and the processes that facilitate transition between these stages. We contextualize these processes within existing curricula and outline how they could be further supported.ResultsOur model generates a roadmap for future research as well as practical suggestions tailored to individuals at different stages of behavior change. In particular, our model highlights the need to support individuals to continue practice beyond formal instruction, and suggests how maintenance of a meditation habit could be facilitated.ConclusionsMindfulness meditation can be viewed as a health behavior, and understanding mindfulness practice through this lens can help bridge the challenges associated with developing and sustaining mindfulness practice.

Next‐generation mindfulness: A mindfulness matrix to extend the transformative potential of mindfulness for consumer, organizational, and societal wellbeing

AbstractThis conceptual analysis contributes to extending the transformative potential of mindfulness for consumers and society by creating a mindfulness matrix that uncovers new linkages across previously siloed mindfulness literatures and by arguing that next‐generation mindfulness research and practice should draw on underexplored synergies between these. The paper makes three key contributions: First, it illustrates how a shift in understanding mainstream mindfulness from a predominate focus on the Self may create new opportunities for individual and collective wellbeing. Second, its mindfulness matrix offers an integrative mapping of relevant literatures to different motivations for engaging in mindfulness, suggesting opportunities for integration between diverse schools of thought. Finally, it argues that to broaden the scope of mindfulness to generate wisdom and transformative capacity in one and all, we need a stronger emphasis on understanding mindfulness as prosocial engagement. This offers new opportunities for research and interventions that promote consumer, organizational, and societal wellbeing.

Mindfulness as Art Education, Self-Inquiry, and Artmaking

This article presents an overview and continuation of a study investigating how artist awareness and critical response might provide a better understanding of mindfulness and its practice within art education. While there are distinct advantages to mindfulness practices in education, these practices might also have problematic aspects, such as helping people conform to oppressive structures in education rather than questioning them. The pandemic of 2020–2021 accentuated student concerns with social, emotional, and mental health and illuminated possible benefits of mindfulness practice. Results show that preservice art education students used mindfulness and data visualization to connect art and self-inquiry. Important findings included the positive impact mindfulness practices had on students’ social–emotional learning and a refined distinction between mindfulness as a therapeutic educational intervention versus mindfulness an art educational experience.

Parent and child experience of skin conditions: relevance for the provision of mindfulness-based interventions.

Managing a skin condition can be difficult, and there is a lack of psychological support for children and their families. To identify issues surrounding caring for a child with a skin condition, investigate experiences of current psychological support to gain a sense of what is needed, and determine the relevance of offering mindfulness-based interventions for children and families. This study employed a mixed inductive and deductive form of qualitative inquiry to understand the experiences and needs of children and families. Twenty-three participants (12 parents/carers: 11 females, 1 male; 11 children: 6 females, 5 males, aged 8-11 years) were recruited with an advert posted on social media. In-depth data were collected from semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed with a descriptive form of thematic analysis. Systematic analysis of the data led to five themes being developed: (i) caregiver burden of childhood skin conditions; (ii) skin condition overshadowing childhood; (iii) battling for recognition and lack of support; (iv) naturalistic use and understanding of mindfulness in everyday coping: and (v) openness and relevance of offering mindfulness-based interventions. Living with a skin condition was reported as being associated with mood disturbance, with impacts on schooling, sleep and daily life. Parents and children expressed a desire for short/accessible interventions that could fit with daily routines and might provide the opportunity to connect with other families. The findings indicate that mindfulness-based interventions may be likely to be accepted, as many participants had experience of using mindful techniques in school, and described that they were naturalistically using 'mindfulness' to manage itch and stress. However, the findings indicate that a number of misconceptions exist about the fundamental nature and aims of mindfulness. Addressing misconceptions related to mindfulness needs to be considered when planning both future studies and service delivery.

MINDFULNESS AS A BOOSTER FOR WORKPLACE WELLBEING: ITS SIGNIFICANCE AND EFFECTS

The demanding and stressful nature of the workplace environment have become detrimental to the physical and mental health of the workers, especially in the present scenario. Work overload,deadlines, sudden and rapid changes in the workplace all have negatively contributed towards the wellbeing of the workers. This has led to an increase in various illnesses, both physically and mentally and has also impacted the organization leading to conflicts, employee turnover, unionism and many more such issues. As such, different efforts are undertaken to improve occupational wellbeing. One such intervention involves being Mindful or completely focused and conscious at work. Mindfulness is the non-judgmental awareness of and attention to present moment experiences. The concept of Mindfulness has drawn considerable interest among organizational scholars and practitioners. It is largely beneficial for workers wellbeing asaccording to several researches, it is seen to be associated with job satisfaction and low burnout. However, this concept is still lacking importance. In the light of todays complex society, an understanding of mindfulness at work has gained utmost importance. The presented paper discusses this concept taking into consideration a number of factors such as implementation of mindfulness and its qualities. The paper also discusses the significance and effects that mindfulness has upon the workers. Apart from this, the implications of mindfulness in the emerging workplace and employee wellbeing are also presented.

The City Mindful: Commentary on “Mindful engagement, psychological restoration, and connection with nature in constrained nature experiences”

This commentary complements Macaulay et al.'s thoughtful and valuable perspective by attending to some additional matters of theoretical, ethical, and practical importance. First, I argue for how consideration of multiple levels of complementarity between processes in mindfulness and nature experience allow more powerful integrations than building on apparent synergies. Second, I outline how an understanding of mindfulness as a practice and training can illuminate relationships between states, traits and values of equal relevance for human health and sustainable transitions. Third, I discuss some caveats and considerations in planning for mindfulness, pointing to insights that researchers and professionals committed to sustainable cities can gain from “McMindfulness” debates and other controversies around meditation before outlining some tentative ideas for how urban environmental design could support mindful living and mindful action.

Understanding Selfhood to Elucidate the Phenomenology of Mindfulness

The health benefits of practising mindfulness are well documented, yet the phenomenological mechanisms of such practice remain under-theorised from both ontogenetic and social perspectives. By leveraging an enactive perspective on selfhood, these lacunae can be addressed: firstly, it is argued that proper understanding of mindfulness – and the health benefits that mindfulness practices seek – relies on recognising the socio-embodied nature of the self; consequently, occasions in which the therapeutic need for mindfulness are most pressing will be shown to be inextricably tied to socio-embodied fluctuations across different stages of life. What emerges is a phenomenological understanding of mindfulness as allowing one to dwell in the sensuous density of the present and, through this, remain connected to the social world of open possibilities.

Identifying barriers and facilitators to implementing mindfulness-based programmes into schools: A mixed methods study.

Mindfulness-based initiatives have been shown to improve psychological wellbeing and increase academic engagement in school settings. The current study explored barriers and facilitators to the implementation of mindfulness-based (MB) programmes in schools. Ninety-five teachers completed an online survey, and six principals were interviewed, with questions for both informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Quantitative data was analysed via descriptive statistics and independent sample t tests. Qualitative interview data were analysed via thematic analysis. Teachers reported facilitators to successful MB programme implementation as self-efficacy and motivation, knowledge about MB programmes, acceptance of responsibility to deliver MB programmes and belief of negative consequences if MB programmes are not delivered. Principals reported organisational-level facilitators as having a school-wide positive education framework relevant to the school context, taking a long-term approach, school leaders supporting the initiatives and understanding the evidence behind MB programmes and empowering staff to engage in mindfulness. Individual-level facilitators included staff buy-in and commitment to practice and understanding mindfulness. Barriers included time, resources/money, staff buy-in and competing strategic priorities within the school. These findings are important for consideration by policymakers determining the way forward for more widespread implementation of MB programmes in Australia.

Beta-Testing of an Online Mindfulness Program Designed for Stroke Survivors and Their Caregivers During a Pandemic

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To determine the usability, user acceptance and satisfaction of an online mindfulness program among stroke survivors and their caregivers. <h3>Design</h3> This study used a qualitative descriptive design. <h3>Setting</h3> At home. <h3>Participants</h3> Seven stroke survivors (70.2 +/-11.0 years, 1 female, 3 left hemisphere stroke) and three caregivers (59.7 +/-21.5 years, 3 females) took part in this study. Stroke survivors had a wide range of impairments and levels of familiarity with technology. <h3>Interventions</h3> The intervention consisted of a 3-week program of daily mindfulness exercises and education, with distinct modules for stroke survivors and for caregivers [1-3]. The mindfulness intervention was offered entirely remotely via the Desire2Learn platform. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> After the intervention, a semi-structured interview was conducted to assess the usability of the mindfulness program and gather participants' feedback. The interviews were audio-recorded and focused on overall experience, website accessibility, satisfaction with program content, adherence and perceived benefits. The transcribed verbatim were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis [4-5]. <h3>Results</h3> Satisfaction with the mindfulness program was high and participants perceived many benefits, such as better understanding of mindfulness and change in mindset. The content of the program was perceived as relevant and easy to understand. However, issues with accessibility of the Desire2Learn platform were reported, such as difficulty to access the content and to navigate the platform. Participants made suggestions on elements to improve the user experience with the Desire2Learn platform and better tailor the exercises to individuals' capacity. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Findings from this project will be used to guide the development of a phase II pragmatic clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of an online intervention that targets quality of life and psychological well-being of stroke survivors. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> The authors have no conflict of interest.

When the ‘mindfulness wars’ enter the classroom: making sense of the critique of school-based mindfulness

ABSTRACT The introduction of mindfulness into schools and its potential effects on health and wellbeing promotion have received substantial attention among scholars. However, the implications and consequences thematised by critics of school-based mindfulness have yet to receive the same analytical scrutiny. One side has praised mindfulness as a useful instrument to improve students’ wellbeing, mental health, and learning outcomes; by contrast, the opposing side has suggested that such practices are yet another quick fix for neoliberal developments in education. Guided by the prospect of leaving behind the binary understanding of mindfulness practices as either highly beneficial or severely harmful, this paper examines and contextualises the critical discussion of school-based mindfulness through a two-step conceptual analysis. First, I unpack how school-based mindfulness has emerged as a specific topic of discussion within the general field of critical mindfulness research. I argue that the critical discourse within the subfield of school-based mindfulness cannot be viewed in isolation from the wider range of critical agendas concerning general applications of mindfulness. Second, I unpack how the majority of critical scholars have adopted a particular critical approach to mindfulness, accentuating its binding entanglement with neoliberalism. In conclusion, I offer prospects for future critical treatments of school-based mindfulness.

Collaging Educational Orientations: A Whitening of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is everywhere, from academia to corporations. But mainstream understandings of Mindfulness are heavily saturated and redefined by systemic whiteness. In this essay, I use autoethnography to explore the ways I have witnessed the commodification of Mindfulness in education. I use narratives from different educational orientations to explicate the ways in which White feminists have co-opted Mindfulness to create false narratives of self-care as a smoke screen to examining our own roles in systemic oppression. In the end, I argue for a nuanced and careful understanding of the origins of Mindfulness instead of taking the redefinition as truth.

How can a 6-week training course shape mental healthcare professionals' understanding of mindfulness? Experiences at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.

BackgroundMindfulness-based practice has gained increasing attention in the mental health community over the last four decades, and many studies have explored the evidence of its various benefits among healthcare users and providers alike. However, there remains limited research regarding the understanding of mindfulness among mental healthcare professionals. This poses the question: how much do mental healthcare professionals really know about mindfulness, and can self-practice increase the understanding of these providers?AimThis descriptive or exploratory case study aimed to explore the understanding of mindfulness amongst 15 mental healthcare professionals.SettingThe study took place at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.MethodThe study was conducted following a 6-week training course in which the participants were taught, and carried out mindfulness-based practices and techniques. The study also explored the following: (1) the healthcare workers’ experiences, benefits and challenges regarding the consistent practice of mindfulness and (2) their confidence when explaining the concept of mindfulness, and the practices learned, to other colleagues and patients. Data were collected in the form of semi-structured interviews with the participants, 4–6 weeks after completion of the training course.ResultsThree main themes were identified: (1) understanding of mindfulness expanded with practice; (2) unexpected experiences during the mindfulness course; and (3) experience caused partial gains in confidence and skills. Overall, 15 subthemes were derived from the data collected.ConclusionSelf-practice of mindfulness can increase one’s understanding of the concept and the confidence to teach informal techniques. More research is needed to determine how the design and duration of such training could impact this understanding and confidence.

The Lived Experience of Learning Mindfulness as Perceived by People Living With Long-Term Conditions: A Community-Based, Longitudinal, Phenomenological Study.

While a considerable research base demonstrates the positive effects of 8-week secular mindfulness courses, it remains unclear to what degree their participants continue to engage with mindfulness practices; and there is a dearth of published reports on longer-term mindfulness interventions. Studies have also tended to focus on clinical “effectiveness,” with less attention given to participants’ own construal and expectations of mindfulness. To address these gaps, the study reported here implemented a year-long mindfulness program for a group of 20 individuals with long-standing health conditions who gradually transitioned to self-guiding. Their experiences, expectations, and understanding of mindfulness were investigated through the lens of descriptive phenomenology. The findings revealed that mindfulness practice did bring therapeutic improvement but that it was a multi-faceted process where an individual’s intentionality toward practice was key, with a clear division between those pursuing an “embodied integrated” mindfulness and those viewing it as a stress management tool.

The experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities attending a mindfulness‐based group intervention

Accessible summaryMindfulness helps us to “slow down” and notice how we are thinking and how we are feeling. When we notice our thoughts and our feelings, we can choose to do the things that help us to feel better. We wanted to know what people with learning disabilities thought of mindfulness. Nine people with learning disabilities told us what they thought about mindfulness.We found out that:People enjoyed mindfulness activities and the chance to socialise with other peoplePeople showed some understanding of mindfulnessPeople could do the mindfulness activitiesAbstractBackgroundA growing body of research supports the efficacy of mindfulness‐based intervention programmes (MBPs) for people with intellectual disabilities. Existing literature calls for focus on the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities participating in MBPs.Materials and MethodsThis study explored the experiences of nine adults with intellectual disabilities attending an eight‐week group MBP delivered within the community. Two audio‐recorded group discussions and seven semi‐structured interviews were thematically analysed.ResultsThemes were as follows: participants’ experience of the group as a meaningful and enjoyable activity; opportunities for socialisation, sharing, friendship and support; the significance of participant–facilitator relationships; and how participants understood and experienced the mindfulness exercises and concepts.ConclusionsSome understanding of mindfulness was evident, and participants demonstrated an ability to engage in mindfulness exercises. Findings inform the development of effective MBPs for people with intellectual disabilities.