1. Subjective Happiness and Meaning in Life as Mediators of the Mindfulness-Life Satisfaction Relationship
Lawrence Boehm
Results
Summary
Mindfulness training has become increasingly popular as an intervention, but everyday mindfulness is not always related to mindfulness training. This study examined the relationship between everyday mindfulness and life satisfaction measures. Everyday mindfulness was positively related to life satisfaction, positive emotion, and meaning in life. Mindfulness was negatively associated with materialistic values. Positive emotion and perceived meaning in life emerged as mediators.
Discussion
Although the correlations between mindfulness and well-being are in the small to medium effect size classification (Cohen, 1992) they represent naturally occurring levels of mindfulness without the benefit of training or intervention. While mindfulness training has been shown to have positive effects on mental and physical health, the untrained, spontaneous mindfulness investigated here has a similar relationship to well-being. The regression analysis supported positive emotion and meaning in life as partial mediators of the mindfulness-life satisfaction relationship.
References
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84,
Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin,112,
Diener, E., Emmons, R.A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49,
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever you go there you are. Mindfulness meditation in everyday life. Hyperion, New York.
Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. S. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46, 137 – 155.
Richins, M. L. (2004). The material values scale: Measurement properties and development of a short form. Journal of Consumer Research, 31,
Steger, M. F., Frazier, P., Oishi, S., & Kaler, M. (2006). The meaning in life questionnaire: Assessing the presence of and searching for meaning in life. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53,
Thompson, B. L. & Waltz, J. (2007). Everyday mindfulness and mindfulness meditation: Overlapping constructs or not? Personality and Individual Differences, 43,
Correlations with Mindfulness
Variable r
sig
Life Satisfaction
r = .22
p < .01
Subjective Happiness
r = .24
Presence of Meaning in Life
r = .21
Relationship Security
r = .14
p = .006
Family Support
r = .12
p = .007
Friend Support
r = .08
p = .045
Search for Meaning in Life
r = -.21
Materialistic Values
r = -.25
Introduction
Mindfulness is paying attention, to the present moment, in a nonjudgmental way (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). Mindfulness interventions often rely on teaching meditation techniques and practicing over a period of time. However mindfulness training may differ in important ways from dispositional mindfulness. Thompson and Waltz (2007) found no relation between mindfulness during meditation and everyday mindfulness, and suggest that mindfulness resulting from meditation may be a state that is not representative of everyday mindfulness. Everyday mindfulness presents an opportunity to examine the relation between mindfulness and subjective well-being in a non-clinical population. This study also evaluated variables that may mediate the mindfulness well-being relationship. .
Method
Participants
Four hundred fifty two students
223 females, 229 males
Mean age =19.5 years, s = 2.9.
Materials and Procedure
Participants completed the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (Brown & Ryan, 2003), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larson & Griffin, 1985), the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (Steger, Frazier, Oishi, & Kaler, 2006), the Material Values Scale-Revised (Richins, 2004), and the Subjective Happiness Scale (Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999). Participants also responded to a three item measure of relationship security. Relationship security items included:
My family is supportive when I have difficulties.
My friends are supportive when I have difficulties.
I feel secure in my current relationship.
Subjective Happiness
1.35* *
Mindfulness Life Satisfaction
1.7 (.84*)
Meaning in Life
1.65* .47*
Mindfulness Life Satisfaction
1.7 (.91*)
L. Boehm, Thomas More College
333 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills, KY 41017
Association for Psychological Science 29th Annual Convention, 2017, Boston, MA
Unstandardized regression coefficients are shown. The value in parentheses is the effect of mindfulness on life satisfaction after taking into account the mediator.