Explaining Variations in Mindfulness Levels in Daily Life

Mindfulness and time perception: A systematic integrative review

Several recent studies have explored the relationships between mindfulness and time perception, an area of research that has become increasingly popular in the last 10-15 years. In this article, we present a systematic integrative review of the evidence on this subject. We also integrate the field's findings into a conceptual framework which considers the multifaceted nature of both mindfulness, and time perception research. To identify the relevant literature, we searched the following databases using relevant keywords: PsycINFO; Medline; EBSCO Host Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection; and Web of Science. These searches were last performed on the 4th of May 2022, and additional hand searches were also conducted. To be included, articles had to be in English and contain original data about the potential relationship(s) between mindfulness and time perception. Articles which did not present usable data about the relationship(s) between the variables of interest were excluded. In total, 47 research articles were included in the review (combined sample size of ∼5800 participants). Risks of bias in the selected studies were evaluated using two separate assessment tools designed for this purpose. Through an integrative narrative synthesis, this article reviews how mindfulness may relate to time perception for various reference frames, and for various time perception measures and methods. It also provides new insights by exploring how a wide range of findings can be integrated into a coherent whole, in light of some relevant time perception models and mindfulness theories. Altogether, the reviewed data suggest the existence of complex and multifaceted relationships between mindfulness and time perception, highlighting the importance of considering many factors when planning research or interpreting data in this field. Limitations of the current review include the scarceness of data for certain categories of findings, and the relatively low prevalence of studies with a randomized controlled design in the source literature. This research was partly funded by a grant from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Features of Self-Organization during the Process of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: A Single Case Study

Compared to the extensive evidence of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions, there is only a limited understanding of their mechanisms of change. The three aims of this study are (1) to identify features of self-organization during the process (e.g., pattern transitions), (2) to obtain an impression of the effects of continuous self-assessments and feedback sessions on mindfulness-related stress reduction, and (3) to test the feasibility of high-frequency process monitoring and process feedback. Concerning aim (1), the specific hypothesis is that change will occur as a cascade of discontinuous pattern transitions emerging spontaneously in the sense of not being a reaction to external input. This single case study describes changing patterns of multiple time series that were produced by app-based daily self-assessments during and after an 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction program. After this MBSR program, the participant (a female nurse) continued the self-assessment and the mindfulness practice for a further 10 months. The results confirm findings on the positive effects of mindfulness programs for healthcare professionals, especially on coping with work-related stress. The analysis of the time series data supports the hypothesis of self-organization as a possible mechanism of change manifesting as a cascade of phase transitions in the dynamics of a biopsychosocial system. At the end of the year, the participant reported a beneficial impact of daily monitoring and systematic feedback on the change process. The results underline the feasibility and usefulness of continuous high-frequency monitoring during and after mindfulness interventions.

The Relationship Between Negative Affect, State Mindfulness, and the Role of Personality

Objectives

Are affective states influencing state mindfulness and can this explain the link between personality and mindfulness? Mindfulness is commonly thought to decrease negative affect, but a number of studies have reported reductions in mindfulness in negative affect situations. This highlights a potential mechanism explaining previously observed negative relationships between individual differences such as Neuroticism and mindfulness, via their shared relationship with negative affect.

Methods

In an experiment, 331 participants were exposed to a negative affect stimulus to investigate whether previously established relationships between Neuroticism, Behavioral Inhibition, and Mindfulness are due to differences in negative affect reactivity. It was expected that participants high on Neuroticism and Behavioral Inhibition to show greater negative affect reactivity which in turn would reduce their state Non-Judgmental Acceptance and Acting with Awareness.

Results

While change in negative affect was related to lower Non-Judgmental Acceptance and Acting with Awareness, negative affect reactivity did not mediate the relationship between Neuroticism/BIS and these state mindfulness facets. Importantly, only Non-Judgmental Acceptance and Acting with Awareness facets of mindfulness were affected by negative affect change, but not Attention. This indicates that greater negative affect might require allocation of cognitive resources to stress-related processes such as threat monitoring, reducing mindful emotion processing but not attention.

Conclusions

The current study found that situational mindfulness might be influenced by state affect highlighting the need to more strongly consider the environmental factors which can shape affect in mindfulness interventions.

Trial Registration

Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/kmyh2).

Within-Person variations in mindfulness mediate effects of daily stressors on psychological distress in adolescence

OBJECTIVE

We tested two competing models linking daily stress, mindfulness, and psychological distress in adolescence: 1) whether daily mindfulness moderates the impact of daily stressors on psychological distress or 2) whether mindfulness mediates the relationship between greater daily stressors and psychological distress.

METHODS

Every evening for a week, 138 adolescents completed ecological momentary assessments (EMAs). Daily diaries assessed negative events, work-school conflict, mindfulness, and perceived stress. Multilevel mediation and moderation were tested.

RESULTS

Results indicated that there were meaningful variations in adolescent mindfulness from day-to-day, and supported mediation rather than moderation; the within-person association between stressors and psychological distress was mediated by mindfulness at the daily level.

CONCLUSION

It may be too challenging for adolescents to remain in a mindful state during stress to effectively use mindfulness as a buffer. Instead, daily stressors may indirectly impact psychological distress through decreasing mindfulness.

The Influence of Parents on Emotion Regulation in Middle Childhood: A Systematic Review

Emotion regulation (ER) has been identified as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology, making it an ideal target for prevention and treatment. This study explores how parents can nurture the development of child ER. In April 2022, a systematic review was executed focusing on malleable factors in the parental emotion-socialization process during middle childhood. Papers in PubMed, Web of Science and Medline were screened on content-related and methodological criteria. Their methodological quality was assessed. Knowledge was assembled using a summarizing framework encompassing four factors involved in emotion socialization. Fifty papers shed light on modifiable factors at the level of parental meta-emotion philosophy, emotion-related socialization behaviors, the ER skills of parents and the emotional climate of the family. Adaptive socialization appears to be context- and child-specific, thereby taxing parents’ ER skills and their ability to put them into practice flexibly. The four changeable factors in the emotion-socialization process are highly intertwined, resulting in four possible entries for parent-directed interventions. Importantly, time should be devoted to the ER capacities of parents and their ability to attune to the situation and their child. Regarding the latter, replication studies are necessary. Recommendations for clinical interventions are provided.

When Work Conflicts With Personal Projects: The Association of Work-Life Conflict With Worker Wellbeing and the Mediating Role of Mindfulness

The negative emotional and health effects of work-life conflict (WLC) have been demonstrated in numerous studies regarding organizational psychology and occupational health. However, little is known about WLC's relationship with positive wellbeing outcomes, including emotional, psychological, and social aspects of workers' thriving. Furthermore, the mediating processes underlying the effects of WLC remain mostly unknown. The current study investigated the associations of perceived time- and strain-based WLC with positive mental health and thriving at work, as well as the mediating role of mindfulness in these associations. It is argued that WLC causes reduced mindfulness capacities among workers, which is in turn associated with lower positive wellbeing given the importance of mindfulness in emotion regulation. A sample of 330 workers based in Québec, Canada, completed an online survey including a measure of strain- and time-based interference with personal projects (i.e., the goals and activities that define the daily life of an individual) and validated scales of wellbeing outcomes and mindfulness. Results of structural equation modeling revealed negative associations between time- and strain-based WLC with positive mental health and thriving at work. Work-life conflict was related to lower mindfulness, which played a mediating role in the associations between time-based WLC with positive mental health and thriving at work, as well as strain-based WLC with positive mental health. The mediation was complete for the time-based WLC and positive mental health association, but partial for the other mediated pathways, highlighting the need for more research to identify additional mediators. These results highlight that beyond resulting in negative emotional/health outcomes often studied in previous research, WLC may be associated with workers' reduced potential to live a fulfilling life, in general and in the workplace. Recommendations (e.g., mindfulness intervention to promote emotional regulation, personal project intervention) for workplace policymakers and practitioners are identified.

Developmental changes in mindful awareness during adolescence

Despite abundant research on the benefits of dispositional mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions, little is known about the naturally occurring developmental course of mindful awareness. Given dramatic strides during adolescence in competencies that may support mindfulness (e.g., emotion regulation), the high school years are a suitable window to study developmental changes in mindfulness. Using an accelerated cohort design to examine the longitudinal trajectory of mindfulness from 9th grade through 12th grade, we employed data from a 5-year study of 3,453 U.S. adolescents (55% female; 40% Latinx, 38% White, 13% Black, and 7% Asian) from high schools in three geographical regions in the U.S. Adolescents annually completed self-report surveys measuring mindful awareness and several internal and external factors. Latent growth curve analyses found that, after controlling for cohort, there was no average linear change in mindful awareness from grades 9 through 12, although there was significant interindividual variability in slopes. Within-person analyses found that in grades when needs-supportive climate was higher and discrimination was lower, adolescents reported greater mindful awareness. Unexpectedly, in grades when perspective taking and prosocial behaviors were higher, mindfulness was lower. These findings inform developmental understanding of mindful awareness and the ways that it naturally occurs and is supported during adolescence.