Differences between meditators and non-meditators in mindfulness, its components and related qualities

Somaraju, LH; Bizo, LA; Temple, EC; Cocks, B

Differences between meditators and non-meditators in mindfulness, its components and related qualities

Somaraju, LH Bizo, LA Temple, EC Cocks, B

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Publisher:: Springer
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Current Psychology: developmental - learning - personality - social, 2022
Issue Date:: 2022-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Somaraju, LH
dc.contributor.author	Bizo, LA
dc.contributor.author	Temple, EC
dc.contributor.author	Cocks, B
dc.date.accessioned	2022-03-29T23:31:05Z
dc.date.available	2022-03-29T23:31:05Z
dc.date.issued	2022-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Current Psychology: developmental - learning - personality - social, 2022
dc.identifier.issn	1046-1310
dc.identifier.issn	1936-4733
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155684
dc.description.abstract	Objectives: The study investigated (1) if meditators and non-meditators differ in their levels of mindfulness, attention, acceptance, loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, and empathy; and (2) whether and how mindfulness practice affected the above qualities. Methods: The 241 participants (18–81 years, M = 40.3, SD = 14.8; 64% female) completed an online questionnaire consisting of scales measuring mindfulness components (mindful attention, acceptance, non-judging), and mindfulness related qualities, including loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, and empathy. The participants who reported being meditators (N = 122; 50.4%) were also asked questions about their meditation practice. Results: Meditators differed significantly from non-meditators in relation to their levels of mindful attention (t(239) = 4.80, p <.001, d =.63) and empathy (t(239) = 2.80, p <.01, d =.37) but not for the other mindfulness components or related qualities. Multiple regression analyses indicated that practice variables (years of practice, frequency of practice, and length of session) explained a significant proportion of variance in mindful attention (R2 =.27, p <.001) and empathy (R2 =.15, p <.05). Conclusions: The present findings are consistent with conceptualizations of mindfulness that focus on the centrality of mindful attention over acceptance and non-judging components, which is consistent with several Buddhist mindfulness traditions. Present findings also demonstrate the importance of practice for the cultivation of mindful attention. Future studies are required to increase our understanding of effects relating to the type of mindfulness undertaken and the influence of practice factors.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Springer
dc.relation.ispartof	Current Psychology: developmental - learning - personality - social
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s12144-021-01530-z
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1007/s12144-021-01530-z
dc.subject	1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Social Psychology
dc.title	Differences between meditators and non-meditators in mindfulness, its components and related qualities
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
utslib.for	1702 Cognitive Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-03-29T23:31:03Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

Objectives: The study investigated (1) if meditators and non-meditators differ in their levels of mindfulness, attention, acceptance, loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, and empathy; and (2) whether and how mindfulness practice affected the above qualities. Methods: The 241 participants (18–81 years, M = 40.3, SD = 14.8; 64% female) completed an online questionnaire consisting of scales measuring mindfulness components (mindful attention, acceptance, non-judging), and mindfulness related qualities, including loving-kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, and empathy. The participants who reported being meditators (N = 122; 50.4%) were also asked questions about their meditation practice. Results: Meditators differed significantly from non-meditators in relation to their levels of mindful attention (t(239) = 4.80, p <.001, d =.63) and empathy (t(239) = 2.80, p <.01, d =.37) but not for the other mindfulness components or related qualities. Multiple regression analyses indicated that practice variables (years of practice, frequency of practice, and length of session) explained a significant proportion of variance in mindful attention (R2 =.27, p <.001) and empathy (R2 =.15, p <.05). Conclusions: The present findings are consistent with conceptualizations of mindfulness that focus on the centrality of mindful attention over acceptance and non-judging components, which is consistent with several Buddhist mindfulness traditions. Present findings also demonstrate the importance of practice for the cultivation of mindful attention. Future studies are required to increase our understanding of effects relating to the type of mindfulness undertaken and the influence of practice factors.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/155684