Abstract
Mindfulness has become increasingly popular over the years. In both clinical and research settings, mindfulness has been efficacious in reducing stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, and increasing overall quality of life and well-being. While numerous self-report measures aim to assess components of mindfulness, concerns have been raised surrounding the conceptualization, definition, and measurement of mindfulness. The present study examines the concurrent validity among both state and trait mindfulness measures, including the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS), State Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (State MAAS), Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI), and Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale Revised (CAMS-R). Two independent samples of 500 adults in the general U.S. population (Mage = 33.75) and 509 college students (Mage = 19.66), respectively, were recruited. All participants completed the aforementioned self-report measures online. With few exceptions, results were consistent across both samples and indicated strong convergent validity between self-report trait mindfulness measures and weak convergent validity between self-report state mindfulness measures. In addition, the FFMQ Observing and Nonreactivity subscales displayed poor construct validity among other measures purported to assess similar components of mindfulness. Findings from the present study demonstrate strong convergent validity across self-report trait mindfulness measures. However, results displayed weak convergent validity among self-report state mindfulness measures, thus raising questions regarding the overall validity of these measures. Results further suggest review of the FFMQ Observing and Nonreactivity facets.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Alex H. Buhk and Heather Schultz. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Heather Schultz and Alex H. Buhk. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approve the final manuscript.
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Buhk, A.H., Schultz, H. & Bullock, W.A. What Are They Measuring? Testing the Convergent Validity of State and Trait Mindfulness Measures Across Two Independent Samples. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 45, 1107–1118 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-023-10091-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-023-10091-3