The Relative Contribution of Mindfulness and Gratitude in Predicting Happiness among University Students

The present study aims at identifying the separate and interactive contribution of gratitude and mindfulness in predicting happiness; examining the relationship between these variables; identifying differences between students with high happiness and students with low happiness in gratitude and mindfulness; and identifying the levels of gratitude, mindfulness, and happiness among the students of Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University. The research sample consisted of 447 female students aged 18-25 years. The research instruments included the Toronto Mindfulness Scale, the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, as well as the Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation Test-Short form. The study found out that gratitude and mindfulness had a significant contribution in predicting happiness among university students (31% and 41.5%, respectively). The interaction between the total scores of mindfulness and gratitude contributed 51.5% of the variance in happiness among university students. The interaction between mindfulness, sense of abundance, and simple appreciation contributed 54.4% of the variance in happiness among university students. The study found a positive correlation between mindfulness, gratitude (sense of abundance, simple appreciation, appreciation of others), and happiness. Additionally, it was found that students at Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University had moderate levels of mindfulness and moderate to high levels of gratitude and happiness. The sense of abundance domain was moderate, the simple appreciation domain was high, and the appreciation of others domain was moderate. Mindfulness, gratitude, sense of abundance, simple appreciation, and appreciation of others increased among the students with high happiness. Received: 8 March 2021 / Accepted: 22 June 2021 / Published: 8 July 2021

Decentering in Mindfulness and Cognitive Restructuring for Social Anxiety: An Experimental Study of a Potential Common Mechanism

The present study examined whether cognitive restructuring (CR) or mindfulness led to increases in decentering and whether changes in decentering were related to changes in anxiety and willingness to approach anxiety-provoking situations. Forty-six individuals with social anxiety completed speaking tasks before and after receiving CR, mindfulness, or control instructions. Overall, anxiety decreased and willingness increased from the first to second speech, with no differences across conditions. Decentering (measured by the Toronto Mindfulness Scale [TMS]) increased, with those in the mindfulness condition reporting more decentering. There was a nonsignificant, medium-sized effect on decentering, as measured by the Experiences Questionnaire (EQ)–Decentering factor, with those in CR reporting more decentering. Increases in decentering were associated with changes in self-reported anxiety and willingness. Findings indicate that mindfulness and CR led to changes in decentering, and that changes in decentering were related to changes in some, but not all, measures of anxiety.

Mindfulness and autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR)

Background Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a perceptual phenomenon in which specific audiovisual stimuli frequently elicit tingling sensations on the scalp and neck. These stimuli (“ASMR triggers”) are typically social in nature (e.g., watching someone brush their hair, hearing whispering,) and often elicit a calm and positive emotional state that may last up to several minutes. ASMR experiences phenomenologically overlap with mindfulness; however, no research has directly examined how mindfulness might relate to ASMR. Methods In the current study, 284 individuals with ASMR completed the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS), the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), and a questionnaire examining ASMR experiences. Age- and sex-matched control participants were asked to view two ASMR-eliciting videos to ensure that they did not experience tingling sensations associated with ASMR; they then completed the TMS and MAAS questionnaires. Results When compared with matched controls, individuals with ASMR generated significantly higher scores on the MAAS, a global measure of mindfulness, as well as significantly higher scores on the Curiosity subscale of the TMS. Conclusions These results suggest that the sensory-emotional experiences associated with ASMR may be partially explained by a distinct subset of characteristics associated with mindfulness.

Psychometric Validation of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale – Trait Version in Chinese College Students

The Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS; Lau et al., 2006) has been widely used to assess the state mindfulness of participants after practicing mindfulness. Recently, a trait version of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale was developed and initially validated (TMS-T; Davis et al., 2009). We further examined the psychometric properties of TMS-T using three hundred and sixty-eight Chinese college students (233 females and 135 males) from a public university in Hong Kong. We found that factor analyses failed to support the existence of two-dimensional structure of the Chinese version of the TMS-T (C-TMS-T). The model fit indices indicated a marginal model fit, and the concurrent and convergent validities of the C-TMS-T were not confirmed. The moderate item-to-subscale fit of the decentering subscale indicated that its structural validity was not satisfactory. In addition, the internal consistency coefficient of the decentering subscale using composite reliability (p = .61) was under the acceptable level. Based on the results, we concluded that the application of the C-TMS-T to the Chinese population is premature. Further validation of the C-TMS-T using another sample of participants is recommended, in particular, individuals with meditation experiences.

Development and Preliminary Validation of a Trait Version of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale

After developing a trait version of the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS), we evaluated its reliability, its convergent validity with six other trait mindfulness measures, and its construct validity in relation to prior meditation experience. A sample of nonmeditators (N = 218) and meditators (N = 243) with a wide range of meditation experience completed the Trait TMS and the six other mindfulness measures. Internal consistency reliability of the Trait TMS was comparable to that of the original State TMS. Significant positive correlations were found between both TMS factors and the other mindfulness measures; however, in general, the correlations for TMS Decenter were higher than for TMS Curiosity. Scores for TMS Decenter were shown to increase with meditation experience, but this was not the case for TMS Curiosity. The TMS Curiosity factor may assess a unique aspect of the mindfulness construct. Implications of these findings in relation to future mindfulness research are discussed.