Assessment
January 27, 2006
Ruth A. Baer, Gregory T. Smith, Jaclyn Hopkins et al.
7,526 citations
Mindfulness is composed of at least five distinct facets, as shown by analyses of five new questionnaires given to two large groups of undergraduates. Four of these facets appear to be part of an overall mindfulness construct, and their structure may differ depending on meditation experience. The facets relate differently to other psychological constructs and predict psychological symptoms beyond what other measures do, supporting a multifaceted view of mindfulness.
Clinical Psychology Science and Practice
January 1, 2003
Ruth A. Baer
4,203 citations
Mindfulness-based interventions, which train individuals to focus attention on present-moment experiences through meditation, show promise for treating several psychological disorders. A review of conceptual approaches and empirical studies, incorporating meta-analytic techniques, finds that while the existing research contains many methodological flaws, the evidence suggests these interventions may be beneficial. More rigorous investigations are needed to confirm their effectiveness.
Assessment
February 29, 2008
Ruth A. Baer, Gregory T. Smith, Emily Lykins et al.
2,933 citations
Mindfulness as measured by self-report includes five component skills: observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging of inner experience, and nonreactivity to inner experience, assessed with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). The authors examined the construct validity of the FFMQ in experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups. Most mindfulness facets were significantly related to meditation experience and to psychological symptoms and well-being. The relationship between the observing facet and psychological adjustment varied with meditation experience. Several facets independently predicted well-being and mediated the relationship between meditation experience and well-being, supporting the FFMQ's construct validity in these samples.
Assessment
September 1, 2004
Ruth A. Baer, Gregory T. Smith, Kristin B. Allen
2,283 citations
A new self-report questionnaire measuring four mindfulness skills—observing, describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment—shows good reliability and a clear factor structure. These skills relate differently to personality and mental health: they are linked to neuroticism, psychological symptoms, emotional intelligence, alexithymia, experiential avoidance, dissociation, and absorption. The findings suggest mindfulness is not a single trait but a set of distinct abilities with unique connections to well-being.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
March 6, 2009
James Carmody, Ruth A. Baer, Emily L. B. Lykins et al.
528 citations
A theory proposes that mindfulness training works by changing how people relate to their experiences, a process called reperceiving, which then improves self-regulation, values clarity, mental flexibility, and exposure to experiences, leading to better health. Testing this with participants in a mindfulness-based stress-reduction program did not support that changes in reperceiving alone explained how mindfulness affected those four factors. However, when mindfulness and reperceiving scores were combined, there was partial support that those four factors helped reduce psychological distress. The text discusses difficulties in measuring these concepts.
The Journal of Positive Psychology
April 11, 2012
Ruth A. Baer, Emily L. B. Lykins, Jessica R. Peters
391 citations
Both mindfulness and self-compassion appear to contribute independently to psychological wellbeing, and together they fully explain the link between meditation experience and wellbeing. In a cross-sectional comparison of 77 experienced meditators and 75 matched nonmeditators, most mindfulness and self-compassion scores correlated significantly with meditation experience and wellbeing. The relationship between meditation experience and wellbeing was entirely accounted for by combined mindfulness and self-compassion scores, suggesting that these skills may be key mechanisms through which mindfulness training improves wellbeing. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.