Mindfulness in Psychosocial Research: An Integrative Literature Review of What is Studied and How
International Review of Social Psychology January 1, 2025 Philippine Chachignon, Emmanuelle Le Barbenchon, Lionel Dany 2 citations
An integrative review of 109 papers on mindfulness from a social-psychological perspective found that most research focuses on well-being, social relationships, health, and organizations. Only 21 references were grounded in theory, with 42% of those being social psychology theories. Studies were mostly correlational (46%) or experimental (47%) and used quantitative methods. Mindfulness effects were primarily beneficial, emphasizing emotion regulation and stress management at individual and interpersonal levels, while group or ideological contexts received less attention. The review argues that research predominantly uses Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic samples, often ignoring socioeconomic backgrounds, and adopts a positivist, micro-level focus that overlooks broader macro-social dimensions.