Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness

TLDR

The study investigates the facet structure of mindfulness by applying five recently developed questionnaires. The authors collected data from two large undergraduate samples, assessing internal consistency and convergent/discriminant validity of the questionnaires. Factor analyses revealed five distinct mindfulness facets, with four forming a higher‑order construct that varies with meditation experience, and these facets showed expected correlations and incremental predictive validity for psychological symptoms.

Abstract

The authors examine the facet structure of mindfulness using five recently developed mindfulness questionnaires. Two large samples of undergraduate students completed mindfulness questionnaires and measures of other constructs. Psychometric properties of the mindfulness questionnaires were examined, including internal consistency and convergent and discriminant relationships with other variables. Factor analyses of the combined pool of items from the mindfulness questionnaires suggested that collectively they contain five clear, interpretable facets of mindfulness. Hierarchical confirmatory factor analyses suggested that at least four of the identified factors are components of an overall mindfulness construct and that the factor structure of mindfulness may vary with meditation experience. Mindfulness facets were shown to be differentially correlated in expected ways with several other constructs and to have incremental validity in the prediction of psychological symptoms. Findings suggest that conceptualizing mindfulness as a multifaceted construct is helpful in understanding its components and its relationships with other variables.