Assessing Mindfulness: The Development of a Bi-Dimensional Measure of Awareness and Acceptance A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Drexel University by LeeAnn Cardaciotto in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2005
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Assessing Mindfulness:
The Development of a Bi-Dimensional Measure of Awareness and Acceptance
1.5 Current Conceptualization of Mindfulness in Clinical Psychology ................ 12
1.6 The Relationship of Mindfulness to Meditation .............................................. 17
1.7 Constructs Related to Mindfulness .................................................................. 18
1.7.1 Modes of Mental Processing ..................................................... 18
1.7.2 Forms of Reflexive Consciousness ........................................... 20
1.8 The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Implicit Cognition, and Explicit Cognition ......................................................................................................... 24
1.9 Measures of Mindfulness ................................................................................. 25
1.10 Measures of Constructs Related to Mindfulness ............................................. 27
1.10.1 Measures of Metacognition ...................................................... 27
1.10.2 Measures of Reflexive Consciousness ...................................... 30
1.10.3 Measures of Acceptance ........................................................... 32
iv1.11 Measuring Mindfulness: The Current Study ................................................... 32
1.12 Integrating Awareness and Acceptance ........................................................... 35
1.13 Principal Aims of the Present Study ................................................................ 38
2. STUDY 1 – ITEM GENERATION AND SELECTION .......................................... 40
LIST OF REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 73
APPENDIX A: DEFINITIONS OF MINDFULNESS .................................................... 87
APPENDIX B: MINDFULNESS QUALITIES AS DEFINED BY KABAT-ZINN (1990) ..................................................................................................... 89
APPENDIX C: LIST OF MEASURES OF MINDFULNESS AND RELATED CONSTRUCTS ............................................................................................ 90
APPENDIX D: ILLUSTRATION OF THE FOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES ...... 91
viAPPENDIX E: LIST OF ITEMS AND PROCEDURES ADMINISTERED TO EXPERT JUDGES .................................................................................................... 92
APPENDIX F: LIST OF RETAINED ITEMS AND EXPERT JUDGES’ MEAN RATINGS ........................................................................................................... 98
APPENDIX G: RESULTS FROM DEVELOPMENT SAMPLE ANALYSES .......... 103
APPENDIX H: COPIES OF MEASURES ................................................................... 113
APPENDIX I: RESULTS FROM THE NONCLINICAL SAMPLE ANALYSES ..... 128
APPENDIX J: RESULTS FROM THE CLINICAL SAMPLE ANALYSES .............. 137
APPENDIX K: AN ACCEPTANCE-BASED MODEL OF SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER .................................................................................. 146
VITA .............................................................................................................................. 147
viiList of Tables
1. Clinical Definitions of Mindfulness............................................................................87
2. Non-Clinical Definitions of Mindfulness ..................................................................88
3. Mindfulness Qualities Defined by Kabat-Zinn (1990) ..............................................89
4. List of Measures of Mindfulness and Related Constructs .........................................90
5. List of Items and Procedures Administered to Expert Judges ...................................92
6. List of Retained Items and Expert Judge’s Mean Ratings .........................................98
7. Initial Factor Loadings for Items Completed by the Development Sample .............103
8. Initial Corrected Item-Subscale Correlations for Items Completed by the Development Sample ...............................................................................................105
9. Inter-item Correlations from Initial Items Completed by Development Sample......107
10. Descriptive Statistics of the Resulting 20 Items ......................................................108
11. Corrected Item-Subscale Correlations for Resulting 20 Items ................................110
12. Inter-item Correlations for the Resulting 20 Items ..................................................112
13. Copies of Measures ..................................................................................................113
14. PHLMS Descriptive Statistics from the Nonclinical Sample ..................................128
15. Factor Loadings for the PHLMS ..............................................................................130
16. PHLMS Corrected Item-Subscale Correlations from the Nonclinical Sample ........132
17. PHLMS Inter-item Correlations from the Nonclinical Sample ...............................134
18. Convergent Validity: Correlations of the PHLMS With Other Measures from the Nonclinical Sample ..................................................................................................135
19. Correlations of the PHLMS with Well-Being Variables Before and After
Controlling for Other Constructs in a Nonclinical Sample ......................................136
20. Total Number of Clinical Participants Diagnosed With Each Disorder ..................137
21. Descriptive Statistics for the PHLMS from the Clinical Sample .............................139
22. PHLMS Corrected Item-Subscale Correlations from the Clinical Sample ..............141
viii23. PHLMS Inter-item Correlations in the Clinical Sample ...........................................143
24. Convergent Validity: Correlations of the PHLMS With Other Measures in the Clinical Sample ..................................................................................................144
25. Correlations of the PHLMS with Well-Being Variables Before and After Controlling for Other Constructs in a Clinical Sample......................................................................145
ixList of Figures
1. Illustration of Four Psychological States ...........................................................................91 2. An Acceptance-Based Model of Social Anxiety Disorder ..............................................146
xAbstract
Assessing Mindfulness: The Development of a Bi-Dimensional Measure of Awareness and Acceptance
LeeAnn Cardaciotto James D. Herbert, Ph.D.
Mindfulness, a construct that has its roots in Buddhism, has been examined over the past thirty
years in different domains of mainstream psychology. Mindfulness has recently been
incorporated into several innovative psychotherapies as a main component of treatment.
However, there is no widely accepted definition of mindfulness in the field of clinical
psychology, nor has the construct been sufficiently operationalized. Further, there is no measure
to date that assesses the two key components of mindfulness, present-moment awareness and
acceptance. The purpose of this study was to develop a bi-dimensional measure of mindfulness
based on the two key constituents of the construct, present-moment awareness and nonjudgmental
acceptance. The psychometric evidence supports a clear two-factor solution, indicating that the
newly developed Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS) measures mindfulness and its key
constituents, acceptance and awareness. Content validation by expert judges yielded high ratings
of the representation of the components of mindfulness, good internal consistency was
demonstrated in both clinical and nonclinical samples, and relationships with other constructs
were largely as expected within the normative nonclinical samples. Although results from some
of the clinical sample validation analyses were contrary to expectations, significant differences
were found as predicted between the nonclinical and clinical samples. One noteworthy finding
was that the awareness and acceptance subscales were not correlated with each other, suggesting
that the potential role of these two constructs in mental health can be examined independently.
Implications, study limitations, and future directions are discussed.
1CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
The Historical Roots of Mindfulness
Historically, mindfulness has been associated with spiritual movements rather than
mainstream psychology. Mindfulness is a primary technique used in Buddhist meditation, and
has its roots in Buddhism. Buddhism was founded in northern India in 500 B.C. by Siddharta
Gautama Buddha, a religious leader, in reaction to the suffering of poor, sick, aged, and dying
people (Kumar, 2002; Smith, 1986). According to Buddha’s doctrine of the Four Noble Truths,
existence is pervaded with suffering, which is a consequence of the automatic tendency of
attachment; the cessation of suffering can be achieved through the practice of the Eightfold Noble
Path. In the Eightfold Noble Path, Buddha outlined ways individuals could achieve nirvana, a
freedom from unhappiness, which includes understanding and sincerely following Buddhist
philosophy, adhering to moral guidelines concerning speech, conduct, and vocation, disciplining
the mind, and through meditation. The Eightfold Path allowed individuals to engage in the full
experience of life while decreasing the tendency to attach to phenomena (Kumar, 2002).
After Buddha’s death in 483 B.C., Buddhism remained inconsequential until a Mauryan
emperor, Asoka, converted to Buddhism in the 3rd century B.C. As Buddhism began to spread
from India to elsewhere in Asia, it split into different factions based on different interpretations of
Buddha’s teachings. Two main sects, Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism, emerged.
Theravada Buddhists conservatively interpreted Buddha’s teachings, concentrated on the
emancipation of the individual based on his efforts, and focused primarily on meditation and
concentration, emphasizing a monastic life removed from society. Mahayana Buddhism was a
more liberal interpretation of the teachings of Buddha that accommodated a greater number of
people, stressing salvation through a life of good works and compassion. Although Theravada
Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Burma, and Mahayana Buddhism became popular
in Mongolia, Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Nepal, the latter sect spread more rapidly
due to the more liberal interpretation of Buddha’s teachings. Beginning about 150 A.D., trade
2between India and China brought the ideas and practices of Mahayana Buddhism to China
(Encyclopedia Britannica, 2003). By the 5th century, Buddhism became the dominant faith of
China, and it reached a peak by the 7th century. Meanwhile, in the 4th century, Buddhism was
introduced to Korea, and Ch’an, a sect of Chinese Buddhism, became the dominant school there
(Encyclopedia Britannica, 2003). From Korea, Buddhism was brought to Japan between 550 and
600 A.D. by missionaries sent by Korean royalty. By the 8th century, many sects of Buddhism
grew and prospered, and many different sects developed. Zen Buddhism, a sect of Mahayana
Buddhism, was introduced to Japan in the 9th century by Chinese Ch’an Buddhists, and became
popular around 1200 A.D. “Zen” is the Japanese word for the “Ch’an,” which is roughly
translated as “meditation” (Christian-Meyer, 1988). Zen Buddhism emphasizes an attitude of
nonattachment, meditation to develop enhanced self-awareness, focus on the present moment,
which results in a state of psychological freedom from suffering.
Buddhist meditation was made known most widely in the West through Japanese Zen
Buddhism. Immigrants from Asia who traveled to the United States in the 19th century
established communities and temples (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2003). However, when the
concept of Zen reached the United States, its impact was very limited (Smith, 1986). Although
Zen Buddhism was introduced at Chicago’s World’s Fair in 1893 (Benz, 1976; Smith, 1986), it
continued to have little impact on American culture.
Transition of Mindfulness into Psychology
In the 1940s and 1950s, Zen slowly grew in America through popular books, such as Zen
in the Art of Archery (Herrigel, 1953), Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis (Suzuki, Fromm, & De
Martino, 1960), and Psychotherapy East and West (Watts, 1961). However, by the late 1950s
and throughout the 1960s, meditation, based in Zen Buddhism, became more noticed through the
writings of major psychotherapists. For example, Jung (1961) made use of meditative symbols in
his writing. Psychotherapists showed interest in meditative techniques (Assagioli, 1965; Boss,
1965; Fingarette, 1963; Fromm, 1960; Stunkard, 1951), with many discussing meditation in
3relationship to psychoanalysis. For example, Zen was thought to be useful because it facilitated
uncovering the unconscious (Smith, 1986). Zen meditation was also viewed as consistent with
psychotherapy due to its emphasis on present-centered awareness, spontaneity, and acceptance
(Smith, 1986). For example, Buddhism placed importance on growth and evolution, causing it to
be embraced by existentialists and humanists in clinical psychology (Kumar, 2002). However, at
this time, the gradual popularization of meditation in psychology resulted in a conglomeration of
diverse Buddhist traditions (e.g., Tibetan Buddhism, Zen Buddhism).
Also during the 1960s through the 1970s, Americans were beginning to “look inward”
and experimented in ways to heighten awareness and broaden the boundaries of consciousness
through means of psychedelic drugs, hypnosis, and parapsychology. Increased attention was paid
to Eastern religion and culture, and meditation eventually caught the interest of experimental
psychologists. Meditation was grouped with dreaming, hypnosis, and psychedelic drugs as a type
of altered state of consciousness, because it was characterized by a qualitative change in the
overall pattern of mental functioning (Tart, 1972). Meditation was found to produce a state of
consciousness that could objectively be measured through electroencephalogram (EEG).
Individuals who meditated showed alpha wave activity associated with restful reductions in
states of arousal associated with sleep) (Kasamatsu & Hirai, 1966), and even some delta activity,
which is typically found in deep sleep and comas (Green, Green, & Walters, 1976). However,
even though experimental psychologists were defining meditation as an altered state of
consciousness, teachers of Zen meditation continued to consider meditation a “consciousness-
raising” rather than a “consciousness-altering” experience (Smith, 1986). Physiological research
provided evidence to support this stance, and delineated two types of meditative states.
Individuals who engaged in concentrative approaches (e.g., Yoga meditators, transcendental
meditation) appeared to be unaware of distractions, as shown by the lack of alpha blocking (i.e.,
the cessation of alpha activity in response to a stimulus) (Anand et al.). Individuals engaging in
4mindfulness approaches (e.g., Zen and mindfulness meditation), however, demonstrated very
brief periods of alpha blocking and did not habituate to distractions, suggesting they experienced
each intrusion as if it was being experienced it for the first time (Kasamatsu & Hirai, 1966).
Individuals who engaged in mindfulness meditation were said to become fully aware of their
environment, calmly experiencing each moment without attachment or distraction. Thus,
mindfulness began to be examined and applied in psychology independent of its historical
Buddhist roots.
Empirical investigation of mindfulness continued, as it began to be examined outside the
domain of experimental psychology. In social psychology, Langer (1989a, 1989b) proposed two
states of being that involved cognitive and affective factors: mindfulness and mindlessness.
According to Langer, mindfulness is the development of a “limber state of mind” (Langer,
1989a, p. 70) that occurs when an individual creates new categories, is open to new information
and novelty, and is aware of more than one perspective (Langer, 1989a). Individuals who are
mindful are situated in the present, sensitive to context and perspective, and are actively drawing
novel distinctions (Langer 1992; Langer 2002). Mindfulness is distinguished from mindlessness,
behavior that occurs out of the habits of expert mastery, is trapped in rigid mind-sets, and is
oblivious to time or context. As mindless occurs with little or no conscious awareness, it often
leads to a single understanding of information and is governed by rule or routine (Langer 1989b;
Langer, 1992; Langer 2002). From Langer’s research, studies have examined mindfulness related
to health, business, and education. Research has examined the consequences of
mindfulness/mindlessness on health in the elderly, and results suggest that mindful conditions
(e.g., increasing control over one’s schedule) are related to decreased adverse health conditions
and increased longevity (for a review, see Langer & Moldoveanu, 2000). Studies of mindfulness
in the business field suggest that increases in mindfulness are related with increased creativity and
decreased burnout (for a review, see Langer & Moldoveanu, 2000). Research examining
mindfulness in educational settings has found that participants in mindful conditions are better
5able to use objects creatively when the need for a novel use of the object arises and demonstrate
increased attention, liking for the task, and improved memory (for a review, see Langer &
Moldoveanu, 2000). In addition, mindfulness has been found to be related to increases in
competence, memory, creativity, and positive affect, and decrease in accidents, human error, and
stress (Langer & Moldoveanu; Langer, 2000).
Mindfulness in Clinical Psychology: The “Third Wave” of Behavior Therapy
By the 1970s, mindfulness, specifically mindfulness meditation, was beginning to be
incorporated in psychotherapy. For example, it was examined in combination with bibliotherapy
(Boorstein, 1983), as an adjunction to psychotherapy in general (Kutz, 1985), and independently
as a short-term psychotherapy (Deatherage, 1975). Although these early endeavors represented
the application of mindfulness techniques in psychotherapy, beginning in the early 1990s several
innovative psychotherapies integrated the discipline of mindfulness, which more closely
resembled its Buddhist roots. These newly developed and promoted treatments emphasized that
present-moment awareness and acceptance are important aspects of mindfulness meditation
(Breslin, Zack, & McMain, 2002), and have been referred to as the “third wave” of behavior
therapy. Behavior therapy roughly can be categorized into three waves or generations that consist
of a set of dominants assumptions and methods.
“First Wave” of Behavior Therapy: Clinical applications of the experimental analysis of
behavior. Behavior therapy (BT), which grew out of the conceptual framework of behaviorism,
had its formal beginnings in the 1950s with simultaneous advances occurring in the United States,
South Africa, & Great Britain (Spiegler & Guevremont, 1993). Clinical traditions that proceeded
BT had a poor link to scientifically established principles, vague specification of interventions,
and weak scientific evidence in support of these interventions (Hayes, 2004). Thus, two features
of BT that distinguished it from existing clinical interventions at the time were the application of
principles from behavior analysis to clinical phenomena and the insistence on the empirical
evaluation of the BT interventions. The application of principles of operant conditioning
6developed by Skinner (1953) and those of classical conditioning by Wolpe (1958) for the
treatment of anxiety guided the development of BT during the 1950s. In the United States,
Lindsley and Ayllon, graduate students of B. F. Skinner at Harvard University, systematically
applied learning principles to change behaviors of psychiatric patients (Spiergler & Guevremont,
1993). In the early 1960s, Ayllon and Azrin, another former graduate student of Skinner,
developed the first comprehensive token economy (Spiergler & Guevremont, 1993). Meanwhile,
in South Africa, Wolpe developed several bedrock behavior therapies, including systematic
desensitization and assertiveness training; Wolpe’s approach focused on replacing maladaptive
responses (i.e., anxiety, avoidance) with more adaptive responses (i.e., relaxation, assertive
behavior). The development of BT in Great Britain was spearheaded by Eysenck, with similar
approaches to that of the United States and South Africa, which were developed independently.
As BT focused directly on problematic behavior, vague concepts and unobservable phenomena
generally were disregarded.
“Second Wave” of Behavior Therapy: Expanded emphasis on cognition. By the late
1960s, behavior therapists increasingly recognized that thoughts and feelings needed to be
addressed for an adequate analysis of and intervention for human problems. However,
associationism and behavior analysis were unable to provide an adequate account of human
language and cognition. As a paradigm shift legitimized cognition as a viable target for clinical
intervention, early cognitive mediational accounts of behavior change (e.g., Bandura, 1969) grew
into the cognitive therapy movements. Three major influences to the second wave of BT have
been identified: 1) the application of basic cognitive psychology constructs to the development of
clinical intervention, 2) the development of behavioral self-control procedures as cognitive
interventions (e.g., Thoresen & Mahoney, 1974), and 3) the emergence of cognitive therapies by
Ellis (1962) and A. T. Beck (1964, 1970), which were developed within a clinical setting rather
than within basic psychology (Craighead & Craighead, 2003). Cognition was addressed from a
clinically relevant point of view, as patients of different diagnostic populations were observed to
7engage in particular styles of cognitive processing. Thus, the new cognitive therapies focused on
the detection, correction, testing, and disputation of irrational or dysfunctional thoughts,
maladaptive cognitive schemas, and faulty information-processing styles. Behavioral principles
were combined with cognitive therapy to form cognitive behavior therapy, aimed at treating
problems related to overt cognition, behavior, and emotion.
“Third Wave” of Behavior Therapy: Mindfulness-based treatments. As previously
stated, the “third wave” of behavior therapy began in the early 1990s with the development of
innovative treatments that emphasize present-moment awareness and acceptance. Hayes (2004)
outlined the following features of this generation of clinical intervention:
Grounded in an empirical, principle-focused approach, the third wave of behavioral and cognitive therapy is particularly sensitive to the context and functions of psychological phenomena, not just their form, and thus tends to emphasize contextual and experimental change strategies in addition to more direct and didactic ones. These treatments tend to seek the construction of broad, flexible, and effective repertoires over an eliminative approach to narrowly defined problems, and to emphasize the relevance of the issues they examine for clinicians as well as clients. The third wave reformulates and synthesizes previous generations of behavioral and cognitive therapy and carries them forward into questions, issues, and domains previously addressed primarily by other traditions, in hopes of improving both understanding and outcome. (p. 658)
Treatments within the third wave can be categorized into two groups: interventions that are based
on mindfulness training (i.e., Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive
Therapy), and interventions that include mindfulness as a key component (i.e., Acceptance and
may allow for the training of a new conditioned response (i.e., present-moment nonjudgmental
awareness) to cues of negative internal experiences, allowing for the extinction of the old
conditioned response of avoidance (Breslin et al.).
Regardless of the mechanism of action, several positive consequences of mindfulness
have been documented. As previously mentioned, symptom reduction has been noted for
individuals who received a mindfulness-based treatment. Mindfulness appears to interrupt cycles
of negative internal experiences, such as anticipatory anxiety of a future event, or rumination of a
past event. Beliefs, regarded as habits of thinking, feeling, and perceiving (Tart, 1994), determine
the manner in which one observes the external environment; mindfulness allows one to observe
beliefs and their potential consequences without accepting them as truth. As a result, an
increased range of responses become available, as habitual ways of responding are replaced with
intentional ways of responding that are chosen rather than automatically enacted (Hayes, 2002a;
Roemer & Orsillo, 2002; Breslin et al., 2002). For example, mindfulness may disrupt the flight-
or-fight reaction in anxiety-provoking situations, allowing for effective response rather than fear
or panic (Miller, Fletcher, & Kabat-Zinn, 1995). This may allow for the ability to engage in a
variety of coping responses, better control of attention needed for demanding tasks, or an increase
in feelings of self-efficacy and perceived control (Baer, 2003; Breslin et al., 2002; Trunnel,
White, Cederquist & Braza 1996). Although the purpose of mindfulness is not to induce
relaxation, nonjudgmental observation of physiological arousal or negative internal events may
evoke relaxation. Mindfulness may also lead to the focus on the process or intrinsic qualities of
an activity, allowing for the increase of pleasure experienced during an activity and a decrease of
negative mood associated with failing to achieve the extrinsic outcome (Borkovec, 2002).
Davidson and colleagues (2003) report that mindfulness meditation produces brain activation in a
region typically associated with positive affect, and beneficial effects of immune functioning. In
addition, Carlson, Speca, Patel, and Goodey (2003) found significant improvements in quality of
17life, symptoms of stress, and sleep quality in breast and prostate cancer patients after participation
in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Finally, there may be an evolutionary adaptive
value of nonjudgmental awareness on the present moment:
We are hard wired to process internal (e.g., primary emotional) and external information for use in our adaptation to our environments and in facilitation of our survival…It makes sense, then, that my prime directive as a living organism is to accurately process new information as it becomes available to me. The only real information that is available is that which exists in the present moment. When I am paying attention to this information, I do not have to judge it, categorize it, memorize it, or think about how I might use it in the future. I merely pay attention to it; my information processing systems will handle the rest. The information will be stored in memory, and when a future event occurs in the present, I can trust that an adequate, adaptive response will be elicited, because this is precisely what these systems were designed to do. (Borkovec, 2002, p. 78)
The Relationship of Mindfulness to Meditation
The terms “mindfulness” and “mindfulness meditation” are often used interchangeably.
Part of the confusion arises from the lack of operationalization of mindfulness, as some
definitions characterize it as a method or technique and others as a process. Mindfulness
meditation, also referred to as satipatana vipassana, awareness meditation, or insight meditation,
has similar roots to mindfulness in Mahayana Buddhism, (Kabat-Zinn, 1984). However,
mindfulness has been distinguished from mindfulness meditation, in that the latter is the practice
which emphasizes present-moment detached observation of a constantly changing field of
objects. Mindfulness meditation involves the development of a “watcher self” (Deatherage,
1975) and regularly setting time to practice being mindful (Robins, 2002). During mindfulness
meditation, one attends to breath and body sensations, and brings an attitude of acceptance to any
distraction that might occur (Breslin et al., 2002). As attention becomes stable, the practioner
allows the field of objects to expand to include all physical and mental events (e.g., thoughts,
memories, images, body sensations) as they occur in the moment (Kabat-Zinn, 1984). Thus,
mindfulness meditation is one technique or method that may increase the psychological state
described as mindfulness.
18 Mindfulness has also been distinguished from concentration-based meditation approaches
(e.g., Transcendental Meditation, relaxation meditation, Raj Yogi, samatha meditation) by the
way that the nature of attention and distraction is viewed. Although concentration-based
approaches have roots in Theravada Buddhism (Gunaratana, 1991), individuals engaging in
concentration-based approaches restrict the focus of attention to a single stimulus (e.g., a mantra,
sound, object, sensation, breathing process), and if attention drifts or is distracted, attention is
redirected to the object of focus (Baer, 2003; Logsdon-Conradsen, 2002). It is described as a
“forced” practice (Gunaratana, 1991). In contrast, observation during mindfulness practice
involves observation of the range of internal and/or external stimuli in one’s immediate
awareness (Baer, 2003; Logsdon-Conradsen, 2002), and “brings an attitude of acceptance to the
inevitable distractions that occur” (Breslin et al., 2002, p. 280). There is evidence that
concentration-based and mindfulness-based approaches are distinct processes. For example,
mindfulness practioners significantly outperformed concentrative practioners in the ability to pay
attention when unconditioned stimuli were presented (Logsdon-Conradsen, 2002). Thus, whereas
concentration-based meditation emphasizes controlling the focus of attention, a mindfulness
approach promotes opening the range of awareness.
Constructs Related to Mindfulness
As just discussed, other terms such as “mindfulness meditation” are often
interchangeably used with mindfulness. Further, several constructs appear to be related to
mindfulness. These constructs have been divided into two categories: modes of mental
processing and “reflexive consciousness” (i.e., the type and extent of knowledge about one’s self;
Baumeister, 1999).
Modes of mental processing. Mindfulness has been distinguished from other modes of
mental processing, specifically awareness, attention, cognition, and metacognitive processes.
Awareness, one component of consciousness, has been defined as the continuous monitoring of
inner events and the outer environment (Brown & Ryan, 2003). Attention, another component of
19consciousness, is the process of providing heightened sensitivity to a limited range of experience
(Kosslyn & Rosenberg, 2001). One type of mental process that one can be conscious of is
cognition, or the subjective experiences that one can know or become aware of, including all
mental or psychological experiences or states of which one can be conscious (Toneatto, 2002).
Related to mindfulness, Buddhism differentiates between perceptual cognition, the way events
inside and outside the body present to awareness, and conceptual cognition, the internal
experiences that co-emerge with perceptual cognition that can be descriptive (e.g., “that is a
noise”), analytic (e.g., “that is a loud noise”) or judgmental (e.g., “that is an annoying noise”)
(Toneatto, 2002). The latter type of cognition is most related to metacognitive processes.
Although awareness, attention, and cognition are clearly defined, the distinction between
metacognitive processes is not as apparent. Metacognition has been defined in multiple ways,
including the “beliefs and attitudes held about cognition” (Toneatto, 2002, p. 73); cognition about
cognition (Flavell & Ross, 1981); an active and reflective process that is focused toward one’s
cognitive activity (Allen & Armour-Thomas, 1991); and cognitive activity in which other
cognitive activities are the target of reflection (i.e., thinking about thinking) (Yussen, 1985). A
distinction has been made between metacognitive knowledge, factual knowledge that the content
of thoughts do not always correspond to the state of the world, and metacognitive insight, actually
experiencing thoughts as mental phenomena in the moment they occur (Teasdale, 1999; Teasdale
et al., 2002). Metacognitive awareness, classified as a type of metacognitive insight, is the extent
to which thoughts are experienced as mental events rather than as aspects of the self or direct
reflections of truth (Teasdale et al.). Further, metacognitive belief is the extent to which
individuals believe particular thoughts about one’s own cognitions are true.
Further complicating the operationalization of the different modes of mental processing is
that these terms are often used interchangeably. For example, Teasdale et al. (2002) write,
“metacognitive insight (awareness) refers to actually experiencing thoughts as thoughts (that is,
as events in the mind rather than as direct readouts on reality) in the moment they occur” (p. 286).
20By using both terms, the distinction between them is blurred. In addition, the definition of one
mode of mental processing is often used to define another. For example, whereas awareness was
earlier defined as the continuous monitoring of inner and outer environments, awareness has also
been defined in the mindfulness literature as, “the ability of the human mind to distinguish
cognition (e.g., thinking, feeling) from cognizing (e.g., to know that one is feeling or thinking)”
(Toneatto, 2002, p. 73); the latter definition closely resembles the definition of metacognitive
knowledge and metacognitive insight. The definitions of some of these terms have also been
domain-specific; for example, metacognition has been defined in relationship to
psychopathology, as “an awareness of how cognition contributes to depression” (Teasdale et al.,
p. 286). Metacognitive processing appears to be related to mindfulness. Mindfulness has been
described as a “kind of meta-cognitive ability in which the participant has the capacity to observe
his or her own mental processes” (Bishop, 2002, p. 74). However, as previously discussed,
mindfulness is the combination of present-moment awareness and acceptance of internal
experiences, rather than simply the ability to observe one’s mental processes.
Forms of reflexive consciousness. One of the earliest examinations of the monitoring of
behavior and internal states is with regard to self-monitoring, or the “self-observation and self-
control guided by situational cues to social appropriateness” (Synder, 1974, p. 526). Synder
outlined potential goals of self-monitoring, including to communicate accurately one’s emotional
state, to communicate an emotional state that may not be accurate with one’s experienced
emotional state, to conceal an inappropriate emotional state and appear unresponsive or to be
experiencing an appropriate emotional state. Synder depicted the self-monitoring individual as
one who is sensitive to the expression and self-presentation of others and one who uses these cues
as guidelines when monitoring his/her own self-presentation.
A more modern reference to self-monitoring from the behavior therapy literature is with
regard to the therapeutic assessment procedure of noticing actions, thoughts, or feelings by a
client in a naturalistic setting (Korotitsch & Nelson-Gray, 1999). Self-monitoring procedures are
21used for diagnostic assessment, to conduct a functional assessment, to select target behaviors for
treatment, and to monitor treatment (Korotitsch & Nelson-Gray, 1999). Self-monitoring
procedures have also been used as a cognitive-behavioral intervention, such as in daily food
records in treating bulimia (Agras & Apple, 1997) and worry records in treating generalized
anxiety disorder (Craske, Barlow, & O’Leary, 1992), due to the potential reactive effects (i.e.,
change in the frequency of a target behavior that is a result of the self-monitoring procedure).
Related to Synder’s (1974) construct of self-monitoring, self-awareness theory (Duval &
Wicklund, 1972) makes the distinction between attention directed inward toward the self and
attention directed outward toward the environment (Fenigstein, 1997). Three constructs have
been derived from self-awareness theory: self-awareness, self-consciousness, and self-focused
attention. The construct of self-awareness is described as a psychological state in which “the
existence of self-directed attention as a result of transient situational variables, chronic
dispositions, or both” (Fenigstein, Scheier, & Buss, 1975, p. 522). A distinction has been drawn
between private self-awareness, awareness of oneself from a personal perspective, and public
self-awareness, the awareness of oneself from the imagined perspective of others (Fejfar &
Hoyle, 2000). In contrast to self-awareness, a psychological state, trait differences in self
attention are referred to as self-consciousness or “the consistent tendency of persons to direct
attention inward or outward” (Fenigstein et al., 1975, p. 522). Self-consciousness has two
independent dimensions: private self-consciousness, the tendency to be aware of internal thoughts
and feelings, and public self-consciousness, the tendency to be cognizant in the outward display
of the self and reactions of others to the self (Fenigstein et al.). Increased private self-
consciousness has been found to be related to increased awareness of thoughts and feelings,
experience of bodily sensations, and affective reactivity to private events (Fenigstein, 1997).
However, critics of the Fenigstein et al. conceptualization of private self-consciousness have
argued that it is composed of two factors, self-reflectiveness and internal state awareness
(Anderson & Bohon, 1996). Self-reflectiveness has been found to correlate positively with
22measures of negative affect and neuroticism, whereas internal state awareness does not correlate
or correlates negatively (Trapnell & Campbell, 1999). The constructs of rumination (i.e.,
neurotic self-attentiveness) and reflection (i.e., intellectual self-attentiveness) have also been
delineated as separate components of private self-consciousness (Trapnell & Campbell, 1999).
Rumination, correlated with measures of neuroticism, is thought to be motivated by perceived
threats, loss, or injustices to the self, whereas reflection, associated with the dimension of
openness, is self-attentiveness motivated in curiosity or interest in the self (Trapnell & Campbell,
1999). Private self-consciousness has also been conceptualized as comprising of self-reflection
and insight (Grant, Franklin, & Langford, 2002). The third construct derived from self-awareness
theory is the construct of self-focused attention, which has been described as an awareness of
internally generated information (Ingram, 1990).
Related to self-focused attention is the construct of absorption. Tellegen & Atkinson
(1974), in investigating correlates of hypnotic suggestibility, termed absorption as the “full
commitment of available perceptual, motoric, imaginative and ideational resources to a unified
representation of the attentional object” (Tellegen & Atkinson, 1974, p 274). They proposed that
this state of “total attention” is related to a heightened sense of reality to a focal object, decreased
distraction by external events, and an altered sense of reality and sense of self. Self-absorption,
or maladaptive self-focused attention, involves excessive, sustained and rigid attention to internal
information (Ingram, 1990).
Deikman (1982) described an observing self, or the center of all experience. When the
observing self is removed from the contents of consciousness, we are better able to “locate
ourselves in the observer instead of the contents—those patterns of emotions, thoughts, and
fantasies responsible for our pain” (Deikman, 1982, p. 99). Similarly, self-observation is defined
as “the conscious reflection and interpretation of one’s temporal stream of sensation, emotion,
and thought” (Horowitz, 2002, p. 115). Self-observation is thought to be adaptive, as it reduces
23the intensity of affect, obsessive thinking, and automatic response patterns (Deikman, 1982), and
aids in the ability to think more broadly and openly (Horowitz, 2002).
With regard to how one observes the self, Deikman (1982) defined the term
deautomatization as “an undoing of the automatic processes that control perception and
cognition” (p. 137). Through deautomatization, one disindentifies with automatic sequences,
which leads to a decrease in their impact and increased ability to choose an appropriate response.
Related to deautomatization, Safran & Segal (1990) have defined deautomization as the slowing
down a habitual mode of perceptual processing and increasing attention to details that would
otherwise not be processed, and decentering, changing the nature of one’s experience by having
the capacity to observe oneself and stepping out of one’s immediate experience.
Self-regulation, another construct regarding how one processes information about the
self, is the process by which a system regulates itself to achieve specific goals (Schwartz, 1984).
An engineering concept applied to living organisms, it was later expanded from automatic
response to include conscious self-regulation (Shapiro & Schwartz, 2000). Based on positive and
negative feedback loops, during conscious attentional self-regulation, bringing something to
conscious attention amplifies the feedback, which then leads to subsequent self-regulation
(Shapiro & Schwartz, 2000). Negative feedback loops lead to homeostasis, whereas positive
feedback loops lead to change, growth, or development (Shapiro & Schwartz, 1999). Techniques
that have been used to develop self-regulation include meditation, biofeedback, guided imagery,
is a 52-item inventory that measures adults’ metacognitive awareness, broken down into two
29categories, knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition. Knowledge of cognition, or the
reflective aspect of metacognition, includes three subprocesses: “declarative knowledge (i.e.,
knowledge about the self and about strategies), procedural knowledge (i.e., knowledge about how
to use strategies), and conditional knowledge (i.e., knowledge about when and why to use
strategies)” (Schraw & Dennison, 1994, p. 460). Regulation of cognition includes processes that
aid the control of learning, including planning, comprehension monitoring, and evaluation
(Schraw & Dennison, 1994). Knowledge of cognition items include “I have control over how
well I learn” and “I am aware of what strategies I use when I study”, and regulation of cognition
items include “I set specific goals before I begin a task” and “I slow down when I encounter
important information.” Even though these factors were found to be reliable (Cronbach’s alpha =
.90) and intercorrelated (r = .54), the MAI is domain-specific, as items pertain to learning
performance.
The Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire (MCQ; Cartwright-Hatton & Wells, 1997) is a 65-
item self-report measure that measures beliefs about worry and intrusive thoughts. Based on
Wells’ (1995) meta-cognitive model of worry in generalized anxiety disorder, the measure was
developed to explore the relationship between metacognition (i.e., beliefs about worry and
selective attention to and monitoring of cognitive events), worry, and intrusions. Results
supported five distinct factors: Factor 1: positive beliefs about worry; Factor 2: negative beliefs
about the controllability of thoughts and corresponding danger; Factor 3: cognitive confidence;
Factor 4: negative beliefs about thoughts in general (including themes of superstition,
punishment, and responsibility); and Factor 5: cognitive self-consciousness (i.e., the tendency to
be aware of and monitor thinking). Factors 1, 2, and 4 are domain-specific to worry, as they
include items such as “Worrying helps me to avoid problems in the future” (Factor 1), “Worry is
dangerous for me” (Factor 2), and “If I did not control a worrying thought, and then it happened,
it would be my fault” (Factor 4). Factor 3 is specific to memory, and includes items such as, “I
have little confidence in my memory for words and names.” Although Factor 5 appears to be
30most related to the awareness component of mindfulness, it assesses cognitive self-consciousness
or preoccupation with thought processes (e.g., “I constantly examine my thoughts.”), and was
found to be positively correlated with worry and predict stress and emotional vulnerability
(Cartwright-Hatton & Wells, 1997). Further, even though the MCQ assesses metacognitive belief
about thoughts, it is domain-specific to generalized anxiety disorder.
The last measure related to metacognitive processes is the Metacognitive Awareness
Questionnaire (MAQ; Teasdale et al., 2001). The MAQ is a 9-item scale developed for patients
to rate the extent that their negative thoughts and feelings when depressed do not reflect reality.
The MAQ includes items such as, “If something has upset me, I try to put my judgments on hold
for a while” and “When I get low, my feelings show things in their true light.” Responses range
from 1 to 7 (1 = totally agree; 7 = totally disagree), and higher scores reflect greater
metacognitive awareness. The MAQ demonstrated adequate reliability internal consistency? (i.e.,
Cronbach’s alpha = .71). Although the measure includes some items that assess awareness of
cognition in general, the MAQ is domain-specific to depression.
Measures of reflexive consciousness. The Self-Monitoring Scale (SM; Snyder, 1974) is a
25-item true/false self-report measure that assesses concern for social appropriateness, sensitivity
to the expression and self-presentation of others in social situations as cues to social
appropriateness, and use of these cues to monitor and manage self-presentation and expressive
behavior. The SM includes items that describe concern for one’s presentation of social
appropriateness (e.g., “At parties and social gatherings, I do not attempt to do or say things that
others will like”); attention to appropriate self-expression (e.g., “When I am uncertain how to act
in social situations, I look to the behavior of others for cues”); the ability to control and/or modify
one’s expressive behavior (e.g., “Even if I am not enjoying myself, I often pretend to be having a
good time”); and the extent to which expressive behavior is consistent across situations (e.g., “In
different situations and with different people, I often act like very different persons”). Although
31the SM assesses the extent to which individuals are aware of their behavior, it is specific to the
observation of expressive behavior and self-presentation.
The Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS; Fenigstein et al., 1975) is a 23-item personality
measure developed to assess individual differences in self-consciousness (i.e., the tendency to
direct attention inward or outward). The measure was created to sample a variety of domains,
including preoccupation with one’s own past, present, or future behavior, awareness of one’s
attributes, sensitivity to inner feelings, introspective behavior, awareness of one’s appearance,
and concern over the appraisal of others (Fengistein, 1997). The measure has three subscales: (1)
Private self-consciousness, containing items such as, “I’m always trying to figure myself out” and
“I’m alert to changes in my mood;” (2) Public self-consciousness, assessed by items such as,
“I’m concerned about my style of doing things” and “I’m usually aware of my appearance;” and
(3) Social anxiety, containing items such as, “It takes me time to overcome my shyness in new
situations” and “Large groups make me nervous.” Items are rated on a four-point Likert scale (0
= “extremely uncharacteristic”; 4 = “extremely characteristic”), so that higher scores indicate
higher private self-consciousness, public self-consciousness, or social anxiety. Although the
private self-consciousness subscale most closely resembles mindfulness, it focuses solely on
thoughts and reflections of the self without including the component of acceptance.
The Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ; Trapnell & Campbell, 1999) was
designed in response to the confounding of motivationally distinct dispositions, rumination and
reflection, by the SCS (Fenigstein et al., 1975). It was created to distinguish neurotic from
inquisitive self-focus. The measure has two subscales: (1) Rumination, containing items such as,
“Often I’m playing back over in my mind how I acted in a past situation;” and (2) Reflection,
containing items such as, “I love exploring my ‘inner’ self.” Items are rated on a 5-point Likert
scale (1 = ‘strongly disagree’; 5 = ‘strongly agree’), so that higher scores indicate higher
rumination or reflection. Although the reflection subscale most closely resembles mindfulness, it
32measures the extent to which individuals analyze or examine the “self” rather than internal
experiences (e.g., thoughts, feelings, images, memories) of the self.
The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS; Grant, Franklin, & Langford, 2002) was
designed as an advancement of the private self-consciousness subscale (PrSCS) of the SCS
(Fenigstein, et al., 1975). The PrSCS is thought to comprise of two factors: internal state and
self-reflection (Grant et al., 2002). For this reason, the SRIS is a 20-item scale that consists of
two subscales, Self-Reflection (SRIS-SR) and Insight (SRIS-IN). SRIS-SR items include “I
frequently examine my feelings” and “It is important for me to evaluate the things that I do,” and
SRIS-IN items include “I am usually aware of my thoughts” and “I usually know why I feel the
way I do.” Items are rated on a 6-point Likert sale (1 = strongly disagree; 6 = strongly agree),
and higher scores indicate higher self-reflection and insight. Similar to the PrSCS subscale of the
SCS, the SRIS only measures reflection on cognitions and behavior and internal state awareness.
Measures of acceptance. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ; Hayes,
1996) is a 16-item measure that assesses the ability to accept undesirable internal events while
continuing to pursue desired goals. Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = never true; 7 =
always true), with higher scores indicating less psychological acceptance. Items assess both the
acceptance (e.g., “I’m not afraid of my feelings”) and action (e.g., “If I promised to do something,
I’ll do it, even if I later don’t feel like it”) factors. The AAQ measures the acceptance component
of mindfulness, but does not specifically reference or assess awareness.
Measuring Mindfulness: The Current Study
As previously discussed, innovative treatments are being developed based on the
construct of mindfulness. A growing number of mindfulness-based interventions have recently
been operationalized, conceptualized, and empirically evaluated (Baer, 2003). A fundamental
problem in this area, however, is the absence of a reliable and valid measure of the construct that
is at the heart of these programs. Several authors have noted the need for a clear operational
definition of mindfulness (e.g., Bishop, 2002; Hayes & Wilson, 2003).
33The development of shared consensus regarding the key characteristics or components of mindfulness represents one of the most critical steps toward a program of research on the clinical use of mindfulness. The lack of a clear operational definition of mindfulness has given rise to considerable and unfortunate ambiguity in the field, such as the equation of mindfulness interventions with acceptance interventions or with meditation, the confusion between relaxation, and the like. Moreover, the lack of widespread consensus on this issue has hindered the progress of research on determining the active ingredients of mindfulness interventions and mechanisms of change. (Dimidjian & Linehan, 2003, p. 166)
Different methods and processes are described with the same term, and distinctions between
mindfulness and related concepts are unclear (Hayes & Wilson, 2003). The lack of an
operational definition of mindfulness has limited the scientific study of the construct (Bishop,
2002).
Bishop et al. (2004) recently proposed an operational definition of mindfulness that
focuses on two components: sustained attention to present experience, and an attitude of
openness, curiosity, and acceptance. Although a useful advance over earlier attempts to define
the construct, one problem with their definition is that any self-regulation of attention is
inconsistent with an attitude of thoroughgoing acceptance (Brown & Ryan, 2004). That is, one
cannot be fully open and accepting of the full range of psychological experience if one is
simultaneously attempting to direct attention in any particular way (e.g., away from external
stimuli, as in certain forms of concentrative meditation).
In addition to the lack of consensus with regard to an operational definition of
mindfulness, the construct has not been determined to be a process or method, as it is “treated
sometimes as a technique, sometimes as a more general method or collection of techniques,
sometimes as a psychological process that can produce outcomes, and sometimes as an outcome
in and of itself” (Hayes & Wilson, 2003, p. 161). Since mindfulness meditation has been
distinguished from mindfulness as a practice, mindfulness should be considered a process.
Whereas mindfulness meditation is one approach to enhance or develop mindfulness, mindfulness
should be considered “a way of being” (Miller et al., 1995, p. 198).
34Further adding to the confusion of the conceptualization of mindfulness is the lack of
consensus about whether mindfulness is a state or trait. This lack of consensus can be seen by
examining the mindfulness measures published to date. The TMS (Bishop et al., 2003) measures
the attainment of a mindful state immediately following a meditation exercise. The KIMS (Baer
et al., 2004) measures mindfulness as a trait, in that respondents are asked to rate items according
to “your own opinion about what is generally true for you.” Similarly, the CAMS (Hayes &
Feldman, 2004) instructs individuals to rate how each item “applies to you.” However, the
MAAS (Brown & Ryan, 2003) and FMI (Buchheld et al., 2001) treat mindfulness as a quasi-trait,
as respondents are asked to rate the occurrence of items within a certain time period. For
example, the MAAS asks respondents to rate items concerning “how frequently or infrequently
you currently have each experience.” Considering mindfulness as a quasi-trait implies that while
individuals may have the tendency to be mindful, specific levels of mindfulness can change over
time.
As a psychological process, mindfulness should have the potential to be measured. It
would be important to assess levels of mindfulness in individuals who receive mindfulness-based
interventions to help determine the hypothesized mechanisms of these treatments. However,
“such investigations would require a psychometrically sound measure of mindfulness, which the
field currently lacks” (Dimidjian & Linehan, 2003, p. 169). The current measures of mindfulness
(and related constructs) reviewed above are problematic for one of two reasons: (a) they are
domain-specific; and/or (b) they assess only a single component of mindfulness. For these
reasons, the current study proposes to develop an operational definition and a bi-dimensional
measure to assess mindfulness based on a conceptualization of the key components of
mindfulness, namely present-moment awareness and acceptance.
Acceptance and present-moment awareness appear to be central components of
mindfulness. Most of the clinical definitions explicitly include these concepts in defining
mindfulness. Moreover, the mindfulness-based interventions all emphasize acceptance and
35present-moment awareness as important aspects of mindfulness meditation, one method of
developing mindfulness (Breslin et al., 2002). It should be noted that the two dimensions of
mindfulness are with regard to the full range of stimuli that occur both internal and external to the
individual. This is distinct from the social-psychological literature, which describes mindfulness
as perceptual inputs only from the external environment (Brown & Ryan, 2003).
Integrating Awareness and Acceptance
As previously discussed, present-moment awareness and acceptance reflect the key
components of mindfulness. Present-moment awareness will be defined as continuous
monitoring awareness of ongoing internal and external experiences. Whereas high levels of
present-moment awareness reflect high monitoring, low levels of present-moment awareness
reflect a relative lack of monitoring. The second dimension, acceptance, is a nonjudgmental
stance toward one’s experience. High levels of acceptance are characterized by experiencing
events fully and without defense, and low levels are characterized by avoidance and/or by
attempts to control internal experience (Hayes, 1994). Thus, four psychological states can be
conceptualized by crossing the two dimensions of present-moment awareness and acceptance: (1)
mindfulness (high present-moment awareness, high acceptance); (2) “flow” (low present-moment
awareness, high acceptance); (3) unsuccessful experiential avoidance and/or control (high
present-moment awareness, low acceptance); and (4) successful experiential avoidance and/or
control (low present-moment awareness, low acceptance). See Appendix D for an illustration of
the four psychological states.
As previously discussed, mindfulness is characterized by nonjudgmental awareness to
internal and external experiences. During mindfulness, experiences are observed without
intention to control or avoid them. In an illustration of mindfulness of a bodily sensation:
As I write, there is a small knot at the top of my stomach. I focus on the feeling: a slight pressure, a full feeling at the top of my stomach. That feeling of pressure becomes the object of my attention. I don’t pull back from it. It is getting more intense, but I don’t detach from it: I come in close and touch it. There’s the feeling in my stomach, which is
36unpleasant. There’s mindfulness which is able to turn to it…Everything is focus on that sensation. We’re not trying to add to it, subtract from it, make it feel better, change it in any way. We try to experience it with no separation whatsoever…Instead of fighting the feeling, or turning away from it, we’re learning to turn toward it…We can learn to welcome the unwanted, simply because it is there and is our life in that moment.” (Rosenberg, 1998, pp. 66-67)
Experiences are not evaluated, judged, or believed, but instead simply acknowledged as mental
events. Mindfulness takes place without reference to self, (i.e., noting sensations as sensations,
thoughts as thoughts, etc.), and is characterized as present-moment observation, continuously
monitoring the evolution of one’s experiences in the moment; “if you are remembering your
second-grade teacher, that is memory. When you then become aware that you are remembering
your second-grade teacher, that is mindfulness” (Gunaratana, 1991, p. 152). Thus, mindfulness
reflects high levels of both present-moment awareness and acceptance.
A low level of present-moment awareness and a high level of acceptance would liken to
the state of “flow,” “a subjective state that people report when they are completely involved in
something to the point of forgetting time, fatigue, and everything else but the activity itself”
(Csikszentmihalyi & Rathunde, 1993, p. 59). Conditions that evoke the state of flow are
conducive to deep concentration that “is so intense that there is no attention left over to think
about anything irrelevant or to worry about problems” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 71). Although
attention is focused on the present during flow, it is characterized by a loss of self-consciousness
and self-awareness (Csikszentmihalyi & Rathunde, 1993). During the state of flow, time passes
more quickly, and there is a decrease in awareness as “thoughts, intentions, feelings and all the
senses are focused on the same goal” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 41). Research suggests that for
individuals who report to be in the state of flow frequently, there is reduced mental activity in all
information channels with the exception of that involved in sustained attention of a flashing
stimulus (Holcomb, 1976). Activity during flow is considered autotelic, or rewarding in and of
itself, which may give reason for why individuals disregard typically unpleasant states such as
hunger, fatigue, and discomfort (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2002). Thus, during the state of
37flow, awareness is reduced to what is decided as relevant for the present moment and
preoccupations or discomforts do not intrude, because behavior is intrinsically motivated. Flow
would be characterized by high levels of acceptance, since explicit attempts are not made to
regulate irrelevant preoccupations or discomforts. Instead, they are experienced without defense,
allowing attention to be redirected to the present moment and task at hand.
Whereas high levels of acceptance are characterized by experiencing events without
defense, low levels are characterized by attempts to avoid and/or control one’s experiences. A
low level of acceptance combined with high levels of present-moment awareness would result in
unsuccessful experiential avoidance, which is characteristic of accounts of various forms of
psychopathology. Experiential avoidance is “the phenomenon that occurs when a person is
unwilling to remain in contact with particular experiences (e.g., bodily sensations, emotions,
thoughts, memories, behavioral predispositions) and takes steps to alter the form or frequency of
these events and the contexts that occasion them” (Hayes et al., 1999, p. 58). Literature suggests
that deliberate attempts to control or avoid unpleasant experiences often paradoxically increase
the intensity of the experience. A large source of data supporting the negative consequences of
experiential avoidance and/or control comes from the thought suppression literature. For
example, when participants are told to suppress a thought, they will later show an increase in the
suppressed thought compared with those not given suppression directions (e.g., Clark, Ball, &
Pape, 1991; Wegner, Schneider, Carter, & White, 1987). The instruction for suppression may
stimulate the suppressed thoughts or emotion in a self-amplifying loop (Hayes, Wilson, Gifford,
Follette, & Strosahl, 1996), which may give reason for its relationship to rumination (Gold &
and poorer ratings of quality of sleep (Harvey, 2003). Further, not only do attempts to control or
alter one’s private experiences often fail, but they can paradoxically lead to even further increases
in anxiety-related arousal. This vicious cycle of increased arousal, increased awareness, and
further efforts at experiential avoidance and/or control can produce behavior disruption, as one is
preoccupied with controlling unpleasant thoughts and feelings, which may lead to further
attempts at experiential avoidance and/or control. Thus, even though both awareness and
acceptance are included in the model by Herbert and Cardaciotto, acceptance is proposed to be
the construct that provides beneficial or protective effects.
Results from the present research support predictions about the differential effects of
awareness and acceptance. In the second nonclinical sample, whereas lower levels of depression
and anxiety were found to be related to higher levels of acceptance, awareness was found not to
be related to depression and anxiety. In addition, although the nonclinical sample had
significantly higher levels of both awareness and acceptance relative to the clinical sample, the
magnitude of the difference between the clinical and nonclinical mean awareness scores and both
samples’ mean acceptance scores was significantly different: the magnitude of difference was
greater for the samples’ mean acceptance scores, which supports its unique role in positive mental
health. Although these results are preliminary and are in need of replication and extension, they
are highly provocative and warrant further investigation. Thus, confounding awareness and
acceptance in the investigation of mindfulness may obscure their individual effects in the etiology
or maintenance of psychopathology. Further, the PHLMS provides a way to study these
differential effects, which did not exist until now.
Clinical Implications
Although the PHLMS was developed for both clinical and research purposes, its use in
clinical settings may be premature at this time. Findings from the present study do warrant future
research to explore the utility of the PHLMS with psychiatric populations. Specifically, higher
69levels of mindfulness in clinical patients were found to be associated with less depression and
anxiety. Higher levels of mindfulness were also related to lower levels of thought suppression
and rumination, two processes associated with psychopathology (e.g., Purdon, 1999; Thomsen,
Mehlsen, Christensen, & Zachariae, 2003). In addition, higher levels of acceptance were also
related to less rumination. If future research not only further validates the PHLMS with clinical
populations but confirms the differential role of acceptance in psychopathology, the measure may
be useful clinically, especially to track patients’ progress in “third wave” acceptance- and
mindfulness-based treatments.
Limitations
Several limitations of this research should be noted. As previously discussed, limitations
include the lack of statistical power needed to detect significant results with regard to the clinical
sample, as well as the limited scope of mental health measurement. Another limitation concerns
the construct and measurement of flow. First, the FSS was designed to be used immediately or
soon after a flow experience; however, the current project modified the FSS instructions so that a
retrospective approach to data collection could be taken, asking participants to recall a recent
flow experience. Responses may have been influenced by the passing of time, as participants
may have not been able to recall accurately their experiences that previously occurred during the
flow experience. Second, although the FSS has shown good internal consistency, validation data
is quite limited, questioning the utility of the measure. The third limitation concerns the
conceptualization of flow. Although it was predicted that the Acceptance subscale would be
positively related to flow and the Awareness subscale would be negatively related to flow, these
results were not found, and instead, the Awareness subscale was found to be positively correlated
with flow in both the nonclinical and clinical samples. The current project conceptualized flow as
consisting of high levels of acceptance and low levels of awareness. Although this
conceptualization is consistent with several of the dimensions of flow (i.e., “action-awareness
merging,” in which there is no awareness of self as separate from the actions one is performing;
70“loss of self-consciousness,” in which lack of focus on the information normally used to represent
to oneself who one is), flow is also characterized as including “intense and focused concentration
on what one is doing in the present moment” (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2002, p. 90).
Several items on the FSS capture this quality of heightened attention (e.g., “My attention was
focused on what I was doing;” “It was no effort to keep my mind on what was happening”),
which may be related to certain awareness items on the PHLMS. To conduct convergent and
discriminant validation analyses, further studies should find other means of measuring high levels
of acceptance during decreased present-moment awareness.
The inclusion of solely reverse items on the PHLMS Acceptance subscale also may be a
limitation. Although direct-scored items were generated, they were eliminated after content
validity ratings by expert judges, factor analytic procedures, and internal consistency analyses.
Similar occurrences were reported by Brown and Ryan (2003) in the development of the MAAS,
in which the entire measure is reverse-scored, and by Baer et al. (2004) in the development of the
KIMS, in which one of four subscales is reverse-scored. Brown and Ryan demonstrated that the
indirect and direct measurement of their conceptualization of mindfulness were conceptually and
psychometrically equivalent, and noted that statements reflecting less mindfulness may be easier
for individuals to access and rate. Further, since it was the “Accept without Judgment” subscale
that is reverse-scored in the KIMS, Baer et al. propose that the lack nonjudgmental attitude
toward one’s private experiences may also be easier to recognize and report.
Although using student participants as normative samples to examine factor structure and
to conduct validation studies may be another limitation, research suggests that meaningful
variations in mindfulness can be shown in populations without meditation experience (Baer et al.,
2004; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Kabat-Zinn, 2003). This notion is supported by the present project,
in that relationships between mindfulness, acceptance, and awareness and other constructs were
found within the student sample. Since the results from the small clinical sample included in the
present project are limited, a high priority for future research should be to conduct further
71validation analyses with larger clinical samples to examine the potential utility of the PHLMS in
clinical populations. In addition, the PHLMS should be validated with individuals who have
extensive experience with mindfulness (e.g., regular mindfulness meditators), to provide further
evidence that the measure can discriminate between groups expected to differ in degree of
mindfulness.
Directions for Future Research
There are several other directions for future research to be considered. For example,
predictive validity could be conducted by examining whether training in mindfulness or receiving
a mindfulness-based therapy results in higher PHLMS scores. These scores should also be
compared to changes in mindfulness scores after receiving a non-mindfulness-based
psychotherapy. Further, the PHLMS could be used to address the larger question of mechanisms
of action not only in mindfulness-based therapies, but in non-mindfulness-based treatments as
well. For example, Teasdale et al. (2001) proposed that traditional cognitive therapy may prevent
depressive relapse by training patients to change the way in which depression-related material is
processed and the relationship patients have with dysfunctional thoughts, rather than by changing
belief in the thought content. This suggests that mindfulness could be a mechanism of action in
non-mindfulness-based treatments as well. Until now, research has not clearly distinguished the
two components of mindfulness; the present research is the first to clearly disentangle these
components. Future research is needed to follow up on the results suggesting that the acceptance
component is related to beneficial outcomes. Lastly, future research could examine the
relationship of awareness of internal and external stimuli; although one might expect them to
correlate, increased awareness of internal stimuli may lead to decreased awareness of external
stimuli.
Conclusion
There is a marked increased in interest surrounding the construct of mindfulness in
clinical psychology, particularly in the development and study of psychological interventions that
72include mindfulness as a central component. However, there is still no accepted definition of
mindfulness, and the construct has not been sufficiently operationalized. As acceptance and
present-moment awareness appear to be central components of mindfulness (as most definitions
of mindfulness in clinical psychology and mindfulness-based interventions explicitly include
these concepts), we propose a conceptualization of mindfulness consisting of both acceptance and
awareness. Further, the present project provides support for the use of the PHLMS to measure
this construct and its two constituent components. Defining mindfulness as the tendency to have
acceptance, a nonjudgmental stance towards one’s experience, and awareness, a continuous
monitoring of ongoing internal and external stimuli, along with the development of the PHLMS
based on this conceptualization, sets the stage for the scientific investigation of this ancient
construct.
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87Appendix A: Definitions of Mindfulness
Table A1
Clinical Definitions of Mindfulness
Author Definition Baer (2003) The nonjudgmental observation of the ongoing stream of
internal and external stimuli as they arise (p. 125) Boorstein, S. (1983) Technique that focuses precisely on each thought or
affect as it arises in consciousness. (p. 176) Epstein (1995) Mindful attention: Pay precise attention, moment by
moment, to exactly what you are experiencing, right now, separating out your reactions from the raw sensory events
Hayes & Wilson (2003) Set of techniques (that is, a method) designed to encourage deliberate, nonevaluative contact with events that are here & now. (p. 163)
Kabat-Zinn (1990) Nonjudgmental moment-to-moment awareness Kabat-Zinn (1994) Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the
present moment, and nonjudgmentally. (p. 4) Kabat-Zinn (2003) Awareness that emerges through paying attention on
purpose, in the present-moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment (p. 145)
Marlatt & Kristeller (1999) Bringing one’s complete attention to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis
Martin (1997) A state of psychological freedom that occurs when attention remains quiet and limber, without attachment to any particular point of view. (pp. 291-292)
Miller, Fletcher, Kabat-Zinn (1995) A universal human attribute in that it has to do with a particular way of paying attention…The effort to pay attention, nonjudgmentally, to present-moment experience and sustain this attention over time…Witness-like observing and self-reporting of the moment by moment unfolding of one’s experience. (p. 193)
Robins (2002) Nonjudgmental awareness of one’s experience as it unfolds moment by moment. (p. 55)
Toneatto (2002) Mindful attention: the primary and most effective tool taught by the Buddha for reducing or correcting the tendency to engage in erroneous metacognitive activity. In mindful attention, the client is encouraged to observe the display of cognitive events occurring within ordinary awareness (the everyday, untrained mind) but refrain from engaging in any metacognitive (i.e., judgmental activity). (p. 76)
88Table A2
Non-Clinical Definitions of Mindfulness
Author Definition Social Psychology Literature
Brown & Ryan (2003) State of being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present; enhanced attention to and awareness of current experience or present reality. (p. 822)
Langer (1989a) Sensitivity to or awareness of contexts Langer (1992) A state of conscious awareness characterized by active
distinction drawing that leaves the individual open to novelty and sensitive to both context and perspective. (p. 289)
Langer (2000) Actively drawing distinctions and noticing new things—seeing the familiar in the novel and the novel in the familiar. (p. 222)
Langer (2002) A flexible state of mind—an openness to novelty, a process of actively drawing novel distinctions. (p. 214)
Langer & Moldoveanu (2000) Process of drawing novel distinctions. It does not matter whether what is noticed is important or trivial, as long as it is new to the viewer. Actively drawing these distinctions keeps us situated in the present. It also makes us more aware of the context and perspective of our actions than if we rely upon distinctions and categories drawn in the past. (pp. 1-2)
Philosophical/Spiritual LiteratureBraza (1997) Mindfulness is a technique that teachers intent alertness. It
means becoming fully aware of each moment and of your activity in that moment. (p. 5)
Gunaratana (1991) Mindfulness is mirror-thought. It reflects only what is presently happening and in exactly the way it is happening. There are no biases. Mindfulness is non-judgmental observation. It is the ability of the mind to observe without criticism. (p. 151)
Hanh (1976) Keeping one’s consciousness alive to the present reality. (p. 11)
Harvey (2000) A kind of bare attention which sees things as if for the first time…as they really are. (p. 246)
Hirst (2003) Requires the person to attend, to be consciously aware of, the emergent nature of phenomena in consciousness and to recognize the nature of attachments made to these phenomena as they occur; Awareness of being aware. (p. 360)
Horowitz (2002) Attention to the experienced qualities of the self in the present moment and space rather than being preoccupied with what happened in the past or fantasies in the distant futures. (p. 125)
Tart (1994) Complex, open, honest awareness of everything all of the time. (p. 26)
Thera (1972) The clear and single-minded awareness of what actually happens to us and in us at the successive moments of perception. (p. 5)
89Appendix B: Mindfulness Qualities Defined by Kabat-Zinn (1990)
Quality Definition Nonjudging Impartial witnessing, observing the present
moment-by-moment without evaluation and categorization
Nonstriving Non-goal oriented, remaining unattached to outcome or achievement, not forcing things
Acceptance Open to seeing and acknowledging things as they are in the present moment; acceptance does not mean passivity or resignation, rather a clearer understanding of the present so one can more effectively respond
Patience Allowing things to unfold in their time, brining patience to ourselves, to others, and to the present moment
Trust Trusting both oneself, one’s body, intuition, emotions, as well as trusting that life is unfolding as it is supposed to
Openness Seeing things as if for the first time, creating possibility by paying attention to all feedback in the present moment
Letting go Non-attachment, not holding onto thoughts, feelings, experiences; however, letting go does not mean suppressing
Gentleness Characterized by a soft, considerate and tender quality; however, not passive, undisciplined or indulgent
Generosity Giving into the present moment within a context of love and compassion, without attachment to gain or thought of return
Empathy The quality of feeling and understanding another person’s situation in the present moment—his or her perspectives, emotions, actions (reactions)—and communicating this to the person
Gratitude The quality of reverence, appreciating and being thankful for the present moment
Lovingkindness A quality of embodying benevolence, compassion and cherishing, a quality filled with forgiveness and unconditional love
Note. Excerpted from “The role of intention in self-regulation: Toward intentional systemic
mindfulness,” by S. L. Shapiro and G. E. Schwartz, 2000, In M. Boekaerts, M. Zeidner, & P. R.
Pintrich (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation, p. 263.
90Appendix C: List of Measures of Mindfulness and Related Constructs
Measure Author Intended Use Limitation Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ)
Hayes (1996) Measures the ability to accept undesirable internal events while continuing to pursue desired goals
Only measures the acceptance component of mindfulness
Only assesses thoughts & feelings; does not assess other phenomena
Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI)
Buchheld, Grossman, & Walach (2001)
Measures nonjudgmental present-moment observation & openness to negative experience
Designed for use with experienced meditators
Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS)
Baer, Smith, & Allen (2004)
Measures four mindfulness skills: observing, describing, acting with awareness, accepting without judgment
Most similar to mindfulness as it is taught in DBT
Meta-Cognitions Questionnaire (MCQ)
Cartwright-Hatton & Wells (1997)
Measures beliefs about worry and intrusive thoughts
Domain-specific to generalized anxiety disorder
Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI)
Schraw & Dennison (1994)
Measures metacognitive awareness (i.e., knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition)
Domain specific to learning performance
Metacognitive Awareness Questionnaire (MAQ)
Teasdale et al. (2001) Measures the extent that negative thoughts and feelings do not reflect reality when depressed
Domain-specific to depression
Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
Brown & Ryan 2003) Measures present-centered attention-awareness
Only assesses present-moment attention and awareness; excludes attitudinal components (e.g., acceptance)
Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ)
Trapnell & Campbell (1999)
Distinguishes neurotic from inquisitive self-focus
Measures the extent to which individuals analyze the “self” rather than internal experiences of the self
Self-Consciousness Scale (SCS)
Fenigstein et al. (1975) Measures individual differences in self-consciousness
Focuses solely on thoughts about the self without including components of acceptance
Self-Monitoring Scale (SM)
Snyder (1974) Measures concern for social appropriateness, sensitivity to the expression and self-presentation of others, and use of cues to monitor self-expressive behaviors
Specific to the observation of expressive behavior and self-presentation
Self Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS)
Grant, Franklin, & Langford (2002)
Measures internal state and self-reflection
Only measures reflection on internal state awareness
Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS)
Bishop et al. (2003) Measures attainment of a mindfulness state immediately following a meditation exercise
Cannot be used outside of mindfulness meditation training
91Appendix D: Illustration of the Four Psychological States
ΑωαρενεσHigh
High
Low
Low
Mindfulness “Flow”
Unsuccessful Experiential Avoidance/ Control
Successful Experiential Avoidance/ Control
Αχχεπτανχ
Αωαρενεσσ
Αχχεπτανχ
92Appendix E: List of Items and Procedures Administered to Expert Judges
PART I – AWARENESS ITEMSAwareness: the continuous monitoring of ongoing internal and external stimuli Acceptance: nonjudgmental stance toward one’s experience Please rate how well the following items reflect awareness AND acceptance according to the definitions above. Reverse scored items (e.g., “I finish a meal and realize I did not notice tasting the food”) should be rated for how well they would discriminate awareness from non-awareness (and acceptance from non-acceptance). In other words, if you judge an item to reflect either very low or very high awareness, please assign it a relatively high ranking. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Poor Poor Fair Good Very Good Awareness Acceptance
_____ _____ When the room is quiet, I hear sounds like a clock ticking or air
coming out of the vents.
_____ _____ I notice when I’m hungry.
_____ _____ I analyze what I do and why I do them.
_____ _____ I notice my surroundings when walking down the street.
_____ _____ I block out sound when I’m focused on an activity.
_____ _____ I can tell when I feel anxious because of changes inside my body.
_____ _____ I am always thinking something.
_____ _____ I am aware of what thoughts are passing through my mind.
_____ _____ I have a keen sense of smell.
_____ _____ I don’t know what mood I am in until after it has passed.
_____ _____ When I am focused on a task, I am not aware of what I am thinking
or feeling.
_____ _____ I am aware of thoughts I’m having when my mood changes.
_____ _____ When I wake up in the morning, I take time to process my thoughts.
_____ _____ During my last meal, I was aware of the texture of the food I was
eating.
_____ _____ When talking with other people, I am aware of their facial and body
expressions.
_____ _____ When talking with other people, I am aware of the emotions I am
experiencing.
93Awareness Acceptance
_____ _____ I often react to a situation without knowing where my emotions are
coming from.
_____ _____ I take time in my daily routine to consider my feelings and
emotions.
_____ _____ When I listen to music, I pay attention to all aspects (words, tune,
rhythm).
_____ _____ When I shower, I am aware of how the water is running over my
body.
_____ _____ When I am startled, I notice what is going on inside my body.
_____ _____ I am a sensitive person.
_____ _____ I experience physical symptoms when experiencing an emotion.
_____ _____ I feel a broad range of emotions.
_____ _____ I feel very few emotions.
_____ _____ Whenever my emotions change, I am conscious of them
immediately.
_____ _____ I daydream a lot.
_____ _____ When someone asks how I am feeling, I can identify my emotions
easily.
_____ _____ I get startled easily.
_____ _____ I notice how my thoughts influence my emotions.
_____ _____ I finish walking or driving a short distance and realize I did not
notice the journey.
_____ _____ I finish a meal and realize I did not notice tasting the food.
_____ _____ I often do not hear what someone has told me even though I was
having a conversation with them.
_____ _____ I notice how my mood is affected by the food I eat.
_____ _____ When my mood changes, I notice the event or the thought that
caused it to change.
_____ _____ I think more about what happened before and what might happen
later than what is happening right now.
_____ _____ I notice that my mind is constantly “thinking.”
_____ _____ Sometimes I feel anger or sadness without knowing what caused
it.
_____ _____ I do things without paying much attention.
_____ _____ I rush through activities without paying attention to what I’m doing.
94Awareness Acceptance _____ _____ I do many tasks like I am on “auto-pilot.”
_____ _____ I am aware of my emotions.
_____ _____ I realize I'm experiencing an emotion as soon as I have it.
_____ _____ When I feel sad, I am conscious of it.
_____ _____ I am sensitive to a change in my emotions.
_____ _____ I can tell how my behavior is affecting others.
_____ _____ When I get scared, I feel my muscles tense up.
_____ _____ When I go outside, I notice my surroundings.
_____ _____ When I do something I enjoy, hours pass without me noticing.
_____ _____ I notice changes inside my body, like my heart beating faster or my
muscles getting tense.
_____ _____ When I walk outside on a sunny day, I notice how the sun feels on
my skin.
_____ _____ I become absorbed into whatever task I am working on.
_____ _____ I notice how my thoughts and emotions feel inside my body.
_____ _____ When I walk outside, I am aware of smells or how the air feels
against my face.
_____ _____ Compared to most people I am very perceptive of my surroundings.
95PART II – ACCEPTANCE ITEMS Acceptance: nonjudgmental stance toward one’s experience Awareness: the continuous monitoring of ongoing internal and external stimuli Please rate how well the following items reflect acceptance AND awareness according to the definitions above. Reverse scored items (e.g., “If I have unpleasant thoughts or feelings, I try to get rid of them”) should be rated for how well they would discriminate acceptance from non-acceptance (and awareness from awareness). In other words, if you judge an item to reflect either very low or very high acceptance, please assign it a relatively high ranking. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Poor Poor Fair Good Very Good Awareness Acceptance _____ _____ When I don’t want to think of something, I try to push the thoughts
out of my head.
_____ _____ If I have unpleasant thoughts or feelings, I try to get rid of them.
_____ _____ It is okay to have unpleasant thoughts or feelings.
_____ _____ Feeling anxious or depressed is something to be concerned
about.
_____ _____ If I feel pain, I don’t do anything to make it go away.
_____ _____ I don’t like feeling down or sad.
_____ _____ If I have an itch, I will do anything to scratch it.
_____ _____ When I have a bad memory, I try to distract myself to make it go
away.
_____ _____ I don’t mind feeling too hot or too cold.
_____ _____ It’s okay to be anxious.
_____ _____ It’s normal for thoughts and feelings to come and go.
_____ _____ I harp on the negative events that happened to me that day.
_____ _____ When something does not go as planned, I can accept the results for
what they are.
_____ _____ I feel okay with the negative experiences in my life.
_____ _____ When I think of the accomplishments in my life, I can accept them
for what they are.
_____ _____ Events that cause pain are okay.
_____ _____ It’s okay when someone lets me down.
_____ _____ I enjoy being with people who are different than I am.
96Awareness Acceptance _____ _____ I feel unlucky, as if I started life out a few cards short of the
deck.
_____ _____ I become angry when I think about my past.
_____ _____ My emotions get in the way of tasks I try to complete.
_____ _____ I sometime have to take a day off because of my emotional state.
_____ _____ I can feel sad, upset, or anxious and still do what I have to do.
_____ _____ I take medication or drink alcohol to escape my feelings.
_____ _____ It is important to control feelings like anxiety or anger.
_____ _____ I try to distract myself when I feel unpleasant emotions.
_____ _____ I can have negative thoughts without getting into a bad mood.
_____ _____ I can listen to criticism openly without reacting or getting defensive.
_____ _____ I don’t let feeling afraid or depressed stop me from doing the things
I want to do.
_____ _____ I try to change my mood if I don’t like it.
_____ _____ I wish I’d be able to stop thinking about things I’ve said in the past.
_____ _____ There are aspects of myself I don’t want to think about.
_____ _____ I put unwanted thoughts out of mind.
_____ _____ I try to put my problems out of mind.
_____ _____ There are things I try not to think about.
_____ _____ I have thoughts I try to avoid.
_____ _____ I try to stay busy to keep thoughts or feelings from coming to mind.
_____ _____ It is important always to feel happy or positive.
_____ _____ When I am standing outside and get cold, I try to do things to make
myself warmer.
_____ _____ I am comfortable with experiencing whatever emotion I'm feeling at
the time.
_____ _____ I feel like I'm flooded with emotions that I can't control.
_____ _____ I wish I could control my emotions more easily.
_____ _____ My emotions are too much for me to handle.
_____ _____ If there is something I don’t want to think about, I’ll try many
things to get it out of my mind.
_____ _____ Whenever I feel an extreme emotion, such as sadness or anger, I try
to stop it.
_____ _____ I tell myself that I shouldn’t feel sad.
_____ _____ I tell myself that I shouldn’t have certain thoughts.
97Awareness Acceptance
_____ _____ I avoid situations that will make me upset.
_____ _____ I do not tolerate situations I cannot change.
_____ _____ When I am outside and a cold wind blows, I do things so I won’t
feel cold.
98Appendix F: List of Retained Items and Expert Judges’ Mean Ratings
1 2 3 4 5
Very Poor Poor Fair Good Very Good
AWARENESS ITEMS
Mean Rating: Mean Rating: Awareness Acceptance 4.50 1.67 When the room is quiet, I hear sounds like a clock ticking or air
coming out of the vents.
3.83 1.33 I notice when I’m hungry.
4.33 1.67 I notice my surroundings when walking down the street.
4.50 2.00 I can tell when I feel anxious because of changes inside my
body.
4.67 2.17 I am aware of what thoughts are passing through my mind.
4.67 2.00 I am aware of thoughts I’m having when my mood changes.
4.83 2.00 During my last meal, I was aware of the texture of the food I was
eating.
5.00 2.00 When talking with other people, I am aware of their facial and
body expressions.
4.50 2.17 When talking with other people, I am aware of the emotions I am
experiencing.
4.33 1.83 When I listen to music, I pay attention to all aspects (words,
tune, rhythm).
4.83 1.83 When I shower, I am aware of how the water is running over my
body.
4.33 2.00 When I am startled, I notice what is going on inside my body.
994.33 2.17 Whenever my emotions change, I am conscious of them
immediately.
4.17 2.00 When someone asks how I am feeling, I can identify my
emotions easily.
4.17 1.40 I finish walking or driving a short distance and realize I did not
notice the journey.
4.33 1.40 I finish a meal and realize I did not notice tasting the food.
3.83 1.40 I often do not hear what someone has told me even though I was
having a conversation with them.
3.83 2.00 I notice how my mood is affected by the food I eat.
3.83 1.60 When my mood changes, I notice the event or the thought that
caused it to change.
4.17 1.40 I do things without paying much attention.
4.17 1.40 I rush through activities without paying attention to what I’m
doing.
4.17 1.40 I do many tasks like I am on “auto-pilot.”
4.33 1.80 When I feel sad, I am conscious of it.
4.50 1.40 I am sensitive to a change in my emotions.
4.17 2.00 When I get scared, I feel my muscles tense up.
4.33 2.00 I notice changes inside my body, like my heart beating faster or
my muscles getting tense.
4.50 1.83 When I walk outside on a sunny day, I notice how the sun feels
on my skin.
4.50 1.67 When I walk outside, I am aware of smells or how the air feels
against my face.
1003.83 1.33 Compared to most people I am very perceptive of my
surroundings.
101ACCEPTANCE ITEMS
Mean Rating: Mean Rating: Awareness Acceptance 2.00 4.33 When I don’t want to think of something, I try to push the
thoughts out of my head.
1.67 4.33 If I have unpleasant thoughts or feelings, I try to get rid of them.
1.67 4.67 It is okay to have unpleasant thoughts or feelings.
1.67 3.83 Feeling anxious or depressed is something to be concerned
about.
1.83 4.00 When I have a bad memory, I try to distract myself to make it go
away.
1.50 4.67 It’s okay to be anxious.
1.50 4.00 When something does not go as planned, I can accept the results
for what they are.
1.33 3.83 I feel okay with the negative experiences in my life.
1.33 4.00 When I think of the accomplishments in my life, I can accept
them for what they are.
1.67 3.83 Events that cause pain are okay.
1.67 4.17 I take medication or drink alcohol to escape my feelings.
1.67 4.17 It is important to control feelings like anxiety or anger.
1.67 4.17 I try to distract myself when I feel unpleasant emotions.
2.17 4.17 I can have negative thoughts without getting into a bad mood.
1.83 4.17 I don’t let feeling afraid or depressed stop me from doing the
things I want to do.
1.67 3.83 There are aspects of myself I don’t want to think about.
2.00 4.17 I put unwanted thoughts out of mind.
1.67 4.00 I try to put my problems out of mind.
1021.67 4.00 There are things I try not to think about.
1.83 4.17 I have thoughts I try to avoid.
1.67 4.17 I try to stay busy to keep thoughts or feelings from coming to
mind.
1.33 4.50 It is important always to feel happy or positive.
1.50 4.00 I wish I could control my emotions more easily.
1.67 4.17 If there is something I don’t want to think about, I’ll try many
things to get it out of my mind.
2.17 4.33 Whenever I feel an extreme emotion, such as sadness or anger, I
try to stop it.
1.67 4.00 I tell myself that I shouldn’t feel sad.
1.50 4.17 I tell myself that I shouldn’t have certain thoughts.
1.50 4.17 I avoid situations that will make me upset.
1.33 4.00 I do not tolerate situations I cannot change.
103 Appendix G: Results from Development Sample Analyses
Table G1
Initial Factor Loadings for Items Completed by the Development Sample
Item Acceptance subscale Awareness subscale
9. I am aware of what thoughts are passing .106 .506
through my mind.
10. When I have a bad memory, I try to distract .533 .001
myself to make it go away.
11. I am aware of thoughts I’m having when my .082 .579
mood changes.
15. When talking with other people, I am aware of .043 .503
their facial and body expressions.
17. When talking with other people, I am aware of .107 .653
the emotions I am experiencing.
21. When I shower, I am aware of how the water is .033 .538
running over my body.
23. When I am startled, I notice what is going on -.052 .634
inside my body.
25. Whenever my emotions change, I am conscious .073 .603
of them immediately.
26. I try to distract myself when I feel unpleasant .568 -.158
emotions.
27. When someone asks how I am feeling, I can .258 .562
identify my emotions easily.
10432. There are aspects of myself I don’t want to think .636 .005
about.
36. I try to put my problems out of mind. .528 .013
37. When my mood changes, I notice the event or the .050 .596
the thought that caused it to change.
38. There are things I try not to think about. .678 -.081
40. I have thoughts I try to avoid. .742 -.003
42. I try to stay busy to keep thoughts or feelings .668 .010
from coming to mind.
46. I wish I could control my emotions more easily. .626 -.003
48. If there is something I don’t want to think about, .721 -.042
I’ll try many things to get it out of my mind.
51. I notice changes inside my body, like my heart -.362 .604
beating faster or my muscles getting tense.
52. I tell myself that I shouldn’t feel sad. .559 -.043
53. When I walk outside on a sunny day, I notice how -.134 .514
the sun feels on my skin.
54. I tell myself that I shouldn’t have certain .670 -.021
thoughts.
55. When I walk outside, I am aware of smells or .059 .543
how the air feels against my face.
105Table G2
Initial Corrected Item-Subscale Correlations for Items Completed by the Development Sample
Note. **Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). *Correlation is significant at the
0.05 level (2-tailed).
113
Appendix H: Copies of Measures
114PHLMS
Instructions: Please circle how often you experienced each of the following statements within the past week. 1. I am aware of what thoughts are passing through my mind. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 2. I try to distract myself when I feel unpleasant emotions. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 3. When talking with other people, I am aware of their facial and body expressions. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 4. There are aspects of myself I don’t want to think about. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 5. When I shower, I am aware of how the water is running over my body. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 6. I try to stay busy to keep thoughts or feelings from coming to mind. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 7. When I am startled, I notice what is going on inside my body. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 8. I wish I could control my emotions more easily. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 9. When I walk outside, I am aware of smells or how the air feels against my face. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 10. I tell myself that I shouldn’t have certain thoughts. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often
115 11. When someone asks how I am feeling, I can identify my emotions easily. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 12. There are things I try not to think about. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 13. I am aware of thoughts I’m having when my mood changes. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 14. I tell myself that I shouldn’t feel sad. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 15. I notice changes inside my body, like my heart beating faster or my muscles getting tense. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 16. If there is something I don’t want to think about, I’ll try many things to get it out of my mind. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 17. Whenever my emotions change, I am conscious of them immediately. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 18. I try to put my problems out of mind. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 19. When talking with other people, I am aware of the emotions I am experiencing. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often 20. When I have a bad memory, I try to distract myself to make it go away. 1 2 3 4 5 Never Rarely Sometimes Often Very Often
116MAAS
Below is a collection of statements about your everyday experience. Using the 1-6 scale below, please indicate how frequently or infrequently you currently have each experience. Please answer according to what really reflects your experience rather than what you think your experience should be. 1 = almost always 2 = very frequently 3 = somewhat frequently 4 = somewhat infrequently 5 = very infrequently 6 = almost never _______ 1. I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until some time later. _______ 2. I break or spill things because of carelessness, not paying attention, or thinking of
something else. _______ 3. I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present. _______ 4. I tend to walk quickly to get where I’m going without paying attention to what I experience
along the way. _______ 5. I tend not to notice feelings of physical tension or discomfort until they really grab my
attention. _______ 6. I forget a person’s name almost as soon as I’ve been told it for the first time. _______ 7. It seems I am “running on automatic” without much awareness of what I’m doing. _______ 8. I rush through activities without being really attentive to them. _______ 9. I get so focused on the goal I want to achieve that I lose touch with what I am doing right
now to get there. _______ 10. I do jobs or tasks automatically, without being aware of what I’m doing. _______ 11. I find myself listening to someone with one ear, doing something else at the same time. _______ 12. I drive places on “automatic pilot” and then wonder why I went there. _______ 13. I find myself preoccupied with the future or the past. _______ 14. I find myself doing things without paying attention. _______ 15. I snack without being aware that I’m eating.
117AAQ-R
Below you will find a list of statements. Please rate the truth of each statement as it applies to you. Use the following scale to make your choice.
1-------------------2--------------------3----------------------4--------------------5-------------------6------------------7 never very seldom seldom sometimes frequently almost always always true true true true true true true _______ 1. I am able to take action on a problem even if I am uncertain what is the right thing to do.
_______ 2. When I feel depressed or anxious, I am unable to take care of my responsibilities.
_______ 3. I try to suppress thoughts and feelings that I don’t like by just not thinking about them.
_______ 4. It’s OK to feel depressed or anxious.
_______ 5. I rarely worry about getting my anxieties, worries, and feelings under control.
_______ 6. In order for me to do something important, I have to have all my doubts worked out.
_______ 7. I’m not afraid of my feelings.
_______ 8. I try hard to avoid feeling depressed or anxious.
_______ 9. Anxiety is bad.
_______10. Despite doubts, I feel as though I can set a course in my life and then stick to it.
_______11. If I could magically remove all the painful experiences I’ve had in my life, I would do so.
_______12. I am in control of my life.
_______13. If I get bored of a task, I can still complete it.
_______14. Worries can get in the way of my success.
_______15. I should act according to my feelings at the time.
_______16. If I promised to do something, I’ll do it, even if I later don’t feel like it.
118RRQ
For each of the statements located on the next three pages, please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement by circling one of the scale categories below each statement. Use the scale as shown below. 1. My attention is often focused on aspects of myself I wish I’d stop thinking about.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 2. I always seem to be rehashing in my mind recent things I’ve said or done.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 3. Sometimes it is hard for me to shut off thoughts about myself.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 4. Long after an argument or disagreement is over with, my thoughts keep going back to what happened.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 5. I tend to “ruminate” or dwell over things that happen to me for a really long time afterward.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 6. I don’t waste time rethinking things that are over and done with.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 7. Often I’m playing back over in my mind how I acted in past situations.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 8. I often find myself reevaluating something I’ve done.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 9. I never ruminate or dwell on myself for very long.
11910. It is easy for me to put unwanted thoughts out of my mind.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 11. I often reflect on episodes in my life that I should no longer concern myself with.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 12. I spend a great deal of time thinking back over my embarrassing or disappointing moments.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 13. Philosophical or abstract thinking doesn’t appeal to me that much.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 14. I’m not really a meditative type of person.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 15. I love exploring my “inner” self.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 16. My attitudes and feelings about things fascinate me.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 17. I don’t really care for introspective or self-reflective things.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 18. I love analyzing why I do things.
1 2 3 4 5
strongly disagree disagree neutral agree strongly disagree 19. People often say I’m a “deep,” introspective type of person.
Psychologists have described times when people get very absorbed in an activity they're doing. They call this a "flow" experience. A flow experience occurs when you are totally involved in what you are doing, you are not aware of your surroundings, and time seems either to slow down or to pass by really quickly. You shut out the whole world because you are concentrating on the activity that you are doing. Your mind doesn't wander or think of anything but the activity that you are absorbed in. Please think back to such an experience that occurred within the past two weeks. Some people have these experiences often, while others rarely do. Do your best to identify some experience similar to what was described above, even if it is not exactly the same. Think about how you felt during the experience and answer the questions below using the rating scale. There are no right or wrong answers. Just circle the number that best matches your experience. Rating Scale: Strongly Neither agree Strongly disagree Disagree nor disagree Agree agree 1 2 3 4 5 1. I was challenged, but I believed my skills 1 2 3 4 5 would allow me to meet the challenge. 2. I made the correct movements without 1 2 3 4 5 thinking about trying to do so. 3. I knew clearly what I wanted to do. 1 2 3 4 5 4. It was really clear to me that I was doing 1 2 3 4 5 well. 5. My attention was focused entirely on what I 1 2 3 4 5 was doing. 6. I felt in total control of what I was doing. 1 2 3 4 5 7. I was not concerned with what others may 1 2 3 4 5 have been thinking of me. 8. Time seem to alter (either slowed down or sped up). 1 2 3 4 5 9. I really enjoyed the experience. 1 2 3 4 5 10. My abilities matched the high challenge of 1 2 3 4 5 of the situation. 11. Things just seemed to be happening automatically. 1 2 3 4 5 12. I had a strong sense of what I wanted to do. 1 2 3 4 5 13. I was aware of how well I was performing. 1 2 3 4 5 14. It was no effort to keep my mind on what 1 2 3 4 5 was happening. 15. I felt like I could control what I was doing. 1 2 3 4 5
12216. I was not worried about my performance 1 2 3 4 5 during the event. 17. The way time passed seemed to be different 1 2 3 4 5 than normal. 18. I loved the feeling of that performance and 1 2 3 4 5 want to capture it again. 19. I felt I was competent enough to meet the 1 2 3 4 5 high demands of the situation. 20. I performed automatically. 1 2 3 4 5 21. I knew what I wanted to achieve. 1 2 3 4 5 22. I had a good idea while I was performing 1 2 3 4 5 about how well I was doing. 23. I had total concentration. 1 2 3 4 5 24. I had a feeling of total control. 1 2 3 4 5 25. I was not concerned with how I was 1 2 3 4 5 presenting myself. 26. It felt like time stopped while I was performing. 1 2 3 4 5 27. The experience left me feeling great. 1 2 3 4 5 28. The challenge and my skills were equally 1 2 3 4 5 at a high level. 29. I did things spontaneously and automatically 1 2 3 4 5 without having to think. 30. My goals were clearly defined. 1 2 3 4 5 31. I could tell by the way I was performing how 1 2 3 4 5 well I was doing. 32. I was completely focused on the task at hand. 1 2 3 4 5 33. I felt in total control of my body. 1 2 3 4 5 34. I was not worried about what others may 1 2 3 4 5 have been thinking of me. 35. At times, it almost seemed liked things were 1 2 3 4 5 happening in slow motion. 36. I found the experience extremely rewarding. 1 2 3 4 5
123WBSI
This survey is about thoughts. There are no right or wrong answers, so please respond to each of the items below. Be sure to answer every item by circling the appropriate letter beside each.
A = Strongly disagree B = Disagree C = Neutral or don’t know D = Agree E = Strongly agree
1. There are things I prefer not to think about. A B C D E 2. Sometimes I wonder why I have the thoughts A B C D E I do. 3. I have thoughts that I cannot stop. A B C D E 4. There are images that come to mind that I A B C D E cannot erase. 5. My thoughts frequently return to one idea. A B C D E 6. I wish I could stop thinking of certain things. A B C D E 7. Sometimes my mind races so fast I wish I A B C D E could stop it. 8. I always try to put problems out of mind. A B C D E 9. There are thoughts that keep jumping into A B C D E my head. 10. There are things that I try not to think about. A B C D E 11. Sometimes I really wish I could stop thinking. A B C D E 12. I often do things to distract myself from my A B C D E thoughts. 13. I have thoughts that I try to avoid. A B C D E 14. There are many thoughts that I have that I A B C D E don’t tell anyone. 15. Sometimes I stay busy just to keep thoughts A B C D E from intruding on my mind.
124M-C SDS
INSTRUCTIONS: Please respond to the following items using the scale below. 1. Before voting, I thoroughly investigate the qualification of all the candidates. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 2. I never hesitate to go out of my way to help someone in trouble. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 3. I have never intensely disliked anyone. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 4. It is sometimes hard for me to go on with my work if I am not encouraged. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 5. On occasion I have had doubts about my ability to succeed in life. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 6. I sometimes feel resentful when I don’t get my way. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 7. I am always careful about my manner of dress. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 8. My table manners at home are as good as when I eat out in a restaurant. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 9. If I could get into a movie without paying and be sure I was not seen I would probably
do it. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree
125 10. On a few occasions, I have given up doing something because I thought too little of my
ability. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 11. I like to gossip at times. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 12. There have been times when I felt like rebelling against people in authority even
though they were right. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 13. No matter who I’m talking to, I’m always a good listener. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 14. I can remember “plying sick” to get out of something. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 15. There have been occasions when I took advantage of someone. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 16. I’m always willing to admit it when I make a mistake. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 17. I always try to practice what I preach. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 18. I don’t find it particularly difficult to get along with loud mouthed, obnoxious people. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree
12619. I sometimes try to get even rather than forgive and forget. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 20. When I don’t know something I don’t at all mind admitting it. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 21. I am always courteous, even to people who are disagreeable. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 22. At times I have really insisted on having things my own way. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 23. There have been occasions when I felt like smashing things. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 24. I would never think of letting someone else be punished for my wrongdoing. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 25. I never resent being asked to return a favor. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 26. I have never been irked when people expressed ideas very different from my own. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 27. I never make a long trip without checking the safety of my car. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 28. There have been times when I was quite jealous of the good fortune of others. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree
127 29. I have almost never felt the urge to tell someone off. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 30. I am sometimes irritated by people who ask favors of me. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 31. I have never felt that I was punished without cause. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 32. I sometimes think when people have a misfortune they only got what they deserved. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree 33. I have never deliberately said something that hurt someone’s feelings. 1 2 3 4 5 Very Strongly Agree Neither Agree Disagree Very Strongly Agree nor Disagree Disagree
128Appendix I: Results from the Nonclinical Sample Analyses
Table I1
PHLMS Descriptive Statistics from the Nonclinical Sample
Item Mean SD Min Max
1. I am aware of what thoughts are passing 4.29 .70 1 5
through my mind.
2. I try to distract myself when I feel unpleasant 2.70 .84 1 5
emotions.
3. When talking with other people, I am aware 4.22 .73 1 5
of their facial and body expressions.
4. There are aspects of myself I don’t want to 3.15 .93 1 5
think about.
5. When I shower, I am aware of how the water 3.31 1.15 1 5
is running over my body.
6. I try to stay busy to keep thoughts or feelings 3.28 .92 1 5
from coming to mind.
7. When I am startled, I notice what is going on 3.01 1.02 1 5
inside my body.
8. I wish I could control my emotions more 2.97 1.09 1 5
easily.
9. When I walk outside, I am aware of smells 3.74 .94 1 5
or how the air feels against my face.
10. I tell myself that I shouldn’t have certain 3.23 .96 1 5
thoughts.
12911. When someone asks how I am feeling, I 3.63 .86 1 5
can identify my emotions easily.
12. There are things I try not to think about. 2.93 .86 1 5
13. I am aware of thoughts I’m having when 3.66 .78 1 5
my mood changes.
14. I tell myself that I shouldn’t feel sad. 3.16 .97 1 5
15. I notice changes inside my body, like my 3.72 .89 1 5
heart beating faster or my muscles getting
tense.
16. If there is something I don’t want to think 2.81 .95 1 5
about, I’ll try many things to get it out of
my mind.
17. Whenever my emotions change, I am 3.44 .86 1 5
conscious of them immediately.
18. I try to put my problems out of mind. 2.95 .90 1 5
19. When talking with other people, I am 3.63 .83 1 5
aware of the emotions I am experiencing.
20. When I have a bad memory, I try to distract 3.00 1.05 1 5
myself to make it go away.
130Table I2
Factor Loadings for the PHLMS
Acceptance Awareness
Item Subscale Subscale
1. I am aware of what thoughts are passing .090 .512
through my mind.
2. I try to distract myself when I feel unpleasant .602 -.004
emotions.
3. When talking with other people, I am aware of .063 .542
their facial and body expressions.
4. There are aspects of myself I don’t want to think .593 .110
about.
5. When I shower, I am aware of how the water is -.012 .542
running over my body.
6. I try to stay busy to keep thoughts or feelings .585 .016
from coming to mind.
7. When I am startled, I notice what is going on -.068 .502
inside my body.
8. I wish I could control my emotions more easily. .561 -.016
9. When I walk outside, I am aware of smells or -.036 .577
how the air feels against my face.
10. I tell myself that I shouldn’t have certain .653 .022
thoughts.
11. When someone asks how I am feeling, I can .152 .503
identify my emotions easily.
13112. There are things I try not to think about. .752 .049
13. I am aware of thoughts I’m having when my -.121 .587
mood changes.
14. I tell myself that I shouldn’t feel sad. .592 -.025
15. I notice changes inside my body, like my heart -.100 .565
beating faster or my muscles getting tense.
16. If there is something I don’t want to think about, .692 -.092
I’ll try many things to get it out of my mind.
17. Whenever my emotions change, I am conscious -.008 .589
of them immediately.
18. I try to put my problems out of mind. .627 .022
19. When talking with other people, I am aware of .050 .673
the emotions I am experiencing.
20. When I have a bad memory, I try to distract .513 -.070
myself to make it go away.
132Table I3
PHLMS Corrected Item-Subscale Correlations from the Nonclinical Sample
Corrected Item-Subscale
PHLMS Awareness Subscale Item Correlation
1. I am aware of what thoughts are passing through my mind. .36
3. When talking with other people, I am aware of their facial and body .39
expressions.
5. When I shower, I am aware of how the water is running over my body. .41
7. When I am startled, I notice what is going on inside my body. .38
9. When I walk outside, I am aware of smells or how the air feels against .45
my face.
11. When someone asks how I am feeling, I can identify my emotions easily. .34
13. I am aware of thoughts I’m having when my mood changes. .45
15. I notice changes inside my body, like my heart beating faster or my .44
muscles getting tense.
17. Whenever my emotions change, I am conscious of them immediately. .43
19. When talking with other people, I am aware of the emotions I am .51
experiencing.
Corrected Item-Subscale
PHLMS Acceptance Subscale Item Correlation
2. I try to distract myself when I feel unpleasant emotions. .49
4. There are aspects of myself I don’t want to think about. .47
6. I try to stay busy to keep thoughts or feelings from coming to mind. .46
8. I wish I could control my emotions more easily. .45
10. I tell myself that I shouldn’t have certain thoughts. .53
13312. There are things I try not to think about. .64
14. I tell myself that I shouldn’t feel sad. .48
16. If there is something I don’t want to think about, I’ll try many things to .59
get it out of my mind.
18. I try to put my problems out of mind. .50
20. When I have a bad memory, I try to distract myself to make it go away .40
134Table I4
PHLMS Inter-item Correlations from the Nonclinical Sample
variable correlation social desirability MAAS (awareness) FSS
BDI-II (depression) -.25 -.20 -.07 -.03
BAI (anxiety) -.27 -.21 -.13 -.02
Note. *p < .01
146Appendix K: An Acceptance-Based Model of Social Anxiety Disorder
Physiological arousal
& Cognitions related to
social evaluation
Increased awareness of
cognitions and physiological
arousal (self-focused
attention)
Low levels of acceptance
Experiential control/
avoidance Behavioral disruption
Social Situation
Predisposition (genetic and/or
learned)
147Vita
LEEANN CARDACIOTTO EDUCATION
2000 - 2005 Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA (formerly MCP Hahnemann University) Candidate for Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, received September 2005 Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology, received August 2002 1996 - 2000 Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA; GPA: 3.71 Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Minor in Sociology, received May 2000 Magna Cum Laude, Honors in Psychology
SELECTED RESEARCH EXPERIENCE 2000 - 2005 Anxiety Research & Treatment Program Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 2001 - 2004 “Friend to Friend Program,” Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 2002 - 2003 Parent-Child Project, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
SELECTED CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
2004 - 2005 Psychological Intern, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Glen Oaks, NY 2000 - 2004 Anxiety Research & Treatment Program, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 2003 - 2004 Student Counseling Center, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 2002 - 2003 Outpatient Psychiatry, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 2001 - 2002 ADHD Clinic, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 2001 - 2002 Lindens Neurobehavioral Program, Bancroft NeuroHealth, Haddonfield, NJ
SELECTED TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2004 - 2004 Course Instructor: “Positive Psychology,”Drexel University 2003 - 2003 Course Instructor: “General Psychology,” Drexel University 2004 - 2004 Course Instructor: “General Psychology,” Drexel University
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Herbert, J.D., & Cardaciotto, L. (in press). A Mindfulness-Based Perspective for Social Anxiety Disorder. Chapter to appear in S. Orsillo & L. Roemer (Eds.), Acceptance and Mindfulness-Based Approaches to Anxiety: Conceptualization and Treatment (Kluwer/Penum).
Cardaciotto, L. & Herbert, J. D. (2004). Cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder in the context of Asperger’s Syndrome: A single-subject report. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 11, 75-81.
Wilkins, V. M., Cardaciotto, L., & Platek, S. M. (2003). Uncertain what uncertainty monitoring monitors. Behavioral & Brain Sciences, 26(3), 356.
Cardaciotto, L., & Herbert, J. D. (2005, November). The Development of a Bi-Dimensional Measure of Mindfulness: The Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS). In J. D. Herbert & L. Cardaciotto (chairs), The Conceptualization and Assessment of Mindfulness. Symposium accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of ABCT, Washington, D.C.
Cardaciotto, L., Herbert, J. D., Gaudiano, B. A., Nolan, E. M., & Dalrymple, K. L. (2002, November). Treating social anxiety disorder with cognitive behavior therapy in the context of Asperger’s syndrome: A single-subject report. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Reno, NV.
SELECTED HONORS, DISTINCTIONS, AND AWARDS
• Autism SIG Annual Student Research Award, Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, 2002
• Phi Beta Kappa, Franklin & Marshall College, 2000 • Psi Chi (National Honor Society in Psychology), Franklin & Marshall College, 1998-2000