Trait Mindfulness and Cognitive Task Performance

Mindfulness meditation (MM) training has been shown to havepositive effects on working memory and focused attention tasks. Clarifying the constructof mindfulness is important so that mindfulness can be studied effectively in individualdifferences and cognition research. The current study tested whether trait mindfulnessalone explains any of the variability on task performance. Five commonly usedmindfulness scales, as well as six standardized and experimental attention and workingmemory tasks were administered to 164 participants with no meditation experience.Confirmatory factor analysis found that the common variance denoted by measures of traitmindfulness is unrelated to the common variance among tasks requiring focused attention.These results indicate that mindfulness scales may not be capturing the attentionalaspects of mindfulness. Individuals who score high on mindfulness scales do not performbetter on focused attention tasks than those who score lower on mindfulness scales.These results have implications for defining and operationalizingmindfulness