Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition

Scott R. Bishop, Ph.D.

Centre for Addictions and Mental Health and the

Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Mark Lau, Ph.D.

Centre for Addictions and Mental Health and the

Department of Psychology, University of Toronto

Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D.

Department of Psychology

Palo Alto Veteran Affairs Health Care System

Linda Carlson, Ph.D.

Tom Baker Cancer Centre and the

Departments of Psychology and Oncology, University of Calgary

Nicole D. Anderson, Ph.D.

Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied Research Unit, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care and the

Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto

 James Carmody, Ph.D.

Division of Preventative and Behavioral Medicine

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Zindel V. Segal, Ph.D.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the

Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Susan Abbey, M.D.

University Health Network and the

Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Michael Speca, Psy.D.

Tom Baker Cancer Centre and the

Department of Oncology, Division of Psychosocial Oncology, University of Calgary

Drew Velting, Ph.D.

Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University

Gerald Devins, Ph.D.

Division of Behavioural Sciences and Health, University Health Network and the

Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 3

Acknowledgments: All of the authors named in this paper have made equal contributions to

the development of the ideas presented in this manuscript. We consider this a joint effort and

want all authors to share in equal credit for this project. This work was supported by a grant

provided by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR# 49612) awarded to the first author.

Correspondence: All correspondence should be directed to the first author.

Scott Bishop, Ph.D.

Psychological Trauma Program

Centre for Addictions and Mental Health

455 Spadina Ave., Suite 200

Toronto, ON, Canada

M5S 2G8

tel: (416) 535-8501 x7364

fax: (416) 971-7172

[email protected]
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 4

Abstract

There has been substantial interest in ‘mindfulness’ as an approach to reduce cognitive

vulnerability to stress and emotional distress in recent years. However, thus far mindfulness has

not been operationally defined. This paper describes the results of recent meetings held to

establish a consensus on mindfulness and to conjointly develop a testable operational definition.

We propose a two-component model of mindfulness and specify each component in terms of

specific behaviours, experiential manifestations, and implicated psychological processes. We

then address issues regarding temporal stability and situational specificity and speculate on the

conceptual and operational distinctiveness of mindfulness. We conclude this paper by discussing

implications for instrument development and briefly describe our own approach to measurement.

(851 characters)
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 5

In the last 20 years, ‘mindfulness’ has become the focus of considerable attention by a

large community of clinicians, and to a less extent, empirical psychology. Mindfulness has been

described as a process of bringing a certain quality of attention to moment-by-moment

experience (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). The capacity to evoke mindfulness is ostensibly developed

using various meditation techniques that originate from Buddhist spiritual practices (Hahn,

1976). Mindfulness in Buddhist traditions occupies a central pole in a system that was developed

as a path leading to the cessation of personal suffering (Thera, 1962; Silananda, 1990).

Mindfulness in contemporary psychology has been adopted as an approach to increasing

awareness and skillful responding to mental processes that contributes to emotional distress and

maladaptive behaviour.

Much of the interest in the clinical applications of mindfulness has been sparked by the

introduction of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), a manualized treatment program

originally developed for the management of chronic pain (Kabat-Zinn, 1982; Kabat-Zinn,

Lipworth & Burney, 1985; Kabat-Zinn, Lipworth, Burney & Sellers, 1987). MBSR is now used

widely to reduce psychological morbidity associated with chronic illnesses and as a treatment for

emotional and behavioural disorders (Kabat-Zinn, 1998). Although the popularity of MBSR has

grown in the absence of rigorous evaluation (Bishop, 2002), randomized controlled trials are

beginning to emerge. The findings are encouraging with recent controlled trials showing

impressive reductions in psychological morbidity associated with medical illness (Reibel,

Greenson, Brainard & Rosenzweig, 2001; Speca, Carlson, Goodey & Angen, 2000; Carlson,

Ursuliak, Goodey, Angen, & Speca, M., 2001) and mitigation of stress and enhanced emotional

well-being in non-clinical samples (Astin, 1997; Shapiro, Schwartz & Bonner, 1998; Williams,

Kolar, Reger & Pearson, 2001).

Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 6

Recent innovations in psychological treatment have also seen an increase in the use of

mindfulness approaches. Dialectical behavior therapy (Linehan, 1993), an approach that has been

shown to reduce self-mutilation and suicidal behaviour in chronically suicidal patients with

borderline personality disorder (Linehan, Armstrong, Saurez, Allmon, & Heard, 1991), provides

training in mindfulness meditation to foster improvements in affect tolerance. Mindfulness-

Based Cognitive Therapy (Segal, Williams & Teasdale, 2002) combines training in mindfulness

meditation with cognitive therapy. A large multi-site randomized controlled trial has shown that

this combined approach can significantly reduce the rate of relapse in recurrent major depression

(Teasdale, Segal, Williams, Ridgeway, Soulsby & Lau, 2000). Several other investigators have

provided theoretical rationales for integrating mindfulness approaches into the treatment of a

range of clinical syndromes including generalized anxiety disorder (e.g., Roemer & Orsillo,

2002; Wells, 1999; 2002), post-traumatic stress disorder (Wolfsdorf & Zlotnick, 2001),

substance abuse (Marlat, 2002; Breslin, Zack, & McMain, 2002) and eating disorders

(Kristheller & Hallett, 1999; Telch, Agras, & Linehan, 2001).

These approaches involve a rigorous program of training in meditation to cultivate the

capacity to evoke and apply mindfulness to enhance emotional well-being and mental health.

Mindfulness approaches are not considered relaxation or mood management techniques

however, but rather a form of mental training to reduce cognitive vulnerability to reactive modes

of mind that might otherwise heighten stress and emotional distress, or that may otherwise

perpetuate psychopathology.1 The cultivation and practice of mindfulness through this program

1
Discussions of this approach carefully discriminate between ‘mindfulness meditation’ and ‘concentration’ forms of
meditation that induce deep states of relaxation. Concentration meditation involves restricting the focus of
attention to a single stimulus such as a word, sound or sensation. When attention wanders, it is redirected back to
that single stimulus. No attention is paid to the nature of the distraction. In contrast, mindfulness meditation
involves observation of constantly changing internal and external stimuli as they arise. An excellent scholarly
discussion of the differences in the goals and methods of these major classes of meditation techniques can be found
in Naranjo & Ornstein (1971).
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 7

of mental training is thus thought to mediate observed effects on mood and behaviour (Kabat-

Zinn, 1990) but these speculations remain yet untested and thus unsubstantiated.

Although mindfulness has been described by a number of investigators (Kabat-Zinn,

1990, 1998; Shapiro & Swartz, 1999, 2000; Teasdale, 1999b; Segal et al., 2002), the field has

thus far proceeded in the absence of an operational definition (Bishop, 2002). There have been

no systematic efforts to establish the defining criteria of its various components or to specify

implicated psychological processes, and general descriptions of mindfulness have not been

entirely consistent across investigators. As long as fundamental questions concerning construct

specificity and operational definitions remain unaddressed it is not possible to undertake

important investigations into the mediating role and mechanisms of action of mindfulness, or to

develop instruments that allow such investigations to proceed. Thus we must move toward a

definition that is more precise and that specifies testable theoretical predictions for the purpose of

validation and refinement.

In response to this need for greater precision and specificity, a series of meetings were

held to establish a consensus on the various components of mindfulness, to conjointly develop

operational definitions, and to generate testable predictions for validation. This paper presents

the consensus emerging from those meetings. The overall goal is produce an operational

definition that, as a starting point, can be adopted by the field. We propose this operational

definition in the hopes that it will stimulate investigation and theoretical development so that we

can have a better understanding of mindfulness and mindfulness approaches to psychological

treatment.
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 8

Methods for Elicitation and Description of the Phenomenon

Although various meditation practices are taught in mindfulness approaches to treatment,

they are similar in their basic procedures and goals. A description of sitting meditation will

illustrate the basic approach. The client maintains an upright sitting posture, either in a chair or

cross-legged on the floor, and attempts to maintain attention on a particular focus, most

commonly the somatic sensations of his or her own breathing. Whenever attention wanders from

the breath to inevitable thoughts and feelings that arise, the client will simply take notice of them

and then let them go as attention is returned to the breath. This process is repeated each time that

attention wanders away from the breath. As sitting meditation is practiced, there is an emphasis

on simply taking notice of whatever the mind happens to wander to and accepting each object2

without making judgments about it, elaborating on its implications, additional meanings, or need

for action (Kabat-Zinn, 1990; Segal et al., 2002). The client is further encouraged to use the

same general approach outside of his or her formal meditation practice as much as possible by

bringing awareness back to the here and now during the course of their day, using the breath as

an anchor, whenever they notice that their attention has become focused on streams of thoughts,

worries or ruminations, or a general lack of awareness.

These procedures ostensibly lead to a state of mindfulness. Broadly conceptualized,

mindfulness has been described as a kind of non-elaborative, non-judgmental, present-centered

awareness in which each thought, feeling or sensation that arises in the attentional field is

acknowledged and accepted as it is (Kabat-Zinn, 1990, 1998; Shapiro & Schwartz, 1999, 2000;

Teasdale, 1999b; Segal et al., 2002). In a state of mindfulness, thoughts and feelings are

observed as events in the mind, without over-identifying with them, and without reacting to them

2
We use the term object to refer to any stimulus that attention might become involved with including sensations,
thoughts and feelings as well as environmental stimuli such as sounds.
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 9

in an automatic, habitual pattern of reactivity. This dispassionate state of self-observation is

thought to introduce a ‘space’ between one’s perception and response. Thus mindfulness is

thought to enable one to respond to situations more reflectively (as opposed to reflexively).

Our Consensus on an Operational Definition

We propose a two-component model of mindfulness. The first component involves the

self-regulation of attention so that it is maintained on immediate experience, thereby allowing for

increased recognition of mental events in the present moment. The second component involves

adopting a particular orientation toward one’s experiences in the present moment, an orientation

that is characterized by curiosity, openness and acceptance. We will now describe each

component in terms of behavioural and experiential features and in terms of the implicated

psychological processes.

Self-Regulation of Attention

Mindfulness begins by bringing awareness to current experience - observing and

attending to the changing field of thoughts, feelings and sensations from moment to moment - by

regulating the focus of attention. This leads to a feeling of being very alert to what is occurring

in the here and now. It is often described as a feeling of being fully present and alive in the

moment. Skills in sustained attention would be required to maintain an awareness of current

experience. Sustained attention refers to the ability to maintain a state of vigilance over

prolonged periods of time (Parasuraman, 1998; Posner & Rothbart, 1991). Sustained attention

on the breath thus keeps attention anchored in current experience so that thoughts, feelings and

sensations can be detected as they arise in the stream of consciousness. Skills in switching allow

the student to bring attention back to the breath once a thought, feeling or sensation has been

acknowledged. Switching involves flexibility of attention so that one can shift the focus from
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 10

one object to another (Jersild, 1927; Posner, 1980). Thus one of the predictions of this model is

that the development of mindfulness would be associated with improvements in sustained

attention and switching, which can be objectively measured using standard vigilance tests (e.g.,

Klee & Garfinkel, 1983) and tasks that require shifting mental set (Rogers & Monsell, 1995),

respectively.

The self-regulation of attention also fosters non-elaborative awareness of thoughts,

feelings and sensations as they arise. Rather than getting caught up in ruminative, elaborative

thought streams about one’s experience, its origins, implications and associations, mindfulness

involves a direct experience of events in the mind and body (Teasdale et al., 1994). Note that

mindfulness is not a practice in thought suppression; all thoughts or events are considered an

object of observation, not a distraction. However, once acknowledged, attention is directed back

to the breath thus preventing further elaboration. This is thought to inhibit secondary elaborative

processing of the thoughts, feelings and sensations that arise in the stream of consciousness.

Thus, mindfulness practices are though to be associated with improvements in cognitive

inhibition, particularly at the level of stimulus selection. This can be objectively measured using

tasks that require the inhibition of semantic processing (e.g., emotional Stroop: Williams,

Mathews, & MacLeod, 1996).

Furthermore, because attention has a limited capacity (Schneider & Shiffrin, 1977), when

it is released from elaborative thinking more resources are made available to process information

related to current experience. This increases access to information that might otherwise remain

outside awareness resulting in a wider perspective on experience. Rather than observing

experience through the filter of our beliefs, assumptions, expectations and desires, mindfulness

involves a direct observation of various objects as if for the first time, a quality that is often
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 11

referred to as ‘beginners mind.’ This ability can be measured on tasks in which successful

performance depends on detecting stimuli in unexpected settings (e.g., Henderson, Weeks, &

Hollingworth, 1999). The prediction is that mindfulness practice should facilitate identification

of objects in unexpected contexts because one would not bring preconceived beliefs about what

should or should not be present.

In summary, we propose that mindfulness can be defined, in part, as the self-regulation of

attention, which involves sustained attention, attention switching, and inhibition of elaborative

processing. In this context, mindfulness can be considered a metacognitive skill (cognition about

one’s cognition, Flavell, 1979). Metacognition is thought to consist of two related processes -

monitoring and control (Nelson, Stuart, Howard, & Crowley, 1999; Schraw & Moshman, 1995).

The notion of mindfulness as a metacognitive process is implicit in the operational definition that

we are proposing since its evocation would require both control of cognitive processes (i.e.,

attention self-regulation) and monitoring the stream of consciousness as is explicated more fully

below.

Orientation to Experience

Mindfulness is further defined by an orientation to experience that is adopted and

cultivated in mindfulness meditation practices. This orientation begins with making a

commitment to maintain an attitude of curiosity about where the mind wanders whenever it

inevitably drifts away from the breath, as well as curiosity about the different objects within

one’s experience at any moment. All thoughts, feelings and sensations that arise are initially

seen as relevant, and therefore, subject to observation. The client is thus not trying to produce a

particular state, such as relaxation, or change what he or she is feeling in any way. Rather, the
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 12

client is instructed to make an effort to just take notice of each thought, feeling and sensation that

arises in the stream of consciousness.

In this manner, a stance of acceptance is taken toward each moment of one’s experience.

Acceptance is defined as being experientially open to the reality of the present moment (Roemer

& Orsillo, 2002). It involves a conscious decision to abandon one’s agenda to have a different

experience and an active process of ‘allowing’ current thoughts, feelings and sensations (Hayes,

Strosahl & Willson, 1999). It is an active process in that the client chooses to take what is offered

with an attitude of openness and receptivity to whatever happens to occur in the field of

awareness. Thus mindfulness can be conceptualized as a process of relating openly with

experience.

There are several predictions based on this model. First, adopting a stance of curiosity

and acceptance during mindfulness practices should eventually lead to reductions in the use of

cognitive and behavioural strategies to avoid aspects of experience. Measures of repressive

coping style (e.g., Miller Behavioural Style Scale; Miller, 1980; Miller & Mangan, 1983), as well

as more general coping measures (e.g., Ways of Coping Questionnaire; Folkman & Lazarus,

1988), may have some utility to test this prediction. Also, with time, the practice of mindfulness

would likely increase dispositional openness, a trait that is characterized by curiosity and

receptivity to new experiences (Costa & McCrae, 1987). Further, adopting a stance of acceptance

toward painful or unpleasant thoughts and feelings would be expected to change the

psychological context in which those objects are now experienced (see Hayes, Wilson, Gifford,

Follette, & Strosahl, 1996; Hayes et al., 1999). In essence, emotional distress would be

experienced as less unpleasant and threatening since the context of acceptance changes their
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 13

subjective meaning. This would likely lead to improved affect tolerance, which can be measured

with proximate measures such as the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (Peterson & Reiss, 1992, 1993).

Approaching one’s experience with an orientation of curiosity and acceptance, regardless

of valence or desirability, sets the stage for intensive self-observation. Mindfulness can thus be

further conceptualized as a process of investigative awareness that involves observing the ever-

changing flow of private experience. The term ‘investigative’ refers to an intentional effort to

observe and gain a greater understanding of the nature of thoughts and feelings. The client is

instructed to make an effort to notice each object in the stream of consciousness (e.g., a feeling),

to discriminate between different elements of experience (e.g., an emotional “feeling” sensation

from a physical “touch” sensation) and observe how one experience gives rise to another (e.g., a

feeling evoking a judgmental thought, and then, the judgmental thought heightening the

unpleasantness of the feeling).

Monitoring of the stream of consciousness in this manner over time would likely lead to

increased cognitive complexity as reflected by an ability to generate differentiated and integrated

representations of cognitive and affective experience. For example, the development of

mindfulness would likely result in a greater capacity to distinguish feelings from bodily

sensations unrelated to emotional arousal and to understand and describe the complex nature of

emotional states. Thus, mindfulness would be positively correlated with measures of emotional

awareness (e.g., Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale; Lane, Quinlan, Swartz, Walker &

Zeitlin, 1990) and negatively correlated with measures of alexithymia (e.g., Toronto Alexithymia

Scale; Bagby, Parker & Taylor, 1994). Similarly, the development of mindfulness would likely

be associated with a greater capacity to see relationships between thoughts, feelings and actions

and to discern the meanings and causes of experience and behaviour. Thus mindfulness would
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 14

be positively correlated with measures of psychological mindedness (e.g., Psychological

Mindedness Scale; Conte & Ratto, 1997).

Further, mindfulness practices provide opportunities to gain insight into the nature of

thoughts and feelings as passing events in the mind rather than inherent aspects of the self or

valid reflections on reality (Teasdale et al., 1995; Teasdale, 1999a, 1999b; Segal et al., 2002).

Coding procedures used to assess the complexity of cognitive representations in self-narratives

(e.g., Labouvie-Vief, Chiodo, Goguen, Diehl & Orwoll, 1995) and autobiographical recall (e.g.,

Moore, Hayhurst & Teasdale, 1996) would be useful paradigms to test these hypotheses.

Mindfulness would likely be associated with more complex descriptions of one’s thoughts as

contextual, relativistic, transient and subjective and there is now some evidence to support this

hypothesis (Teasdale, Moore, Hayhurst, Pope, Williams & Segal, 2002).

In summary, we see mindfulness as a process of regulating attention to bring a quality of

non-elaborative awareness to current experience and a quality of relating to one’s experience

within an orientation of curiosity, experiential openness and acceptance. We further see

mindfulness as a process of gaining insight into the nature of one’s mind and the adoption of a

de-centered perspective (Safran & Segal, 1990) on thoughts and feelings so that they can be

experienced in terms of their subjectivity (versus their necessary validity) and transient nature

(versus their permanence).

Temporal Stability and Situational Specificity

We propose that mindfulness is a mode of awareness that is evoked when attention is

regulated in the manner described. We use the term ‘mode’ to refer to a state-like quality. We

prefer the term ‘mode’ to ‘state.’ The term ‘mode’ is defined as “the manner or way in which a

thing is done” (Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition, 1989). This definition captures our belief
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 15

that mindfulness is a psychological process. Mindfulness is therefore similar to a skill that can

be developed with practice. We see it as much closer to a state than a trait because we believe

that its evocation and maintenance is dependent on the regulation of attention while cultivating

an open orientation to experience. As long as attention is purposely brought to experience in the

manner described, mindfulness will be maintained, and when attention is no longer regulated in

this manner, mindfulness will cease.

Although mindfulness-based interventions rely on meditation techniques to teach the

necessary skills for evoking mindfulness, we hypothesize that this mode of awareness is not

limited to meditation. Once the skills are learned, attention can be regulated to evoke

mindfulness in many situations thus allowing the student to skillfully respond to situations that

provoke emotional reactions. Further, there has been some speculation that effective

psychotherapy may also enhance the capacity to evoke and utilize mindfulness to gain insight

and alternate responses to subjective inner experiences (e.g., Martin, 1997; 2002; Horowitz,

2002; Muran, 2002). If mindfulness is indeed a mode of awareness that can be developed as part

of the process of psychotherapy, then the theoretical and heuristic value of the operational

definition that we are proposing may not be limited only to meditation-based interventions, but

may make important contributions to the psychotherapy outcome literature as well.

Alternative Conceptualizations

While the operational definition that we propose is consistent with the general

descriptions of mindfulness in the literature, there have been a number of other qualities or

components discussed that we have not included in our own definition. In our view, many of the

qualities or components that have been discussed are more likely outcomes of having learned

mindfulness skills, or maintained a mindfulness practice over time, rather than implicit in the
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 16

construct. Most notably, mindfulness has been previously described as embodying qualities such

as patience (allowing things to unfold in their own time), trust (confidence in the ability to stay in

contact with private experience), non-reactivity (calmness), wisdom (self-knowledge) and

compassion (empathy for oneself) (e.g., Kabat-Zinn, 1990, 1998; Shapiro & Swartz, 1999, 2000;

Reibel et al., 2001). In addition to the theoretical importance of separating the central features of

mindfulness from common correlates, at a pragmatic level a definition that confounds

operational features with potential benefits reduces the utility of the construct.

Conceptual and Operational Distinctiveness

There are a number of constructs that may be within the same general domain as

mindfulness as elicited by mindfulness meditation techniques. Most notably is Ellen Langer’s

work in social psychology on mindfulness as a creative cognitive process. While both constructs

involve attentional engagement, we agree with Langer that her construct is quite different from

mindfulness as described in the context of the mindfulness meditation techniques (see Langer,

1989). Langer’s mindfulness involves the active construction of new categories and meanings

when one pays attention to the stimulus properties of primarily external situations, while our

own definition emphasizes the inhibition of such elaborative processes as one pays attention to

primarily internal stimuli (thoughts, feelings and sensations). Other similar constructs that might

fall within the same general domain of mindfulness include flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997) and

absorption (Tellegan & Atkinson, 1974).

We also see mindfulness within the general domain of constructs that describe the ability

to observe the temporal stream of thoughts and feelings including introspection (James, 1890),

observing self (Deikman, 1982), presence (Bugental, 1987), reflective functioning (Fonagy &

Target, 1996; 1997) and deautomatization/decentering (Safran and Segal, 1990). Although these
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 17

various constructs have not always been well developed conceptually, and few have been

explicitly operationalized, each has generally been described as a process of stepping outside of

the automated mode of perceptual processing and attending to the minute details of mental

activity that might otherwise escape awareness. These constructs are also variously described as

a process of ‘freeing up of attention’ so that it is non-biased and exploratory (see Martin, 1997).

Other related constructs, variously labeled psychological mindedness (Conte & Ratto, 1997;

McCallum & Piper, 1987), insight (Tolor & Reznikoff, 1960) and self-awareness (Fingarette,

1963), deal more with the capacity to see relationships among thoughts, feelings and actions, and

to understand the meanings and causes of experiences and behaviour. Although these latter

constructs also involve self-observation, they emphasize the ability to construct increasingly

complex mental representations of one’s own (and possibly, others’) mind and behaviour.

Mindfulness, as we have defined it, is likely much closer conceptually and operationally

to those constructs that involve a process of self-observation (i.e., introspection, observing self,

reflective functioning) than self-knowledge per se (i.e., psychological mindedness, insight and

self-awareness). Those that involve self-knowledge likely reflect the outcome of practicing

many forms of intensive self-observation over time, whether from a daily practice of meditation

or from psychotherapy, and are therefore probably distinct from the methods used to obtain

them.

Yet the definition of mindfulness that we are proposing describes a quality of self-

focused attention characterized by openness and acceptance of experience that is not articulated

in the descriptions of these other constructs involving self-observation. This distinction is

important because there is considerable evidence that certain forms of self-focused attention can

exacerbate distress and heighten or maintain psychopathology (e.g., Pyszcynski & Greenberg,
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 18

1987; Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991), while other modes of awareness lead to a more adaptive self-

focused style (Trapnell & Campbell, 1999). The question of whether mindfulness is distinct

from these other constructs is ultimately an empirical one. However, we do not currently see

mindfulness as redundant with other constructs describing intentional self-focused attention.

Broadening the Conceptual Model

Situating mindfulness within a more elaborated conceptual model will further elucidate

the central features of this construct as it is applied in clinical practice. Our conceptualization

draws heavily on self-regulation models of cognition and mood (Carver & Scheier, 1981; 1990)

and contemporary cognitive models of psychopathology. Although speculative, we feel that this

kind of theorizing is necessary but neglected in discussions of mindfulness.

According to a self-regulation model, much of cognition occurs in the service of goals.

We are constantly engaged in a process of comparing what is with what is desired and much of

our mental life and behavioural organization functions in the service of reducing any

discrepancies (Miller, Galanter & Pribraum, 1960; Powers, 1973; Carver & Scheier, 1981;

1990). When there is a discrepancy, negative affect occurs (e.g., fear, frustration) setting in

motion cognitive and behavioural sequences in an attempt to move the current state of affairs

closer to one’s goals, desires and preferences (Carver & Scheier, 1990). If the discrepancy is

reduced, then the mind can exit this mode and a feeling of well-being will follow until another

discrepancy is detected again setting this sequence in motion.

When goals cannot be met, and especially if the goal is afforded high value, then the

mind will continue to dwell on the discrepancy and search for possible ways to reduce it giving

rise to rumination (Martin & Tesser, 1996). Rumination appears to play a central role in

exacerbating negative affect. For example, the tendency to worry seems to reflect attempts to
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 19

plan for and develop potential strategies for avoiding anticipated future negative events, but can

lead to the maintenance or heightening of anxiety (Borkovec, Shadick & Hopkins, 1991; Wells,

1999). Similarly, depressive rumination appears to reflect attempts to change aspects of one’s

assumed basic faults (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991), or alternately, to regain something that has been

lost and is of central importance to the person’s sense of identity or worth (Pyszcynski &

Greenberg; 1987). It is now well established that these patterns of ruminative thinking can

escalate a spiraling cycle of dysphoric affect that can lead eventually to a major depressive

episode (Pyszcynski & Greenberg; 1987; Teasdale & Bernard, 1993; Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991).

It is also assumed that rumination will continue until the person either satisfies or gives up the

goal (Martin & Tesser, 1989). Thus disengaging from one’s goals should facilitate the release

from ruminative thinking and thus reduce cognitive vulnerably to certain forms of

psychopathology.

As discussed, mindfulness approaches teach the client to become more aware of thoughts

and feelings and to relate to them in a wider, decentered, perspective as transient mental events

rather than reflections of the self or necessarily accurate reflections on reality. Thus, if self-

devaluative, hopeless thoughts are recognized as simply thoughts, the student will be better able

to disengage from them since no action will be required (i.e., since the thoughts are not ‘real’

there is no goal to obtain and thus no need to ruminate to find a solution). The reduction in

ruminative thinking that is predicted to occur by adopting a decentered perspective might explain

why mindfulness training reduces the risk of relapse in recurrent major depression (Teasdale et

al., 2000). A similar model has recently been suggested for reducing cognitive vulnerability to

generalized anxiety disorder (Roemer & Orsillo, 2002).

Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 20

The acceptance-based component of mindfulness approaches further offer an alternative

strategy for dealing with aspects of unwanted private experience, and thus an opportunity to

become less prone to being drawn into dysfunction patterns of behaviour that exacerbates or

maintains psychopathology. As Hayes and his colleagues convincingly argue, most forms of

psychopathology involves, in some way or another, the presence of intolerance with aspects of

private experience and patterns of experiential avoidance as an attempt to escape private

experience (see Hayes et al., 1996, for evidence supporting this view). They further cite

substantial evidence that the most effective psychological treatments tend to undermine

experiential avoidance in some way by exposing patients to aspects of feared or dreaded private

experience, either behaviourally (e.g., desensitization for anxiety disorders) or by encouraging

them to stay in touch with painful or frightening feelings and thoughts in psychotherapy.

Mindfulness approaches encourage patients to step out of the war with their thoughts and

feelings and give up ineffective experiential avoidance strategies. The approach thus focuses on

altering the impact of, and response to, thoughts, feelings and sensations. The general

orientation of mindfulness approaches is on helping clients to stay in contact with private

experiences so that they can behave more effectively. Mindfulness approaches may thus be

particularly effective for clinical syndromes in which intolerance of negative affect and

subsequent behavioural avoidance plays a central role, and there is some evidence to support this

assertion. For example, MBSR has been shown to reduce the frequency of panic attacks and

avoidance in panic disorder (Miller et al., 1995), binge-eating episodes associated with eating

disorders (Kristheller & Hallett, 1999) and avoidance of activity in chronic pain thus reducing

disability (Kabat-Zinn et al., 1985; 1987). Similarly, dialectical behaviour therapy, which

incorporates mindfulness training, reduces self-mutilation and suicidal behaviour associated with
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 21

borderline personality disorder (Linehan et al., 1991), probably by helping patients to build affect

tolerance.

Mindfulness can therefore be further conceptualized as a clinical approach to foster an

alternative method for responding to one’s stress and emotional distress. By becoming more

aware of thoughts and feelings, relating to them in a wider, decentered field of awareness, and

purposefully opening fully to one’s experience, dysfunctional change agendas can be abandoned

and more adaptive strategies adopted. As several recent investigators have recognized (e.g.,

Linehan, 1993; Teasdale et al., 1995; Marlat, 2002; Roemer & Orsillo, 2002), the concept of

mindfulness can be theoretically integrated with current models of psychopathology and thus can

lead to new innovations in treatment.

Implications for Measurement

One of our main objectives for establishing a consensus on mindfulness is to provide a

theoretical and conceptual basis for instrument development. Our own approach has been to

develop an instrument in which the response to items is in reference to an immediately preceding

session involving the practice of a mindfulness technique. This approach is based on our

conceptualization of mindfulness as a state-like phenomenon that is evoked and maintained by

regulating attention. With this kind of instrument, we can therefore test the situational specificity

of mindfulness. Additionally, by anchoring responses to a proximal mindfulness technique, we

can minimize memory biases thus increasing reliability. We are relying on factor analytic

procedures to establish factorial validity of the instrument (and construct), and convergent,

discriminant and criterion-related validity is being established by examining the relation between

our instrument and other measures as outlined in this paper.

Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 22

If mindfulness is a learned skill, then an instrument must be able to demonstrate both

incremental validity and sensitivity to change. Our approach has been to compare people who

have been newly trained in mindfulness skills (8 weeks of mindfulness-based stress reduction)

with participants who have extensive daily experience (2 years minimum) and no experience

with mindfulness techniques. Incremental validity would be supported by demonstrating that

experienced mindfulness practitioners score higher on the measure than less experienced

practitioners, who in turn score higher than those with no experience. We are evaluating

sensitivity to change by evaluating whether mindfulness scores increase in clients who are

participating in mindfulness-based stress reduction, and in non-clinical samples of participants in

intensive (10 day) mindfulness meditation training programs.

Identifying implicated psychological processes underlying attention regulation in

mindfulness has allowed us to develop powerful tests for construct validity. We are currently

examining whether, with training in mindfulness, an increase in mindfulness scores corresponds

to improvements in performance on tasks that require skills in sustained attention, switching,

inhibition of elaborative processing and adopting a wider perspective (using tasks described

earlier in this paper). Thus we will be able to objectively verify self-reported improvements in

attention regulation with mindfulness training. We are particularly excited about the potential

utility of these tasks in addressing future questions concerning the mechanisms of action of

mindfulness.

Conclusions

With a growing interest in the clinical applications of mindfulness and mindfulness-based

approaches, a concomitant increase in attention directed toward rigorous research in this area is

needed. Although we are encouraged by the recent appearance of randomized controlled trials in
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 23

the literature, and want to encourage similar future efforts, we also want to strongly impress the

need for basic research investigating fundamental questions concerning this approach. At the

most basic level, issues concerning the conceptual and operational aspects of mindfulness need

to be addressed so that an instrument can be developed and questions concerning mediating role

and mechanisms of action can be investigated. Our team is now developing such an instrument

and exploring methodologies from cognitive psychology that can be used to investigate

mechanisms of action.
Mindfulness: A Proposed Operational Definition 24

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