Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

A Meta-Analysis of Correlations between Trait Mindfulness and Impulsivity: Implications for Counseling

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study applied meta-analysis to investigate mean correlations between self-report measures of awareness and attention (AA) of trait mindfulness, and five major sub-traits of impulsivity that underlie various behavioral problems (e.g., binge drinking) and/or mental health issues. In total, we identified 13 articles and retrieved relevant information when provided. The results revealed that AA had various degrees of mean correlations (from small to large) with different impulsive sub-traits. Implications for counseling practice and future research are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agarwal, S., de Araujo, P., & Jayash, P. (2013). HIV-related knowledge and risky sexual behaviour in sub-Saharan Africa. Oxford Development Studies, 41(2), 173–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.

  • Bachoo, S., Bhagwanjee, A., & Govender, K. (2013). The influence of anger, impulsivity, sensation seeking and driver attitudes on risky driving behaviour among post-graduate university students in Durban, South Africa. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 55, 67–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 125–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., & Allen, K. B. (2004). Assessment of mindfulness by self-report: The Kentucky inventory of mindfulness skills. Assessment, 11(3), 191–206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., Hopkins, J., Krietemeyer, J., & Toney, L. (2006). Using self-report assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment, 13, 27–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barnert, E. S., Himelstein, S., Herbert, S., Garcia-Romeu, A., & Chamberlain, L. J. (2014). Exploring an intensive meditation intervention for incarcerated youth. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 19(1), 69–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., et al. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. American Psychological Association, 11, 230–241. doi:10.1093/clipsy/bph077.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2009). Introduction to meta-analysis. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Ltd..

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 184(4), 211–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carmody, J., & Baer, R. A. (2009). How long does a mindfulness-based stress reduction program need to be? A review of class contact hours and effect sizes for psychological distress. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(6), 627–638.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, C., Li, C., Wang, H., Ou, J., Zhou, J., & Wang, X. (2014). Cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce overt aggression behavior in Chinese young male violent offenders. Aggressive Behavior, 40, 329–336. doi:10.1002/ab.21521.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Christopher, M., Ramsey, M., & Antick, J. (2013). The role of dispositional mindfulness in mitigating the impact of stress and impulsivity on alcohol-related problems. Addiction Research and Theory, 21(5), 429–434. doi:10.3109/16066359.2012.737873.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook, D. J., Mulrow, C. D., & Haynes, R. B. (1997). Systematic reviews: Synthesis of best evidence for clinical decisions. Annals of Internal Medicine, 126(5), 376–380.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Corruble, E., Benyamina, A., Bayle, F., Falissard, B., & Hardy, P. (2003). Understanding impulsivity in severe depression? A psychometrical contribution. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 27(5), 829–833.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Costa Jr., P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1992). Revised NEO personality inventory manual. Odessa: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cyders, M. A., Smith, G. T., Spillane, N. S., Fischer, S., Annus, A. M., & Peterson, C. (2007). Integration of impulsivity and positive mood to predict risky behavior: Development and validation of a measure of positive urgency. Psychological Assessment, 19, 107–118.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dickman, S. J. (1990). Functional and dysfunctional impulsivity: Personality and cognitive correlates. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 95–102.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, H. J., & Eysenck, M. W. (1985). Personality and individual differences: A natural science approach. New York: Plenum Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Eysenck, S. B. G., Pearson, P. R., Easting, G., & Allsopp, J. F. (1985). Age norms for impulsiveness, venturesomeness, and empathy in adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 6, 613–619.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fetterman, A. K., Robinson, M. D., Ode, S., & Gordon, K. H. (2010). Neuroticism as a risk factor for behavioral dysregulation: A mindfulness-mediation perspective. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29(3), 301–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fineberg, N. A., Chamberlain, S. R., Goudriaan, A. E., Stein, D. J., Vanderschuren, L. J. M. J., Gillan, C. M., Shekar, S., et al. (2014). New developments in human neurocognition: Clinical, genetic, and brain imaging correlates of impulsivity and compulsivity. CNS Spetrums, 19, 69–89. doi:10.1017/S1092852913000801.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hattie, J. A., Myers, J. E., & Sweeney, T. (2004). A factor structure of wellness: Theory, assessment, analysis, and practice. Journal of Counseling and Development, 82(3), 354–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169–183. doi:10.1037/a0018555.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Holas, P., & Jankowski, T. (2013). A cognitive perspective on mindfulness. International Journal of Psychology, 48(3), 232–243. doi:10.1080/00207594.2012.658056.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. doi:10.1093/clipsy/bpg016.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katie, W., Allen, M. G., & Denise, W. (2005). Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for alcohol and substance use disorders. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 19(3), 211–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kotov, R., Gamez, W., Schmidt, F., & Watson, D. (2010). Linking "big" personality traits to anxiety, depressive, and substance use disorders: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 136(5), 768–821. doi:10.1037/a0020327.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lattimore, P., Fisher, N., & Malinowski, P. (2011). A cross-sectional investigation of trait disinhibition and its association with mindfulness and impulsivity. Appetite, 56, 241–248.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Le, T. N., & Proulx, J. (2015). Feasibility of mindfulness-based intervention for incarcerated mixed-ethnic native Hawaiian/Pacific islander youth. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 6(2), 181–189. doi:10.1037/aap0000019.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linehan, M. M., Camper, P., Chiles, J. A., Strosahl, K., & Shearin, E. (1987). Interpersonal problems solving and para-suicide. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 11, 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lynam, D. R., Smith, G. T., Whiteside, S. P., & Cyders, M. A. (2006). The UPPS-P: Assessing five personality pathways to impulsive behavior (technical report). West Lafayette: Purdue University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyvers, M., Hinton, R., Gotsis, S., Roddy, M., Edwards, M. S., & Thorberg, F. A. (2014a). Traits linked to executive and reward systems functioning in clients undergoing residential treatment for substance dependence. Personality and Individual Differences., 70, 194–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyvers, M., Makin, C., Toms, E., Thorberg, F. A., & Samios, C. (2014b). Trait mindfulness in relation to emotional self-regulation and executive function. Mindfulness, 5, 619–625.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mantzios, M. (2014). Exploring the relationship between worry and impulsivity in military recruits: The role of mindfulness and self-compassion as potential mediators. Stress and Health, 30, 397–404. doi:10.1002/smi.2617.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., & Costa Jr., P. T. (1990). Personality in adulthood. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, C., & MacKillop, J. (2012). Living in the here and now: Interrelationships between impulsivity, mindfulness, and alcohol misuse. Psychopharmacology, 219, 527–536.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ormel, J., Jeronimus, B. F., Kotov, R., Riese, H., Bos, E. H., Hankin, B., et al. (2013). Neuroticism and common mental disorders: Meaning and utility of a complex relationship. Clinical Psychology Review, 33(5), 686–697. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.04.003.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Papies, E. K., Barsalou, L. W., & Custers, R. (2012). Mindful attention prevents mindless impulses. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(3), 291–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patton, J. H., Stanford, M. S., & Barratt, E. S. (1995). Factor structure of the Barratt impulsiveness scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 768–774.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peters, J. R., Erisman, S. M., Upton, B. T., Baer, R. A., & Roemer, L. (2011). A preliminary investigation of the relationships between dispositional mindfulness and impulsivity. Mindfulness, 2, 228–235. doi:10.1007/s12671-011-0065-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajesh, S. K. (2013). Psychological correlates of yoga and its application to impulsivity (Unpublished master’s thesis). Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, Bangalore, India.

  • Rajesh, S. K., Llavarasu, J. V., & TM, S. (2013). Dispositional mindfulness and its relation to impulsivity in college students. International Journal of Yoga - Philosophy, Psychology and Parapsychology, 1, 49–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J. M., Ladd, B. O., & Anderson, K. G. (2014). When you see it, let it be: Urgency, mindfulness and adolescent substance use. Addictive Behaviors, 39(6), 1038–1041.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, R. (1991). Meta-analytic procedures for social research. Newbury Park: Sage.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, G. T., & Cyders, M. A. (2016). Integrating affect and impulsivity: The role of positive and negative urgency in substance use risk. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 163, S3–S12.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc..

    Google Scholar 

  • Toneatto, T., & Nguyen, L. (2007). Does mindfulness meditation improve anxiety and mood symptoms? A review of the controlled research. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 52(4), 260–266.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Townshend, J. M., Kambouropoulos, N., Griffin, A., Hunt, F. J., & Milani, R. M. (2014). Binge drinking, reflection impulsivity, and unplanned sexual behavior: Impaired decision-making in young social drinkers. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 38(4), 1143–1150. doi:10.1111/acer.12333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, M., & Barton, M. S. (2013). Impulsivity, school context, and school misconduct. Youth and Society, 45(4), 455–479. doi:10.1177/0044118X11421941.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waxman, S. E. (2009). A systematic review of impulsivity in eating disorders. European Eating Disorders Review, 17(6), 408–425. doi:10.1002/erv.952.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whiteside, S. P., & Lynam, D. R. (2001). The five factor model and impulsivity: Using a structural model of personality to understand impulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences, 30, 66–689.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, A. D., & Grisham, J. R. (2012). Impulsivity, emotion regulation, and mindful attentional focus in compulsive buying. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36, 451–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wupperman, P., Neumann, C. S., & Axelrod, S. R. (2008). Do deficits in mindfulness underlie borderline personality features and core difficulties? Journal of Personality Disorders, 22(5), 466–482.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junfei Lu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lu, J., Huffman, K. A Meta-Analysis of Correlations between Trait Mindfulness and Impulsivity: Implications for Counseling. Int J Adv Counselling 39, 345–359 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-017-9302-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-017-9302-2

Keywords

Navigation