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.
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.
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.
Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 125–143.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P. T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2009). Introduction to meta-analysis. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Ltd..
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale: Erlbaum.
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.
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.
Costa Jr., P. T., & McCrae, R. R. (1992). Revised NEO personality inventory manual. Odessa: Psychological Assessment Resources.
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.
Dickman, S. J. (1990). Functional and dysfunctional impulsivity: Personality and cognitive correlates. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 95–102.
Eysenck, H. J., & Eysenck, M. W. (1985). Personality and individual differences: A natural science approach. New York: Plenum Press.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Holas, P., & Jankowski, T. (2013). A cognitive perspective on mindfulness. International Journal of Psychology, 48(3), 232–243. doi:10.1080/00207594.2012.658056.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. doi:10.1093/clipsy/bpg016.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
McCrae, R. R., & Costa Jr., P. T. (1990). Personality in adulthood. New York: Guilford.
Murphy, C., & MacKillop, J. (2012). Living in the here and now: Interrelationships between impulsivity, mindfulness, and alcohol misuse. Psychopharmacology, 219, 527–536.
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.
Papies, E. K., Barsalou, L. W., & Custers, R. (2012). Mindful attention prevents mindless impulses. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(3), 291–299.
Patton, J. H., Stanford, M. S., & Barratt, E. S. (1995). Factor structure of the Barratt impulsiveness scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 768–774.
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.
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.
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.
Rosenthal, R. (1991). Meta-analytic procedures for social research. Newbury Park: Sage.
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.
Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2010). A mindfulness-based stress reduction workbook. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc..
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.
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.
Vogel, M., & Barton, M. S. (2013). Impulsivity, school context, and school misconduct. Youth and Society, 45(4), 455–479. doi:10.1177/0044118X11421941.
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.
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.
Williams, A. D., & Grisham, J. R. (2012). Impulsivity, emotion regulation, and mindful attentional focus in compulsive buying. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36, 451–457.
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.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
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
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-017-9302-2