Assessment of Mindfulness by Self-Report

A new self-report questionnaire measuring four mindfulness skills—observing, describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment—shows good reliability and a clear factor structure. These skills relate differently to personality and mental health: they are linked to neuroticism, psychological symptoms, emotional intelligence, alexithymia, experiential avoidance, dissociation, and absorption. The findings suggest mindfulness is not a single trait but a set of distinct abilities with unique connections to well-being.

Study at a glance

Abstract

A self-report inventory for the assessment of mindfulness skills was developed, and its psychometric characteristics and relationships with other constructs were examined. Participants included three samples of undergraduate students and a sample of outpatients with borderline personality disorder Based on discussions of mindfulness in the current literature, four mindfulness skills were specified: observing, describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment. Scales designed to measure each skill were developed and evaluated. Results showed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability and a clear factor structure. Most expected relationships with other constructs were significant. Findings suggest that mindfulness skills are differentially related to aspects of personality and mental health, including neuroticism, psychological symptoms, emotional intelligence, alexithymia, experiential avoidance, dissociation, and absorption.