An internet-based study of associations between personality, spirituality, and trait mindfulness

The recent surge in interest in mindfulness-based interventions has not been paralleled by equally extensive research into the nature of mindfulness. It has yet to be definitively determined how one's innate characteristics, such as personality or quality of life, might impact one's level of mindfulness. Similarly, though researchers have worked to separate mindfulness interventions from their religious roots, little is known about whether mindfulness may indeed vary due to one's religious affiliation or practice. This study, conducted entirely online via surveymonkey.com, utilized data collected from 291 individuals recruited from social media and online classified sites. Self-report measures assessed participant religious orientation and frequency of practice, dimensions of personality, trait mindfulness, and quality of life variables such as level of stress and quality of sleep. Analyses examined whether mean mindfulness varied between religious groupings, whether religiosity, quality of life, and personality were significant predictors of mindfulness, and whether sex moderated the relations between personality and mindfulness. Differences in mindfulness scores were significantly related to personality dimensions, quality of life variables, and the sex of the respondent. These results suggest that further research is needed to explore how individuals vary on self-reported levels of mindfulness and how such variation might impact mindfulness-based interventions.