Mindfulness theory and cultural identity: Predicting positive mental health outcomes among Latino students

"Not only do we as individuals get locked into single-minded views, but we also reinforce these views for each other until the culture itself suffers the same mindlessness." - Ellen Langer.;No previous research has investigated the contribution of mindfulness theory to mental health outcomes and acculturation styles among Latino students. Thus, this dissertation explored the contribution of Ellen Langer's mindfulness theory (e.g., Langer, 1989, 1997; Langer, Bashner, & Chanowitz, 1985; Langer & Moldoveanu, 2000), defined as the ability to actively draw novel distinctions and be open to new information and diverse points of view, to adaptive functioning and acculturation styles in Latino college students.;This study explored whether mindfulness was predictive of positive mental health outcomes among Latino students. It was expected that increased mindfulness of one's cultural identity would lead to reduced anxiety and depression. Results indicated that increased mindfulness was related to decreased trait anxiety levels. It was also hypothesized that increased mindfulness would lead to more flexible transitions between host and native cultures, predicting a bicultural orientation to acculturation. The findings demonstrated that mindfulness was positively and significantly related to biculturalism and negatively related to the Anglo oriented acculturation style.;The goal of this dissertation was to explore whether mindfulness theory facilitated the psychological well-being and acculturation of Latino college students. The results suggested that mindfulness may reduce trait anxiety levels among Latino college students, and that mindfulness theory may provide a more dynamic framework for conceptualizing the factors involved in the formation of acculturation styles. Mindfulness theory may also permit cross-cultural researchers to understand individual differences in the processes that interact to enhance mental health outcomes and acculturation styles across diverse cultural contexts and situations.