Do Personality Traits Moderate the Relationship between Mindfulness and Satisfaction with Life?
Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between mindfulness and life satisfaction, while also examining whether personality traits moderate this relationship. The sample consisted of 214 respondents (158 females and 56 males, the average age of 29). The instruments used in the research include the following: Velikih pet + dva, skraćena verzija (Big Five + Two, shortened version), The Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The results indicate that mindfulness significantly predicts satisfaction with life. In spite of the fact that almost all personality traits correlate with mindfulness, no significant moderating effect of personality traits has been obtained regarding the relationship between mindfulness and satisfaction with life.
References
Angarita-Osorio, N., Escorihuela, R. M., & Cañete, T. (2024). The relationship between neuroticism as a personality trait and mindfulness skills: a scoping review. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1401969.
Alvarado-García, P. A. A., Soto-Vásquez, M. R., Infantes Gomez, F. M., Guzman Rodriguez, N. M., & Castro-Paniagua, W. G. (2025). Effect of a mindfulness program on stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, social support, and life satisfaction: a quasi-experimental study in college students. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1508934.Bajaj, B., & Pande, N. (2016). Mediating role of resilience in the impact of mindfulness on life satisfaction and affect as indices of subjective well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 93, 63-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.09.005
Banfi, J. T., & Randall, J. G. (2022). A meta-analysis of trait mindfulness: Relationships with the big five personality traits, intelligence, and anxiety. Journal of Research in Personality, 101, 104307.
Barnhofer, T., Duggan, D. S., & Griffith, J. W. (2011). Dispositional mindfulness moderates the relation between neuroticism and depressive symptoms. Personality and Individual Differences, 51(8), 958–962. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.07.032
Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., Segal, Z. V., Abbey, S., Speca, M., Velting, D., & Devins, G. (2004). Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(3), 230-241.
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. PsycTESTS Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/t04259-000
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003a). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822-848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Carr, P. (2023). The Roles of Mindfulness and Gratitude on Life Satisfaction (Doctoral dissertation, Bellevue University).
Cash, M., & Whittingham, K. (2010). What facets of mindfulness contribute to psychological well- being and depressive, anxious, and stress-related symptomatology? Mindfulness, 1(3), 177- 182. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-010-0023-4
Čolović, P., Smederevac, S. i Mitrović, D. (2014). Velikih pet plus dva: validacija skraćene verzije. Primenjena Psihologija, 7(1), 227-254. https://doi.org/10.19090/pp.2014.3-1.227-254
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71-75.https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901
Drake, M. M., Morris, D. M., & Davis, T. J. (2017). Neuroticism's susceptibility to distress: Moderated with mindfulness. Personality and Individual Differences, 106, 248-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.10.060
Feng, X. J., Krägeloh, C. U., Billington, D. R., & Siegert, R. J. (2017). To what extent is mindfulness as presented in commonly used mindfulness questionnaires different from how it is conceptualized by senior ordained Buddhists? Mindfulness, 9(2), 441-460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0788-9
Galante, J., Iribarren, S. J., & Pearce, P. F. (2012). Effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Journal of Research in Nursing, 18(2), 133-155. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987112466087
Giluk, T. L. (2009). Mindfulness, big five personality, and affect: A meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 47(8), 805-811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.06.026
Grossman, P., Niemann, L., Schmidt, S., & Walach, H. (2004). Mindfulness-based stress reduction and health benefits. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 57(1), 35-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-3999(03)00573-7
Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2017). The mindful personality: A meta-analysis from a cybernetic perspective. Mindfulness, 8(6), 14561470. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0736-8
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. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018555
Hopwood, C. J., Morey, L. C., Donnellan, M. B., Samuel, D. B., Grilo, C. M., McGlashan, T. H., Shea, M. T., Zanarini, M. C., Gunderson, J. G., & Skodol, A. E. (2013). Ten-Year Rank-Order Stability of Personality Traits and Disorders in a Clinical Sample. Journal of Personality, 81(3), 335–344. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1467-6494.2012.00801.X
https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bph077
Hyland, T. (2016). The limits of mindfulness: Emerging issues for education. British Journal of Educational Studies, 64(1), 97-117. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00071005.2015.1051946
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. Delacorte.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144-156. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bpg016
Kheyran-Alnesa, M., Mirzaian, B., & Yar-Ali, D. (2018). The effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Therapy on anger, anxiety and hostility for heart surgery patients. Journal of Biochemical Technology, 9(4), 43. https://www.proquest.com/openview/ 1657b9f319b3f6b949718d425e4570c2/1?pqorigsite=gscholar&cbl=4425143
McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (2004). Neo five-factor inventory - revised. PsycTESTS Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1037/t07553-000
Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self‐compassion program. Journal of clinical psychology, 69(1), 28-44.
Nyklíček, I. (2011). Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, and Well-Being (pp. 101–118). Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6953-8_7
Nyklíček, I., & Irrmischer, M. (2017). For whom does mindfulness-based stress reduction work? Moderating effects of personality. Mindfulness, 8(4), 1106-1116. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s12671-017-0687-0
Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (2009). Review of the satisfaction with life scale. Assessing Well-Being, 101-117. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2354-4
Roemer, A., Cervin, M., Medvedeva, A., Bravo, A. J., & Medvedev, O. N. (2024). Big five of mindfulness and personality: Cross-cultural network analysis. Mindfulness, 15(1), 37-47.
Spadaro, K. C., & Provident, I. M. (2020). Health benefits of mindful meditation. Nutrition, Fitness, and Mindfulness: An Evidence-Based Guide for Clinicians, 159-176.
Tan, C.-S., Mohd Hashim, I. H., Pheh, K. S., Pratt, C., Chung, M. H., & Setyowati, A. (2021). The mediating role of openness to experience and curiosity in the relationship between mindfulness and meaning in life: evidence from four countries. Current Psychology, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/S12144-021-01430-2
Taren, A. A., Creswell, J. D., & Gianaros, P. J. (2013). Dispositional mindfulness co-varies with smaller amygdala and caudate volumes in community adults. PLoS ONE, 8 (5): e64574. https://doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0064574
Teasdale, J. D., Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M., Ridgeway, V. A., Soulsby, J. M., & Lau, M. A. (2000). Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(4), 615-623. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006x.68.4.615
Vago, D. R., & Silbersweig, D. (2012). Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, 296. https://doi.org/10.3389/FNHUM.2012.00296
Vasić, A., Šarčević, D. i Trogrlić, A. (2011). Zadovoljstvo životom u Srbiji. Primenjena psihologija, 2, 151–177. https://doi.org/10.19090/pp.2011.2.151-177
Wenzel, M., von Versen, C., Hirschmüller, S., & Kubiak, T. (2015). Curb your neuroticism – mindfulness mediates the link between neuroticism and subjective well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 80, 68–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.02.020
Authors retain the copyright of the published papers and grant to the publisher the nonexclusive right to publish the article, to be cited as its original publisher in case of re-use, and to distribute it in all forms and media. The published articles will be distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 International license (CC BY-SA). It is allowed to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and remix, transform and build upon it for any purpose, even commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given to the original
author(s), a link to the license is provided, it is indicated if changes were made and the new work is distributed under the same license as the original. Authors are permitted to deposit the author’s publisher’s version (PDF) of their work in an institutional repository, subject-based repository, author’s personal website (including social networking sites, such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, etc.), and/or departmental website at any time after publication, with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.