Transcript Savouring and Mindfulness as Predictors of Subjective Well

Cherie Levy
Dianne A Vella-Brodrick
School of Psychology, Psychiatry and
Psychological Medicine, Monash University
SWB
• Involves a cognitive (SWLS) component and an affective (PANAS)
component (Diener, 1984)
• “Architecture of Sustainable Change”: 40% of the variance of happiness is
attributable to intentional activity (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon & Schkade,
2005)
SAVOURING
(BRYANT, 2003)
The capacity to enjoy
moments in life
MINDFULNESS
(BUDDHISM)
Enhance the quality of
consciousness through
directed attention and
awareness on the present
moment
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Savouring vs. Coping
Not inherent in the experience, it may need to be
harvested
Reminiscent, In the Moment and Anticipatory
Savouring
Savouring could be related to SWB through
Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build Theory (Isen 1987;
Fredrickson, 1998)
Savouring and SWB (Bryant, 2003)
Positively correlated with present happiness, intensity &
frequency of happiness and affect intensity
 Negatively correlated with frequency of unhappy and neutral
affect and social anhedonia
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NB: highest correlations for these findings always reflected
the In the Moment savouring subscale
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2,500 year old Buddhist teaching of freeing oneself
from distracting thoughts by focussing on the
present moment
Two key elements: Awareness and an attitude of
acceptance (Bishop et al, 2004)
Mindfulness as a therapeutic tool (Bar; 2003; KabatZinn, 1990; 2003)
Mindfulness and SWB (Brown & Ryan, 2003)
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Positively correlated with positive affect and life
satisfaction
Inversely correlated with negative affect
Mindfulness
Savouring
 Focus on positive feelings  Focus on acceptance of all
feelings (good and bad)
(PA)
 Focus on decreased emotional
reactivity (Decrease NA)
CONCEPTUAL SIMILARITY
 INTERACTIVE RELATIONSHIP?
BOTH CONCENTRATE ON THE PRESENT MOMENT
 BASE LEVEL OF MINDFULNESS ALLOWS FOR
GREATER SAVOURING
 GREATER SWB
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Extend on previous research
Explore predictive relationships of savouring and mindfulness on SWB
Broader population sample (adults + students) and meditators and nonmeditators
Explore whether levels of mindfulness enhance the ability to savour
Explore how each construct predicts each dimension of SWB.
Hypotheses
• Savouring and mindfulness will be significant
predictors of SWB
• In the Moment savouring will be the best predictor
of SWB in comparison to anticipatory and
reminiscent savouring
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147 participants completed either web-based or
hardcopy questionnaire kits
Recruited from public offices, health centres, 1st
year participant pool at Monash and Buddhist
centres and online groups
Measure
Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS)
Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin (1985)
Positive And Negative Affect Schedule
(PANAS)
Watson, Clark & Tellegen (1988)
Positive Affect & Negative Affect
Savouring Beliefs Inventory (SBI)
Number Responses
of Items (Likert scales)
5
20
1 - “very slightly”
5 – “extremely”
24
1 - “strongly disagree”
7 - “strongly agree
20
1 - “never
5 - ”very often”
Bryant (2003)
Anticipating, In the Moment, Reminiscing
Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS)
Cardaciotto, Herbert, Forman, Moitra &
Farrow (2008)
Acceptance & Awareness
1 - “strongly disagree”
7 - “strongly agree”
Sociodemographic (e.g. age, gender, marital status, income) and
control variables (e.g. meditation frequency, duration and
experience)
Reliability
(α)
.87
.88/ .86
.89
.75/.82
Outcome
Variables
Step 1
Subjective WellBeing
Dimensions
(PANAS &
SWLS)
Positive Affect
Negative Affect
Satisfaction with Life
Sociodemographic Age
and control
Income
variables
Marital Status
Meditation Experience &
Frequency
Step 2
Mindfulness
(PHLMS)
Step 3
Savouring (SBI)
Acceptance
Present-moment Awareness
Anticipating
In the moment
Reminiscing
Summary of Change statistics for all SWB
Dimensions
R2
Adj R2
R2 Change
p
Satisfaction with Lifea Model 1
Model 2
.10
.19
.06
.13
.10
.09
.06
Model 3
.33
.25
.15
Model 1
.10
.07
.10
Model 2
.21
.16
.10
Model 3
.37
.31
.16
Model 1
.08
.05
.08
Model 2
.27
.23
.19
.05
.00
Model 3
.33
.26
.06
.07
Dependent Variable
Positive Affectb
Negative Affectc
Predictor
.03
.00
.02
.00
.00
Note.
Predictors (Model 1): Marital Status (SWL, PA), Meditation Frequency (SWL, NA), Meditation Experience (SWL), Age (PA, NA),
Income (PA, NA)
Predictors (Model 2): Acceptance, Awareness
Predictors (Model 3): Anticipating, In the Moment, Reminiscing
a Satisfaction with Life (Model 3): F(8,66) = 4.08, p < .001
b Positive Affect (Model 3): F(8, 85) = 6.27, p < .001
c Negative Affect (Model 2): F (5, 88) = 6.47, p < .001
B
SE B
β
T
P
.99
.50
.06
.14
.05
-.07
1.21
.82
.09
.10
.14
.12
.09
.08
.08
.16
.05
-.08
.81
.60
.72
1.39
.40
-.60
.42
.55
.48
.17
.69
.55
.32
.14
.37
2.35
.02
.09
.13
.12
.71
.48
.00
.83
.00
.12
.15
-.11
.06
1.13
.00
.08
.10
.09
.01
.08
.19
.15
.14
-.14
.07
.73
1.79
1.44
1.55
-1.17
.94
.47
.08
.16
.13
.25
.25
.11
.31
2.29
.03
.17
.10
.24
1.77
.08
.03
-.24
.00
.06
.63
.00
.07
-.04
.05
.66
-.38
.45
.51
.70
.66
PHLMS Acceptance
.40
.09
.48
4.65
.00
PHLMS Awareness
.17
.12
.14
1.44
.15
Variable
Satisfaction with Life
Marital Status
Medit’n Frequency
Medit’n Experience
PHMLS Acceptance
PHLMS Awareness
SBI Anticipating
SBI In the Moment
SBI Reminiscing
Positive Affect
Age
Marital Status
Income
PHLMS Acceptance
PHLMS Awareness
SBI Anticipating
SBI In the Moment
SBI Reminiscing
Negative Affect
Age
Meditation Frequency
Income
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Mindfulness significantly predicted all
dimensions of SWB, but particularly NA
Savouring significantly predicted SWL and PA,
but not NA
ITM savouring was the best predictor of SWB
compared to anticipatory and reminiscent
savouring
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It was the single best predictor of both SWL (37%) and
PA (31%)
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Mindfulness was not a precondition for
savouring
Mindfulness is more instructive in NA than SWB
generally
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Explore the predictive ability of mindfulness for
psychological well-being (PWB)
Evidence for the usefulness of Acceptance &
Commitment Therapy (Eifert & Forsyth, 2005) in
anxiety and pain disorders
Savouring is more useful as an intervention to
enhance happiness
Use ESM for variables that are susceptible to
change based on mood and recent experiences
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Adopt a more present-moment focus
Savouring and mindfulness function
independently and influence different
dimensions of SWB
Happiness is best sought through savouring
techniques
Mindfulness aids to decrease emotional
reactivity
Need to explore the efficacy of mindfulness in
predicting PWB