Be open: Mindfulness predicts reduced motivated perception

Journal Article (Journal Article)

Mindfulness is defined as non-judgmental present-moment attention and awareness, which varies across persons and moments. As a non-judgmental stance, mindfulness should allow for greater perceptual objectivity. Previous research suggests that self-interest can motivate people to "see what they want to see" (. Balcetis & Dunning, 2006). We hypothesized that mindfulness would moderate this effect such that state and trait mindfulness would be associated with less motivated perception. We adapted the methods of Balcetis and Dunning (2006) in an online study ( N= 161). Results show that state and trait mindfulness predicted less motivated perception. These effects were stronger after excluding participants who noticed the ambiguity of the image as well as controlling for mood. These findings suggest that mindfulness is a stance of greater objectivity.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Adair, KC; Fredrickson, BL

Published Date

  • September 1, 2015

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 83 /

Start / End Page

  • 198 - 201

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0191-8869

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/j.paid.2015.04.008

Citation Source

  • Scopus