Mindfulness is a relatively new psychological construct for which a lot of research shows the positive effects of its use, as in everyday life, also in the world of therapy.
Many of the studies conducted, emphasizes that mindfulness is the ability that enables a person to focus on the present moment and accept the nature of the experience as it is, without condemning and adding different meanings to it. This encourages better emotional and behavioral self-regulation that often leads to increasing positive affect (Mishra 2017).
In our research, we wanted to present the connection between mindfulness as a personality trait and other constructs such as positive and negative affect and family satisfaction.
The study involved 109 participants, of which 30 were men (27.5%) and 79 women (72.5%). The minimum age was 16 years and the maximum age was 60 years. The construct of mindfulness was measured with the KIMS Mindfulness Questionnaire (Baer et al., 2004). The expression of positive and negative emotionality was assessed with the Questionnaire for measuring positive and negative affect PANAS (Watson, Clark in Tellegen, 1988). Family satisfaction was assessed with the Kansas Family Satisfaction Scale KFSL (Corcoran and Fischer 2013, 364).
The results of the study showed a positive, moderate connection between mindfulness and positive emotionality. All scales of the KIMS questionnaire (»observing«, »describing«, »acting with awareness«), with the exception of dimension »acceptance without judging«, showed statistically significant correlation with the positive affect scale. A higher level of mindfulness supposed to mean more frequent experiencing of positive emotions.
In our study, the negative correlation between negative affect and mindfulness is consistent with most of the world's research. People with a higher degree of mindfulness are more likely to report less negative feelings and vice versa. On the other hand, the positive correlation between mindfulness and family satisfaction means that a higher level of mindfulness may be connected with higher level of satisfaction in the family. Positive correlation has also been shown between positive affect and family satisfaction. This correlation shows that individuals who show higher degree of satisfaction in the family are more likely to express more positive feelings. When understanding the results, the research limitations must be taken into account.
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