Trait Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation in an Older Adult Population

Abstract

Mindfulness is a multifaceted construct defined as a state of present-moment focus and nonjudgmental awareness of the current experience. It can be assessed in various ways including as a trait or dispositional characteristic. Mindfulness is associated with emotion regulation abilities but to date there is limited evidence for specificity of facets in this association and fewer studies examining this in older adults. The current study examined age differences in trait mindfulness and the association between (a) specific facets of mindfulness and (b) emotion regulation, in older and younger adults. We used the Five Faceted Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ; Baer, Smith, Hopkins, Krietemeyer, & Toney, 2006) and both objective and subjective measures of emotion regulation. Ten older adults and 39 younger adults completed the FFMQ and subsequently performed an Emotional Stroop task following negative mood induction. Results demonstrated significantly higher levels of trait mindfulness in older adults, particularly in the nonjudgment facet. Despite some indication of an association between nonjudgment and reduced emotional response for older adults, no correlations between FFMQ facets and emotion regulation measures were significant. These results suggest that older adults are more mindful than younger adults, and there is reason for further exploration of specific facets of mindfulness.