Experimental effects of mindfulness inductions on self-regulation: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Self-regulation is the control of aspects of the self to allow pursuit of long-term goals, and it is proposed as a central pathway through which mindfulness may exert benefits on well-being. However, the effects of a single mindfulness induction on self-regulation are not clear, as there has been no comprehensive review of this evidence. The current review synthesized existing findings relating to the effect of a mindfulness induction delivered in a laboratory setting on measures of self-regulation. Twenty-seven studies were included and grouped according to 3 outcomes: regulation of experimentally induced negative affect (k = 15; meta-analysis), emotion-regulation strategies (k = 7) and executive functions (k = 9; narrative synthesis). A mindfulness induction was superior to comparison groups in enhancing the regulation of negative affect (d = –.28). Executive-function performance was enhanced only when the experimental design included an affect induction or when the outcome was sustained attention. The effect on emotion-regulation strategies was inconclusive, but with emerging evidence for an effect on rumination. Overall, the findings indicate that, in the form of an induction, mindfulness may have the most immediate effect on attention mechanisms rather than exerting cognitive changes in other domains, as are often reported outcomes of longer mindfulness training. Through effecting change in attention, emotion regulation of negative affect can be enhanced, and subsequently, executive-function performance more quickly restored. The interpretations of the findings are caveated with consideration of the low quality of many of the included study designs determined by the quality appraisal tool.