Mindfulness meditation and extrinsic aspiration: A mediation model of affective forecast and autonomy functioning

Mindfulness meditation was examined as an intervention to reduce people’s level of extrinsic value orientations. People’s autonomy functioning and affective forecasting were also tested as mediators to understand how the mindfulness intervention can affect people’s extrinsic aspirations. This study conducted a four-week intervention experiment among 39 college students. The results showed that although people’s mindfulness level did not significantly change across time, their extrinsic aspirations were significantly decreased as the intervention completed. The effect of mindfulness on extrinsic values was mediated by individuals’ belief that extrinsic goals could not bring a high level of immediate satisfaction. The mediation effect of autonomy functioning on relationship between mindfulness and extrinsic aspirations was not supported. All rights reserved.