Three papers examining the psychological mechanisms of mindfulness

The three papers in this dissertation explore the mechanisms of mindfulness to shed light on how mindfulness operates. In Paper 1, I investigate the mechanisms of mindfulness that explain how mindfulness reduces stress. Specifically, I investigate whether mindfulness is effective in reducing stress because it helps employees re-appraise their work tasks. The findings suggest that mindfulness can reduce stress at work because it helps employees view work tasks less as a threat. In Paper 2, I unravel the seemingly paradoxical effects of mindfulness, by systematically reviewing empirical research on mindfulness mechanisms and organizing them into an integrative theoretical model. Specifically, I posit that established mindfulness mechanisms are not contradictory if considering that they occur in a sequence that unfolds over time: dereification producing non-evaluative experiences momentarily; reorientation producing modulated experiences in the short run; and assimilation producing durable changes in one's personal agency in the long run. In Paper 3, I investigate empirically whether mindfulness first fosters a neutral state of mind by removing negative thoughts (e.g., reduced negative affect, reduced depressive feelings), and later promotes increases in a positive state of mind (e.g., increased optimism, increased resilience). The findings suggest that mindfulness first leads to a neutral state of mind to make space for a positively modulated state of mind. Taken together, the three papers build on one another in exploring the mechanisms of mindfulness. Overall, the findings suggest that mindfulness can lead to a positive experience by first creating a neutral state of mind entailing the reduction of a negative state.