Mindfulness meditation counteracts self-control depletion
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation describes a set of different mental techniques to train attention and awareness. Trait mindfulness and extended mindfulness interventions can benefit self-control. The present study investigated the short-term consequences of mindfulness meditation under conditions of limited self-control resources. Specifically, we hypothesized that a brief period of mindfulness meditation would counteract the deleterious effect that the exertion of self-control has on subsequent self-control performance. Participants who had been depleted of self-control resources by an emotion suppression task showed decrements in self-control performance as compared to participants who had not suppressed emotions. However, participants who had meditated after emotion suppression performed equally well on the subsequent self-control task as participants who had not exerted self-control previously. This finding suggests that a brief period of mindfulness meditation may serve as a quick and efficient strategy to foster self-control under conditions of low resources.
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Research indicating that mindfulness training can improve executive functioning and counteract depletion of self-control resources suggests that the self-control account is a plausible alternative hypothesis.
“Research indicating that mindfulness training can improve executive functioning (Chiesa et al., 2010) and counteract depletion of self-control resources (Friese et al., 2012) suggests this is a plausible alternative hypothesis.”
From Decoupling as a Mechanism of Change in Mindfulness and Acceptance: A Literature Review (2015) · cites this paper as Friese et al., 2012
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- Authors
- Friese, M., Messner, C., & Schaffner, Y.
- Affiliations
- University of Basel (CH)
- University of Bern (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Friese, Malte
- Venue
- Consciousness and Cognition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-06
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 1016-1022
- ISSN
- 1053-8100 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1997176614
- Cited by
- 285
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 19.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Consciousness and Cognition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Universität Basel
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Keywords
- mindfulness meditation, self-control, ego depletion, emotional suppression, trait mindfulness, attentional control, limited cognitive resources
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attention, Emotions, Female, Humans, Internal-External Control, Male, Meditation
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