The construct of mindfulness
Abstract
After mindfulness is defined, a brief history of the research on the topic to date is reviewed. This work essentially falls into three categories: health, business, and education. Considerations of mindlessness as a social issue are then addressed. A brief introduction to the articles in this issue follows. These articles speak to mindfulness as it relates to potential solutions to social problems.
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Studies suggest that a flexible present-moment focus can be helpful.
“Studies on training attentional flexibility (e.g., Langer & Moldoveanu, 2000) suggest that a flexible present-moment focus can be helpful.”
From Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Contextual Behavioral Science: Examining the Progress of a Distinctive Model of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (2013) · cites this paper as Langer & Moldoveanu, 2000
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The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822 · Cited by 13,448 · see citing works
Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: a conceptual and empirical review
Baer, R. A. (2003) · Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice · doi:10.1093/clipsy.bpg015 · Cited by 4,577 · see citing works
Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility
Moore, A., & Malinowski, P. (2009) · Consciousness and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.concog.2008.12.008 · Cited by 1,220 · see citing works
Hayes, S. C., Levin, M. E., Plumb-Vilardaga, J., Villatte, J. L., & Pistorello, J. (2013) · Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.beth.2009.08.002 · Cited by 1,120 · see citing works
Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review.
Baer, R. A. (2003) · Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice · doi:10.1093/clipsy/bpg015 · Cited by 4,576 · see citing works
Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thomson, K., Oberlander, T. F., & Diamond, A. (2015) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0038454 · Cited by 813 · see citing works
“Being mindful requires the cognitive control strategies described earlier as EFs and can be contrasted with nonconscious attention and acting on the basis of “automatic pilot” (e.g., Langer & Moldoveanu, 2000).”
Review and evaluation of mindfulness-based iPhone apps
Mani, M., Kavanagh, D. J., Hides, L., & Stoyanov, S. R. (2015) · JMIR mHealth and uHealth · doi:10.2196/mhealth.4328 · Cited by 495 · see citing works
Mindfulness Training for Elementary School Students: The Attention Academy
Napoli, M., Krech, P. R., & Holley, L. C. (2005) · Journal of Applied School Psychology · doi:10.1300/j370v21n01_05 · Cited by 522 · see citing works
Mindfulness and self-acceptance.
Carson, S. H., & Langer, E. J. (2006) · Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1007/s10942-006-0022-5 · Cited by 460 · see citing works
Self-citation“It doesn’t matter what you are!” Explaining social effects of agents and avatars
von der Pütten, A. M., Krämer, N. C., Gratch, J., & Kang, S.-H. (2010) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2010.06.012 · Cited by 389 · see citing works
The potential effects of meditation on age-related cognitive decline: a systematic review.
Gard, T., Hölzel, B. K., & Lazar, S. W. (2014) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.12348 · Cited by 363 · see citing works
Mindfulness at Work: A New Approach to Improving Individual and Organizational Performance
Hyland, P. K., Lee, R. A., & Mills, M. J. (2015) · Industrial and Organizational Psychology · doi:10.1017/iop.2015.41 · Cited by 355 · see citing works
Mindfulness and the Intention-Behavior Relationship Within the Theory of Planned Behavior
Chatzisarantis, N. L. D., & Hagger, M. S. (2007) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167206297401 · Cited by 326 · see citing works
Metacognitive model of mindfulness
Jankowski, T., & Holas, P. (2014) · Consciousness and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.concog.2014.06.005 · Cited by 276 · see citing works
Mindfulness and trauma: implications for treatment
Follette, V., Palm, K. M., & Pearson, A. N. (2006) · Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1007/s10942-006-0025-2 · Cited by 273 · see citing works
Mindfulness and Counseling Self‐Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Attention and Empathy
Greason, P. B., & Cashwell, C. S. (2009) · Counselor Education and Supervision · doi:10.1002/j.1556-6978.2009.tb00083.x · Cited by 272 · see citing works
Kee, Y. H., & John Wang, C. K. (2008) · Psychology of Sport and Exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2007.07.001 · Cited by 266 · see citing works
Coping responses by adults who stutter: Part I. Protecting the self and others
Plexico, L. W., Manning, W. H., & Levitt, H. (2009) · Journal of Fluency Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jfludis.2009.06.001 · Cited by 182 · see citing works
Vipassana meditation: systematic review of current evidence
Chiesa, A. (2010) · The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine · doi:10.1089/acm.2009.0362 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Mindfulness Meditation Impairs Task Motivation but Not Performance
Hafenbrack, A. C., & Vohs, K. D. (2018) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.05.001 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Townshend, K., Jordan, Z., Stephenson, M., & Tsey, K. (2016) · JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports · doi:10.11124/jbisrir-2016-2314 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Dispositional mindfulness co-varies with self-reported positive reappraisal
Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2014) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2014.03.014 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Pirson, M. A., Langer, E., & Zilcha, S. (2018) · Journal of Adult Development · doi:10.1007/s10804-018-9282-4 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Self-citationEnkema, M. C., McClain, L., Bird, E. R., Halvorson, M. A., & Larimer, M. E. (2020) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01442-2 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
van Groenestijn, A. C., Kruitwagen-van Reenen, E. T., Visser-Meily, J. M. A., van den Berg, L. H., & Schröder, C. D. (2016) · Health and Quality of Life Outcomes · doi:10.1186/s12955-016-0507-6 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
The role of mindfulness in reducing English language anxiety among Thai college students
Charoensukmongkol, P. (2019) · International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism · doi:10.1080/13670050.2016.1264359 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
The Role of Individual and Collective Mindfulness in Promoting Occupational Safety in Health Care
Dierynck, B., Leroy, H., Savage, G. T., & Choi, E. (2017) · Medical Care Research and Review · doi:10.1177/1077558716629040 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Minding the interpersonal gap: Mindfulness-based interventions in the prevention of ostracism
Ramsey, A. T., & Jones, E. E. (2015) · Consciousness and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.concog.2014.10.003 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Being mindful about mindfulness
Pagnini, F., & Philips, D. (2015) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(15)00041-3 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Mindfulness and cognitive functions: Toward a unifying neurocognitive framework
Raffone, A., & Srinivasan, N. (2017) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-016-0654-1 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Pagnini, F., Phillips, D., Bosma, C. M., Reece, A., & Langer, E. (2015) · Psychology & Health · doi:10.1080/08870446.2014.982652 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Self-citationBolzer, M., Strijbos, J. W., & Fischer, F. (2015) · Journal of Computer Assisted Learning · doi:10.1111/jcal.12091 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Pagnini, F., Phillips, D., Bosma, C. M., Reece, A., & Langer, E. (2016) · Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1002/jclp.22235 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Self-citationWhat is mindfulness, and why should organizations care about it?
Shapiro, S. L., Wang, M. C., & Peltason, E. H. (2015) · Mindfulness in Organizations · doi:10.1017/cbo9781107587793.004 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Pagnini, F., Phillips, D., Haulman, A., Bankert, M., Simmons, Z., & Langer, E. (2022) · Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration · doi:10.1080/21678421.2021.1928707 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Self-citationChien, W. T., Chow, K. M., Chong, Y. Y., Bressington, D., Choi, K. C., & Chan, C. W. H. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00177 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
An examination of concurrent and incremental validity of four mindfulness scales
Andrei, F., Vesely, A., & Siegling, A. B. (2016) · Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment · doi:10.1007/s10862-016-9546-x · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Kessel, R., Gecht, J., Forkmann, T., Drueke, B., Gauggel, S., & Mainz, V. (2016) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-016-0115-6 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Mindful Learning Improves Positive Feelings of Cancer Patients’ Family Caregivers
Geng, L., Wang, J., Cheng, L., Zhang, B., & Shen, H. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16020248 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Hearn, J. H., Finlay, K. A., & Sheffield, D. (2021) · British Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjhp.12462 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Aging Mindfully to Minimize Cognitive Decline
Kurth, F., Cherbuin, N., & Luders, E. (2017) · Journal of Cognitive Enhancement · doi:10.1007/s41465-017-0027-2 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Rudaz, M., Ledermann, T., & Grzywacz, J. G. (2018) · Journal of Psychosocial Oncology · doi:10.1080/07347332.2018.1464091 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Fall, E., & Shankland, R. (2021) · Journal of Adult Development · doi:10.1007/s10804-020-09362-0 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Walach, H., Sauer, S., Kohls, N., Rose, N., & Schmidt, S. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-025-03671-3 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
R., M., A., C., Q., Y., M., J., C., N., & K., M. (2026) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-025-08767-y
- Authors
- Langer, E. J., & Moldoveanu, M.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Venue
- Journal of Social Issues
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2000-01
- Volume
- 56
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-9
- ISSN
- 0022-4537 (ISSN-L)
- 1540-4560
- OpenAlex
- W2104626901
- Cited by
- 1,048
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 25 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 63 · 2021: 59 · 2020: 75 · 2019: 60 · 2018: 58 · 2017: 66 · 2016: 70 · 2015: 78 · 2014: 73 · 2013: 38 · 2012: 68
- FWCI
- 4.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Social Issues (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Keywords
- mindfulness, mindlessness, social problems, mindfulness in education, social solutions
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