We have pondered this question at some point in our relations, and this is precisely what probed the researchers from Florida State University to explore. The benefits of a satisfying relationship on our mental and physical health are widely noted. The motivation to lead a healthy life encourages individuals to seek factors that promote relationship satisfaction.
One such factor shown to increase relationship satisfaction is trait mindfulness, which is defined as ‘an individual’s predisposition to be mindful and attentive to the present moment in a non-judgmental way.’ Recent research is increasingly highlighting the role of forgiveness in improving relationship satisfaction. But, the link between the three (trait mindfulness, forgiveness and relationship satisfaction) has not yet been studied together.
The researchers were interested in understanding if forgiveness acts as a mechanism by which mindfulness relates to relationship satisfaction. They speculated that being mindful would allow individuals to be aware of their own and their partners’ emotions in a non-judgmental and non-reactive way. The increased awareness would make people more forgiving of partner transgressions, thereby enhancing relationship satisfaction.
“…mindfulness increases an individual’s tendency to forgive partner wrongdoings, enhancing relationship satisfaction.”
They based this argument on the interpersonal theory, which posits that, because of the interdependent nature of a relationship, ‘romantic partners influence each other’s tendency to respond to a given situation’. To test this, the researchers recruited 226 couples who had been in an opposite-sex relationship for over two years.
In support of their speculation and extant studies, the researchers found that higher levels of mindfulness are linked with forgiveness, indicating that mindful individuals consider their partners less blameworthy following transgressions. Interestingly, the study also found an association between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction only for female participants. Subsequent research can further explore gender differences between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction.
The researchers also found an indirect link between trait mindfulness, forgiveness and relationship satisfaction, suggesting that forgiveness acts as a catalyst between mindfulness and relationship satisfaction for male and female partners. This is in line with the possibility that mindfulness increases an individual’s tendency to forgive partner wrongdoings, enhancing relationship satisfaction. Another interesting finding was that males with a higher tendency to forgive had female partners with higher levels of relationship satisfaction and vice versa. Put differently, an individual’s ability to be forgiving and mindful influences their partner’s relationship satisfaction along with their ability and willingness to forgive.
This study emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and mindfulness in enhancing relationship satisfaction. It also aptly implies that practicing mindfulness strengthens an individual and their partner’s relationship satisfaction. Apart from personal implications, these findings hold clinical relevance for working with couples facing relationship difficulties. However, future studies can incorporate diverse ethnic identities and relationship types since this study solely focused on White/Caucasian heterosexual couples. It is also vital to consider the context of transgression when studying forgiveness, as it can impact one’s tendency to forgive.
Arushi is a recent Master’s graduate in Applied Psychology from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, and a prospective Ph.D. applicant. She has worked around mindfulness, relaxation techniques, trauma, and wellbeing, and she is motivated to share the benefits of mindfulness-based practices.
By providing an immersive, engrossing, and controlled visual and auditory experience in which participants can practice mindfulness techniques, Virtual Reality (VR) systems can create immersive, ecologically valid, first-person experiences that can even tap into physiological reactions that align with real-world experiences.
Emerging studies are highlighting the effectiveness of mindfulness, gratitude and hopefulness as positive psychological tools in helping people cope with anxiety and stress. These practices have also been considered beneficial in enhancing psychological health and well-being.
Despite growing knowledge that mindfulness meditation can enhance emotional wellbeing, very little is known about how it all works. How exactly does the act of meditation help us deal with the emotional rollercoaster of everyday life? Is mindfulness training actually “transferrable” to real world situations? What’s going on in the brain? Can we even measure it?
How does self-compassion protect depressed adolescents? Quieting the self may be the key.
A study led by Alexandra Martelli investigated whether more mindful individuals (based on self-report measure scores) would respond to social rejection with less distress and if certain neurological mechanisms in the brain’s prefrontal cortex can potentially explain the role of mindfulness in reduced social distress.
A research team from Valencia, Spain recently investigated the effects of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on both mood and biological markers on a sample of health professional students.
A new study by Kim and colleagues explored how compassion-based training can affect two self-regulatory styles and its relationship to neural, physiological, and behavioral responses.
Torre and colleagues recruited 70 HCWs from two hospitals in Rome, Italy for a 4-week course in yoga and mindfulness.
A team of researchers based in the perceived epicenter of the virus, Wuhan, China, recently tested whether a brief mindfulness intervention delivered through an app could be effective for reducing anxiety and protecting nightly sleep during the unfolding pandemic.
Mindfulness practices can enhance a therapist’s ability to intentionally and flexibly regulate attention as well as emotional reactivity which has been demonstrated to influence burnout.
A new study investigated whether a brief mindfulness training designed to reduce physician burnout could be delivered through a smartphone app.
The current study reviewed the wider scientific literature for the role of yoga and mindfulness interventions in the treatment of severe mental illness.
The amount of research involving mindfulness interventions has grown exponentially; however, only in the last decade has mindfulness research involving adolescents rapidly increased.
Mindfulness and self-compassion are theorized to disrupt the maladaptive repetition of negative thoughts and emotions for patients with chronic or mental illnesses, who are particularly susceptible to psychosocial distress.
There is promising evidence that 70% of smokers would like to quit but less than 5% of unassisted attempts at quitting are actually successful.
In a recent pilot study by Suzette Glasner, Ph.D. and her team at the Integrated Substance Abuse Programs at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, they evaluated the effects of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) on reducing relapse susceptibility among stimulant-dependent adults receiving a contingency management (CM) intervention.
A major implication of the study suggests the distal effects of intensive retreat practice on respiration rates, a benefit not necessarily conferred by a brief, but full-day meditation session.
Researchers are exploring mindfulness-based interventions as a long-term treatment options to address the multitude of symptoms after cancer has been treated.
While the scientific study of mindfulness has exponentially increased over the past few decades, only recently has the scientific community focused on the effects of meditation training on biological aging.
Tell us about your idea. Nearly any subject related to the science of mindfulness is fair game.