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We wanted to address two critical limitations of research on mindfulness and motivational conflict, by (a) distinguishing between conflict experiences and conflict reactivity and (b) by applying a typological approach, exploring natural combinations of two core qualities of (state) mindfulness: present moment awareness and a nonjudgmental stance. Using an experience-sampling (ES) design (N = 107 on the personal and 3862 at the observational level) with baseline and posttest measures of general affective well-being, we found that between-person differences in everyday conflict reactivity (i.e., perseverative and self-evaluative reactions toward conflict experiences) but not in conflict experiences per se (i.e., feeling that one wants to or should do something else) predicted impaired affective well-being after the ES period. Furthermore, multilevel latent profile analysis showed that momentary conflict reactivity was lowest when participants reported to be both momentarily aware and nonjudgmental, mirroring the comprehensive mindfulness experience. These effects existed while controlling for baseline and accompanying affect as well as for conflict intensity, strengthening the idea that motivational conflict itself is not a critical instance of self-regulation failure and that being mindful may contribute to remain functionally efficient and psychological well-adjusted.

Mindfulness has shown beneficial relationships with well-being and self-regulation. We aim to improve the understanding of the effects of between- and within-person differences in mindfulness when dealing with situations of motivational conflict. For this purpose, we conducted an experience sampling study with 56 university students who replied to a total of N = 1889 short questionnaires, which they received via their smartphones over a period of eight consecutive days. In addition to a state mindfulness questionnaire with the facets presence and non-judgment (focusing attention on the experience of the current action and a momentary non-judgmental stance towards these, respectively), the participants received questions about their current affective well-being and perceived intensity of want or should conflict experiences. Multi-level analyses revealed that want conflicts were predicted by both state mindfulness facets, even after momentary affect was controlled. In addition, to be non-judgmental (as a trait), and having momentary presence (as a state), related to lower intensity of should conflicts. The results suggest that being mindful might be a particularly beneficial way of dealing with daily motivational conflicts, which is an essential and frequent task of self-regulation.

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