Mindfulness as Practice: A Network Analysis of FMI data

Abstract

ObjectiveBy committing to latent variable models, mindfulness research has aimed to transform observable practices into an identifiable real ‘mindfulness’ experience which is claimed to exist beyond what is directly observed. Recently, an alternative methodology has been developed which allows mindfulness to be modelled as a complex system or network at the level of self-report. This study hypothesised that a more densely connected network of observable practices is indicative of a greater level of development of mindfulness. MethodsMindfulness networks were estimated for practitioners and non-practitioners using the Friedberg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). A total of 371 regular mindfulness practitioners, 224 non-practitioners and 59 irregular practitioners were recruited online from the Amazon Mechanical Turk database. ResultsComparisons of practitioners’ and non-practitioners’ networks indicated that network density did not significantly differ, whereas evidence was found in support of a significant difference in network structure. An exploratory analysis revealed that the FMI item representing the mindfulness practice of Acceptance was substantially more central in the Practitioners FMI network, relative to its position in the Non-practitioners FMI network. FMI items representing the mindfulness practices of Self-kindness and Returning to the Present were substantially more peripheral to the practitioners FMI network relative to their position in the non-practitioners FMI network. Conclusions.The study provides proof-of-principle support for investigating mindfulness as a complex network at the level of self-report. However, the lack of difference in network density indicates that future research is needed to examine network dynamics in the context of regular mindfulness practice.