Jennifer Krietemeyer

Bio: Jennifer Krietemeyer is an academic researcher from University of Kentucky. The author has contributed to research in topics: Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire & Mindfulness. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 7 publications receiving 6951 citations.

Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness

Abstract: The authors examine the facet structure of mindfulness using five recently developed mindfulness questionnaires. Two large samples of undergraduate students completed mindfulness questionnaires and measures of other constructs. Psychometric properties of the mindfulness questionnaires were examined, including internal consistency and convergent and discriminant relationships with other variables. Factor analyses of the combined pool of items from the mindfulness questionnaires suggested that collectively they contain five clear, interpretable facets of mindfulness. Hierarchical confirmatory factor analyses suggested that at least four of the identified factors are components of an overall mindfulness construct and that the factor structure of mindfulness may vary with meditation experience. Mindfulness facets were shown to be differentially correlated in expected ways with several other constructs and to have incremental validity in the prediction of psychological symptoms. Findings suggest that conceptualizing mindfulness as a multifaceted construct is helpful in understanding its components and its relationships with other variables.

Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples.

Abstract: Previous research on assessment of mindfulness by self-report suggests that it may include five component skills: observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging of inner experience, and nonreactivity to inner experience. These elements of mindfulness can be measured with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). The authors investigated several aspects of the construct validity of the FFMQ in experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups. Consistent with predictions, most mindfulness facets were significantly related to meditation experience and to psychological symptoms and well-being. As expected, relationships between the observing facet and psychological adjustment varied with meditation experience. Regression and mediation analyses showed that several of the facets contributed independently to the prediction of well-being and significantly mediated the relationship between meditation experience and well-being. Findings support the construct validity of the FFMQ in a combination of samples not previously investigated.

1 – overview of mindfulness- and acceptance-based treatment approaches

Abstract: Mindfulness is a way of directing attention. Originating in Eastern meditation traditions, it is increasingly discussed and practiced in Western culture. It is generally described as intentionally focusing one’s attention on the experience occurring at the present moment in a nonjudgmental or accepting way (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). It has been contrasted with states of mind in which attention is focused elsewhere, such as preoccupation with memories, fantasies, plans, or worries, and with behaving automatically, without awareness of one’s actions (Brown & Ryan, 2003). Kabat-Zinn (2003) notes that mindful attention includes a stance of compassion, interest, friendliness, and open-heartedness toward the experience observed in the present moment, regardless of how pleasant or aversive it may be.

Relationships and HIV Risk Among Incarcerated Women

Abstract: HIV risk is a public health concern, particularly for women prisoners who are reentering the community. This article describes findings from focus groups conducted as part of the National Institute...

Gender Differences in Treatment Engagement Among a Sample of Incarcerated Substance Abusers

Abstract: This article examines gender differences in treatment engagement, psychosocial variables, and criminal thinking among a sample of male and female substance abusers (N = 2,774) enrolled in 20 prison-based treatment programs in five different states as part of the National Institute on Drug Abuse—funded Criminal Justice Drug Abuse Treatment Studies cooperative agreement. Results indicate that inmates in female treatment programs report more psychosocial dysfunction, less criminal thinking, and higher engagement than in male facilities, and there is a more negative relationship between psychosocial variables and treatment engagement (compared to male programs). Only one subscale of criminal thinking had a significant gender interaction, with males having a significantly stronger relationship between cold-heartedness and low treatment engagement. Implications for treatment interventions with a gender-specific focus are discussed.

Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects

Abstract: Interest in mindfulness and its enhancement has burgeoned in recent years. In this article, we discuss in detail the nature of mindfulness and its relation to other, established theories of attention and awareness in day-to-day life. We then examine theory and evidence for the role of mindfulness in curtailing negative functioning and enhancing positive outcomes in several important life domains, including mental health, physical health, behavioral regulation, and interpersonal relationships. The processes through which mindfulness is theorized to have its beneficial effects are then discussed, along with proposed directions for theoretical development and empirical research.

Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples.

Abstract: Previous research on assessment of mindfulness by self-report suggests that it may include five component skills: observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging of inner experience, and nonreactivity to inner experience. These elements of mindfulness can be measured with the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). The authors investigated several aspects of the construct validity of the FFMQ in experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups. Consistent with predictions, most mindfulness facets were significantly related to meditation experience and to psychological symptoms and well-being. As expected, relationships between the observing facet and psychological adjustment varied with meditation experience. Regression and mediation analyses showed that several of the facets contributed independently to the prediction of well-being and significantly mediated the relationship between meditation experience and well-being. Findings support the construct validity of the FFMQ in a combination of samples not previously investigated.

How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective

Abstract: Cultivation of mindfulness, the nonjudgmental awareness of experiences in the present moment, produces beneficial effects on well-being and ameliorates psychiatric and stress-related symptoms. Mindfulness meditation has therefore increasingly been incorporated into psychotherapeutic interventions. Although the number of publications in the field has sharply increased over the last two decades, there is a paucity of theoretical reviews that integrate the existing literature into a comprehensive theoretical framework. In this article, we explore several components through which mindfulness meditation exerts its effects: (a) attention regulation, (b) body awareness, (c) emotion regulation (including reappraisal and exposure, extinction, and reconsolidation), and (d) change in perspective on the self. Recent empirical research, including practitioners’ self-reports and experimental data, provides evidence supporting these mechanisms. Functional and structural neuroimaging studies have begun to explore the neuroscientific processes underlying these components. Evidence suggests that mindfulness practice is associated with neuroplastic changes in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, temporo-parietal junction, fronto-limbic network, and default mode network structures. The authors suggest that the mechanisms described here work synergistically, establishing a process of enhanced self-regulation. Differentiating between these components seems useful to guide future basic research and to specifically target areas of development in the treatment of psychological disorders.