Sitting with it: an Investigation of the Relationship between Mindfulness and Boredom Mindfulness, Vigilance, and Boredom Procedure

Abstract

There is some evidence that intensive mindfulness retreats are beneficial for performance on a sustained attention task (MacLean et al, 2010). At the same time, there is some evidence to suggest that casual practice of mindfulness is unrelated to sustained attention (MacCoon et al., 2014). Boredom and discomfort are negatively correlated with performance during a sustained attention task and likely have a reciprocal relation with each other (Scerbo, 1998; Hunter & Eastwood, 2016). We wanted to know if trait mindfulness predicts better performance and reduced boredom and discomfort during and after a sustained attention task. If so, is it chiefly because trait mindfulness is associated with better attention capacity (cognitive pathway) or reduced emotional reactivity (affective pathway) to a monotonous task?