Is primary appraisal a mechanism of daily mindfulness at work?
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether workplace mindfulness influences stress appraisal and affect, and if mindfulness training enhances these effects.
Results Summary
The studies found that mindfulness positively influenced daily challenge appraisal (linked to positive affect) and reduced threat appraisal (linked to negative affect). Mindfulness training increased daily mindfulness, which in turn improved appraisal and affect.
Population
Employees (58 in Study 1, 69 in Study 2)
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
5 working days (Study 1), duration not specified for Study 2
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness | increase | high-activation positive affect | 58 employees | - | mediated the positive relationship | #1 |
mindfulness | decrease | high-activation negative affect | 58 employees | - | mediated the negative relationship | #2 |
self-directed mindfulness training | increase | daily mindfulness | 69 employees | - | produced a greater increase | #3 |
the intervention | increase | appraisal | 69 employees | - | influenced the change rate | #4 |
daily appraisal | neutral | affect | 69 employees | - | influenced | #5 |
In two studies, we examined primary appraisal as a potential mechanism of workplace mindfulness, grounded in the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping. In Study 1, multilevel structural equation modeling utilizing diary data from 58 employees across 5 working days showed that daily challenge appraisal mediated the positive relationship between mindfulness and high-activation positive affect, and daily threat appraisal mediated the negative relationship between mindfulness and high-activation negative affect. In Study 2, 69 employees participated in a randomized control trial comparing self-directed mindfulness training with a wait-list control. Latent growth curve modeling demonstrated that the intervention produced a greater increase in daily mindfulness relative to the control condition. In turn, the rate of change in daily mindfulness influenced the change rate of appraisal, and daily appraisal influenced affect, as expected. Together, these studies indicate one way in which mindfulness may help employees to thrive at work is by adaptively shaping the stressor appraisal process, and that connecting mindfulness training to primary appraisal may bolster the potential beneficial effects in the work context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).