The relationship between dispositional mindfulness, attachment security and emotion regulation

Abstract

Mindfulness may be conceptualised as a dispositional trait which differs across individuals. Previous research has independently identified both attachment security and emotion regulation abilities as correlates of dispositional attachment. We investigated the relationship between the three concepts in a sample of 192 participants who had previously had no mindfulness training. Participants completed the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale-Revised (ECR-R) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) online. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 2-factor solution accounting for 52% of the variance across scores on these measures. The first factor accounted for 36% of the variance and loaded highly on emotion regulation and mindfulness subscales. The second factor accounted for 16% of the variance and loaded highly on emotion regulation, attachment and mindfulness subscales. We called the first factor ‘conscious awareness of emotional states’ and the second factor ‘metacognition of emotional states’. The results confirmed that both emotional regulation abilities and attachment security were related to dispositional mindfulness.