Article Review: Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence

This report provides a comprehensive review of the article "Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects" by Brown, Ryan, and Creswell (2007). The review explores the concept of mindfulness, its interrelation with awareness and attention, and its positive impact on mental and physical health, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. The article is analyzed, highlighting the problem of addressing psychological and interpersonal issues through mindfulness, the purpose of understanding mindfulness's effects on psychology, and the research questions regarding its positive outcomes. The review also discusses the limitations of the research, the literature review, and the methodology, including participants, data collection procedures, and data analysis. The results indicate that greater mindfulness enhances the quality of consciousness, allowing individuals to regulate emotions and mitigate negative behaviors. The report concludes with recommendations for future research, emphasizing the need for better models and empirical studies to further explore the impact of mindfulness. The author reflects on the article's significance in cognitive therapy and its potential to improve mental health, emotional regulation, and interpersonal relationships.

Running header: ARTICLE REVIEW: Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its
salutary effects 1
Article Review: Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects.
Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007).
Psychological inquiry, 18(4), 211-237.
Article Abstract

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People have started taking interest in the concept of mindfulness in the recent years. Mindfulness
is a topic which is interrelated to other theories like awareness and attention. In the reviewed
article the nature and interrelations of mindfulness is discussed along with an examination of the
fact how this theory is useful in bringing about positive results. Mindfulness is seen to eliminate
the negativities and enhances the optimism in physical and mental health, behavior, interpersonal
relationships, etc. The article highlights the ways in which mindfulness was developed into a
theory and what are the future prospects of the empirical research and theoretical development of
the concept.
Article Analysis
Introduction
Mindfulness is a concept which improves the mental health of a person and also helps in
cognitive therapy (Gu, et al, 2015). Mindfulness is a concept which has gained momentum over
the years as the number of reports pertaining to mindfulness is gradually increasing as human
beings are facing a much complicated and fast life.
Statement of the Problem
The main problem area of discussion in this article is that how the psychological, interpersonal
and somatic problems can be resolved or given a positive direction with the help of mindfulness.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of studying this article is to find out new ideas and theories which affect the
psychology of a person are related to mindfulness. Moreover consciousness has not got enough

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attention in psychology so through mindfulness which is mainly the quality of the consciousness
gets due focus.
Research Questions or Hypotheses
The hypothesis that is tested during the course of the article is that how mindfulness gives a
positive outcome and solution to the interpersonal and psychological ills.
Limitations
The article unveils many drawbacks which are a result of new initiatives being taken. The
concept of mindfulness has not been dealt with seriously over the years. Thus at present there are
mythological loops which affect the literature presented reflecting such methods. The research
and works can attain perfection through better adoption of research methods.
Literature Review
For writing this article the authors have reviewed the works of many other authors who have
worked in the same area before them. Starting from Buddhist literary texts to the latest
psychological articles have been studied to present a detailed picture of mindfulness. However
the concept has been referred in a varied form in different works. In the work of Brown & Ryan,
(2003) mindfulness is described as a self regulatory ability of a person while it is called a skill
which is meta-cognitive in the work of Bishop, et al (2004). There are different nonessential and
essential ingredients of mindfulness which are segregated by the authors during their research
works. In this article the authors, Brown, Ryan & Creswell, (2007) the concept of mindfulness
has been inferred to lead to positive outcomes and solving the ills which are born out of
psychological problems. The concept has been self reflective and is also a state of consciousness.

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Methodology
Participants
The participants who have been chosen for studying and inferring about the hypothesis are the
ones who have passed through a certain phase or some experienced some episodes which had
taken them into depression. The participants’ response helps to understand whether the
participants have been able to resolve their problems with the help of mindfulness.
Data Collection Procedures
The procedure that has been chosen for data collection is that of a questionnaire in which it is
seen that the participants are provided a questionnaire through which they can reveal their views
about mindfulness. They answer questions like how the thoughts come to them and how they are
affected by those thoughts, how the behavioral pattern and the interpersonal relationships are
affected by such disturbing thoughts. The mindfulness is a way in which the quality of the
awareness and consciousness is improved.
Data Analysis Procedures
The analysis to this article and the findings are all based on a survey based methodology under
which the participants are being interviewed. The response to the interview is the only way out in
which the research question can be answered and conclusions can be drawn.
Results
The research in this article and its findings are purely based on a qualitative methodology. The
results that have been attained at the end of the research are based on the descriptive responses of

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the interviewees. The result proves that the hypothesis holds true as the respondents give their
opinions that greater mindfulness enhances the quality of consciousness. The people with greater
mindfulness are able to control or regulate their emotions in a better way. These people are less
affected by depression and less likely to depict negative interpersonal relationships and
unacceptable ill behavior.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The area of mindfulness has few good works to which this article has added. The findings from
this article are significant as it has inferred that the mindfulness of the people affects their life in
a positive manner enhancing the quality of their mental and physical health as well as their
relationships. The practical application of the theory of mindfulness is a new feature of this
article.
The major challenges for the researchers here is that they need to develop better models and
theories to analyze and examine the concept of mindfulness. Empirical studies are needed for
drawing a better grounded conclusion about the impact of mindfulness.

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References
Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., et al. (2004).
Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology:Science & Practice, 11,
230–241.
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in
psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822–848.
Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and
evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological inquiry, 18(4), 211-237.
Gu, J., Strauss, C., Bond, R., & Cavanagh, K. (2015). How do mindfulness-based cognitive
therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction improve mental health and wellbeing? A
systematic review and meta-analysis of mediation studies. Clinical psychology review, 37, 1-12.

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Reflection
The research in this article is suggestive of the fact that the concept of mindfulness is very useful
in affecting the mental health as well as physical health of a person. The article is of great
interest to me as I came across certain ideas which were new and different. The mindfulness is a
concept which has got its implementation in the field of cognitive therapy. Thus mindfulness is
able to enhance the behavioral patterns of a person as well as help in resolving the depression
issues. The people who have been able to develop a very good and higher level of mindfulness
they are the ones who are able to control their emotions well. The people with greater
mindfulness try to regulate their emotion and behavior. This helps them to develop a better
personality and also improves the kind of relationship they share with their close ones. The
findings of this article also help in developing the empirical works in the field. The qualitative
and detailed research finding is useful as an essential ingredient in the statistical research. The
way the thoughts occur to a person, how the thoughts affect the behavior of a person, what
makes the people depressed and how they are able to handle their depression are all the areas
which are covered in the set of questions prepared for the interviewees. Therefore the response of
the participants who have already been affected by depression in the past is the most way of
understanding how mindfulness helps to change behavior and get out of depression. The mental
health of a person is very important as it directly affects the physical health of the same. Thus a
person should and develop better mindfulness and be in a state of awareness so that he/ she can
have a regulated emotional outburst. This article is not the first of its type working in the field of
mindfulness but some of its areas which are dealt and subsequent outcomes which have been
attained are the ones which help in the attracting the readers and other researchers.