Abstract
Mindfulness, namely present-oriented attention that is non-judgmental in nature, and grit, namely perseverance and passion for long-term goals, are psychological constructs that have recently received considerable attention within the West. Given the theoretical importance and heretofore lack of research into how these two constructs relate to each other, the present study aimed to examine how mindfulness and grit relate to each other within Western and non-Western cultures. New Zealand (N = 343) and Thai (N = 233) university students completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed the variables of interest. Although both samples showed a positive association between grit and mindfulness at the construct level, results at the facet level showed several notable differences. Specifically, acting with awareness and non-judging were found to predict grit for NZ students more strongly than for Thai students. These findings suggest that mindfulness evidenced more robust relationships with grit in an individualistic culture than in a collectivist society.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aikens, K., Astin, J., Pelletier, K. R., Levanovich, K., Baase, C. M., Park, Y. Y., & Bodnar, C. M. (2014). Mindfulness goes to work: impact of an on-line workplace intervention. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 56, 721–731. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000000209.
Arbuckle, J. L. (2006). Amos (version 7.0) [computer program]. Chicago: SPSS.
Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., Hopkins, J., Krietemeyer, J., & Toney, L. (2006). Using self-report assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment, 13, 27–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191105283504.
Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., Lykins, E., Button, D., Kreitemeyer, J., Sauer, S., et al. (2008). Construct validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in meditating and nonmeditating samples. Assessment, 15, 329–342. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191107313003.
Bandalos, D. L. (2002). The effects of item parceling on goodness-of-fit and parameter estimate bias in structural equation modeling. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 78–102. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0901_5.
Bohlmeijer, E., ten Klooster, P. M., Fledderus, M., Veehof, M., & Baer, R. (2011). Psychometric properties of the five facet mindfulness questionnaire in depressed adults and development of a short form. Assessment, 18, 308–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191111408231.
Byrne, B. M. (2010). Structural equation modeling with Amos: basic concepts, applications, and programming (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Caprara, G. V., Fida, R., Vecchione, M., Bove, G. D., Vecchio, G. M., Barbaranelli, C., & Bandura, A. (2008). Longitudinal analysis of the role of perceived self-efficacy for self-regulated learning in academic continuance and achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100, 525–534. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.100.3.525.
Chakma, N. (2015). Buddhist meditation: theory and practice in Pali Canon (Master’s thesis). Retrieved from https://es.scribd.com/document/327693283/2-Buddhist-Meditation-Theory-and-Practice-in-P%C4%81li-Canon-by-Nirupam
Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modelling, 9, 233–255. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5.
Christopher, M. S., Christopher, V., & Charoensuck, S. (2009). Assessing “Western” mindfulness among Thai Theravada Buddhist monks. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 12, 303–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674670802651487.
De Bruin, E. I., Topper, M., Muskens, J. G. A. M., Bogels, S. M., & Kamphuis, J. H. (2012). Psychometrics properties of the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) in a meditating and a non-meditating sample. Assessment, 19, 187–197. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191112446654.
Dempster, A. P., Laird, N. M., & Rubin, D. B. (1977). Maximum likelihood from incomplete data via the EM algorithm. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 39, 1–38 Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2984875.
Deng, Y. -Q., Liu, X. - H., Rodriquez, M. A., & Xia, C.-Y. (2011). The Five Facet of Mindfulness Questionnaire: psychometric properties of the Chinese version. Mindfulness, 2, 123–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-011-0050-9.
Desrosiers, A., Klemanski, D. H., & Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2013). Mapping mindfulness facets onto dimensions of anxiety and depression. Behaviour Therapy, 44, 373–384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2013.02.001.
Dornbusch, S. M., Ritter, P. L., Leiderman, P. H., Roberts, D. F., & Fraleigh, M. J. (1987). The relation of parenting style to adolescent school performance. Child Development, 58, 1244–1257. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130618.
Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: the power of passion and perseverance. New York: Scribner.
Duckworth, A., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 1087–1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087.
Dweck, C. S. (1999). Self-theories: their role in motivation, personality and development. Philadelphia: Taylor and Francis/Psychology Press.
Eaton, M. J., & Dembo, M. H. (1997). Differences in the motivational beliefs of Asian American and non-Asian students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89, 433–440. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.89.3.433.
Garland, E., Gaylord, S., & Park, J. (2009). The role of mindfulness in positive reappraisal. Explore, 5(1), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2008.10.001.
Garland, E. L., Gaylord, S. A., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2011). Positive reappraisal mediates the stress reductive effects of mindfulness: an upward spiral process. Mindfulness, 2(1), 59–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-011-0043-8.
Gethin, R. (2015). Buddhist conceptualizations of mindfulness. In K. W. Brown, J. D. Creswell, & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of mindfulness: theory, research, and practice (2nd ed., pp. 329–347). New York: The Guilford Press.
Glick, J. E., & White, M. J. (2004). Post-secondary school participation of immigrant and native youth: the role of familial resources and educational expectations. Social Science Research, 33, 272–299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2003.06.001.
Hambleton, R. K. (2001). The next generation of the ITC Test Translation and Adaptation Guidelines. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 17, 164–172. https://doi.org/10.1027//1015-5759.17.3.164.
Heine, S. J., & Harmamura, T. (2007). In search of East Asian self-enhancement. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 11, 4–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868306294587.
Heine, S. J., Takata, T., & Lehman, D. R. (2000). Beyond self-presentation: evidence for self-criticism among Japanese. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26(1), 71–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167200261007.
Heine, S. J., Lehman, D. R., Ide, E., Leung, C., Kitayama, S., Takata, T., & Matsumoto, H. (2001). Divergent consequences of success and failure in Japan and North American: an investigation of self-improving motivations and malleable selves. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 599–615. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.81.4.599.
Hochanadel, A., & Finamore, D. (2015). Fixed and growth mindset in education and how grit helps students persist in the face of adversity. Journal of International Education Research, 11, 47–50. https://doi.org/10.19030/jier.v11i1.9099.
Hsin, A., & Xie, Y. (2013). Explaining Asian Americans’ academic advantage over whites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111, 8416–8421. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1406402111.
Jose, P. E., & Bellamy, M. A. (2012). Relationships of parents’ theories of intelligence with children’s persistence/learned helplessness: a cross-cultural comparison. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 43, 999–1018. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022111421633.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Mindfulness meditation of everyday life. London: Piatkus Books.
Kao, G., & Thompson, J. (2003). Racial and ethnic stratification in educational achievement and attainment. Annual Review of Sociology, 29, 417–442. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.29.010202.100019.
Kitayama, S., Markus, H. R., Matsumoto, H., & Norasakkunkit, V. (1997). Individual and collective processes in the construction of the self: Self-enhancement in the United States and self-criticism in Japan. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 1245–1267.
Krägeloh, Bergomi, Siegert, & Medvedev. (2017). Response shift after a mindfulness-based intervention: measurement invariance testing of the comprehensive inventory of mindfulness experiences. Mindfulness, 9, 212–220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0764-4.
Lane, J., Lane, A. M., & Kyprianou, A. (2004). Self-efficacy, self-esteem and their impact on academic performance. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 32, 247–256. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2004.32.3.247.
Laursen, E. K. (2015). The power of grit, perseverance, and tenacity. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 23, 19–24.
Little, T. D., Cunningham, W. A., Shahar, G., & Widaman, K. F. (2002). To parcel or not to parcel: exploring the question, weighing the merits. Structural Equation Modeling, 9, 151–173. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_1.
Milfont, T. L., & Fischer, R. (2010). Testing measurement invariance across groups: application in cross-cultural research. International Journal of Psychological Research, 3, 111–121.
National Statistical Office. (2000). Population and housing census. Bangkok: Thai Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.
Perkins-Gough, D. (2013). The significance of grit: a conversation with Angela Lee Duckworth. Educational Leadership, 71(1), 14–20 Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept13/vol71/num01/The-Significance-of-Grit@-A-Conversation-with-Angela-Lee-Duckworth.aspx.
Raphiphatthana, B., Jose, P. E., & Kielpikowski, M. (2015). How do the facets of mindfulness predict the constructs of depression and anxiety as seen through the lens of the tripartite theory? Personality and Individual Differences, 93, 104–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.08.005.
Raphiphatthana, B., Jose, P. E., & Salmon, K. (in press). Does dispositional mindfulness predict the development of grit? Journal of Individual Differences.
Shaw, S. (2006). Buddhist meditation: an anthology of texts from the Pali canon. New York: Routledge.
Sugiura, Y., Sato, A., Ito, Y., & Murakami, H. (2012). Development and validation of the Japanese version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire. Mindfulness, 3, 85–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-011-0082-1.
Van de Vijver, F., & Hambleton, R. K. (1996). Translating tests: some practical guidelines. European Psychologist, 1, 89–99. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040.1.2.89.
Weinstein, N., Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). A multi-method examination of the effects of mindfulness on stress attribution, coping, and emotional well-being. Journal of Research in Personality, 43, 374–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2008.12.008.
Yamamoto, Y., & Holloway, S. D. (2010). Parental expectations and children’s academic performance in sociocultural context. Educational Psychology Review, 22, 189–214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-010-9121-z.
Zhang, S. Y., & Carrasquillo, A. L. (1995). Chinese parents’ influence on academic performance. New York State Association for Bilingual Education Journal, 10(1), 46–53.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
BR: designed and executed the study, conducted data analyses and wrote the paper. PEJ: collaborated with the design, data analyses and writing of the paper. PC: collaborated with data collection.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The IRP approval for this study was provided by Victoria University of Wellington.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Raphiphatthana, B., Jose, P.E. & Chobthamkit, P. The Association Between Mindfulness and Grit: an East vs. West Cross-cultural Comparison. Mindfulness 10, 146–158 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0961-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0961-9