Mind your words: positive and negative items create method effects on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Mindfulness Research
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Mindfulness, defined as present-moment awareness, is increasingly studied.
• The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) is a common measure.
• Previous research indicates the FFMQ may have differential item functioning based on wording.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the validity of a hierarchical mindfulness model using the FFMQ.
• To investigate if item wording (positive vs. negative) creates method effects in mindfulness measurement.
• To assess the FFMQ's structure and measurement properties in a large undergraduate sample.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test different models of mindfulness.
• A large undergraduate sample provided data for the analysis.
• The study specifically analyzed response patterns related to item wording.

Main Results:

• A correlated facets model provided a better fit to the data than a hierarchical model.
• Item wording (positive and negative) represented significant method effects, not just mindfulness facets.
• The FFMQ's total score may not accurately reflect a latent mindfulness variable.

Conclusions:

• The FFMQ may measure components related to mindfulness but not a pure latent trait.
• Method effects related to item wording are substantial in the FFMQ.
• Researchers should use individual FFMQ scale scores and investigate method effects further.