In plain language
Does being mindful — present, aware, and open to experience — change why we do things? Self-determination theory distinguishes autonomous motivation (acting out of interest and personal values) from controlled motivation (acting out of internal pressure or external rewards and demands) and amotivation (having no real drive at all). Autonomous motivation is consistently linked to wellbeing and flourishing, but the evidence on whether mindfulness fosters it had been scattered and unclear. This paper proposed a theoretical model of how mindfulness supports healthy motivation and then tested it with the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date.
A systematic review identified 89 relevant studies involving 25,176 participants, comprising 104 independent datasets and 200 effect sizes. The team used a three-level meta-analytic modelling approach to properly handle multiple effects from the same study, and probed the results with extensive moderation and bias analyses.
Across both correlational and intervention studies, mindfulness consistently predicted more autonomous forms of motivation. In correlational studies, mindfulness was also linked to less controlled motivation and less amotivation. Crucially, mindfulness training programs produced a medium-sized boost in autonomous motivation — a result that held even when the analysis was restricted to randomized controlled trials, providing evidence that mindfulness actually drives the effect rather than merely accompanying it. The findings suggest mindfulness is an inner resource that helps people act from their own interests and values rather than from pressure.
Key findings
- The systematic review captured 89 studies with 25,176 participants, 104 independent datasets, and 200 effect sizes — the most comprehensive test of the mindfulness–motivation link to date.
- Trait mindfulness was positively associated with autonomous forms of motivation (intrinsic and identified) and negatively associated with controlled forms of motivation and amotivation.
- Effects were strongest for intrinsic motivation — doing things out of interest and enjoyment — and reliably larger than for identified motivation, as predicted by the authors' theoretical model.
- Mindfulness intervention studies showed a medium-sized pooled effect on autonomous motivation, and the effect remained medium-sized when only randomized controlled trials were analysed, supporting a causal direction from mindfulness to healthier motivation.
- Results were essentially unchanged when analyses were restricted to studies using direct measures of motivational orientation, and tests indicated low levels of publication bias across the pooled correlational effects.
- The findings provide meta-analytic support for self-determination theory's claim that mindfulness is an intraindividual factor that supports autonomous engagement and buffers people against controlled motives.
How to cite
APA
Donald, J. N., Bradshaw, E. L., Ryan, R. M., Basarkod, G., Ciarrochi, J., Duineveld, J. J., Guo, J., & Sahdra, B. K. (2020). Mindfulness and its association with varied types of motivation: A systematic review and meta-analysis using self-determination theory. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(7), 1121–1138. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219896136
BibTeX
@article{donald2020mindfulness,
author = {Donald, James N. and Bradshaw, Emma L. and Ryan, Richard M. and Basarkod, Geetanjali and Ciarrochi, Joseph and Duineveld, Jasper J. and Guo, Jiesi and Sahdra, Baljinder K.},
title = {Mindfulness and its association with varied types of motivation: A systematic review and meta-analysis using self-determination theory},
journal = {Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin},
year = {2020},
volume = {46},
number = {7},
pages = {1121--1138},
doi = {10.1177/0146167219896136}
}
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- All publications by Joseph Ciarrochi (searchable, with free PDFs)
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Author: Joseph Ciarrochi (ORCID 0000-0003-0471-8100). Free copy hosted with permission for scholarly use. Please cite the published version via the DOI above.