Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Hons)
School of Psychological Science La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus Victoria, Australia 3086
Submission Date: 26 July 2012 Essay Supervisor: Professor Eleanor Wertheim Word count: 5103
Background
What Mindfulness Is
A frequently quoted working definition of mindfulness is the awareness to the unfolding of moment-to-moment experience that arises through “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p. 4). The term “mindfulness” may be applied in several different ways: It can refer to a state of being aware, a psychological disposition, an activity aimed at improving mindfulness, such as mindfulness meditation, or a type of psychological processing (Bishop, Lau, Shapiro, Carlson, Anderson, Carmody, Segal, Abbey, Speca, Velting & Devins, 2004; Germer, Siegel, & Fulton, 2005; Kabat-Zinn, 1994; Sternberg, 2000).
Mindfulness is argued to encompass two major components, namely attentional control, and a certain attitudinal adaptation towards one's experiences (Bishop, et al., 2004; Orsillo, Roemer, & Holowka, 2005). Attentional control involves objectively observing and being aware of moment-to-moment cognitive, affective and physical processes. Hence, it demands individuals to be able to focus their attention on present events and to be able to flexibly change their focus from one
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