Emotional Intelligence Mediates the Connection Between Mindfulness and Gratitude: a Meta-Analytic Structural Equation Modeling Study

This meta-analytic study examined average effect sizes across studies for the association between dispositional mindfulness and gratitude, dispositional mindfulness and emotional intelligence, and emotional intelligence and gratitude. The study also tested a model positing emotional intelligence as a path linking mindfulness and gratitude.

Two-stage structural equation modeling provided information regarding the association between mindfulness and gratitude across eight samples, the association between mindfulness and emotional intelligence across twenty-six samples, the association between emotional intelligence and gratitude across seven samples, and the mediating role of emotional intelligence in the association between mindfulness and gratitude. Samples were heterogeneous with varying populations.

Across samples with a total of 3130 participants, greater mindfulness was significantly associated with more gratitude; r = .22, 95% CI [.16, .28], p < .001. In samples including 6369 participants, greater mindfulness was significantly associated with higher emotional intelligence; r = .40, 95% CI [.33, .47], p < .001. Among samples including 3998 participants, higher emotional intelligence was significantly associated with more gratitude; r = .31, 95% CI [.23, .39], p < .001. Emotional intelligence was a significant mediator of the association between mindfulness and gratitude. The indirect and direct effects were .11, 95% CI [.07, .16] and .11, 95% CI [.03, .19], ps < .05, respectively, with no significant difference between indirect and direct effects, χ²(df = 1) = 0.004, p = .95.

The findings add to evidence supporting the beneficial nature of mindfulness. Mindfulness may be a foundation for a cascading development of positive characteristics that result in flourishing.