Interpersonal Style Contributes to the Association of Dispositional Mindfulness with Social Functioning

Increasing evidence suggests that dispositional mindfulness is associated with health, well-being, and the quality of personal relationships. Mechanisms underlying these associations are of considerable current interest. Interpersonal processes may contribute to associations of mindfulness with social support and interpersonal conflict, and the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) and other aspects of interpersonal theory provide a framework for examining possible mediating processes. The present study factor analyzed multiple mindfulness-related scales to identify key components related to psychosocial outcomes. Also, we examined whether interpersonal style dimensions of control and affiliation contribute to associations of mindfulness factors with psychosocial outcomes.

Factor analyses identified broader mindfulness dimensions consistent with prior literature, which were associated with more social support and less interpersonal conflict. In mediational analyses, this association was by way of warmth as a component of interpersonal style in the case of social support, but not for conflict.

Interpersonal style contributes to the association of dispositional mindfulness with psychosocial outcomes relevant to health and adjustment. Aspects of the interpersonal perspective (e.g., transactional cycles) can provide an integrative framework and a guide to future research.