Self-Determination as a Mediator Between Mindfulness and Perfectionism in Theory and Practice

João Paulo Teixeira Antunes, Saúl Neves de Jesus, Marta Brás and Cláudia Carmo

SAGE Open, 2025, vol. 15, issue 3, 21582440251351185

Abstract: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been surging as an alternative to cognitive-behavioural therapy for perfectionism. Despite promising results, there are practical and theoretical concerns regarding high resistance from perfectionists towards developing mindfulness related capabilities. Self-Determination Motivation could provide a pathway to circumvent this problem by mediating the relationship between mindfulness and multidimensional perfectionism. Ninety-three university students filled a questionnaire containing mindfulness, perfectionism and motivation measures. Thirteen participants were then included in an 8-week MBI. Intrinsic motivation mediated the effect between mindfulness and perfectionist concerns (indirect effect = −0.09). Perfectionist concerns and strivings were both reduced post-intervention ( p  = .002). There was also a significant intragroup increase in mindfulness ( p  ≤ .001), although there were no motivational changes. Current change mechanisms underlying MBI effectiveness do not support this approach as presenting unique advantages over other cognitive-behavioural approaches. Implementing explicit motivational change into MBI interventions could provide a pathway to differentiating MBIs from other alternatives.

Keywords: mindfulness; perfectionism; intervention; self-determination theory; University students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:15:y:2025:i:3:p:21582440251351185

DOI: 10.1177/21582440251351185

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