Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities

Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem; Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12

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Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities

Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem, Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 10, Issue 6)

Received: 21 October 2021 Accepted: 8 November 2021 Published: 17 November 2021

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Abstract

In this study, the integrated roles of mind wandering (MW) and mindfulness on creative thinking were explored even though these have been regarded previously as separate and antithetical constructs. the current study attempted to refute this notion that mindfulness sit on one end of a spectrum apart from which mind-wandering sits opposite. Instead, it argued that mind-wandering is a core human state, and that healthy human functioning sits in the balance between MW and mindfulness. Objective: The study hypothesized that mindfulness mediates the relationship between MW and creative abilities (fluency, flexibility, originality and maintenance of direction). In particular, MW was analyzed in the light of a recent approach that posits a differentiation between deliberate and spontaneous MW. Mindfulness was analyzed by means of distinguishing its five different constitutional dimensions: observing, acting with awareness, describing, non-reactivity, and non-judging. Materials and methods: The participants comprised 321 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 23 years and enrolled at Cairo and Helwan universities in Egypt. The participants completed deliberate and spontaneous MW questionnaires, a mindfulness questionnaire, and subscales from the Arabic version of Guilford’s creative thinking battery and Torrance’s creative thinking battery. Results: The results revealed that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and creative abilities—namely, verbal and figural fluency, verbal flexibility, and maintenance of direction—whereas it completely mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and figural flexibility. However, mindfulness did not mediate the relationship between spontaneous MW and creative abilities.

Published in	American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 10, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12
Page(s)	136-145
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Deliberate Mind Wandering, Spontaneous Mind Wandering, Mindfulness, Creative Abilities

References

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Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem, Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen. (2021). Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 10(6), 136-145. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12

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ACS Style

Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem; Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen. Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2021, 10(6), 136-145. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12

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AMA Style

Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem, Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen. Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities. Am J Appl Psychol. 2021;10(6):136-145. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12,
  author = {Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem and Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen},
  title = {Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {10},
  number = {6},
  pages = {136-145},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20211006.12},
  abstract = {In this study, the integrated roles of mind wandering (MW) and mindfulness on creative thinking were explored even though these have been regarded previously as separate and antithetical constructs. the current study attempted to refute this notion that mindfulness sit on one end of a spectrum apart from which mind-wandering sits opposite. Instead, it argued that mind-wandering is a core human state, and that healthy human functioning sits in the balance between MW and mindfulness. Objective: The study hypothesized that mindfulness mediates the relationship between MW and creative abilities (fluency, flexibility, originality and maintenance of direction). In particular, MW was analyzed in the light of a recent approach that posits a differentiation between deliberate and spontaneous MW. Mindfulness was analyzed by means of distinguishing its five different constitutional dimensions: observing, acting with awareness, describing, non-reactivity, and non-judging. Materials and methods: The participants comprised 321 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 23 years and enrolled at Cairo and Helwan universities in Egypt. The participants completed deliberate and spontaneous MW questionnaires, a mindfulness questionnaire, and subscales from the Arabic version of Guilford’s creative thinking battery and Torrance’s creative thinking battery. Results: The results revealed that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and creative abilities—namely, verbal and figural fluency, verbal flexibility, and maintenance of direction—whereas it completely mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and figural flexibility. However, mindfulness did not mediate the relationship between spontaneous MW and creative abilities.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities
AU  - Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem
AU  - Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen
Y1  - 2021/11/17
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 136
EP  - 145
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12
AB  - In this study, the integrated roles of mind wandering (MW) and mindfulness on creative thinking were explored even though these have been regarded previously as separate and antithetical constructs. the current study attempted to refute this notion that mindfulness sit on one end of a spectrum apart from which mind-wandering sits opposite. Instead, it argued that mind-wandering is a core human state, and that healthy human functioning sits in the balance between MW and mindfulness. Objective: The study hypothesized that mindfulness mediates the relationship between MW and creative abilities (fluency, flexibility, originality and maintenance of direction). In particular, MW was analyzed in the light of a recent approach that posits a differentiation between deliberate and spontaneous MW. Mindfulness was analyzed by means of distinguishing its five different constitutional dimensions: observing, acting with awareness, describing, non-reactivity, and non-judging. Materials and methods: The participants comprised 321 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 23 years and enrolled at Cairo and Helwan universities in Egypt. The participants completed deliberate and spontaneous MW questionnaires, a mindfulness questionnaire, and subscales from the Arabic version of Guilford’s creative thinking battery and Torrance’s creative thinking battery. Results: The results revealed that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and creative abilities—namely, verbal and figural fluency, verbal flexibility, and maintenance of direction—whereas it completely mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and figural flexibility. However, mindfulness did not mediate the relationship between spontaneous MW and creative abilities.
VL  - 10
IS  - 6
ER  -

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Author Information

Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

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Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem, Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen. (2021). Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 10(6), 136-145. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12

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ACS Style

Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem; Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen. Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2021, 10(6), 136-145. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12

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AMA Style

Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem, Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen. Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities. Am J Appl Psychol. 2021;10(6):136-145. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12,
  author = {Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem and Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen},
  title = {Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {10},
  number = {6},
  pages = {136-145},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20211006.12},
  abstract = {In this study, the integrated roles of mind wandering (MW) and mindfulness on creative thinking were explored even though these have been regarded previously as separate and antithetical constructs. the current study attempted to refute this notion that mindfulness sit on one end of a spectrum apart from which mind-wandering sits opposite. Instead, it argued that mind-wandering is a core human state, and that healthy human functioning sits in the balance between MW and mindfulness. Objective: The study hypothesized that mindfulness mediates the relationship between MW and creative abilities (fluency, flexibility, originality and maintenance of direction). In particular, MW was analyzed in the light of a recent approach that posits a differentiation between deliberate and spontaneous MW. Mindfulness was analyzed by means of distinguishing its five different constitutional dimensions: observing, acting with awareness, describing, non-reactivity, and non-judging. Materials and methods: The participants comprised 321 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 23 years and enrolled at Cairo and Helwan universities in Egypt. The participants completed deliberate and spontaneous MW questionnaires, a mindfulness questionnaire, and subscales from the Arabic version of Guilford’s creative thinking battery and Torrance’s creative thinking battery. Results: The results revealed that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and creative abilities—namely, verbal and figural fluency, verbal flexibility, and maintenance of direction—whereas it completely mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and figural flexibility. However, mindfulness did not mediate the relationship between spontaneous MW and creative abilities.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Mindfulness as a Mediator Between Mind-Wandering and Creative Abilities
AU  - Rehab Mohamed Ahmed Abd-Eldayem
AU  - Nabaweya Abd-Elaziz Ali Shaheen
Y1  - 2021/11/17
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 136
EP  - 145
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20211006.12
AB  - In this study, the integrated roles of mind wandering (MW) and mindfulness on creative thinking were explored even though these have been regarded previously as separate and antithetical constructs. the current study attempted to refute this notion that mindfulness sit on one end of a spectrum apart from which mind-wandering sits opposite. Instead, it argued that mind-wandering is a core human state, and that healthy human functioning sits in the balance between MW and mindfulness. Objective: The study hypothesized that mindfulness mediates the relationship between MW and creative abilities (fluency, flexibility, originality and maintenance of direction). In particular, MW was analyzed in the light of a recent approach that posits a differentiation between deliberate and spontaneous MW. Mindfulness was analyzed by means of distinguishing its five different constitutional dimensions: observing, acting with awareness, describing, non-reactivity, and non-judging. Materials and methods: The participants comprised 321 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 23 years and enrolled at Cairo and Helwan universities in Egypt. The participants completed deliberate and spontaneous MW questionnaires, a mindfulness questionnaire, and subscales from the Arabic version of Guilford’s creative thinking battery and Torrance’s creative thinking battery. Results: The results revealed that mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and creative abilities—namely, verbal and figural fluency, verbal flexibility, and maintenance of direction—whereas it completely mediates the relationship between deliberate MW and figural flexibility. However, mindfulness did not mediate the relationship between spontaneous MW and creative abilities.
VL  - 10
IS  - 6
ER  -

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