Effects of Mindfulness Instructions and Mindfulness Strategies on Mindfulness During Environmental Interpretation

Abstract

A proposed model of mindfulness during environmental interpretation was tested. Mindfulness was proposed to result from a) mindfulness strategies utilized during interpretation, and b) brief mindfulness instructions prior to participation in the interpretation experience. A 2x2 experimental design was utilized. Four hundred fifty (450) participants were randomly assigned to participate in one of two brief mindfulness instruction conditions (Mindful Instructions- Present vs. Mindful Instructions- Absent), and then experience interpretation on one of two websites (Mindful Interpretation- Provided vs. Mindful Interpretation- Not Provided). Proposed outcomes of mindfulness were also tested: immersion, arousal, learning, memorability, meaningfulness, visitor satisfaction, and intention to recommend. Participants completed self-reported measures of mindfulness and its proposed outcomes immediately after visiting the website to which they were randomly assigned. Factorial analysis of covariance revealed a significant effect of mindful interpretation on one of the three dimensions of mindfulness: “noticing new things, sensitive to context.” No other significant effects of mindful interpretation or mindful instructions were found. Downstream effects were also tested. Significant, strong (r=.67 to .90) Pearson correlation coefficients confirmed that mindfulness influenced all outcome variables and that those variables in turn influenced the participants’ intention to recommend (r=.78 to .85). Interpretation of results suggests a possible reconceptualization of mindfulness, in which engagement is not treated as a dimension of mindfulness, but rather a separate, but related, concept.