# Intervention-induced changes in state mindfulness do not predict trait changes in mindfulness, self-compassion, or perceived stress

## TL;DR

This study found that increases in momentary mindfulness during a training program did not lead to lasting changes in overall mindfulness or stress levels.

## Contribution

The study shows that state mindfulness increases during training but does not predict trait-level changes when the intervention is not explicitly mindfulness-based.

## Key findings

- All state and trait variables showed pre-post improvements, with effect sizes ranging from 0.38 to 0.62.
- Changes in state mindfulness did not predict changes in trait mindfulness, self-compassion, or perceived stress.
- Intervention framing may be important for linking state experiences to trait development.

## Abstract

Previous research has identified state mindfulness as a key change mechanism in explicitly mindfulness-based interventions to increase trait mindfulness and reduce stress. This study extends previous work by examining trajectories of state mindfulness and their associations with trait indicators of mindfulness, self-compassion, and perceived stress when mindfulness practices are delivered within a Socioemotional Competence Training (SECT) without explicit mindfulness labeling. A sample of 166 healthy younger and older German adults (75.2% female; Mage = 46.26; SDage = 18.70) participated in the 8-week SECT. State mindfulness was assessed weekly, whereas trait mindfulness, self-compassion, and perceived stress were assessed before, during, and after the training. Second-order latent growth models suggest significant pre-post improvements in all state and trait variables (d = |0.38| to |0.62|), but trait changes were not predicted by changes in state mindfulness. These findings indicate that while state mindfulness increases during the Socioemotional Competence Training, these increases alone appear insufficient to drive changes in trait mindfulness and related outcomes. Results suggest that intervention framing could play a crucial role in facilitating explicit connections between state experiences and trait development, contributing to our understanding of mindfulness as a change mechanism in psychological interventions.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-27697-0.