You are not fully present with me: How own and perceived partner mindfulness shape relationship outcomes.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the intrapersonal and interpersonal associations among mindfulness, perceived partner mindfulness, and relationship outcomes in married couples. Mindfulness is a quality of mind that is likely to translate into observable behaviors; thus, individuals may perceive their spouse's tendency to be mindful. Despite this, the link between perceived partner mindfulness and marital outcomes has not yet been explored. In this study, a sample of 115 married couples were recruited to complete a survey that included measures of mindfulness, perceived partner mindfulness, and several marital outcomes (e.g., positive and negative relationship quality, positive conflict communication). A series of actor-partner interdependence models demonstrated that, when accounting for both, perceived partner mindfulness outperformed self-reported mindfulness in terms of their associations with marital outcomes. For example, female perceived trait mindfulness was linked with all relationship outcomes for both themselves and their spouses, but female self-reported trait mindfulness was only significantly associated with their own negative relationship quality and their spouse's positive conflict communication. The findings of this study suggest that perceiving one's spouse to be more mindful may be linked with positive relationship outcomes above and beyond one's own mindfulness. This study highlights the importance of accounting for perceived partner mindfulness in subsequent research that seeks to understand the role of mindfulness in romantic relationships as well as in clinical work with couples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).