Mindfulness meditation does not make people more present-biased

Abstract

One essential aspect of mindfulness practice is to help people focus on the present moment. Although this present-focused attention has been linked to several positive outcomes, it also raises the possibility that mindfulness could increase present bias, with potentially negative consequences for decision-making. Across three laboratory studies and one longitudinal field study, we examined whether mindfulness meditation affects intertemporal choice. In the laboratory studies, participants completed brief guided mindfulness exercises before making economic decisions involving trade-offs between smaller immediate rewards and larger delayed rewards. In our field study, participants completed an eight-week mindfulness course offered by an established mindfulness institute, and they made intertemporal choices before and after their training. Across all four studies, mindfulness did not increase present bias or meaningfully alter intertemporal decisions.