Self-report measures of mindfulness for children: convergent validity, predictive validity, and impacts of social desirability bias

Abstract

Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise in supporting psychological well-being in children. However, mindfulness is commonly measured using self-report questionnaires, a method that might be problematic due to its reliance on children’s accurate self-perceptions of their own mindfulness and the potential influence of social desirability bias. In the current study, we examined the convergent validity, the predictive validity, and the influence of social desirability bias on three mindfulness self-report measures for children ages 9–13 years (N = 109). Results showed that children’s self-reported mindfulness demonstrated good convergent validity and predictive validity, as higher levels of self-reported mindfulness were positively associated with higher levels of parent-reported executive functioning. Self-reported mindfulness also covaried with social desirability bias. However, controlling for this bias did not substantively affect the convergent validity nor the predictive validity of self-reported mindfulness. These findings suggest that children’s self-reported mindfulness also captures social desirability bias, but this bias may not affect conclusions about mindfulness when assessed as a latent factor across multiple measures. Future work measuring children’s mindfulness with self-reports should account for social desirability bias when possible, as well as explore objective methods of assessing mindfulness in children.