The Relationship Between Mindfulness and Inhibitory Control in a Neutral and Reward associated Context with a Focus on Individual Differences

Objectives: Inhibitory control is a core executive function, particularly challenged in motivationally salient contexts. Although trait mindfulness has been linked to better cognitive control, findings are inconsistent, especially in reward-related tasks and when individual differences are considered. This study examined whether specific mindfulness facets are associated with inhibitory control as a function of reward context, and whether other dispositional characteristics contribute to these associations.
Methods: One hundred adults completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and validated measures of affective distress, self-regulation, emotion regulation, and broader dispositional traits. Inhibitory control was assessed using a modified stop-signal task. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four between-subject reward conditions to minimise carryover effects. Stop-signal reaction time was the primary outcome measure.
Results: No main effects of total mindfulness or reward condition on stop-signal reaction time were observed. A significant interaction emerged between the FFMQ Describe facet and task condition, indicating context-specific associations with inhibitory control. Higher Describe scores were associated with shorter stop-signal reaction times in mixed reward conditions, but with longer stop-signal reaction times in fully neutral and fully rewarded conditions. No other mindfulness facets showed comparable effects. Anxiety was independently associated with slower stopping but did not moderate the Describe by condition relationship. Other dispositional characteristics showed no significant moderating effects.
Conclusions: The findings indicate that mindfulness–inhibitory control relationships are facet-specific and context dependent. The Describe facet appears to differentially relate to inhibitory performance depending on reward structure, underscoring the importance of motivational context when examining mindfulness and executive control.