How to Use the Mindfulness Assessment
Mindfulness is a concept rooted in Zen and meditation traditions. It refers to the practice of observing one's own emotions, thoughts, and experiences in the present moment, exactly as they are, without judgment. Research has shown that people with strong mindfulness tend to sustain concentration more effectively and experience better mental health — which is why the concept has attracted significant attention in clinical psychology and psychiatry in recent years. This assessment measures mindfulness across five dimensions.
Self-Observation
In mindfulness, the capacity to notice and observe one's own emotions and thoughts — without immediately reacting to them — is fundamental. Self-observation is the foundational dimension of mindfulness practice.
Acceptance of Thoughts
We naturally tend to try to push away fear and anxiety — to suppress or escape from uncomfortable feelings. Mindfulness takes a different approach: treating these experiences as a natural part of being human, and learning to coexist with them rather than fight them.
Present-Moment Awareness
Most of our worries are connected to either the past — regrets and failures — or the future — fears and uncertainties. Mindfulness places central importance on being fully present in this moment, rather than being pulled away by what was or what might be.
Avoiding Autopilot
When we are swept away by negative emotions and lose our sense of self, this is referred to as operating on "autopilot." When caught in anger or anxiety, we may lash out at others or spiral into excessive pessimism — reacting automatically rather than choosing our response.
Purpose-Driven Action
Purpose-driven action is a concept drawn from classical Japanese psychotherapy. It refers to the disposition of doing what needs to be done — regardless of how one happens to feel in the moment — rather than being steered by mood or temptation. For those who find themselves consistently giving in to distraction or impulse, this dimension is particularly worth attending to.
The assessment results include both an overall evaluation and individual dimension breakdowns, with key strengths and suggested areas for growth in each. We hope you find them useful.
How This Test Was Developed
Below is a detailed explanation of how this Mindfulness Assessment was developed. Please read if you would like a deeper understanding.
① Analysis of Prior Research
Mindfulness originated in Buddhist meditation practice and was introduced into Western medicine in the 1970s by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn. Kabat-Zinn applied mindfulness to the treatment of chronic pain and stress-related conditions, and provided scientific evidence of its effectiveness (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Since then, mindfulness has been applied across a wide range of fields, including mental health, stress management, creativity, concentration, interpersonal relationships, sport, and leadership.
The following well-established scales have been developed to measure mindfulness.
- MAAS (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale)
Developed by Brown & Ryan (2003), this scale measures individual differences in attentiveness to and awareness of present-moment experience [1].
- FFMQ (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire)
Developed by Baer et al. (2006), this scale provides a multidimensional assessment of mindfulness across five factors: observing, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reactivity [2].
- SFMS (Situation-Specific Mindfulness Scale)
Maekawa et al. (2015) developed a Japanese-language scale measuring situational variation in mindfulness, demonstrating its effectiveness in interpersonal and workplace contexts [3].
- Japanese version of the MAAS
Fujino et al. (2015) translated and adapted the MAAS by Brown et al. for Japanese populations, verifying its validity and reliability with university students and working adults [4].
- Japanese version of the FFMQ
Sugiura et al. (2012) developed a Japanese version of the FFMQ, demonstrating the reproducibility of the five-factor structure and its associations with psychological characteristics [5].
While each of these scales represents important research, a recognized limitation across all of them is that they do not fully capture whether mindfulness translates into actual behavioral change in everyday life. For this reason, this assessment incorporates the concept of "purpose-driven action" from Morita therapy.
Purpose-driven action refers to the disposition of directing one's attention to what needs to be done — regardless of current mood or emotion. Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety or difficulty concentrating, the focus is on returning attention to the purpose of one's actions. This perspective was considered valuable for connecting mindfulness beyond mere awareness to concrete action in daily life.
② Question Development Process
A team of certified psychologists, clinical psychologists, and graduates of psychology master's programs conducted brainstorming sessions to generate candidate items. These were then grouped using the KJ method, resulting in five clusters. The items were subsequently reviewed and refined, with three questions selected per dimension to allow the assessment to be completed in a relatively short time while still providing clear and meaningful results.
Self-Observation
1. I am able to observe my own emotions objectively.
2. I am able to step back and examine my own thinking patterns with some distance.
3. I am able to notice changes in my body and physical sensations.
Acceptance of Thoughts
4. I see negative emotions as a natural part of being human.
5. I am able to accept the part of myself that feels anxious or afraid.
6. When I feel sad, I allow myself to feel it honestly.
Present-Moment Awareness
7. I live with a genuine sense of being present in each moment.
8. I am able to let go of past events without dwelling on them.
9. I keep my concern about the future within a reasonable range.
Avoiding Autopilot
10. I tend not to make judgments based purely on emotion.
11. When anger arises, I try to understand what is behind it.
12. I have a reasonable degree of self-control.
Purpose-Driven Action
13. I resist temptation and keep my sense of purpose at the center of how I live.
14. Even when I feel anxious, I do what needs to be done.
15. Even when I feel afraid, I act from a sense of mission and commitment.
③ Scoring Criteria
● Number of Questions
5 factors × 3 questions each
● 5-Point Scale
Strongly Disagree 0
Disagree 1
Neutral 2
Agree 3
Strongly Agree 4
● High / Moderate / Low Threshold per Factor
10 to 12 Good 6 to 9 Fair 0 to 5 Poor
● Overall Score Thresholds
51 to 60 Excellent
38 to 50 Good
24 to 37 Fair
0 to 23 Poor
④ Evaluation of Results
For each dimension, we provided an evaluation of approximately 1,000 characters covering key characteristics and points to be aware of. The content was developed based on prior research and the clinical experience of the authors.
⑤ Limitations of This Scale
This assessment has not been subjected to factor analysis or checks for reliability and validity. It reflects the professional judgment of specialists, but please note that it lacks sufficient statistical grounding and is not intended for use in academic research.
⑥ References
[1] Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848.
[2] Baer, R. A., Smith, G. T., Hopkins, J., Krietemeyer, J., & Toney, L. (2006). Using self-report assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment, 13(1), 27–45.
[3] Maekawa, Y., Takahashi, Y., & Yamada, T. (2015). Development of the Situation-Specific Mindfulness Scale (SFMS). Japanese Journal of Psychology, 86(1), 10–20.
[4] Fujino, C., Nakagawa, I., & Otani, H. (2015). Examination of the validity of the Japanese version of the MAAS. Mindfulness Research, 1, 1–10.
[5] Sugiura, Y., Nakagawa, I., & Ando, J. (2012). Development of the Japanese version of the FFMQ and examination of its reliability and validity. Mindfulness Research, 0(1), 11–20.
About the Developers
Tatsushi Kawashima
Graduate School of Psychology, Mejiro University
National Licensed Psychologist (Japan)
Certified Psychiatric Social Worker (Japan)
Mikiko Kamei
Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University
Certified Clinical Psychologist (Japan)
National Licensed Psychologist (Japan)
