Trait Mindfulness Reduces the Generalization of Conditioned Fear

Trait mindfulness refers to an individual's inherent capacity to maintain sustained awareness and focus on present experiences. This characteristic is naturally present in the population, even without intentional mindfulness training, and is significantly negatively correlated with negative emotions, anxiety, and depression. Fear is an adaptive response to threat, but excessive generalization of fear is a key underlying factor in anxiety disorders. Fear generalization occurs when an individual, having learned to fear a specific threat, extends this fear response to stimuli that share similarities with the original threat but are not directly related. Investigating the influence of trait mindfulness on fear learning and its generalization can provide valuable insights for the intervention and prevention of anxiety disorders. In this study, 30 university students were recruited and categorized into high and low trait mindfulness groups based on their scores on the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale. Subjective expectancy ratings and retrospective fear and valence assessments were used as indicators to examine the effect of trait mindfulness on fear generalization. The results demonstrated a significant difference between the two groups: individuals with high trait mindfulness exhibited a weaker fear generalization, both in terms of its extent and intensity, and showed stronger inhibition of fear generalization. However, no significant differences were found between the groups in terms of fear extinction. These findings suggest that trait mindfulness may serve as a modulating factor in the relationship between fear generalization and anxiety disorders. Consequently, trait mindfulness, as a stable psychological trait, may be a crucial target for assessment and intervention in clinical and educational settings.