Mindfulness, Dignity, and Well-Being

Abstract

This dissertation explores the potential roles of mindfulness and dignity for individual and social well-being. Study 1 investigates how perceived dignity and mindfulness are associated with individual well-being by testing the mediating mechanisms among perceived dignity, locus of control (LOC), mindfulness, and depressive symptoms. Perceived dignity is defined as how individuals recognize their own worth and how others acknowledge it (Thomas & Lucas, 2019). Study 1 also examines how a social factor may shape individual mindfulness. Study 2 extends the investigation to social well-being, focusing on how mindfulness may foster social connectedness, the attitude of treating others with dignity (TOD), and positive coworker relationships. Specifically, this study examines whether trait mindfulness predicts social connectedness, TOD, and positive coworker relationships after six months and explores mediating mechanisms that may explain the relationships among these indicators of social well-being. In this dissertation, social connectedness is defined as how close one feels towards other people (Lee & Robbins, 1995). To explore these relationships, I conducted two studies using data from two-wave online surveys completed by Korean graduate students and recent graduates living in South Korea. Study 1 was conducted using data from the first survey (N = 434), and Study 2 was conducted using data from both the first and second surveys (N = 241). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis in both studies. In Study 1, I found that perceived dignity in organizations predicted mindfulness through changes in LOC (β = .45, p < .001), and mindfulness, in turn, strongly predicted depressive symptoms (β = −.83, p = .001). The relationship between perceived dignity and depressive symptoms was serially mediated by LOC and mindfulness (β = −.36, p <.001). The findings suggest that how individuals perceive their dignity in their organizations may shape their capacity to be present in the moment and that mindfulness may be critical for addressing depressive symptoms. The findings provide insight into how social factors such as perceived dignity in organizations predict individual mindfulness, which, in turn, predicts individual well-being. The findings also shed light on the potential mediating mechanisms through which perceived dignity predicts depressive symptoms. Overall, the findings from Study 1 suggest that perceived dignity and mindfulness may have a positive impact on individual well-being. In Study 2, mindfulness predicted enhanced levels of social connectedness (β = .36, p < .001), TOD (β = .27, p < .001), and coworker relationships (β = .20, p = .003) after six months. These findings suggest that mindfulness has the potential to enhance social well-being. I also found potential mediating mechanisms among these variables: mindfulness predicted TOD (β = .11, p < .001) and coworker relationships through social connectedness (β = .25, p < .001). The findings suggest that mindfulness, through enhanced social connectedness, may promote TOD and coworker relationships in organizations. The findings also suggest that mindfulness may contribute to long-term social well-being. Overall, the findings in Study 2 underscore how mindfulness may positively influence social well-being. This dissertation contributes to the literature by providing insight into how mindfulness and dignity may foster individual and social well-being.