Perception in Romantic Relationships: a Latent Profile Analysis of Trait Mindfulness in Relation to Attachment and Attributions

To advance understanding of the role of trait mindfulness in attributions for romantic partner transgressions, we examined the direct and indirect associations among attachment, trait mindfulness, and attributions in a sample of 542 young adults in romantic relationships. A latent profile analysis was used to identify four classes of trait mindfulness (i.e., High Mindfulness, Nonjudgmentally Aware, Low Mindfulness, Judgmentally Observing), and a subsequent structural equation model revealed several significant associations among attachment, the classes of trait mindfulness, and benign attributions for partner transgressions. For example, the High Mindfulness class and the Nonjudgmentally Aware class were positively associated with benign attributions. Furthermore, two significant indirect effects emerged. First, heightened attachment anxiety was associated with a decreased probability of being in the Nonjudgmentally Aware class, which was linked to a decrease in benign attributions. Second, avoidant attachment was associated with a decreased probability of membership in the High Mindfulness class, which was linked to a decrease in benign attributions. Areas for future research based on the findings of this study are discussed.