Personal relative deprivation and well-being: The moderating role of mindfulness

Personal relative deprivation (PRD) is associated with worse psychological well-being, yet relatively little is known about the psychological factors that may buffer these associations. Drawing on evidence that mindfulness is associated with more adaptive responses to negative experiences, we examined mindfulness as one such potential buffering factor. Although trait mindfulness did not attenuate the immediate impact of unfavourable social comparisons of affluence on resentment (Study 1), Studies 2a/b found that associations between trait PRD and psychological distress were weaker at higher levels of mindfulness. In a daily diary study (Study 3), higher trait and state mindfulness weakened the association between unfavourable social comparisons and resentment, which in turn were associated with lower distress. Study 4 extended these findings by showing that mindfulness weakened trait-level associations between social comparison, resentment, and psychological distress, although evidence for autonomic symptoms and self-rated physical health was less consistent. These findings suggest that mindfulness may buffer associations involving PRD, particularly those linking unfavourable social comparisons and resentment and those linking PRD with psychological distress. More broadly, these findings have theoretical implications for understanding how psychological resources such as mindfulness may contribute to resilience in the face of perceived relative disadvantage.