What is the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire)?
The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, or FFMQ, is a self-help tool and measurement that measures five aspects (or facets), of mindfulness.
- Observation
- Description
- Be aware
- Non-judgmental inner experience and
- non-reactivity.
The test includes 39 items to measure each of the five dimensions. The scores give an indication of our mindfulness and self-awareness.
The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire not only assesses how we are but also gives us an accurate assessment of the effects of any mindful practices we have previously done. This questionnaire was vitally important because it was the first measure to assess mindfulness’s effectiveness in overcoming real-life problems (Baer, Smith, & Allen, 2004,).
The original, long-form Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire has 39 statements. These relate to our thoughts and actions daily. Ruth Baer, a mindfulness researcher and professor, created this scale with her team to measure the factors that can help us remain mindful every day.
This test was derived from an exploratory analysis of similar tests like the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scales, Brown & Ryan, 2003, and Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scales (Hayes & Feldman 2004), Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills, Baer et al. (2004), and Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory
Each of the five FFMQ facets provides an in-depth look into our inner faculties. The FFMQ’s overall score gives an accurate measure of self-awareness. It also shows how effective mindfulness practices have been to us.
What does the FFMQ measure?
The FFMQ, a mindfulness-based intervention, is designed to determine if mindfulness can be related to decreased clinical symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.
This scale also measures effectiveness of mindfulness strategies like MBCT or MBSR, and establishes their role in individual well-being (Baer Smith, Hopkins and Krietemeyer 2006).
To support the association between the test (Mindfulness Based Interventions; Baer and colleagues, 2006; Neff 2003), recent studies also examine the psychometric characteristics (FFMQ – SF and FFMQ – LF).
Five essential elements of mindfulness are measured by the original questionnaire’s 39 items. The scale is scored on a 5-point Likert Scale. The sum of the reverse-scored and direct items gives the total score.
Five facets or key aspects of mindfulness are the mediators of therapeutic change and mindful interventions. (Carmody & Baer 2008).
Here is a quick description of the five components that this test measures.
1. Observation
Observation refers to the way we use our sense of touch. It is how we perceive, see, feel and perceive the external world around us. We also choose the stimuli that need our attention and focus.
2. Description
These statements evaluate descriptive qualities and examine how we label and communicate our experiences to others.
3. Mindful actions
Mindfulness is closely linked to self-awareness, calculated actions, and mindfulness. This test examines the actions we make after paying attention to all the details. This test examines whether or not we are able to act quickly and get out from the autopilot mode before reacting to a situation.
4. Non-judgmental inner experience
It is important to have a non-judgmental experience. This requires self-acceptance as well as unconditional empathy for others.
5. Non-reactivity
This refers to an active separation from negative thoughts and emotions. We can then accept them and choose to not react. Non-reactivity promotes emotional resilience and restores mental equilibrium (McManus. Surawy. Muse. Vazquez–Montes. & Williams, 2012).
