Mindful Attention Awareness Scale

What it measures

Measures the general tendency to be attentive to present-moment experience in daily life. All items describe mindlessness/inattention, so higher scores reflect greater mindfulness. Grounded in self-determination theory.

Response format

Likert (1–6, almost always to almost never); all reverse-keyed; higher = more mindful

Representative items

• I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until some time later.
• I break or spill things because of carelessness or not paying attention.
• I find it difficult to stay focused on what's happening in the present.
• I tend to walk quickly without paying attention to what I experience along the way.
• I snack without being aware that I'm eating.

Usage notes & scoring

Freely available from Kirk Warren Brown. Score = mean (not sum). High MAAS scores predict lower depression and anxiety and greater vitality. Widely used in mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) outcome research.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Brown, K.W., & Ryan, R.M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822–848.

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