Scale library · Psychology & mental health

Mindfulness scale (MAAS): Brown & Ryan (2003)

The MAAS was developed by Brown and Ryan (2003) to measure dispositional mindfulness: how far a person attends to and is aware of what is happening in the present in daily life. Its 15 items form a single factor and describe states of running on 'automatic pilot' and inattention; respondents say how often they have such experiences. It is used in theses on stress and student mental health, occupational burnout, the effects of meditation programmes and mindful consumption.

Cite the original, not the blog.

Original English items

Items marked (R) are reverse-coded: recode them before computing reliability or scale scores. Replace bracketed placeholders such as [system] with the name of the system, brand or organization you study.

Mindful Attention Awareness (MAAS, 15 items)

Code Item wording Reverse-coded
MAAS1 I could be experiencing some emotion and not be conscious of it until some time later. No
MAAS2 I break or spill things because of carelessness, not paying attention, or thinking of something else. No
MAAS3 I find it difficult to stay focused on what's happening in the present. No
MAAS4 I tend to walk quickly to get where I'm going without paying attention to what I experience along the way. No
MAAS5 I tend not to notice feelings of physical tension or discomfort until they really grab my attention. No
MAAS6 I forget a person's name almost as soon as I've been told it for the first time. No
MAAS7 It seems I am "running on automatic," without much awareness of what I'm doing. No
MAAS8 I rush through activities without being really attentive to them. No
MAAS9 I get so focused on the goal I want to achieve that I lose touch with what I'm doing right now to get there. No
MAAS10 I do jobs or tasks automatically, without being aware of what I'm doing. No
MAAS11 I find myself listening to someone with one ear, doing something else at the same time. No
MAAS12 I drive places on "automatic pilot" and then wonder why I went there. No
MAAS13 I find myself preoccupied with the future or the past. No
MAAS14 I find myself doing things without paying attention. No
MAAS15 I snack without being aware that I'm eating. No

Response scale

6-point frequency scale: 1 = Almost always, 2 = Very frequently, 3 = Somewhat frequently, 4 = Somewhat infrequently, 5 = Very infrequently, 6 = Almost never. The score is the mean of the 15 items, from 1 to 6; higher scores mean more mindfulness. Because 'almost never' is already scored 6, no item needs reverse scoring.

Licence and permission

According to the Center for Self-Determination Theory, the scale is copyrighted; it may be used for any academic purpose, while commercial use requires permission from the Center for Self-Determination Theory.

Sources (APA 7)

Vietnamese translation

A Vietnamese translation of every item, with sample-size advice and studies that used the scale, is on the Vietnamese page for this scale.

Back to all scales