Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS)

Abstract

The Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS) is a concise, 20-item self-report instrument developed by Cardaciotto and colleagues (2005, 2008) for assessing mindfulness in clinical and non-clinical populations. Unlike earlier measures, the PHLMS focuses specifically on the bi-dimensional structure of mindfulness, distinguishing between Awareness of present experiences and Acceptance of those experiences, whether they are pleasant or unpleasant. The PHLMS offers a psychometrically sound method for evaluating the core components of mindfulness central to modern therapeutic approaches.

Keywords

Mindfulness, Present-Moment Awareness, Acceptance, Psychological Assessment, Self-Report Scale, Bi-dimensional Measure, PHLMS.

Authors

Cardaciotto, L., Herbert, J.D., Forman, E.M., Moitra, E., Farrow, V.

[quads id=5]

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PHLMS is to operationalize and measure the two theoretically distinct components of mindfulness: the ability to pay attention to the present moment (Awareness) and the willingness to experience internal states without judgment or attempts to change them (Acceptance).

This separation allows researchers and clinicians to better understand which facets of mindfulness are most affected by interventions, such as Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The scale is designed to be brief yet comprehensive, making it suitable for repeated administration in treatment outcome studies.

Construct

The PHLMS measures mindfulness as a bi-dimensional psychological construct, based on the definition that mindfulness involves both a cognitive process and an affective/volitional stance. The two factors measured are:

• Awareness: This subscale assesses the degree to which an individual attends to internal (thoughts, emotions, sensations) and external experiences in the present moment. Items focus on sensory and cognitive attentiveness.
• Acceptance: This subscale measures the tendency to adopt a non-judgmental, non-reactive stance toward one’s thoughts, feelings, and sensations. The items are phrased to capture the opposite of experiential avoidance, measuring the willingness to allow difficult experiences without attempting suppression or control.

Validity

Initial validation studies demonstrated robust psychometric properties. The PHLMS exhibits good convergent validity, correlating positively with other established measures of mindfulness, while showing expected negative correlations with measures of psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression.

Furthermore, the two subscales (Awareness and Acceptance) show differential relationships with measures of psychological health. For instance, the Acceptance factor frequently demonstrates a strong inverse relationship with psychopathology, supporting the notion that non-judgmental acceptance is a critical, therapeutic component of the mindfulness construct.

Reliability

The PHLMS demonstrates strong internal consistency. Studies typically report high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the overall scale and for both subscales individually (Awareness and Acceptance), suggesting that the items within each factor reliably measure the same underlying construct. The reported alpha coefficients generally meet or exceed standard thresholds for research instruments.

Moreover, the measure has shown adequate test-retest reliability across various time intervals, indicating stability in the scores over time for individuals whose baseline mindfulness levels are presumed to remain consistent, thus supporting its use in longitudinal research.

Factor Analysis

The foundational research utilized factor analysis to establish the underlying structure of the scale. Both Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and subsequent Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) strongly supported the hypothesized two-factor measurement model, consistent with the theoretical framework proposed by the authors.

This analysis confirmed that the 20 items load clearly onto two distinct, yet correlated, dimensions: Awareness (Items 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19) and Acceptance (Items 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20). This bi-dimensional structure is the defining feature of the PHLMS.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological Assessment

Format: 20 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = often, and 5 = very often). Items belonging to the Acceptance subscale are reverse-scored, as they reflect experiential avoidance rather than acceptance.

Language Available: English (Original). Translations and adaptations have been developed for use in various international studies.

Population Group: Adults

Age Group: 18 years and older

Population Details: Developed and validated initially using undergraduate students and subsequently applied across diverse adult clinical and non-clinical samples, demonstrating utility across various demographic groups.

Test Methodology: Total scores and subscale scores are calculated by summing the responses after appropriate reverse-scoring of the Acceptance items. Higher scores indicate greater overall mindfulness, specifically higher levels of present-moment awareness and non-judgmental acceptance.

Keywords

PHLMS, Awareness, Acceptance, Bi-dimensional, Self-report instrument, Cognitive Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Experiential Avoidance.

[quads id=5]

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source materials.

Affiliation Email addresses: Please refer to the corresponding author, Dr. Cardaciotto, via published institutional directories (e.g., Drexel University, as listed in related publications).

Correspondence Address: Correspondence details are typically available through the institutional affiliation listed in the primary 2008 publication in Assessment.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The PHLMS was first introduced in dissertation form in 2005 and formally published in 2008. The scale is generally available for non-commercial academic research use. Users seeking to implement the scale for clinical practice, commercial applications, or large-scale research should contact the corresponding author, Dr. Cardaciotto, or the publisher (SAGE Publications) for formal permission and licensing details.

Reference’s

The original PDF manuscript detailing the scale development and initial validation can be downloaded here: http://ggsc-web02.ist.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/Cardaciotto-Mindfulness_on_Present_Moment_Awareness_and_Acceptance.pdf

The instrument is also available in this document: http://www.ircimh.org/local/uploads/content/files/ALL%20COMPLETE%20PROMIS%2010%20PROMIS%2029%20MINDFULNESS%20CHOICES.docx

• Cardaciotto, L. (2005). Assessing mindfulness: The development of a bi-dimensional measure of awareness and acceptance. Dissertation Abstracts International, 66, (6-B). Assessment, 15(2), 204-23.
• Cardaciotto, L., Herbert, J.D., Forman, E.M., Moitra, E., Farrow, V. (2008). The assessment of present-moment awareness and acceptance: the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. Assessment, 15(2), 204–223.
• Cardaciotto et al. (2008). Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. In: Simmons C. A., Lehmann P. (eds). Tools for strengths-based assessment and evaluation, New York, NY: Springer, pp. 170-171. (2013). Google Scholar

[quads id=5]

Items of the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS)

Items are rated on a 5-point scale: 1 = never, 2 = rarely, 3 = sometimes, 4 = often, and 5 = very often.

Scoring Key: Awareness items are scored directly (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19). Acceptance items are reverse-scored (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20).

1. I am aware that thoughts are passing through my mind
2. I try to distract myself when I feel unpleasant emotions
3. When talking with other people, I am aware of their facial and body expressions
4. There are aspects of myself I don’t want to think about
5. When I shower, I am aware of how the water is running over my body
6. I try to stay busy to keep thoughts or feelings from coming to mind
7. When I am startled, I notice what is going on inside my body
8. I wish I could control my emotions more easily
9. When I walk outside, I am aware of smells or how the air feels against my face
10. I tell myself that I shouldn’t have certain thoughts
11. When someone asks how I am feeling, I can identify my emotions easily
12. There are things I try not to think about
13. I am aware of thoughts I’m having when my mood changes
14. I tell myself that I shouldn’t feel sad
15. I notice changes inside my body, like my heart beating faster or my muscles getting tense
16. If there is something I don’t want to change, I am conscious of them immediately
17. Whenever my emotions change, I am conscious of them immediately
18. I try to put my problems out of my mind
19. When talking with other people, I am aware of the emotions I am experiencing
20. When I have a bad memory, I try to distract myself to make it go away