Mindful Attention Awareness Scale
MAASPermission: Free for research use. Free for non-commercial academic research, with no licence fee. Cite the original publication.
A 15-item unidimensional scale measuring dispositional mindfulness as the frequency of open, receptive attention to present-moment experience (scored via inattention/absent-mindedness).
Ready-to-cite methods sentence
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Reliability & validation
Response anchors
Almost always · Very frequently · Somewhat frequently · Somewhat infrequently · Very infrequently · Almost never
Known limitations
Measures only the attention/awareness facet of mindfulness (not acceptance or non-judgment), and does so through reverse-worded "mindlessness" items, which some argue narrows the construct.
Original 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.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822Questions researchers ask
What does the MAAS measure?
A 15-item unidimensional scale measuring dispositional mindfulness as the frequency of open, receptive attention to present-moment experience (scored via inattention/absent-mindedness).
How many items does the MAAS have?
The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) has 15 items.
Is the MAAS free to use?
The MAAS is free to use for non-commercial academic research. You don't need to pay a license fee, but you should always cite the original publication.
Is the MAAS reliable?
Validation studies report Cronbach's α of 0.8–0.87. See the reliability section for the population studied and full statistics.
Who developed the MAAS, and how do I cite it?
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. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
Related scales
Library entry verified September 2026. Metadata is provided for reference; item wording is available inside Folio Surveyor, subject to each instrument's licensing.