MAAS Mindfulness Score

Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)

Kirk Warren Brown and Richard M. Ryan built the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) in 2003 to capture how often people slip into mindful states, meaning how much they pay attention to and stay aware of what is going on right now. There are 15 items, each rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = almost always, 2 = very frequently, 3 = somewhat frequently, 4 = somewhat infrequently, 5 = very infrequently, 6 = almost never). The score is the arithmetic mean of those 15 items rather than the sum: MAAS = (sum of items) / 15. That gives a value somewhere between 1 and 6, and a higher mean points to more dispositional mindfulness.

The items are worded around lapses of attention (for instance, “I find it difficult to stay focused on what's happening in the present”) instead of acceptance or non-judgement. That is what sets the MAAS apart from multi-facet measures like the FFMQ. The Brazilian Portuguese validation by Barros, Kozasa, Souza, Ronzani & Ribeiro (2014) found a unidimensional structure and good internal consistency (α ≈ 0.83).

Applications

It shows up as a pre/post outcome measure in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR, Jon Kabat-Zinn), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT, Segal/Williams/Teasdale), workplace mindfulness programs, and research into emotion regulation, anxiety, and depression. Researchers have also leaned on it when studying attentional control, eating behaviour, and how people cope with chronic pain.

FAQ

Why is the score a mean and not a sum? Brown & Ryan chose the mean so the result stays on the same 1–6 scale as the response options, which makes it easier to read at a glance.

Does a high MAAS mean I am “enlightened”? No. The MAAS only measures one slice of mindfulness, namely present-moment attention and awareness. It is a research instrument rather than a clinical diagnosis, and it won't replace an evaluation from a mental-health professional.

Can I use it to track my own meditation practice? Sure. Plenty of people use it to check in before and after mindfulness training. Just keep in mind that individual scores bounce around, so watch the trend over a few weeks instead of reading too much into a single session.