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Dispositional mindfulness, the ability of an individual to focus on experiences of the present-moment as opposed to being on “auto-pilot”, is known to be associated with lower levels of perceived stress; however, the mechanism by which this occurs is not entirely understood. Current conceptualizations of mindfulness suggest the involvement of increased emotional control and cognitive control in underlying these stress-buffering effects. However, within the elderly, these two controlled processes represent paradoxically divergent trajectories, particularly as age increases, older adults exhibit reduced cognitive control capacities, though emotional control abilities are well-maintained, and at times, enhanced. Our study seeks to examine the role of emotional control and cognitive control as possible mediators of the association between mindfulness and perceived stress. Fifty older adults recruited from the Franklin county area completed self-report measures assessing mindfulness disposition, perceived stress, and emotional control. Additionally, computerized measures of cognitive control assessing working memory, inhibitory control, and set shifting were also administered. We hypothesized a negative correlation between mindfulness disposition and perceived stress, such that participants reportin