How does mindfulness enforce prosocial emotions? An analysis of possible mediators.
Year: 2023
Type: preprint
Abstract: For over three decades, mindfulness meditation has grabbed attention of the scientific world and became a muse for many psychological interventions. Following the first studies using mindfulness for clinical purposes, it can be defined as a state of non-judgmental awareness of present events, emotions and thoughts that arise in one’s consciousness (Kabat-Zinn & Hanh, 2009). A significant trend of applying mindfulness meditation in social psychology shows its manifold usability that reaches beyond one spectrum of human psychology (ex. a meta-analysis of effects of mindfulness meditation on prosociality: (Donald et al., 2019)(Berger et al., 2018; Lueke & Gibson, 2015, 2016). As one of limitless examples, empathy and compassion both seem to respond to mindfulness training, f.e. mindfulness facets may positively impact empathic concern and inhibit self-centeredness (Jones et al., 2019). Some studies also report an influence of mindfulness training on compassionate behaviors (Fernando et al., 2017), or compassion-related emotions (Daryl Cameron & Fredrickson, 2015). We would like to introduce the reader to the definitions of the terms that we have adopted further on that belong under the umbrella term: “prosociality”, which is closely related to the studies of effects of mindfulness in social psychology. Firstly, we see empathy as a cognitive and emotional state which derives from observing others in pain (Cuff et al., 2016). Our definition includes perspective taking (the cognitive facet) and personal distress (the unpleasant emotional facet). The latter seems to be particularly interesting as some studies show it can be diminished by meditation training (Beddoe & Murphy, 2004; Birnie et al., 2010; Klimecki et al., 2014; Thomas, 2012). On the other hand, we understand compassion as a state of warm feeling and a need to bring an end to suffering of others (Eisenberg & Fabes, 1990; Singer & Klimecki, 2014). Finally, we see the general term “prosociality” as a combination of the above but with inclusion of prosocial actions, attitudes and willingness to relieve the pain of others. However, in the current study the prosocial effects of mindfulness are not the key aspects: we would like to focus on the particular mechanisms that allow mindfulness meditation to enhance human prosociality which have become a topic for various articles (Hafenbrack et al., 2020; Lim et al., 2015; Luberto et al., 2018; Schindler & Friese, 2022). We suggest decentering and self-compassion to be the crucial amplifiers of prosociality caused by mindfulness meditation. First, decentering is described as a process of seeing one’s content of consciousness from the third person’s perspective (Brown et al., 2015). Decentering may cause cognitive flexibility or improve emotional regulation (Brown et al., 2015; Shapiro et al., 2006). Decentering may ease seeing a different perspective on a stressful event (Sauer & Baer, 2010), or even taking a different perspective on the self (Trautwein et al., 2016). Self-compassion is another potential mediator of the relation between mindfulness state and prosociality. It is defined as a feeling of kindness and healing towards one’s self (opposite to emotional avoidance) and involves understanding that suffering is inclusive and common to all humanity, in opposition to separation (Baer, 2010; K. Neff, 2003). The role of self-compassion as an enhancement of prosocial feelings and actions seems to be more nuanced than it is of decentering. Even though some research proves its correlations with various facets of empathy (perspective taking and empathic concern, (Birnie et al., 2010; Kingsbury, 2009; K. D. Neff & Pommier, 2013), positive correlations with willingness to help a stranger in hypothetical situations, and negative correlations with personal distress (Welp & Brown, 2014), the path through which self-compassion may boost prosociality remains to a big extent unknown (Fuochi & Voci, 2020); (Kingsbury, 2009; Raab, 2014). In the current study, we aim at inducing a brief mindfulness state, then to measure the two processes suggested to accompany mindfulness meditation and improve prosociality at the same time: decentering and self-compassion. The project is a continuation of the first study (preregistered at https://osf.io/ek63f) with a deepened focus on the mediators.
Source: OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Authors: Holas, Pawel, Gorska, Gabriela
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7106742952