Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Triggers a Long-term Shift Toward More Positive Appraisals of Emotional Ambiguity
Nicholas Harp, Jonathan B. Freeman, Maital Neta preprint
Mindfulness training, specifically an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, shifts how people interpret emotionally ambiguous facial expressions, such as surprise, toward a more positive bias. This effect was observed from the start to the end of training and persisted through an additional eight-week follow-up. No short-term changes occurred after a single class session. The shift toward positivity was predicted by the non-reactivity facet of mindfulness, indicating that reduced emotional reactivity supports this lasting change.