Does Brief Mindfulness Instruction Improve Intergroup Attitudes in an Interethnic Dyadic Perspective-giving and Perspective-taking Interaction?
Race and Social Problems January 30, 2026 Katie Rodriguez, Grace Kinsky, Theresa Ngan Nguyen et al.
Brief mindfulness instruction did not improve intergroup attitudes, empathy, or compassion in power-asymmetric dyads overall. In a virtual setting, Latinx and White non-Latinx participants were randomly assigned to listen to a mindfulness, relaxation, or attention-based audio instruction before a perspective-sharing task. Mindfulness benefits emerged only when perspective-takers were low in social dominance orientation, predicting greater empathic concern and less personal distress in perspective-givers. Additionally, perspective-givers who received mindfulness instruction reported greater social connection if they held more positive pre-interaction attitudes toward Latinx individuals. The authors argue that mindfulness effects on social well-being depend on interactants' distal and proximal social goals.