The Moderating Role of Personality on the Effects of Concentration-, Ethics- and Wisdom-Based Meditation Practices for Well-Being and Prosociality
Matthew Furnell, William van Gordon, James Elander
Healthcare November 25, 2025 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare13233044 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 56 |
| Population | Participants randomly assigned to two mindfulness-based interventions or a waitlist control |
| Intervention | concentration- |
| Duration | 8-week programme |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Prosocial behavior Agreeableness Moderation Psychological intervention Personality Neuroticism Openness to experience Clinical psychology Interpersonal communication Extraversion and introversion Intervention counseling Multilevel model Developmental psychology Conscientiousness |
| Key findings | Participants high in neuroticism showed significantly greater prosocial gains under the mindfulness intervention incorporating wisdom-based practices compared to the other intervention and control group. |
Abstract
Objectives: The majority of mindfulness research has focused on group-level effects, with limited attention to how engagement with specific meditation practices interacts with individual differences such as personality. This study examined whether Big Five traits moderated the effects of two mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on well-being and prosocial
Outcomes: one incorporating concentration- and ethics-based practices (MBI-CE) and another incorporating concentration-, ethics- and wisdom-based practices (MBI-CEW).
Methods: Fifty-six participants were randomly assigned to MBI-CE (n = 21), MBI-CEW (n = 18), or a waitlist Control group (n = 17). Both interventions followed an 8-week programme. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured changes in well-being and prosocial outcomes. Baseline personality traits were analysed as continuous variables using linear regression to test moderation effects, with ANCOVA sensitivity analyses conducted to assess robustness.
Results: Participants high in neuroticism showed significantly greater prosocial gains under MBI-CEW compared to MBI-CE and Control (MBI-CEW × Neuroticism: β = 2.09, p = 0.021). High agreeableness moderated well-being outcomes for both interventions (MBI-CE: β = 1.873, p = 0.044; MBI-CEW: β = 2.701, p = 0.012), while high openness moderated well-being only for MBI-CEW (β = 2.478, p = 0.045). These findings suggest that the additional incorporation of wisdom-based practices (such as contemplations on interdependence and the emptiness of self), in combination with ethics-based practices, may enhance the prosocial effects of MBIs for individuals high in neuroticism, who are prone to interpersonal sensitivity and self-protective tendencies.
Conclusions: Findings underscore the importance of moving beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to mindfulness. Tailoring MBIs to personality profiles, and integrating wisdom-based elements, in addition to ethics-based practices, may support more effective and sustainable outcomes in both clinical and non-clinical contexts.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 18
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: potential for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review July 26, 2011
- The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience Review of General Psychology May 1, 2017
- Neural correlates of nondual awareness in meditation. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2014
- Predicting Individual Preferences in Mindfulness Techniques Using Personality Traits Frontiers in Psychology June 18, 2020
and 13 more in the library