The Effects of Audio-Guided Mindful Meditation on Physical Aggression Perpetration: Is It Effective for Everyone?
Thomas J Shaw, Kaitlyn Westerhold, Allison Tobar-Santamaria, Lindsay Mongan, Dominic Parrott, Meagan J Brem
Violence and victims July 15, 2026 DOI: 10.1891/vv-2025-0024 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 102 |
| Population | College students (56.1% women; 78.9% White) |
| Intervention | audio-guided mindful meditation |
| Duration | One-time 15-minute session |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Taylor aggression paradigm College students Dispositional mindfulness |
| Key findings | Participants with high dispositional mindfulness displayed significantly less aggression after a brief guided meditation, while those with low dispositional mindfulness showed a non-significant increase in aggression. |
Abstract
We examined whether the effects of a brief, guided mindful meditation (MM) exercise on aggression perpetration differed based on an individual's baseline ability to nonjudgmentally observe the present moment (i.e., dispositional mindfulness). One hundred two college students (56.1% women; 78.9% White) completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and were randomly assigned to either a one-time 15-minute audio-guided meditation, mindful condition, or control condition before completing a shock-based laboratory aggression paradigm involving provocation by an ostensible opponent. All participants were coded as having either high or low levels of dispositional mindfulness based on a mean split of their MAAS score. Results indicated that participants with high levels of dispositional mindfulness displayed significantly less aggression in the MM condition relative to the control condition (d = .64). In contrast, participants with low levels of dispositional mindfulness displayed more aggression in the mindful condition relative to the control condition (d = .45), although this effect was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that individuals' baseline ability to nonjudgmentally observe the present moment has important implications for determining who may and may not benefit from audio-guided MM as a brief intervention for aggression.
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 |