Attentional processes in brief mindfulness meditation and socio-affective responses to in-group and out-group suffering.

Empathy and compassion can be blocked when suffering is perceived in out-group members. A brief, 10-minute mindfulness intervention focused on breathing body sensations was tested against an active control in 83 participants who watched videos of suffering. The intervention did not significantly increase empathic distress or compassion overall, but participants reported significantly higher empathic distress and compassion toward out-group members. The ability to focus on breathing mediated the intervention's effects on ratings of compassion, relief, and distress. These preliminary findings suggest attentional processes may be a mechanism through which brief mindfulness practices influence social and affective responses.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Empathy and compassion often arise in response to others' suffering but can be inhibited when the sufferers represent out-groups. Mindfulness meditation may help counter these blocks by reducing distress and fostering compassionate responses. In this study, we tested whether a brief, 10-min mindfulness intervention could enhance empathic and compassionate reactions to in-group and out-group suffering. Eighty-three participants completed the Socio-affective Video Task (SoVT), rating eight videos depicting suffering. We compared the mindfulness audio recording condition to the active control matched in duration and linguistic structure. The mindfulness audio focused on breathing body sensations. It did not explicitly refer to compassion toward the self or others. The intervention did not significantly increase empathic distress or compassion. However, participants reported significantly higher empathic distress and compassion toward out-group members. Notably, the ability to focus on breathing-measured through a mindfulness state item-mediated significant effects of the intervention on ratings of compassion, relief, and distress. These findings highlight the potential role of attentional processes as proximal mechanisms through which brief mindfulness practices may influence social and affective responses. These findings should be considered preliminary and require replication in larger samples. We discuss implications for the design of mindfulness interventions, the measurement of state mindfulness, and the use of video-based paradigms in studying intergroup empathy and compassion.