Effects of mindful breathing meditation on stereotype expression in two randomized controlled double-blinded trials.
Elena Vieth, Lisa Von Stockhausen
PLoS One April 30, 2026 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347871 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Double-blind Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Mindful breathing meditation Progressive muscle relaxation |
| Duration | 45 minutes total training in Experiment 1; 80 minutes total training in Experiment 2 |
| Measures | Shooter Task, Avoidance Task |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Breathing exercises Double-blind method Stereotyping Decision making Respiration Female Young adult |
| Key findings | Contrary to the authors' hypothesis, short mindful breathing meditation did not reduce stereotype-biased decision-making; instead it increased the effect of stereotype bias in both experiments by heightening response conflict on stereotype-incongruent trials, whereas progressive muscle relaxation reduced biased decision-making on those trials. The authors suggest mechanisms outside cognitive control affected responses after both trainings. |
Abstract
Models of stereotypes and discrimination propose the involvement of attentional control and executive functioning in successfully suppressing discriminatory behavior. A practice that has been shown to improve cognitive control, potentially even after short training durations, is mindfulness meditation, and beneficial effects on stereotype activation and the expression of discriminatory behavior have been reported. In two randomized controlled double-blinded trials, the effects of short mindful breathing meditation trainings (45 minutes in total in Experiment 1, 80 minutes in Experiment 2) on the expression of stereotype-biased behavior were contrasted with relaxation trainings of equal length (progressive muscle relaxation; active control) and listening to podcasts (passive control). Stereotype expression was assessed with the Shooter Task in Experiment 1 and with the Avoidance Task in Experiment 2. Joined analyses of response latencies and accuracy by drift diffusion modeling showed that breathing meditation increased the effect of stereotype bias on decision-making in both experiments by heightening response conflict in stereotype-incongruent trials. At the same time, relaxation reduced biased decision-making in stereotype-incongruent trials. Contrary to our hypothesis, the findings suggested that short trainings in mindful breathing meditation were not beneficial for reducing the effect of stereotype-bias on decision making and that mechanisms outside of cognitive control affected response behavior following the meditation as well as relaxation training. Implications for research in the field are discussed.
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 |