Kindness is lesser preferable than happiness: Investigating interest in different effects of the Loving-kindness and Compassion Meditations
Yanhe Deng, Wen Wang, Taoyuan Du, Xianglong Zeng
Research Square June 5, 2024 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4459312/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study (two studies; Study 2 within a 4-week online training) |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,075 |
| Population | Study 1: 583 university students; Study 2: 1,075 participants in a 4-week online LKCM training |
| Duration | 4-week online LKCM training (Study 2) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Registration | NCT06424951 |
| Key findings | Kind attitudes were the least desired effect of LKCM training in both studies. In Study 2, higher interest in meditations on emotional well-being predicted increases in personal happiness. The authors argue this is the first evidence that trainees' preferences among LKCM effects exist and are linked to training outcomes, and suggest a hedonic bias in modern positive psychology is facilitated by trainees. |
Abstract
Abstract The primary purpose of the Loving-kindness and Compassion Meditations (LKCM) in Buddhism was the cultivation of kindness, but many modern LKCM trainings focused on happiness, and even used the “kindness for happiness” strategy that advocate cultivation of kindness for the benefit of happiness. This study investigated whether cultivating kindness was lesser desired than enhancing happiness for potential trainees, and it impacts on LKCM training. Study 1 recruited 583 university students, study 2 involved 1075 participants from a 4-week online LKCM training. The measures included interest in meditation trainings that focused on emotional happiness, kind attitudes and other effects. Two studies cohesively supported kind attitudes were the least desired effects, and study 2 showed that higher interest in meditations on Emotional Well-being predicted increases in personal happiness. In summary, this study provided first evidence that trainees’ preference on potential effects of LKCM existed and linked with effects of training. It suggested the hedonic bias in modern positive psychology is facilitated by trainees, and encouraged further attention in the philosophical and ethical issues in the trainings. The intervention program has been retrospectively registered with the PRS on May 17, 2024, under registration number NCT06424951.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 14
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology October 27, 2008
- Effect of kindness-based meditation on health and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology June 30, 2014
- The effect of loving-kindness meditation on positive emotions: a meta-analytic review Frontiers in Psychology November 3, 2015
- Compassion and Loving-Kindness Meditation: An Overview and Prospects for the Application in Clinical Samples Harvard Review of Psychiatry July 1, 2018
and 9 more in the library