Brief loving-kindness meditation reduces racial bias, mediated by positive other-regarding emotions
Alexander J. Stell, Tom Farsides
February 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1007/s11031-015-9514-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 69 |
| Population | Adult participants |
| Intervention | Loving-kindness meditation |
| Duration | Short-term induction |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | A short-term loving-kindness meditation induction reduced implicit racial prejudice toward the targeted racial group, mediated by other-regarding positive emotions and increased controlled processing. |
Abstract
AbstractThe relationship between positive emotions and implicit racial prejudice is unclear. Interventions using positive emotions to reduce racial bias have been found wanting, while other research shows that positive affect can sometimes exacerbate implicit prejudice. Nevertheless, loving-kindness meditation (LKM) has shown some promise as a method of reducing bias despite increasing a broad range of positive emotions. A randomised control trial (n = 69) showed that a short-term induction of LKM decreased automatic processing, increased controlled processing, and was sufficient to reduce implicit prejudice towards the target’s racial group but not towards a group untargeted by the meditation. Furthermore, the reduction in bias was shown to be mediated by other-regarding positive emotions alongside increased control and decreased automaticity on the IAT. Non-other-regarding positive emotions conversely showed no correlation with bias. The study is the first to show that a short-term positive emotional induction can reduce racial prejudice, and aids the understanding of how positive emotions functionally differentiate in affecting bias.
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
Cited by 17
- Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Conscious and Non-Conscious Components of the Mind Applied Sciences April 1, 2017
- Fruits of the Buddhism-science dialogue in contemplative research. Current Opinion in Psychology August 1, 2019
- Mindfulness in Psychosocial Research: An Integrative Literature Review of What is Studied and How International Review of Social Psychology 2025
- "Empathy on Trial: Is Empathy Inherently Biased?" Buddhist-Christian Studies 2020
- A kind mind: effects of compassion-based meditation on prosocial intergroup outcomes in a South African pilot sample. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
and 12 more in the library
Cites 4
- Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion October 1, 2008
- Compassion training alters altruism and neural responses to suffering. Psychological Science July 1, 2013
- How positive emotions build physical health: perceived positive social connections account for the upward spiral between positive emotions and vagal tone. Psychological Science July 1, 2013
- Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility. Consciousness and Cognition March 2009