From Hostility to Understanding: Can a Brief Loving-Kindness Meditation Amplify Affective Empathy and Attenuate Hostile Attributions Toward Norm-Violating Social Behavior?
Moritz-Maximilian Harbig, Heidi Mauersberger
Open Mind June 25, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/qxbck (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized mixed design (between: intervention condition; within: situational context), online experiment Preregistered |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 200 |
| Population | Adult participants recruited for an online experiment |
| Intervention | Loving-Kindness Meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Loving-Kindness Meditation, compared to breath-focus control, increases affective empathy and reduces hostile attribution bias toward persons in ambiguous norm-violating situations, suggesting a brief intervention can alter social-cognitive responses. |
Abstract
This preregistered online experiment (n ≈ 200) investigates whether a brief Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM), compared to an active breath-focus control condition, increases affective empathy and reduces hostile attribution bias (HAB) toward persons depicted in ambiguous norm-violating social situations. Stimulus materials consist of 12 vignettes paired with standardized Anger-Sadness morph faces. The study employs a randomized mixed design (between: intervention condition; within: situational context) and constitutes a conceptual extension of Mauersberger et al. (2025).
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 |