The Influence of Meditation Practices on Prosocial Orientations and Person-Centered Supportive Communication
Lucas J. Youngvorst, Carly M. Danielson-Byrnes, Susanne M. Jones
Communication Reports April 13, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/08934215.2025.2487764 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 217 |
| Population | Adult participants assigned to meditation or no-meditation conditions |
| Intervention | Concentration meditation |
| Duration | One week |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditation practitioners scored higher on empathic concern than non-meditators, and loving kindness meditators provided supportive messages of higher quality than non-meditators. Compassion partially mediated associations between concentration meditation and both person-centered message processing and provision, suggesting meditation may cultivate prosocial orientations that facilitate supportive communication. |
Abstract
This study examines whether meditation practices can increase prosocial orientations (i.e. compassion, empathic concern), as well as the processing and provision of person-centered supportive messages. Participants (N = 217) were randomly assigned to either one of two week-long meditation practices (loving kindness or concentration) or to a no-meditation condition. Meditation practitioners scored higher on empathic concern than people in the no-meditation condition. Loving kindness meditators provided supportive messages that were of higher quality than non-meditators. Compassion also partially mediated associations between concentration meditation and both person-centered message processing and provision. These findings demonstrate that meditation can cultivate prosocial orientations and may, in turn, facilitate person-centered supportive communication.
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
Cites 10
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. Emotion October 1, 2008
- The moderation of Mindfulness‐based stress reduction effects by trait mindfulness: Results from a randomized controlled trial Journal of Clinical Psychology December 22, 2010
- Mindfulness increases prosocial responses toward ostracized strangers through empathic concern. Journal of Experimental Psychology General 2018
- Going beyond Mindfulness: How Concentration and Tranquility Commonly Co-Arising with Mindfulness Account for Mental Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health April 11, 2023
and 5 more in the library