A Sober Second Thought? A Pre-Registered Experiment on the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Political Tolerance
Michael Bang Petersen, Panagiotis Mitkidis
October 20, 2019 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/ksy37 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized experiment (pilot and pre-registered) Preregistered |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 225 |
| Population | Adults participating in a pilot experiment (N = 54) and a pre-registered experiment (N = 171) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 15-minute meditation session |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | Across a pilot experiment (N = 54) and a pre-registered experiment (N = 171), a 15-minute mindfulness meditation did not increase political tolerance toward disliked groups relative to control conditions. Exploratory analyses found no association between trait mindfulness and tolerance. The authors suggest short-term meditation is not sufficient to produce such outcomes and caution against recommending it for this purpose. |
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation is increasingly promoted as a tool to foster more inclusive and tolerant societies and, accordingly, meditation practice has been adopted in a number of public institutions including schools and legislatures. Here, we provide the first empirical test of the effects of mindfulness meditation on political and societal attitudes by examining whether completion in a 15-minute mindfulness meditation increases tolerance towards disliked groups relative to relevant control conditions. Analyses of data from a pilot experiment (N = 54) and a pre-registered experiment (N = 171) provides no evidence that mindfulness meditation increases political tolerance. Furthermore, exploratory analyses show that individual differences in trait mindfulness is not associated with differences in tolerance. These results suggest that there is reason to pause recommending mindfulness meditation as a way to achieve democratically desirable outcomes or, at least, that short-term meditation is not sufficient to generate these.
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 |