Bridging the (Brexit) divide: Effects of a brief befriending meditation on affective polarization.
Otto Simonsson, Simon B. Goldberg, Joseph Marks, Liuxin Yan, Jayanth Narayanan
PLoS One 2022 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267493 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 922 |
| Population | British electorate affiliated with the Remain or Leave sides of the EU Brexit referendum debate (Remainers and Leavers) |
| Intervention | Brief befriending meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Participants in the befriending meditation condition scored modestly lower on affective polarization than those in the attentional control condition (d = 0.14), and perceived commonality with the political outgroup mediated the effect. The authors suggest audio-guided befriending practices may be a scalable means to reduce affective polarization by increasing perceived commonality. |
Abstract
The European Union Brexit referendum has divided the British electorate, with high levels of animosity between those who affiliate with the Remain side (Remainers) and the Leave side (Leavers) of the debate. Previous research has shown that a brief befriending meditation reduces affective polarization among Democrats and Republicans in the United States, but the results have not been replicated in a non-US sample and the psychological mechanisms underlying the effects have yet to be examined. The present study therefore used a post-test only randomized controlled design to investigate the effects of a brief befriending meditation on affective polarization among Remainers and Leavers (n = 922). Results showed that participants in the befriending condition scored modestly lower on affective polarization than participants in the attentional control condition (t(921) = 2.17, p = .030, d = 0.14) and that perceived commonality with the political outgroup mediated the effects. In sum, audio-guided befriending practices may be a highly scalable means to reduce high levels of affective polarization through increasing perceived commonality.
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 4
- Mindfulness in Politics: A Qualitative Study on Mindfulness Training in the UK Parliament. Mindfulness May 29, 2023
- Meditation, Not Information? A Survey Experiment Probing the Effects of Meditation Practice on Affective Polarization and Pro-Environmentalism Mindfulness February 1, 2025
- Effects of Brief Mindfulness Meditation and Compassion Meditation on Parochial Empathy and Prosocial Behavior Toward Ethnic Out-Group Members. Mindfulness March 27, 2023
- Man's best friend(s): Effects of a brief befriending meditation on human-animal relations. PLoS One December 16, 2022