The impact of mindfulness meditation on social and moral behavior: Does mindfulness enhance other-oriented motivation or decrease monetary reward salience?
Susanna Feruglio, Maria Serena Panasiti, Cristiano Crescentini, Salvatore Maria Aglioti, Giorgia Ponsi
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience 2022 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.963422 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Compassion Mindfulness meditation Moral behavior Other-oriented motivation Resistance to temptation Reward salience Self-control Social behavior |
| Key points | The authors argue that although several studies suggest mindfulness meditation increases prosocial outcomes such as donating or spending money for others, the reward-based tasks used make it difficult to disentangle enhanced other-oriented motivation from reduced monetary reward salience, because mindfulness also affects self-control circuitry and makes rewards less tempting. They conclude that higher-quality studies are needed to address this open issue. |
Abstract
This perspective article provides an overview of the impact of mindfulness meditation (MM) on social and moral behavior. In mindfulness research, prosocial behavior has been operationalized as helping behavior, altruistic redistribution of funds, reparative behavior, or monetary donation. Studies concerning moral behavior are still scarce. Despite inconsistent evidence, several studies found a beneficial effect of mindfulness on prosocial outcomes (i.e., a higher propensity to spend or give away money for the sake of other individuals). However, since the employed tasks were reward-based, participants' decisions also directly affected their own payoff by reducing it. Crucially, MM also affects self-control circuitry and reduces reward-seeking behaviors and reward salience by making rewards less tempting. We have discussed evidence suggesting how challenging it may be to dissociate the specific weight of enhanced other-oriented motivation from one of the decreased monetary reward salience in explaining meditators' behavior. Future higher-quality studies are needed to address this open issue.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Wisdom-Based Buddhist-Derived Meditation Practices for Prosocial Behaviour: A Systematic Review Mindfulness March 1, 2024
- Calmer, Kinder, Wiser: A Novel Threefold Categorization for Mindfulness-Based Interventions Mindfulness December 26, 2023
- Mindfulness enhancements predict aberrant salience reductions and improve stress management. Discover Mental Health April 8, 2025
- Meditasi Mindfulness: Upaya Mengatasi Kecemasan Pustakawan Media Informasi June 15, 2023
- Training the Moral Self: An 8-Week Mindfulness Meditation Program Leads to Reduced Dishonest Behavior and Increased Regulation of Interoceptive Awareness Mindfulness October 16, 2023
Cites 32
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
- Loving-kindness and compassion meditation: potential for psychological interventions. Clinical Psychology Review July 26, 2011
- Inside the Mindful Mind Current Directions in Psychological Science December 1, 2013
and 27 more in the library