Short Mindfulness Meditation Increases Help-Giving Intention Towards a Stranger in Distress.
Yael Malin, Thomas P Gumpel
Mindfulness 2022 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-022-01963-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 210 |
| Population | Undergraduate students |
| Interventions | Mindfulness practice Music Lecture |
| Dose | two sessions |
| Measures | Baseline dispositional empathy scale, Empathic care scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Empathic care Empathy Help-giving Interpersonal relationships Prosociality |
| Key findings | Two sessions of mindfulness practice increased help-giving intention toward a stranger in distress (50.8% willing to help) compared with music (31.2%) and lecture (31%) controls. Mindfulness also moderated the link between dispositional empathy and empathic care, with a positive association in the mindfulness group only. |
Abstract
Mindfulness practice increases personal well-being, yet its effect on prosocial behaviors is not well-established. Initial studies suggest that an 8-week mindfulness program has a positive effect on help-giving towards a stranger in distress and that a short meditation promotes care towards an ostracized member. This research aims at examining whether a short mindfulness intervention promotes help-giving intention towards a stranger in distress and to understand the role of empathy in this effect. A total of 210 undergraduate students were randomly assigned to two sessions of mindfulness practice, music, or lecture control conditions. Participants then listened to a sham interview with a student dealing with a chronic illness and were surveyed on their willingness to volunteer in an organization helping such students. Baseline dispositional empathy and consequent empathic care scales were completed to determine their effect. A significantly higher percentage of participants were willing to provide help in the mindfulness condition (50.8%), as compared to the music (31.2%) and the lecture (31%) conditions, χ2 (2, N = 189) = 9.51, p = .009. A significantly positive effect of dispositional empathy on empathic care was found in the mindfulness group (b = 1.40, SE = .31, p < .001), but not in the control groups. This study showed that short mindfulness practice increases help-giving intention as compared to active control groups and moderates the association between dispositional empathy and empathic care. Future research including long-term follow-up will strengthen these findings. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-022-01963-y.
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 2
- Morning yoga as an embodied regulatory practice: longitudinal changes in children’s self-esteem and gratitude following participation in a school-based yoga program Frontiers in Psychology July 23, 2026
- Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Anxiety, Self-Efficacy, and Quality of Life in Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Transplantation The Heart Surgery Forum June 13, 2024
Cites 11
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- Mindfulness increases prosocial responses toward ostracized strangers through empathic concern. Journal of Experimental Psychology General 2018
- Meditation and Health: The Search for Mechanisms of Action Social and Personality Psychology Compass 2013
and 6 more in the library