Knock yourself out: Brief mindfulness-based meditation eliminates self-prioritization.
Marius Golubickis, Lucy B G Tan, Sara Saini, Kallum Catterall, Aleksandra Morozovaite, Srishti Khasa, C Neil Macrae
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review February 2023 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02111-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 320 |
| Population | Adult participants in two experiments (160 per experiment) |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based meditation Control meditation |
| Duration | 5-minute meditation period |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Drift diffusion model Mindfulness-based meditation Ownership effect Self-prioritization |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based meditation abolished the self-ownership effect during decision-making, whereas control meditation or no meditation did not. Computational modeling indicated that meditation removed a prestimulus bias toward self-relevant responses, increased response caution, and facilitated evidence accumulation from friend-related objects. |
Abstract
Recent research has asserted that self-prioritization is an inescapable facet of mental life, but is this viewpoint correct? Acknowledging the flexibility of social-cognitive functioning, here we considered the extent to which mindfulness-based meditation-an intervention known to reduce egocentric responding-attenuates self-bias. Across two experiments (Expt. 1, N = 160; Expt. 2, N = 160), using an object-classification task, participants reported the ownership of previously assigned items (i.e., owned-by-self vs. owned-by-friend) following a 5-minute period of mindfulness-based meditation compared with control meditation (Expt. 1) or no meditation (Expt. 2). The results revealed that mindfulness meditation abolished the emergence of the self-ownership effect during decision-making. An additional computational (i.e., drift diffusion model) analysis indicated that mindfulness meditation eliminated a prestimulus bias toward self-relevant (vs. friend-relevant) responses, increased response caution, and facilitated the rate at which evidence was accumulated from friend-related (vs. self-related) objects. Collectively, these findings elucidate the stimulus and response-related operations through which brief mindfulness-based meditation tempers self-prioritization.
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 5
- Brief mindfulness-based meditation enhances the speed of learning following positive prediction errors Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology January 17, 2024
- EEG Signatures and Effects of Mindfulness Approaches in Adolescents With Nonsuicidal Self-Injury. Psychophysiology June 1, 2025
- How an Interest in Mindfulness Influences Linguistic Markers in Online Microblogging Discourse Mindfulness March 17, 2023
- Brief mindfulness practice influences the self-reference effect by caring for others Scientific Reports December 3, 2025
- Trait Mindfulness and Inhibitory Control in Young Adults: Moderation by Sex and Mediation by Resting EEG Research Square March 5, 2026
Cites 19
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- 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
and 14 more in the library