Mindfulness training reduces slippery slope effects in moral decision-making and moral judgment
Wei Li Du, Hongbo Yu, Xinghua Liu, Xiaolin Zhou
Scientific Reports February 20, 2023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29614-9 (opens in new tab)
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Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 58 |
| Population | Adults randomly assigned to mindfulness training or a waitlist control group |
| Intervention | Mindfulness training |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, with pre- and post-training assessments |
| Measures | Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, moral decision-making task, moral judgment task |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 15 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness training prevented the decline in moral preference over 8 weeks that occurred in the waitlist control group, a "slippery slope" effect. Computational modeling indicated that training specifically reduced the increasing weight given to money over time in both moral decision-making and moral judgment tasks, which the authors propose as a cognitive account of mindfulness's prosocial effects. |
Abstract
Extant research has demonstrated the positive intrapersonal effects of mindfulness training. However, the cognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of mindfulness training on interpersonal processes are less clear. Here, we combined a randomized control mindfulness training design with computational approach to moral decision-making and moral judgments. Participants were randomly assigned to a Training group (N = 32) who received an 8-week mindfulness training or a Control group (N = 26) who waited for the same period of time. Before and after the 8-week period, participants completed a moral decision-making task, where they made tradeoff between money for themselves and unpleasant electric shocks to another person, and a moral judgment task, where they evaluated the blameworthiness of someone else's choices in the same moral decision-making task. Trait mindfulness, as measured by the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, significantly increased from the pre- to post-training session for the Training group, but not the Control group, demonstrating the effectiveness of the mindfulness manipulation. For the Control group, participants' moral preference in both the decision-making task and the judgment task declined over time, exhibiting a "slippery slope" effect. In contrast, for the Training group, mindfulness training prevented moral preferences from declining. Computational modeling revealed that mindfulness training specifically reduced the increase in the weights of money over time in both the decision-making and judgment tasks, thereby curbing the "slippery slope" effects. These findings provide a cognitive account of the prosocial effects of mindfulness training on moral decision-making and moral judgments.
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
- Do contemplative practices make us more moral? Trends in Cognitive Sciences October 1, 2023
- Scale development and validation of social media mindfulness: evidence from Chinese Douyin users Frontiers in Psychology June 12, 2026
- The Ethical Dimensions of Mindfulness in Public Health Mindfulness March 1, 2025
- 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
- Do Meditation, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion Impact Utilitarian Moral Judgment? Mindfulness July 1, 2023
Cites 18
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin May 14, 2012
and 13 more in the library