Whose Prosocial Intentions Are More Affected by Mindfulness, Young Adolescents or Young Adults?
Qianguo Xiao, Chenyu Li, Chen Chen, Jialan Ma
PsyCh Journal July 6, 2025 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.70036 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey and experimental design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 747 |
| Population | Young adolescents (12-15 years) and young adults (18-24 years) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Moral disengagement Moral identity Prosocial willingness Mindfulness training Mindfulness programs Prosocial behavior Ethical behavior Moral psychology Moral development Adolescent development Young people Adolescents Developmental stages Age-specific benefits |
| Key findings | In adolescents, moral identity significantly mediated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and prosocial willingness, while in adults, moral disengagement served as the primary mediator; short-term mindfulness inductions affected moral identity, moral disengagement, and prosocial willingness only in adolescents, with significant mediation effects. |
Abstract
Two studies were conducted to investigate: (1) the effects of dispositional mindfulness and short-term mindfulness induction on prosocial willingness, (2) the mediating roles of moral identity and moral disengagement, and (3) age-related differences between young adolescents (12-15 years) and young adults (18-24 years). In Study 1, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 271 college students (young adults) and 229 middle school students (young adolescents), assessing dispositional mindfulness, moral identity, moral disengagement, and prosocial willingness. In Study 2, an experimental design was employed to explore the short-term effects of two types of mindfulness inductions (with ethical elements or without) on these variables, involving 105 young adults and 142 young adolescents. Study 1 revealed that, in adolescents, moral identity significantly mediated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and prosocial willingness, while moral disengagement served as the primary mediator among adults. Study 2 showed that different short-term mindfulness inductions significantly affected moral identity, moral disengagement, and prosocial willingness in adolescents, with significant mediation effects of moral identity and moral disengagement. However, these effects were not significant in adults. Both types of mindfulness induction showed differential mediating effects, suggesting age-specific psychological mechanisms. Findings highlighted age-related differences in how mindfulness influences prosocial behavior, mediated by moral constructs. Both studies consistently showed that, for adolescents, the moral psychology (such as moral identity and moral disengagement) significantly influences the association between mindfulness (interventions) and prosocial behavior. This provides important insights into ethical mindfulness education, emphasizing the need to account for psychological development characteristics when designing mindfulness programs for adolescents.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 5
- Mindfulness increases prosocial responses toward ostracized strangers through empathic concern. Journal of Experimental Psychology General 2018
- Mindfulness training selectively reduces altruistic behaviour in low-cost situations. International Journal of Psychology June 2023
- Mindfulness induction and cognition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Consciousness and Cognition July 30, 2020
- Mindfulness Meditation Activates Altruism Scientific Reports April 16, 2020
- Does your mindfulness benefit others? A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the link between mindfulness and prosocial behaviour British Journal of Psychology August 9, 2018