INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS AND MECHANISMS OF A BRIEF LOVING KINDNESS MEDITATION SESSION ON PROSOCIAL INTENTIONS

Abstract

Although in recent years, research on Lovingkindness Meditation has looked into its interpersonal prosocial effects, empirical studies are lacking and the mediators of this process are not well understood. Although Lovingkindness Meditation is made up of two components: directing lovingkindness to oneself and to others, their differential prosocial effects are also not clear. The current study hypothesizes that affective and cognitive empathy are mediators between a brief Lovingkindness Meditation and prosocial intentions and a Lovingkindness Meditation with both components of lovingkindness will confer additional benefits than a Lovingkindness Meditation with only one component. The results suggests that the prosocial effects of Lovingkindness Meditation is mediated by affective empathy and only for a Lovingkindness Meditation that directs lovingkindness to oneself. Additionally, a Lovingkindness Meditation that directed lovingkindness to both oneself and others conferred lesser prosocial benefits than a Lovingkindness Meditation that directed lovingkindness to oneself only. Future studies should work towards understanding why a Lovingkindness Meditation that directs lovingkindness to others seemingly reduces prosocial intentions and why cognitive empathy is not a mediator in the relationship between a brief LovingKindness Meditation and prosocial intentions.