Mindfulness training selectively reduces altruistic behaviour in low-cost situations.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to examine the effect of mindfulness training (MT) on altruistic willingness in high- and low-cost situations.
Results Summary
The MT group showed increased mindfulness levels but reduced willingness to help in low-cost situations. A positive correlation was found between increased observing facet scores and willingness to help in high-cost situations.
Population
41 females
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
8 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programme | increase | overall FFMQ scores | MT group | - | presented a significant increase | #1 |
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programme | increase | level of mindfulness | people | - | enhanced | #2 |
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programme | decrease | willingness to help in the low-cost situation | people | - | reduced | #3 |
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programme | increase | willingness to help in the high-cost situation | MT group | - | positive correlation between the increase in the scores of the observing facet and willingness to help | #4 |
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programme | decrease | change in empathy in the low-cost situation | - | - | negative predictor | #5 |
There have been rich debates about whether and how mindfulness alters prosocial behaviour. Nevertheless, few empirical studies have touched on how mindfulness training (MT) influences altruistic behaviour under high- and low-cost situations in a real-life scenario. The present study aimed to examine the effect of mindfulness training on altruistic willingness at different cost levels. A total of 41 females participated in our study and were randomly assigned to the MT and control groups. They completed the empathy-altruism task and Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) before and after an 8-week experimental intervention, during which the MT group attended the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) programme, while the control group remained as usual. The MT group presented a significant increase in overall FFMQ scores after the 8 weeks of MBCT. However, their willingness to help declined in the low-cost situation at post-test. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between the increase in the scores of the observing facet and willingness to help in the high-cost situation in the MT group. The changes in describing facet were a negative predictor of the change in empathy in the low-cost situation. Taken together, 8-week MBCT enhanced the level of mindfulness but reduced people's willingness to help in the low-cost situation.