Love thy (partisan) neighbor: Brief befriending meditation reduces affective polarization

Simonsson, Otto; Narayanan, Jayanth; Marks, Joseph

doi:10.1177/13684302211020108

Cited by 19 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…It suggests that sustained mindfulness training may be an effective intervention to reduce affective polarization, at least modestly. Importantly, in contrast to studies testing meditation inductions on affective polarization (e.g., Simonsson et al, 2021), these effects were observed outside the context of meditation practice. This supports the possibility that meditation training may lead to sustained and generalized changes in attitudes toward outgroup members.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 66%

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Effects of an 8-Week Mindfulness Course on Affective Polarization

Simonsson

Bazin²,

Fisher

et al. 2022

Mindfulness

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Objectives The European Union Brexit referendum has split the British electorate into two camps, with high levels of affective polarization between those who affiliate with the Remain side (Remainers) and the Leave side (Leavers) of the debate. Previous research has shown that a brief meditation intervention can reduce affective polarization, but no study has thus far investigated the effects of an 8-week mindfulness program on affective polarization. This is what will be examined in this study. Methods The present study used a randomized waitlist control design (n = 177) with a 1-month post-intervention follow-up to investigate whether an 8-week mindfulness program delivered online would have an effect on affective polarization among Remainers and Leavers. Results Results showed significantly greater reductions in affective polarization over time for participants in the mindfulness condition relative to participants in the waitlist control condition (time X group B = − 0.087, p = .024). Conclusions Taken together, the findings highlight the potential of mindfulness training as a means to reduce intergroup biases in political contexts. Trial Registration Preregistered on the Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/px8m2.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 66%

“…Results from previous research have shown that 10 min of befriending meditation reduced affective polarization in American adults who affiliated with either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party (Simonsson et al, 2021). While promising, effects in these studies were modest in magnitude (ds ≤ 0.31).…”

mentioning

confidence: 63%

Effects of an 8-Week Mindfulness Course on Affective Polarization

Simonsson

Bazin²,

Fisher

et al. 2022

Mindfulness

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“…One notable exception is research assessing the effect of a short mindfulness intervention on affective political polarization in the US (Simonsson et al, 2021). Results are ambiguous, however: while a brief befriending meditation-an essential ingredient in mindfulness courses-reduces affective polarization between Democrats and Republicans by increasing positive feelings for the outgroup, no similar effect was detected for a mindfulness meditation intervention.…”

Section: Extant Research At the Mindfulness-politics Nexusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research suggests that antecedent-focused strategies of emotion regulation, such as positive re-appraisal, are positively related to political liberalism (Lee et al, 2013), pro-sociality , and political tolerance across group boundaries (Halperin et al, 2014). With induced mindfulness engendering increases in positive reappraisal (Garland et al, 2011), scholars interested in conflict resolution and political polarization are encouraged to follow the pathway set out by Alkoby et al (2017) and Simonsson et al (2021) to further explore the potential of mindfulness for inter-group reconciliation.…”

Section: Avenues For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Political Consequences of Be(com)ing Mindful. How Mindfulness Might Affect Political Attitudes

Ramstetter

2021

Front. Polit. Sci.

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Though research provides ample evidence that mindfulness shapes psychological processes and states that are linked to political attitudes and behavior, political science has so far largely ignored mindfulness as a potential explanatory factor shaping political attitudes and actions. This literature review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the concept of mindfulness and outlines potential linkages between mindfulness and outlines political attitudes. I begin by identifying gaps in the literature on political attitude formation and change as well as its linkage to political behavior. I then introduce mindfulness as a multifaceted concept, discussing its definitional features and unravelling the mechanisms of mindfulness affecting cognitive and emotional abilities. Building on this foundation, I review research on correlates and effects of mindfulness on attitudes and behaviors related to the political domain, such as pro-environmentalism and pro-social behavior. Critically reflecting on extant research on mindfulness, I propose possible research avenues for political science that enhance its dialogue with neuroscience and social psychology.

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“…In the context of planetary health and unprecedented biodiversity losses, the latter would seem to be an important consideration. In a brief LKM-like intervention (referred to as befriending meditation), the practice has been shown to reduce affective polarization between Democrats and Republicans by increasing positive feelings relatively more for the political outgroup than the political ingroup [107]. Preliminary research shows that among its potential benefits, LKM increases mindfulness [108].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Wise Ancestors, Good Ancestors: Why Mindfulness Matters in the Promotion of Planetary Health

et al. 2021

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The concept of planetary health blurs the artificial lines between health at scales of person, place, and planet. It emphasizes the interconnected grand challenges of our time, and underscores the need for integration of biological, psychological, social, and cultural aspects of health in the modern environment. Here, in our Viewpoint article, we revisit vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk’s contention that wisdom is central to the concept of planetary health. Our perspective is centered on the idea that practical wisdom is associated with decision-making that leads to flourishing—the vitality and fullest potential of individuals, communities, and life on the planet as a whole. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has illustrated the acute consequences of unwise and mindless leadership; yet, wisdom and mindfulness, or lack thereof, is no less consequential to grotesque biodiversity losses, climate change, environmental degradation, resource depletion, the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, and social injustices. Since mindfulness is a teachable asset linked to both wisdom and flourishing, we argue that mindfulness deserves much greater attention in the context of planetary health.

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Love thy (partisan) neighbor: Brief befriending meditation reduces affective polarization

Cited by 19 publications

References 48 publications

Effects of an 8-Week Mindfulness Course on Affective Polarization

Effects of an 8-Week Mindfulness Course on Affective Polarization

The Political Consequences of Be(com)ing Mindful. How Mindfulness Might Affect Political Attitudes

Wise Ancestors, Good Ancestors: Why Mindfulness Matters in the Promotion of Planetary Health

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