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Brief loving-kindness meditation reduces racial bias, mediated by positive other-regarding emotions
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 00:42 authored by Alexander J Stell, Tom FarsidesTom FarsidesThe relationship between positive emotions and implicit racial prejudice is unclear. Interventions using positive emotions to reduce racial bias have been found wanting, while other research shows that positive affect can sometimes exacerbate implicit prejudice. Nevertheless, loving-kindness meditation (LKM) has shown some promise as a method of reducing bias despite increasing a broad range of positive emotions. A randomised control trial (n = 69) showed that a short-term induction of LKM decreased automatic processing, increased controlled processing, and was sufficient to reduce implicit prejudice towards the target’s racial group but not towards a group untargeted by the meditation. Furthermore, the reduction in bias was shown to be mediated by other-regarding positive emotions alongside increased control and decreased automaticity on the IAT. Non-other-regarding positive emotions conversely showed no correlation with bias. The study is the first to show that a short-term positive emotional induction can reduce racial prejudice, and aids the understanding of how positive emotions functionally differentiate in affecting bias.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Motivation and EmotionISSN
0146-7239Publisher
Springer VerlagExternal DOI
Issue
1Volume
40Page range
140-147Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2016-04-07First Open Access (FOA) Date
2016-09-09First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2016-04-07Usage metrics
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