Positive and negative attitudes towards compassion predict compassionate outcomes

Kirby, James N.; Seppälä, Emma; Wilks, Matti; Cameron, C. Daryl; Tellegen, Cassandra L.; Nguyen, Dong T. H.; Misra, Supriya; Simon-Thomas, Emiliana; Feinberg, Matthew; Martin, Daniel E.; Doty, James R.

doi:10.1007/s12144-019-00405-8

Cited by 8 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Another possibility, as outlined in the Study 3 Discussion, is that our manipulation only attempted to reduce perceived physical vulnerability and not fears related to exploitation or resource loss. Primes and inductions to a compassionate state have had mixed results, with some finding it improves motivation to study for future tests (e.g., Breines & Chen, 2012), with others finding it made no difference to emotional reactions to difficult parenting situations (e.g., Kirby, Seppälä, et al., 2019). Moving forward, future research should look to identify alternate avenues to reduce fears of compassion (e.g., by targeting exploitation and resource loss concerns) and, by extension, increase moral expansiveness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In line with this, just as morality can be bounded, applied selectively, and not extended to all individuals universally, so too can compassion. Therefore, though compassion has been linked to increased social connectedness, positive relationships, and prosocial behaviour (Gilbert, 2009, 2014; Kirby, 2017; Leiberg et al., 2011; Weng et al., 2013, 2015), conversely, research has also found that one’s fears of compassion can reduce prosocial behaviour towards others (Kirby, Seppälä, et al., 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, if one is raised in an environment where there is little modelling of compassionate behaviour and high levels of shame, this too can lead to fears of expressing compassion (Matos et al., 2017). Meta‐analytic research has since found that fears of compassion is as a unique contributor to general mental health and well‐being (Kirby, Seppälä, et al., 2019), and fears of compassion have also been tied to reduced prosocial behaviour (Kirby, Seppälä, et al., 2019). We propose that understanding fears tied to compassion is not only crucial for the extension of compassion and prosociality, but the boundaries we put around the entities we ultimately deem worthy of moral concern and treatment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fear leads to suffering: Fears of compassion predict restriction of the moral boundary

Crimston

Blessing

Gilbert

et al. 2021

British J Social Psychol

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Empirical investigations into the psychological drivers of more or less expansive moral thinking are lacking from the psychological literature. One potential driver that warrants deeper investigation is compassion – a prosocial motivation to both identity and alleviate suffering. The current research examined the extent to which compassion, and fears of compassion, act as a driver and inhibitor, respectively, of a morally expansive mindset. We tested these associations across three studies (N = 749) and found robust support for our predictions. Specifically, stronger compassion to others, and greater fears of extending compassion to others, were linked to enhanced and reduced moral expansiveness, respectively. Moreover, over and above empathy and mindfulness, fears of compassion and compassion uniquely predicted moral expansiveness. Finally, compassion was found to consistently mediate the relationship between fears of compassion to others and moral expansiveness. Our findings further our understanding of the psychological factors that may drive and restrict morally expansive mindsets and hold implications for the broader domains of moral decision‐making and prosocial motivation as well as the application of practices that are designed to facilitate a compassionate mindset (e.g., Compassionate Mind Training).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fear leads to suffering: Fears of compassion predict restriction of the moral boundary

Crimston

Blessing

Gilbert

et al. 2021

British J Social Psychol

Self Cite

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“…This was the most robust finding of our study since acceptance modified the effectiveness of mindfulness intervention at both 9-week and 6-month follow-ups. Interestingly, there is evidence that the effectiveness of compassion-related interventions is modified by one's attitudes toward compassion (Kirby et al, 2019). Similarly, it may be that high acceptance facilitates one's involvement in mindfulness-related practices that, in turn, enhances the effectiveness of mindfulness intervention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

School‐based mindfulness intervention for depressive symptoms in adolescence: For whom is it most effective?

Saarinen

Hintsanen

Vahlberg

et al. 2022

Journal of Adolescence

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Introduction: There is accumulating evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulnessbased interventions in alleviating depressive symptoms. A crucial question is, however, whether mindfulness interventions are more effective for some individuals than others, depending on individual characteristics before a mindfulness intervention. We exploratorily investigated whether the effectiveness of school-based mindfulness intervention against depressive symptoms is modified by executive functions, rumination, and emotion regulation among adolescents. Methods: The longitudinal data included adolescents with at least mild depressive symptoms at the baseline (n = 369, at the 6th-8th grade, 68.4% female) who were randomized into a 9-week school-based mindfulness intervention group, into an active control group receiving relaxation program, or into an inactive control group. Adolescents' executive functions, rumination, and emotion regulation (i.e., acceptance, catastrophizing, and positive reappraisal) were assessed at the baseline; and depressive symptoms at three time points (at the baseline and at 9-week and 6-month follow-ups). Results and Conclusions:In adolescents with at least mild depressive symptoms at the baseline, high catastrophizing, high acceptance, and low executive functions were found to increase the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention against depressive symptoms. There seemed to be some sex differences. Thus, when aiming to alleviate depressive symptoms, mindfulness-based intervention may possibly be more effective for adolescents with high catastrophizing, high acceptance, and low executive functioning (than for adolescents with the opposite dispositions). However, as this study was exploratory by nature and corrections for multiple testing were not used, the findings must be regarded as preliminary and need confirmation in further studies.

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“…Sometimes helping is emotionally difficult as it exposes oneself to needs and sufferings that one was previously blissfully unaware of (Cameron & Payne, 2011;Kirby et al, 2019;Shaw et al, 1994). Also, agreeing to help once tends to increase the number of requests one will get in the future, and intensify expectations that one will continue to help henceforward.…”

Section: Anticipated Negative Emotional Consequences Due To Helpingmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new typology of psychological mechanisms underlying prosocial decisions

Erlandsson¹,

Moche²,

Dickert³

2021

Preprint

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Charitable giving, volunteering, climate-friendly choices, and most recently changing one’s lifestyle to stop the spread of the coronavirus are all examples of prosocial behavior. Prosociality can be investigated from different perspectives including the “who-question” (which people are more likely to help), and the “when-question” (which situational factors stimulate helping?), but in this article we focus primarily on the “why-question” (which emotions and cognitions motivate helping?)Specifically, this article tries to organize and synthesize literature related to emotions, thoughts, and beliefs (i.e. psychological mechanisms) that motivate or demotivate human helping behavior. To do this, we present a new typology including four overarching interrelated categories, each encompassing multiple subcategories.(1) Emotions: (a) emotional reactions elicited by the need situation such as empathic concern/sympathy, (b) positive or negative attitudes toward the beneficiary or the requester, (c) incidental mood. (2) Moral principles: (a) personal responsibility, (b) fairness-concerns, (c) aversion towards causing harm. (3) Anticipated impact: (a) self-efficacy (e.g. “can I make a difference?”) and (b) response-efficacy (e.g., “is this cause/project efficient and worthwhile?”). (4) Anticipated personal consequences: (a) material, (b) social and (c) emotional costs and benefits that the helper expects will follow if she helps or if she does not help. Increased knowledge about the “who” (e.g. individual differences in demography or personality) and “when” (situational antecedents such as characteristic of those in need, or type of solicitation) can surely help predict and even increase prosociality, but we argue that to understand the psychology of helping we need to also consider the psychological mechanisms underlying prosocial decisions (the “why-question”).We compare our typology against related theoretical frameworks, and present the pros and cons with different methodological approaches of testing psychological mechanisms of helping, with the aim to help researchers and practitioners better organize and understand the many psychological factors that influence prosocial decisions.

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Positive and negative attitudes towards compassion predict compassionate outcomes

Cited by 8 publications

References 56 publications

Fear leads to suffering: Fears of compassion predict restriction of the moral boundary

Fear leads to suffering: Fears of compassion predict restriction of the moral boundary

School‐based mindfulness intervention for depressive symptoms in adolescence: For whom is it most effective?

A new typology of psychological mechanisms underlying prosocial decisions

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