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Wesarg-Menzel C, Gallistl M, Niconchuk M, Böckler A, O'Malley B, Engert V. Compassion buffers the association between trauma exposure and PTSD symptom severity: Findings of a cross-sectional study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 165:107036. [PMID: 38642476 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
To advance intervention science dedicated to improve refugees' mental health, a better understanding of factors of risk and resilience involved in the etiology and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is needed. In the present study, we tested whether empathy and compassion, two trainable aspects of social cognition related to health, would modulate risk for PTSD after war-related trauma. Fifty-six refugees and 42 migrants from Arabic-speaking countries reported on their trauma experiences, PTSD symptoms, and perceived trait empathy and compassion. They further completed the EmpaToM, a naturalistic computer task measuring behavioral empathy and compassion. Moderation analyses revealed that behavioral, but not self-reported compassion was a significant moderator of the trauma-PTSD link. Trauma was more strongly related to PTSD symptoms when individuals had low (β =.59, t = 4.27, p <.001) as compared to high levels of behavioral compassion. Neither self-reported nor behavioral empathy moderated the trauma-PTSD link (β =.24, t = 1.57, p =.120). Findings indicate that the ability to go beyond the sharing of others' suffering and generate the positive feeling of compassion may support resilience in the context of trauma and subsequent development of PTSD. Hence, compassion may be a suitable target for prevention and intervention approaches reducing PTSD symptoms after trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Wesarg-Menzel
- Social Stress and Family Health Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
| | - Mathilde Gallistl
- Social Stress and Family Health Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Psychology, Würzburg University, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bonnie O'Malley
- Social Stress and Family Health Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Veronika Engert
- Social Stress and Family Health Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Intervention and Research in adaptive and maladaptive brain Circuits underlying mental health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
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2
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McDonald B, Reiter AMF, Kanske P. Theater-based interventions as a means of reducing social isolation and loneliness, facilitating successful aging, and strengthening social cognition in older adults. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1364509. [PMID: 39006549 PMCID: PMC11240220 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1364509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brennan McDonald
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Andrea M F Reiter
- German Center of Prevention Research on Mental Health, Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Clinic and Polyclinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Saxony, Germany
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Godara M, Singer T. 10-Week Trajectories of Candidate Psychological Processes Differentially Predict Mental Health Gains from Online Dyadic versus Mindfulness Interventions: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Clin Med 2024; 13:3295. [PMID: 38893006 PMCID: PMC11172466 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13113295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: App-based contemplative interventions, such as mindfulness-based interventions, have gained popularity for the promotion of mental health; however, the understanding of underlying intervention-specific mechanisms remains limited, especially related to novel inter-relational dyadic practices. Methods: We tested (n = 253) seven putative mechanisms underlying two brief (daily 12-min) online mental interventions: attention-focused mindfulness and socio-emotional partner-based, both supported by weekly online coaching. Weekly self-reports of rumination, worry, psychological flexibility, affective control, social support, acceptance, and mindfulness were obtained over 10 weeks of intervention, and depression, anxiety, and resilience were assessed as pre- and post-intervention outcomes. Results: Significant week-to-week reductions in rumination and increases in psychological flexibility were observed in both interventions. Only attention-based practice led to temporal reductions in worry, and only socio-emotional dyadic practice led to temporal increases in affective control. Mediation analyses with slopes of weekly variables as mediators detected no significant indirect effects. However, exploratory moderation analyses revealed that intervention-related reductions in depressive symptomatology and anxiety vulnerability and increases in resilience were predicted by weekly increases in acceptance and affective control in the socio-emotional dyadic group, and by weekly reductions in rumination and worry in the mindfulness group. Limitations of the study include reliance on brief self-report measures, relatively small sample size, and absence of long-term follow-up assessments indicating the need for future well-powered longitudinal studies comparing intervention modalities. Conclusions: We present preliminary evidence for practice-specific active ingredients of contemplative interventions, which can be leveraged to enhance their efficiency for mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malvika Godara
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, 10557 Berlin, Germany;
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Godara M, Hecht M, Singer T. Training-related improvements in mental well-being through reduction in negative interpretation bias: A randomized trial of online socio-emotional dyadic and mindfulness interventions. J Affect Disord 2024; 354:662-672. [PMID: 38484880 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Effects of online contemplative practices, especially partner-based practices, on psychological well-being remain mixed, with sparse understanding of potential affective-cognitive mechanisms. The study aimed to assess the efficacy of two online contemplative interventions in improving depression, anxiety, emotion regulation (ER), and resilience, and to evaluate the mechanistic role of negative attention and interpretation biases. METHODS Employing a randomized controlled design (n = 285), we compared the efficacy of 10-week online mindfulness-based and partner-based socio-emotional dyadic interventions, both supported by weekly coaching sessions. Mental health aspects were assessed using validated self-report measures and negative biases using the mouse-contingent Scrambled Sentences Task. RESULTS Both interventions, compared to waitlist control, led to reductions in depression and ER difficulties, while trait anxiety decreased only after mindfulness training. Increases in multidimensional resilience were observed only after socio-emotional training and in stress recovery only after mindfulness-based training, both compared to waitlist control. Socio-emotional training led to significant reductions in negative interpretation bias and this mediated reductions in depression and trait anxiety. Neither training led to reductions in state anxiety or negative attention bias. LIMITATIONS The subclinical nature and overrepresentation of females in the sample limits generalizability. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that online mindfulness-based and socio-emotional partner-based interventions, supported by online coaching sessions, can reduce depression and ER difficulties. Though mindfulness practice reduced trait anxiety and enhanced stress recovery, socio-emotional training increased multidimensional resilience. Socio-emotional training reduced negative interpretation bias, which emerged as an intervention-specific mechanism. These findings highlight the potential benefits of online contemplative intervention approaches for psychological well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malvika Godara
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Martin Hecht
- Department of Psychology, Helmut Schmidt University, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
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Zainal NH, Newman MG. Examining the Effects of a Brief, Fully Self-Guided Mindfulness Ecological Momentary Intervention on Empathy and Theory-of-Mind for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Ment Health 2024; 11:e54412. [PMID: 38787613 PMCID: PMC11161716 DOI: 10.2196/54412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The utility of brief mindfulness ecological momentary interventions (EMIs) to improve empathy and theory-of-mind has been underinvestigated, particularly in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). OBJECTIVE In this randomized controlled trial, we aimed to examine the efficacy of a 14-day, fully self-guided, mindfulness EMI on the empathy and theory-of-mind domains for GAD. METHODS Adults (aged ≥18 y) diagnosed with GAD were randomized to a mindfulness EMI (68/110, 61.8%) or self-monitoring app (42/110, 38.2%) arm. They completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index self-report empathy measure and theory-of-mind test (Bell-Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task) at prerandomization, postintervention, and 1-month follow-up (1MFU) time points. Hierarchical linear modeling was conducted with the intent-to-treat principle to determine prerandomization to postintervention (pre-post intervention) and prerandomization to 1MFU (pre-1MFU) changes, comparing the mindfulness EMI to self-monitoring. RESULTS Observed effects were generally stronger from pre-1MFU than from pre-post intervention time points. From pre-post intervention time points, the mindfulness EMI was more efficacious than the self-monitoring app on fantasy (the ability to imagine being in others' shoes; between-intervention effect size: Cohen d=0.26, P=.007; within-intervention effect size: Cohen d=0.22, P=.02 for the mindfulness EMI and Cohen d=-0.16, P=.10 for the self-monitoring app). From pre-1MFU time points, the mindfulness EMI, but not the self-monitoring app, improved theory-of-mind (a window into others' thoughts and intentions through abstract, propositional knowledge about their mental states, encompassing the ability to decipher social cues) and the fantasy, personal distress (stress when witnessing others' negative experiences), and perspective-taking (understanding others' perspective) empathy domains. The effect sizes were small to moderate (Cohen d=0.15-0.36; P<.001 to P=.01) for significant between-intervention effects from pre-1MFU time points. Furthermore, the within-intervention effect sizes for these significant outcomes were stronger for the mindfulness EMI (Cohen d=0.30-0.43; P<.001 to P=.03) than the self-monitoring app (Cohen d=-0.12 to 0.21; P=.001 to P>.99) from pre-1MFU time points. No between-intervention and within-intervention effects on empathic concern (feeling affection, compassion, and care when observing others in distress, primarily attending to their emotional well-being) were observed from pre-post intervention and pre-1MFU time points. CONCLUSIONS The brief mindfulness EMI improved specific domains of empathy (eg, fantasy, personal distress, and perspective-taking) and theory-of-mind with small to moderate effect sizes in persons with GAD. Higher-intensity, self-guided or coach-facilitated, multicomponent mindfulness EMIs targeting the optimization of social relationships are likely necessary to improve the empathic concern domain in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04846777; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04846777.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Hani Zainal
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michelle G Newman
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
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6
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Hobgood CD, Jarman AF. Resilience Building Practices for Women Physicians. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2024; 33:532-541. [PMID: 37843899 PMCID: PMC11238838 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2022.0502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Women now make up more than half of the physician workforce, but they are disproportionately plagued by burnout. Medicine is a fast-paced stressful field, the practice of which is associated with significant chronic stress due to systems issues, crowding, electronic medical records, and patient case mix. Hospitals and health care systems are responsible for mitigating system-based burnout-prone conditions, but often their best efforts fail. Physicians, particularly women, must confront their stressors and the daily burden of significant system strain when this occurs. Those who routinely exceed their cumulative stress threshold may experience burnout, career dissatisfaction, and second victim syndrome and, ultimately, may prematurely leave medicine. These conditions affect women in medicine more often than men and may also produce a higher incidence of health issues, including depression, substance use disorder, and suicide. The individual self-care required to maintain health and raise stress thresholds is not widely ingrained in provider practice patterns or behavior. However, the successful long-term practice of high-stress occupations, such as medicine, requires that physicians, especially women physicians, attend to their wellness. In this article, we address one aspect of health, resilience, and review six practices that can create additional stores of personal resilience when proactively integrated into a daily routine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cherri D Hobgood
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Angela F Jarman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, California, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE This paper outlines the theoretical and empirical basis for compassion focused therapy (CFT) for psychosis, the gaps in the current knowledge and research, as well as some of the challenges for addressing gaps. It will guide the direction of future work and the steps needed to develop and advance this approach. METHOD This paper reviews evidence of how evolutionary models such as social rank theory and attachment theory have greatly contributed to our understanding of psychosis and provide a clear rationale and evidence base for the mechanisms of change in CFT for psychosis. It reviews the evidence for outcomes of compassion training more generally, and early feasibility evaluations of CFT for psychosis. RESULTS The process evidence shows that people with psychosis have highly active social rank and threat systems, and the benefits of switching into attachment and care systems, which can support emotion regulation and integrative mind states. The outcomes evidence shows that compassion training impacts not only psychological outcomes, but also physiological outcomes such as neural circuits, immune system, and the autonomic nervous system. Within the psychosis field, outcomes research is still in the early days, but there are good indications of feasibility and a clear path forward for the next steps. CONCLUSIONS CFT for psychosis is an approach that integrates biopsychosocial processes, an integration that's evidenced across each aspect of the model, from theoretical foundations (evolution-informed) to interventions (e.g., body/breath training and relational techniques), to evaluation. Future RCTs are required to understand the effects on biopsychosocial outcomes for people with psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Heriot-Maitland
- Balanced Minds, London, UK
- King's College London, London, UK
- University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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8
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Konrad AC, Förster K, Stretton J, Dalgleish T, Böckler‐Raettig A, Trautwein F, Singer T, Kanske P. Risk factors for internalizing symptoms: The influence of empathy, theory of mind, and negative thinking processes. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26576. [PMID: 38401139 PMCID: PMC10893974 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Internalizing symptoms such as elevated stress and sustained negative affect can be important warning signs for developing mental disorders. A recent theoretical framework suggests a complex interplay of empathy, theory of mind (ToM), and negative thinking processes as a crucial risk combination for internalizing symptoms. To disentangle these relationships, this study utilizes neural, behavioral, and self-report data to examine how the interplay between empathy, ToM, and negative thinking processes relates to stress and negative affect. We reanalyzed the baseline data of N = 302 healthy participants (57% female, Mage = 40.52, SDage = 9.30) who participated in a large-scale mental training study, the ReSource project. Empathy and ToM were assessed using a validated fMRI paradigm featuring naturalistic video stimuli and via self-report. Additional self-report scales were employed to measure internalizing symptoms (perceived stress, negative affect) and negative thinking processes (rumination and self-blame). Our results revealed linear associations of self-reported ToM and empathic distress with stress and negative affect. Also, both lower and higher, compared to average, activation in the anterior insula during empathic processing and in the middle temporal gyrus during ToM performance was significantly associated with internalizing symptoms. These associations were dependent on rumination and self-blame. Our findings indicate specific risk constellations for internalizing symptoms. Especially people with lower self-reported ToM and higher empathic distress may be at risk for more internalizing symptoms. Quadratic associations of empathy- and ToM-related brain activation with internalizing symptoms depended on negative thinking processes, suggesting differential effects of cognitive and affective functioning on internalizing symptoms. Using a multi-method approach, these findings advance current research by shedding light on which complex risk combinations of cognitive and affective functioning are relevant for internalizing symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika C. Konrad
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral NeuroscienceTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Katharina Förster
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral NeuroscienceTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Jason Stretton
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Tim Dalgleish
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | - Fynn‐Mathis Trautwein
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Faculty of MedicineMedical Center—University of FreiburgFreiburg im BreisgauGermany
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience LabMax Planck SocietyBerlinGermany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral NeuroscienceTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
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Papastylianou AD, Travasaros T. Patients' Perspective on the Important Therapeutic Factors in Integrated Systemic Group Therapy: A Phenomenological Approach. Int J Group Psychother 2024; 74:33-77. [PMID: 38451504 DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2024.2303087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
This qualitative research refers to the patients' perspective on the therapeutic factors operating in long-term group therapy of an integrated systemic orientation (ISO). Semi-structured interviews of members of two long-term ISO psychotherapy groups were conducted in three phases: the first, second, and third year of their group psychotherapy. The research sample consisted of 13 participants. The data was analyzed through an interpretative phenomenological analysis. The results confirmed the classification of Yalom's therapeutic factors. However, an additional therapeutic factor emerged, the "development of pluralistic perspectives" that appears more clearly from the second year of therapy onward. Moreover, from the second year onward, the categories "existential factors" and "interpersonal learning" get strengthened. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
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Landmann E, Krahmer A, Böckler A. Social Understanding beyond the Familiar: Disparity in Visual Abilities Does Not Impede Empathy and Theory of Mind. J Intell 2023; 12:2. [PMID: 38248900 PMCID: PMC10816830 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Feeling with our conspecifics and understanding their sentiments and intentions is a crucial part of our lives. What is the basis for these forms of social understanding? If individuals ground their understanding of others' thoughts and feelings in their own perceptual and factual experiences, it could present a challenge to empathize and mentalize with those whose reality of life is significantly different. This preregistered study compared two groups of participants who differed in a central perceptual feature, their visual abilities (visually impaired vs. unimpaired; total N = 56), concerning their social understanding of others who were themselves either visually impaired or unimpaired. Employing an adjusted version of the EmpaToM task, participants heard short, autobiographic narrations by visually impaired or unimpaired individuals, and we assessed their empathic responding and mentalizing performance. Our findings did not reveal heightened empathy and mentalizing proclivities when the narrator's visual abilities aligned with those of the participant. However, in some circumstances, cognitive understanding of others' narrations benefitted from familiarity with the situation. Overall, our findings suggest that social understanding does not mainly rely on perceptual familiarity with concrete situations but is likely grounded in sharing emotions and experiences on a more fundamental level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Landmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany (A.B.)
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Górska G, Berkovich-Ohana A, Klimecki O, Trautwein FM. Situational assessment of empathy and compassion: Predicting prosociality using a video-based task. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0289465. [PMID: 38060491 PMCID: PMC10703325 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Classical psychometric approaches in social science measure individuals' tendency to experience empathy and compassion. Using abstract questionnaire items, they place high demand on subjects' capacity to introspect, memorize, and generalize the corresponding emotions. We employed a Socio-affective Video Task (SoVT)-an alternative approach that measures situationally elicited emotions-and assessed its predictive power over prosocial behavior against classical questionnaires in a sample of Israeli university students. We characterized the conceptual embedding of the SoVT concerning other measures of prosocial affect and cognition, and tested group identification as an alternative precursor to prosocial behavior. Eighty participants rated their reactions to videos that presented the suffering of others or everyday scenes on scales of negative affect (providing a proxy for elicited empathy) and compassion. We then administered classical questionnaires that target empathy (the Interpersonal Reactivity Index) and compassion (the Compassionate Love Scale), as well as measures of hypothetical and real-life helping and prosocial attitudes-including conflict attitudes and intergroup bias. While compassion ratings in the SoVT failed to predict prosociality more accurately than classical questionnaires, the SoVT empathy index succeeded and correlated strongly with other precursors of prosociality. These results support video-based situational assessment as an implicit and robust alternative in the measurement of empathy-related processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Górska
- National Information Processing Institute, Warsaw, Poland
- The Robert Zajonc Institute for Social Studies, Warsaw University
| | - Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Learning and Instructional Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Olga Klimecki
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Pan H, Chen Z, Jospe K, Gao Q, Sheng J, Gao Z, Perry A. Mood congruency affects physiological synchrony but not empathic accuracy in a naturalistic empathy task. Biol Psychol 2023; 184:108720. [PMID: 37952694 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is a crucial aspect of our daily lives, as it enhances our wellbeing and is a proxy for prosocial behavior. It encompasses two related but partially distinct components: cognitive and affective empathy. Both are susceptible to context, biases and an individual's physiological state. Few studies have explored the effects of a person's mood on these empathy components, and results are mixed. The current study takes advantage of an ecological, naturalistic empathy task - the empathic accuracy (EA) task - in combination with physiological measurements to examine and differentiate between the effects of one's mood on both empathy components. Participants were induced with positive or negative mood and presented videos of targets narrating autobiographical negative stories, selected from a Chinese empathy dataset that we developed (now publicly available). The stories were conveyed in audio-only, visual-only and full-video formats. Participants rated the target's emotional state while watching or listening to their stories, and physiological measures were taken throughout the process. Importantly, similar measures were taken from the targets when they narrated the stories, allowing a comparison between participants' and targets' measures. We found that in audio-only and visual-only conditions, participants whose moods were congruent with the target showed higher physiological synchrony than those with incongruent mood, implying a mood-congruency effect on affective empathy. However, there was no mood effect on empathic accuracy (reflecting cognitive empathy), suggesting a different influence of mood on the two empathy components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanxi Pan
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Zhiyun Chen
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Karine Jospe
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Qi Gao
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China.
| | - Jinyou Sheng
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Zaifeng Gao
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, China.
| | - Anat Perry
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
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Davis JA, Ohan JL, Gregory S, Kottampally K, Silva D, Prescott SL, Finlay-Jones AL. Perinatal Women's Perspectives of, and Engagement in, Digital Emotional Well-Being Training: Mixed Methods Study. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e46852. [PMID: 37847537 PMCID: PMC10618893 DOI: 10.2196/46852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychological distress in the early postpartum period can have long-lasting deleterious effects on a mother's well-being and negatively affect her infant's development. Intervention approaches based in contemplative practices such as mindfulness and loving-kindness and compassion are intended to alleviate distress and cultivate well-being and can be delivered effectively as digital mental health interventions (DMHIs). OBJECTIVE To understand the feasibility of engaging perinatal women in digital interventions, this study aimed to document participants' experiences in the Mums Minds Matter (MMM) study, a pilot randomized controlled trial comparing mindfulness, loving-kindness and compassion, and progressive muscle relaxation training delivered in a digital format and undertaken during pregnancy. To assess the different stages of engagement during and after the intervention, we adapted the connect, attend, participate, enact (CAPE) framework that is based on the idea that individuals go through different stages of engagement before they are able to enact change. METHODS The MMM study was nested within a longitudinal birth cohort, The ORIGINS Project. We aimed to recruit 25 participants per randomization arm. Data were collected sequentially during the intervention through regular web-based surveys over 8 weeks, with opportunities to provide regular feedback. In the postintervention phase, qualitative data were collected through purposive sampling. RESULTS Of 310 eligible women, 84 (27.1% [connect rate]) enrolled to participate in MMM. Of the remaining 226 women who did not proceed to randomization, 223 (98.7%) failed to complete the baseline surveys and timed out of eligibility (after 30 weeks' gestation), and 3 (1.3%) displayed high psychological distress scores. Across all program groups, 17 (20% [attend rate]) of the 84 participants actively opted out, although more may have disengaged from the intervention but did not withdraw. The main reasons for withdrawal were busy life and other priorities. In this study, we assessed active engagement and ongoing skills use (participate and enact) through postintervention interviews. We undertook 15 participant interviews, conducted 1 month to 3 months after the intervention. Our results provide insights into participant barriers and enablers as well as app changes, such as the ability to choose topics, daily reminders, case studies, and diversity in sounds. Implementing a DMHI that is brief, includes frequent prompts or nudges, and is easily accessible is a key strategy to target perinatal women. CONCLUSIONS Our research will enable future app designs that are sufficiently nuanced to maximize the uptake, engagement, and application of mental health skills and contemplative practices in the perinatal period. Providing convenient access to engaging and effective prevention programs is critical and should be part of prenatal self-care. Our research underscores the appeal and feasibility of digital intervention approaches based in contemplative practices for perinatal women. TRIAL REGISTRATION Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) 12620000672954p; https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?ACTRN=12620000672954p. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/19803.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A Davis
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Australia
- Medical School (Paediatrics), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
| | - Jeneva L Ohan
- Medical School (Paediatrics), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | | | - Keerthi Kottampally
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Australia
- Medical School (Paediatrics), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
| | - Desiree Silva
- Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Australia
- Medical School (Paediatrics), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
| | - Susan L Prescott
- Medical School (Paediatrics), University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
- Nova Institute for Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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14
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Winkelmair A, Jansen P. The positive impact of mindfulness interventions on the explicit and implicit affective attitudes toward vegetarian foods. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1158410. [PMID: 37860298 PMCID: PMC10584318 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1158410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives The main goal of our intervention study was to investigate whether two conceptually different mindfulness interventions positively impacted the explicit and implicit affective evaluations of vegetarian foods. We included possible mediating variables (e.g., wellbeing) and related our results to the stage model of self-regulated behavioral change (SSBC). Methods We implemented a compassion and caring-based mental training (N = 31) and an adapted MBSR course (N = 34) as mindfulness interventions, and a stress-reduction course (N = 26) as the active control group. The curriculums consisted of 12 weekly group sessions á 75 min. All participants were tested pre- and post-intervention and 3 months after the last intervention session, answered questionnaires (mindfulness, compassion, wellbeing, items of the SSBC) and completed an explicit affective evaluation task and an affective priming task. Results There was an improvement in the explicit attitudes toward vegetarian foods regardless of the intervention group. In the SSBC, we found a link between the explicit attitudes toward vegetarian foods and the indicated stage in the model. Multiple regression analysis revealed social and personal norms and a vegetarian/vegan diet as the only significant predictors for goal intention in the SSBC. Conclusion The results of our study suggest that both conceptually different mindfulness interventions, as well as a stress-reduction program, have a positive impact on explicit affective attitudes toward vegetarian foods. We highlight the meaning of inner dimensions and transformation for change processes for a more sustainable diet and the role of social and personal norms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annica Winkelmair
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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15
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Berryman K, Lazar SW, Hohwy J. Do contemplative practices make us more moral? Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:916-931. [PMID: 37574378 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Contemplative practices are a staple of modern life and have historically been intertwined with morality. However, do these practices in fact improve our morality? The answer remains unclear because the science of contemplative practices has focused on unidimensional aspects of morality, which do not align with the type of interdependent moral functioning these practices aspire to cultivate. Here, we appeal to a multifactor construct, which allows the assessment of outcomes from a contemplative intervention across multiple dimensions of moral cognition and behavior. This offers an open-minded and empirically rigorous investigation into the impact of contemplative practices on moral actions. Using this framework, we gain insight into the effect of mindfulness meditation on morality, which we show does indeed have positive influences, but also some negative influences, distributed across our moral functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Berryman
- Monash Centre for Consciousness & Contemplative Studies, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sara W Lazar
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jakob Hohwy
- Monash Centre for Consciousness & Contemplative Studies, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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16
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Schulreich S, Tusche A, Kanske P, Schwabe L. Higher subjective socioeconomic status is linked to increased charitable giving and mentalizing-related neural value coding. Neuroimage 2023; 279:120315. [PMID: 37557972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES), a concept related to an individual's economic and social position relative to others, can shape social interactions like altruistic behaviors. However, little is known about the exact neurocognitive mechanisms that link SES with altruism. Our study aimed to provide a comprehensive account of the sociocognitive and neural mechanisms through which SES affects charitable giving - an important variant of human altruism. To this end, participants completed a charitable donation task while their brain activity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We also assessed participants' socio-cognitive ability to infer other people's mental states (i.e., mentalizing) - a driver of prosocial behavior - in an independent social task. Behaviorally, we found that both charitable giving and social cognition were status-dependent, as subjective SES positively predicted donations and mentalizing capacity. Moreover, the link between SES and charitable giving was mediated by individuals' mentalizing capacity. At the neural level, a multivariate pattern analysis of fMRI data revealed that higher subjective SES was associated with stronger value coding in the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ). The strength of this value representation predicted charitable giving and was linked to mentalizing. Furthermore, we observed an increased negative functional coupling between rTPJ and left putamen with higher SES. Together, increased charitable giving in higher-status individuals could be explained by status-dependent recruitment of mentalizing-related value coding and altered functional connectivity in the brain. Our findings provide insights into the socio- and neurocognitive mechanisms explaining why and when higher SES leads to prosociality, which might ultimately inform targeted interventions to promote prosocial behavior in human societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schulreich
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg 20146, Germany; Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria.
| | - Anita Tusche
- Queen's Neuroeconomics Laboratory, Departments of Psychology and Economics, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden 01187, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg 20146, Germany
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17
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Liebmann C, Konrad AC, Singer T, Kanske P. Differential reduction of psychological distress by three different types of meditation-based mental training programs: A randomized clinical trial. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2023; 23:100388. [PMID: 37214346 PMCID: PMC10199252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective There is little knowledge about which types of meditation-based training are effective for alleviating which facets of psychological distress. We investigated shared and specific effects of three meditation-based training programs on distress. Method 332 healthy adults were assigned to a retest control cohort or to one of three 3-month mental training cohorts including: the cultivation of mindfulness-based attention (Presence), socio-affective skills such as compassion (Affect), or metacognitive skills such as perspective taking (Perspective). A battery of 68 self-reported distress measures was collected. Data were analyzed using machine learning methods, identifying the cohort allocation based on distress change scores. Results Supporting only specific and not shared alleviation effects, the classifiers identified significantly above chance Presence from Affect and Affect from Perspective, but they did not identify the training cohorts from the retest cohorts. Conclusions The classifiers revealed stable module-associated distress change profiles, which could help to precisely choose meditation-based interventions to target individuals' specific distress patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Liebmann
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Annika C. Konrad
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Max Planck Society, Social Neuroscience Lab, Bertha-Benz-Str. 3, 10557 Berlin, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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18
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Petzold P, Silveira S, Godara M, Matthaeus H, Singer T. A randomized trial on differential changes in thought and affect after mindfulness versus dyadic practice indicates phenomenological fingerprints of app-based interventions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13843. [PMID: 37620349 PMCID: PMC10449800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40636-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Contemplative practice has demonstrated benefits for mental health and well-being. Most previous studies, however, implemented in-person trainings containing a mix of different, mostly solitary, practices and focused on pre- to post-training outcomes. In this randomized trial, we explore the immediate differential efficacy of two daily app-delivered practices in shifting emotional (valence, arousal) and thinking patterns (thought content on future-past, self-other, positive-negative dimensions). For 10 weeks of daily training, 212 participants (18-65 years) performed either a novel 12-min partner-based socio-emotional practice (Affect Dyad) or a 12-min attention-focused solitary mindfulness-based practice. Using ordinal Bayesian multilevel modeling, we found that both practice types led to more positive affect and higher arousal. However, whereas mindfulness-based practice partly led to a decrease in active thoughts, particularly in future-, other-related and negative thoughts, the Dyad in contrast led to increases in other-related, and positive thoughts. This shift towards more social and positive thoughts may specifically support overcoming ruminative thinking patterns associated with self-related and negative thought content. Overall, these differential findings may help inform the adaptation of scalable app-based mental trainings in different segments of the population with the goal to improve mental health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Petzold
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Bertha-Benz-Str. 3, 10557, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarita Silveira
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Bertha-Benz-Str. 3, 10557, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Malvika Godara
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Bertha-Benz-Str. 3, 10557, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hannah Matthaeus
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Bertha-Benz-Str. 3, 10557, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Bertha-Benz-Str. 3, 10557, Berlin, Germany
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19
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Silveira S, Godara M, Singer T. Boosting Empathy and Compassion Through Mindfulness-Based and Socioemotional Dyadic Practice: Randomized Controlled Trial With App-Delivered Trainings. J Med Internet Res 2023; 25:e45027. [PMID: 37494106 PMCID: PMC10413229 DOI: 10.2196/45027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Contemplative trainings have been found to effectively improve social skills such as empathy and compassion. However, there is a lack of research on the efficacy of app-delivered mindfulness-based and dyadic practices in boosting socioaffective capacity. OBJECTIVE The first aim of this study was to compare a novel app-delivered, partner-based socioemotional intervention (Affect Dyad) with mindfulness-based training to foster empathy and compassion for the self or others. The second aim of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanisms of these effects. METHODS This randomized controlled trial included socioemotional and mindfulness-based interventions and a waitlist control group, which received socioemotional training after the postintervention assessment. We used linear mixed-effects models to test intervention effects on self-report measures and an ecologically valid computer task of empathy, compassion for the self and others, and theory of mind. Moderated mediation models were used to investigate whether changes in acceptance, empathic distress, empathic listening, interoceptive awareness, and mindfulness served as underlying psychological processes of intervention effects. RESULTS In 218 participants (mean age 44.12, SD 11.71 years; 160/218, 73.4% female), we found all interventions to have positive effects on composite scores for compassion toward the self (βsocioemotional=.44, P<.001; βwaitlist socioemotional=.30, P=.002; βmindfulness-based=.35, P<.001) and others (βsocioemotional=.24, P=.003; βwaitlist socioemotional=.35, P<.001; βmindfulness-based=.29, P<.001). Compassion measured with the computer task did not change significantly but showed a trend toward increase only in socioemotional dyadic practice (βsocioemotional=.08, P=.08; βwaitlist socioemotional=.11, P=.06). Similarly, on the empathic concern subscale of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, a nonsignificant trend toward increase was found in the socioemotional intervention group (βsocioemotional=.17; P=.08). Empathy significantly increased in both socioemotional groups (βsocioemotional=.16, P=.03; βwaitlist socioemotional=.35, P<.001) and the mindfulness-based group (βmindfulness-based=.15; P=.04). The measures of theory of mind did not change over time. In the mindfulness-based group, the increase in self-compassion was mediated by a decrease in empathic distress (indirect effect abmindfulness-based=0.07, 95% CI 0.02-0.14). In the socioemotional group, an increase in self-compassion could be predicted by an increase in acceptance (βsocioemotional=6.63, 95% CI 0.52-12.38). CONCLUSIONS Using a multimethod approach, this study shows that app-delivered socioemotional and mindfulness-based trainings are effective in fostering compassion for the self and others in self-report. Both low-dose trainings could boost behavioral empathy markers; however, the effects on behavioral and dispositional markers of compassion only trended after dyadic practice, yet these effects did not reach statistical significance. Training-related increases in self-compassion rely on differential psychological processes, that is, on improved empathic distress regulation through mindfulness-based training and the activation of a human care- and acceptance-based system through socioemotional dyadic training. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04889508; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04889508.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarita Silveira
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Malvika Godara
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
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20
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Valesi R, Gabrielli G, Zito M, Bellati M, Bilucaglia M, Caponetto A, Fici A, Galanto A, Falcone MG, Russo V. From Coaching to Neurocoaching: A Neuroscientific Approach during a Coaching Session to Assess the Relational Dynamics between Coach and Coachee-A Pilot Study. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:596. [PMID: 37504044 PMCID: PMC10376351 DOI: 10.3390/bs13070596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Life transitions represent moments characterized by changes that can profoundly influence individual life trajectories and subjective well-being. Recently, career coaching has become an important method of helping people expand their self-awareness, facilitate personal development, and increase their performance in the school-to-work transition. Although previous studies have confirmed that one of the most important keys to the success of a coaching program is the quality of the relationship between coach and coachee, there is a lack of knowledge regarding how to objectively measure it. In this pilot study, we adopted a neuroscientific approach to introduce objective measures of the relationship between coach and coachee through the phases of a coaching session. A sample of 14 university students and a professional coach participated in career-coaching sessions while their affective states were measured by recording brain (EEG) and physiological (Skin conductance) activity. Electroencephalographic indicators of valence, arousal, and engagement showed differences between session phases, highlighting the possibility of a neurophysiological measurement of relational dynamics. Our results provide initial evidence that neurophysiological activity can be considered a way to understand differences in the coach-coachee relationship, thereby providing information on the effectiveness of coaching interventions and facilitating a better life transition from school to work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Valesi
- Department of Management, University of Bergamo, 24129 Bergamo, Italy
| | - Giorgio Gabrielli
- Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumer Behaviour "Carlo A. Ricciardi", Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
- Behavior and Brain Lab IULM-Neuromarketing Research Center, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
| | - Margherita Zito
- Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumer Behaviour "Carlo A. Ricciardi", Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
- Behavior and Brain Lab IULM-Neuromarketing Research Center, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
| | - Mara Bellati
- Behavior and Brain Lab IULM-Neuromarketing Research Center, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Bilucaglia
- Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumer Behaviour "Carlo A. Ricciardi", Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
- Behavior and Brain Lab IULM-Neuromarketing Research Center, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Caponetto
- Behavior and Brain Lab IULM-Neuromarketing Research Center, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Fici
- Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumer Behaviour "Carlo A. Ricciardi", Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
- Behavior and Brain Lab IULM-Neuromarketing Research Center, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
| | - Annarita Galanto
- Skillmatch-Insubria Group, Università Carlo Cattaneo-LIUC, 21053 Castellanza, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo Russo
- Department of Business, Law, Economics and Consumer Behaviour "Carlo A. Ricciardi", Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
- Behavior and Brain Lab IULM-Neuromarketing Research Center, Università IULM, 20143 Milan, Italy
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Zemla K, Sedek G, Wróbel K, Postepski F, Wojcik GM. Investigating the Impact of Guided Imagery on Stress, Brain Functions, and Attention: A Randomized Trial. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:6210. [PMID: 37448060 PMCID: PMC10346678 DOI: 10.3390/s23136210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the potential impact of guided imagery (GI) on attentional control and cognitive performance and to explore the relationship between guided imagery, stress reduction, alpha brainwave activity, and attentional control using common cognitive performance tests. Executive function was assessed through the use of attentional control tests, including the anti-saccade, Stroop, and Go/No-go tasks. Participants underwent a guided imagery session while their brainwave activity was measured, followed by attentional control tests. The study's outcomes provide fresh insights into the influence of guided imagery on brain wave activity, particularly in terms of attentional control. The findings suggest that guided imagery has the potential to enhance attentional control by augmenting the alpha power and reducing stress levels. Given the limited existing research on the specific impact of guided imagery on attention control, the study's findings carry notable significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Zemla
- Institute of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 03-815 Warsaw, Poland; (K.Z.)
| | - Grzegorz Sedek
- Institute of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 03-815 Warsaw, Poland; (K.Z.)
| | - Krzysztof Wróbel
- Department of Neuroinformatics and Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Computer Science, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, 20-033 Lublin, Poland (F.P.)
| | - Filip Postepski
- Department of Neuroinformatics and Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Computer Science, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, 20-033 Lublin, Poland (F.P.)
| | - Grzegorz M. Wojcik
- Department of Neuroinformatics and Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Computer Science, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, 20-033 Lublin, Poland (F.P.)
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Valk SL, Kanske P, Park BY, Hong SJ, Böckler A, Trautwein FM, Bernhardt BC, Singer T. Functional and microstructural plasticity following social and interoceptive mental training. eLife 2023; 12:e85188. [PMID: 37417306 PMCID: PMC10414971 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain supports social cognitive functions, including Theory of Mind, empathy, and compassion, through its intrinsic hierarchical organization. However, it remains unclear how the learning and refinement of social skills shapes brain function and structure. We studied if different types of social mental training induce changes in cortical function and microstructure, investigating 332 healthy adults (197 women, 20-55 years) with repeated multimodal neuroimaging and behavioral testing. Our neuroimaging approach examined longitudinal changes in cortical functional gradients and myelin-sensitive T1 relaxometry, two complementary measures of cortical hierarchical organization. We observed marked changes in intrinsic cortical function and microstructure, which varied as a function of social training content. In particular, cortical function and microstructure changed as a result of attention-mindfulness and socio-cognitive training in regions functionally associated with attention and interoception, including insular and parietal cortices. Conversely, socio-affective and socio-cognitive training resulted in differential microstructural changes in regions classically implicated in interoceptive and emotional processing, including insular and orbitofrontal areas, but did not result in functional reorganization. Notably, longitudinal changes in cortical function and microstructure predicted behavioral change in attention, compassion and perspective-taking. Our work demonstrates functional and microstructural plasticity after the training of social-interoceptive functions, and illustrates the bidirectional relationship between brain organisation and human social skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Louise Valk
- Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
- INM-7, FZ JülichJülichGermany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Bo-yong Park
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Lab, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
- Department of Data Science, Inha UniversityIncheonRepublic of Korea
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
| | - Seok-Jun Hong
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic ScienceSuwonRepublic of Korea
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind InstituteNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonRepublic of Korea
| | - Anne Böckler
- Department of Psychology, Wurzburg UniversityWurzburgGermany
| | - Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center – University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Lab, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill UniversityMontrealCanada
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck SocietyBerlinGermany
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23
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Figueroa C, Ayala A, Trejo LA, Ramos B, Briz CL, Noriega I, Chávez A. Measuring the Effectiveness of a Multicomponent Program to Manage Academic Stress through a Resilience to Stress Index. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:2650. [PMID: 36904856 PMCID: PMC10007324 DOI: 10.3390/s23052650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we evaluate the effectiveness of a multicomponent program that includes psychoeducation in academic stress, mindfulness training, and biofeedback-assisted mindfulness, while enhancing the Resilience to Stress Index (RSI) of students through the control of autonomic recovery from psychological stress. Participants are university students enrolled in a program of excellence and are granted an academic scholarship. The dataset consists of an intentional sample of 38 undergraduate students with high academic performance, 71% (27) women, 29% (11) men, and 0% (0) non-binary, with an average age of 20 years. The group belongs to the "Leaders of Tomorrow" scholarship program from Tecnológico de Monterrey University, in Mexico. The program is structured in 16 individual sessions during an eight-week period, divided into three phases: pre-test evaluation, training program, and post-test evaluation. During the evaluation test, an assessment of the psychophysiological stress profile is performed while the participants undergo a stress test; it includes simultaneous recording of skin conductance, breathing rate, blood volume pulse, heart rate, and heart rate variability. Based on the pre-test and post-test psychophysiological variables, an RSI is computed under the assumption that changes in physiological signals due to stress can be compared against a calibration stage. The results show that approximately 66% of the participants improved their academic stress management after the multicomponent intervention program. A Welch's t-test showed a difference in mean RSI scores (t = -2.30, p = 0.025) between the pre-test and post-test phases. Our findings show that the multicomponent program promoted positive changes in the RSI and in the management of the psychophysiological responses to academic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Figueroa
- School of Health, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Ciudad de México 14380, Mexico
| | - Andrés Ayala
- Vicerrectoría de Innovación Educativa y Normatividad Académica, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
| | - Luis A. Trejo
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Atizapán 52926, Mexico
| | - Bertha Ramos
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 09230, Mexico
| | - Clara L. Briz
- Psychology Department, University of Los Andes, Bogotá 11605, Colombia
| | - Isabella Noriega
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Chávez
- School of Health, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Ciudad de México 14380, Mexico
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Kirkland K, Jetten J, Wilks M, Kirby J. Promoting prosocial behavior in an unequal world. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1021093. [PMID: 36817385 PMCID: PMC9932976 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1021093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Amid a global pandemic and the climate crisis, there is an increasing need to understand how to promote largescale, coordinated action between different groups. Yet certain factors such as inequality can hinder cooperation. We aimed to establish how to orient groups toward a superordinate goal when they have unequal resources. Participants were divided into two 'countries' and asked to assemble LEGO bricks into food (by building pieces in a certain order) to prevent starvation among 'the people'. One 'country' had few LEGO bricks whereas the other had an abundance, and the only way to maximize food creation was for the groups to work together. We assessed the efficacy of three diverse interventions on superordinate behavior and attitudes: compassion meditation training (Study 1), lower inequality (Study 2), and the introduction of a pro-sharing group norm by a confederate (Study 3). Compassion meditation training and altering the degree of inequality between groups did not have a clear effect on collaborative action. Only the introduction of a pro-sharing group norm enhanced sharing behavior, made participants feel more cooperative and reduced fears of being compassionate toward others. Our findings speak to the importance of leadership in promoting coordinated action to address challenges that face the superordinate group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Kirkland
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia,*Correspondence: Kelly Kirkland,
| | - Jolanda Jetten
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Matti Wilks
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - James Kirby
- School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Engert V, Klimecki OM, Kanske P. Spreading positive change: Societal benefits of meditation. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1038051. [PMID: 37124270 PMCID: PMC10130585 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1038051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Research over the past decades has revealed a variety of beneficial effects of meditation training. These beneficial effects span the levels of health and well-being, cognition, emotion, and social behavior. Around the same time, sociologists have shown that traits and outcomes on the individual level have the potential to spread in communities over three or more degrees. This means, for example, that changes can spread from one person to the next, and on to yet another person. Here, we propose that meditation-induced changes may likewise spread through the social networks of meditation practitioners. Such spreading may happen by positively influencing others through prosocial actions, improved cognitive functioning, and increased positive affect. Positive affective states and their underlying physiological correlates may also be shared in the literal sense. We argue that the spreading of positive meditation effects could provide the basis for collective responses to some of the urgent challenges we face in our current time and society and call for future meditation research to examine the phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Engert
- Institute of Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
- Social Stress and Family Health Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Veronika Engert,
| | - Olga Maria Klimecki
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Social Stress and Family Health Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Flechsenhar A, Kanske P, Krach S, Korn C, Bertsch K. The (un)learning of social functions and its significance for mental health. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 98:102204. [PMID: 36216722 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Social interactions are dynamic, context-dependent, and reciprocal events that influence prospective strategies and require constant practice and adaptation. This complexity of social interactions creates several research challenges. We propose a new framework encouraging future research to investigate not only individual differences in capacities relevant for social functioning and their underlying mechanisms, but also the flexibility to adapt or update one's social abilities. We suggest three key capacities relevant for social functioning: (1) social perception, (2) sharing emotions or empathizing, and (3) mentalizing. We elaborate on how adaptations in these capacities may be investigated on behavioral and neural levels. Research on these flexible adaptations of one's social behavior is needed to specify how humans actually "learn to be social". Learning to adapt implies plasticity of the relevant brain networks involved in the underlying social processes, indicating that social abilities are malleable for different contexts. To quantify such measures, researchers need to find ways to investigate learning through dynamic changes in adaptable social paradigms and examine several factors influencing social functioning within the three aformentioned social key capacities. This framework furthers insight concerning individual differences, provides a holistic approach to social functioning, and may improve interventions for ameliorating social abilities in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleya Flechsenhar
- Department Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany.
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany
| | - Sören Krach
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | - Christoph Korn
- Section Social Neuroscience, Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany; NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital LMU, Munich, Germany; Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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27
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Blasberg JU, Kanske P, Böckler A, Trautwein FM, Singer T, Engert V. Associations of social processing abilities with psychosocial stress sensitivity. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 12:100159. [PMID: 36164367 PMCID: PMC9508502 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2022.100159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Lehmann K, Böckler A, Klimecki O, Müller-Liebmann C, Kanske P. Empathy and correct mental state inferences both promote prosociality. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16979. [PMID: 36217015 PMCID: PMC9550828 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20855-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In a world with rapidly increasing population that competes for the earth's limited resources, cooperation is crucial. While research showed that empathizing with another individual in need enhances prosociality, it remains unclear whether correctly inferring the other's inner, mental states on a more cognitive level (i.e., mentalizing) elicits helping behavior as well. We applied a video-based laboratory task probing empathy and a performance measure of mentalizing in adult volunteers (N = 94) and assessed to which extent they were willing to help the narrators in the videos. We replicate findings that an empathy induction leads to more prosocial decisions. Crucially, we also found that correct mentalizing increases the willingness to help. This evidence helps clarify an inconsistent picture of the relation between mentalizing and prosociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Lehmann
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Anne Böckler
- University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Olga Klimecki
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Müller-Liebmann
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Bylemans T, Heleven E, Baetens K, Deroost N, Baeken C, Van Overwalle F. A narrative sequencing and mentalizing training for adults with autism: A pilot study. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:941272. [PMID: 36062258 PMCID: PMC9433774 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.941272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Adults diagnosed with autism experience difficulties with understanding the mental states of others, or themselves (mentalizing) and with adequately sequencing personal stories (narrative coherence). Given that the posterior cerebellum is implicated in both skills, as well as in the etiology of autism, we developed a narrative sequencing and mentalizing training for autistic adults. Participants with an official autism diagnosis were randomly assigned to a Training group (n = 17) or a waiting-list Control group (n = 15). The Training group took part in six weekly sessions in groups of three participants lasting each about 60 min. During training, participants had to (re)tell stories from the perspective of the original storyteller and answer questions that required mentalizing. We found significant improvements in mentalizing about others’ beliefs and in narrative coherence for the Training group compared to the Control group immediately after the training compared to before the training. Almost all participants from the Training group expressed beneficial effects of the training on their mood and half of the participants reported positive effects on their self-confidence in social situations. All participants recommended the current training to others. Results are discussed in light of cerebellar theories on sequencing of social actions during mentalizing. Further improvements to the program are suggested. Our results highlight the potential clinical utility of adopting a neuroscience-informed approach to developing novel therapeutic interventions for autistic populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Bylemans
- Brain Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Tom Bylemans,
| | - Elien Heleven
- Brain Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kris Baetens
- Brain Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Natacha Deroost
- Brain Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Chris Baeken
- Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Department of Head and Skin (UZGent), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZ Brussel), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands
| | - Frank Van Overwalle
- Brain Body and Cognition, Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
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30
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Behler AMC, Berry DR. Closing the empathy gap: A narrative review of the measurement and reduction of parochial empathy. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria C. Behler
- Department of Psychology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - Daniel R. Berry
- Department of Psychology California State University San Marcos San Marcos California USA
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31
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Liu P, Zhang Y, Liu D. Flow experience in foreign language writing: Its effect on students’ writing process and writing performance. Front Psychol 2022; 13:952044. [PMID: 35992489 PMCID: PMC9387668 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.952044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This research investigates Chinese EFL students’ flow experience in academic writing and its effect on students’ writing performance. The research consists of two studies: (1) a preliminary study involving a survey of 162 college students immediately after their completion of a short English essay to examine whether and how intensely they experienced flow during their writing and whether their perceived levels of challenge of the writing task and their writing skills affected their flow experience, and (2) a main study including a survey of 216 different students at the end of a semester-long writing course to ascertain how frequently these students experienced flow during the course, whether their intrinsic writing motivation and attention control ability were significantly correlated with their flow experience, and whether their flow frequency had an effect on their performance in the writing course. Results of statistical tests (including Class Factor Analyses and regression analyses) of the data in the preliminary study revealed that a large majority (76%) of the students experienced a certain level of flow in their writing and their perceived levels of writing skills had a significant influence on their flow experience. The statistical test results of the main study indicated that (1) 66.4% of the students experienced flow with various frequency levels, while 33.6% of the students rarely or never experienced flow, (2) students’ level of motivation and attention control were significantly correlated with their level of flow frequency, and (3) students’ flow frequency had a significant influence on their writing course scores. Research and pedagogical implications of the study are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Liu
- School of Foreign Languages, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- Fuzhou Pingdong Secondary School, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Yao Zhang,
| | - Dilin Liu
- Department of English, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
- School of English Studies, Dalian University of Foreign Language, Dalian, China
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Kral TRA, Lapate RC, Imhoff-Smith T, Patsenko E, Grupe DW, Goldman R, Rosenkranz MA, Davidson RJ. Long-term Meditation Training Is Associated with Enhanced Subjective Attention and Stronger Posterior Cingulate-Rostrolateral Prefrontal Cortex Resting Connectivity. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:1576-1589. [PMID: 35704552 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to increase resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which is thought to reflect improvements in shifting attention to the present moment. However, prior research in long-term meditation practitioners lacked quantitative measures of attention that would provide a more direct behavioral correlate and interpretational anchor for PCC-DLPFC connectivity and was inherently limited by small sample sizes. Moreover, whether mindfulness meditation primarily impacts brain function locally, or impacts the dynamics of large-scale brain networks, remained unclear. Here, we sought to replicate and extend prior findings of increased PCC-DLPFC rsFC in a sample of 40 long-term meditators (average practice = 3759 hr) who also completed a behavioral assay of attention. In addition, we tested a network-based framework of changes in interregional connectivity by examining network-level connectivity. We found that meditators had stronger PCC-rostrolateral pFC rsFC, lower connector hub strength across the default mode network, and better subjective attention, compared with 124 meditation-naive controls. Orienting attention positively correlated with PCC-rostrolateral pFC connectivity and negatively correlated with default mode network connector hub strength. These findings provide novel evidence that PCC-rostrolateral pFC rsFC may support attention orienting, consistent with a role for rostrolateral pFC in the attention shifting component of metacognitive awareness that is a core component of mindfulness meditation training. Our results further demonstrate that long-term mindfulness meditation may improve attention and strengthen the underlying brain networks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Regina C Lapate
- University of Wisconsin-Madison.,University of California, Los Angeles
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Liu C, Chen H, Liang YC, Hsu SE, Huang DH, Liu CY, Chiou WK. The effect of loving-kindness meditation on employees’ mindfulness, affect, altruism and knowledge hiding. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:138. [PMID: 35644623 PMCID: PMC9150317 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00846-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study investigated the effects of the loving-kindness meditation (LKM) on employees’ mindfulness, affect, altruism and knowledge hiding. Methods In total, 100 employees were recruited from a knowledge-based enterprise in China and randomly divided into the LKM training group (n = 50) and the control group (n = 50). The LKM training group underwent LKM training for 8 weeks, while the control group did not. Seven main variables (mindfulness, altruism positive affect, negative affect, playing dumb, rationalized hiding, and evasive hiding) were measured both before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the LKM training intervention. Results The LKM intervention significantly increased participants’ altruism, and significantly reduced negative affect, playing dumb and evasive hiding, but did not significantly improve mindfulness, positive affect, and rationalized hiding. Conclusions LKM significantly improved employees’ altruism, and significantly reduce their negative affect, but did not significantly improve their mindfulness and positive affect. For knowledge hiding, LKM significantly reduced playing dumb and evasive hiding, but had no significant effect on rationalized hiding. These results further elucidate the psychological effects of LKM and suggest the possibility of reducing knowledge hiding in the workplace. Trial registration ChiCTR2200057460. Registered in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), 13 March 2022—Retrospectively registered.
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López-Navarro E, Fonseca-Pedrero E, Errasti J, Al-Halabí S. Mindfulness improves theory of mind in people experiencing psychosis: A pilot randomized clinical trial. Psychiatry Res 2022; 310:114440. [PMID: 35180612 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Impaired Theory of Mind (ToM) ability is a core feature of psychotic disorders that challenges psychosis treatment. We aimed to explore the effect of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI) on ToM ability in a randomized clinical trial (RCT). A sample of 36 participants diagnosed with psychotic disorder were recruited from a community center and randomly allocated to Integrated Rehabilitation Treatment (IRT) or IRT+MBI. ToM skills were assessed through the Hinting Test and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). IRT+MBI scored higher in RMET than IRT at posttreatment. MBI is a promising tool for improving ToM ability in psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilio López-Navarro
- Department of Psychology, EvoCog Group, IFISC, Associated Unit to CSIC, University of Balearic Islands, Guillem Cifre Building, Ctra Valldemossa km 7,5, Balearic Islands, Spain; Programa Riojano de Investigación en Salud Mental (PRISMA), University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain.
| | - Eduardo Fonseca-Pedrero
- Programa Riojano de Investigación en Salud Mental (PRISMA), University of La Rioja, Logroño, Spain
| | - José Errasti
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Principality of Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Susana Al-Halabí
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Principality of Asturias, Oviedo, Spain
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Plank IS, Hindi Attar C, Kunas SL, Bermpohl F, Dziobek I. Increased child‐evoked activation in the precuneus during facial affect recognition in mothers. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:2911-2922. [PMID: 35278010 PMCID: PMC9120561 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Successful parenting requires constant inferring of affective states. Especially vital is the correct identification of facial affect. Previous studies have shown that infant faces are processed preferentially compared to adult faces both on the behavioural and the neural level. This study specifically investigates the child‐evoked neural responses to affective faces and their modulation by motherhood and attention to affect. To do so, we used a paradigm to measure neural responses during both explicit and implicit facial affect recognition (FAR) in mothers and non‐mothers using child and adult faces. Increased activation to child compared to adult faces was found for mothers and non‐mothers in face processing areas (bilateral fusiform gyri) and areas associated with social understanding (bilateral insulae and medial superior frontal gyrus) when pooling implicit and explicit affect recognition. Furthermore, this child‐evoked activation was modulated by motherhood with an increase in mothers compared to non‐mothers in the left precuneus. Additionally, explicitly recognising the affect increased child‐evoked activation in the medial superior frontal gyrus in both mothers and non‐mothers. These results suggest preferential treatment of affective child over adult faces, modulated by motherhood and attention to affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Sophia Plank
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life Sciences Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
- Faculty of Philosophy, Berlin School of Mind and Brain Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Catherine Hindi Attar
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Stefanie Lydia Kunas
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Felix Bermpohl
- Faculty of Philosophy, Berlin School of Mind and Brain Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences CCM Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Life Sciences Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
- Faculty of Philosophy, Berlin School of Mind and Brain Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
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Guendelman S, Bayer M, Prehn K, Dziobek I. Towards a mechanistic understanding of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) using an RCT neuroimaging approach: Effects on regulating own stress in social and non-social situations. Neuroimage 2022; 254:119059. [PMID: 35259523 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although much research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can reduce psychological stress, it is less clear if effects generalize to everyday social situations, which range among the largest stress triggers. Furthermore, mechanisms of MBIs have not been fully established. Emotion regulation (ER) has been suggested as one key mechanism, yet the role of cognitive reappraisal and acceptance strategies is still under debate. To address these questions, a neuroimaging-based randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed (n=68), comparing mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) with a reading/listening intervention (READ), using a novel dyadic paradigm for self and other emotion regulation under stress as primary outcome on behavior and brain levels and established empathy measures (clinicatrials.gov NCT03035669). Compared to READ, MBSR led to self-reported stress reduction through both cognitive reappraisal and acceptance only when regulating self and not when regulating others' distress. In addition, MBSR led to increased brain activation over time for regulating own (parietal cortex) and others' (precuneus, TPJ) emotions through cognitive reappraisal and acceptance, albeit this effect was also seen for the reading intervention for regulating own stress via reappraisal. Brain changes did not scale with subjective stress reduction and amount of meditation practice. More distant generalization effects of MBSR on socio-emotional functioning (cognitive empathy and compassion) could also not be shown. This study identified both cognitive reappraisal and acceptance as two ER mechanisms of MBSR, but indicates that effects do not extend to social settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simón Guendelman
- Clinical Psychology of Social Interaction, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Institute of Psychology. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Mareike Bayer
- Clinical Psychology of Social Interaction, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Institute of Psychology. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kristin Prehn
- Department of Psychology, MSH Medical School Hamburg - University of Applied Sciences and Medical University, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Clinical Psychology of Social Interaction, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Institute of Psychology. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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Förster K, Kanske P. Upregulating positive affect through compassion: Psychological and physiological evidence. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 176:100-107. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Maliske L, Kanske P. The Social Connectome - Moving Toward Complexity in the Study of Brain Networks and Their Interactions in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:845492. [PMID: 35449570 PMCID: PMC9016142 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.845492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past 150 years of neuroscientific research, the field has undergone a tremendous evolution. Starting out with lesion-based inference of brain function, functional neuroimaging, introduced in the late 1980s, and increasingly fine-grained and sophisticated methods and analyses now allow us to study the live neural correlates of complex behaviors in individuals and multiple agents simultaneously. Classically, brain-behavior coupling has been studied as an association of a specific area in the brain and a certain behavioral outcome. This has been a crucial first step in understanding brain organization. Social cognitive processes, as well as their neural correlates, have typically been regarded and studied as isolated functions and blobs of neural activation. However, as our understanding of the social brain as an inherently dynamic organ grows, research in the field of social neuroscience is slowly undergoing the necessary evolution from studying individual elements to how these elements interact and their embedding within the overall brain architecture. In this article, we review recent studies that investigate the neural representation of social cognition as interacting, complex, and flexible networks. We discuss studies that identify individual brain networks associated with social affect and cognition, interaction of these networks, and their relevance for disorders of social affect and cognition. This perspective on social cognitive neuroscience can highlight how a more fine-grained understanding of complex network (re-)configurations could improve our understanding of social cognitive deficits in mental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia, thereby providing new impulses for methods of interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Maliske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Trautmann S, Wittgens C, Muehlhan M, Kanske P. The Role of Socio-Affective and Socio-Cognitive Mechanisms in the Processing of Witnessed Traumatic Events. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:830218. [PMID: 35360123 PMCID: PMC8963708 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.830218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Trautmann
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICPP Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Charlotte Wittgens
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICPP Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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Plank IS, Hindi Attar C, Kunas SL, Dziobek I, Bermpohl F. Increased activation in the bilateral anterior insulae in response to others in pain in mothers compared to non-mothers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22757. [PMID: 34815443 PMCID: PMC8610985 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02162-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy allows us to share emotions and encourages us to help others. It is especially important in the context of parenting where children's wellbeing is dependent on their parents' understanding and fulfilment of their needs. To date, little is known about differences in empathy responses of parents and non-parents. Using stimuli depicting adults and children in pain, this study focuses on the interaction of motherhood and neural responses in areas associated with empathy. Mothers showed higher activation to both adults and children in pain in the bilateral anterior insulae, key regions of empathy for pain. Additionally, mothers more strongly activated the inferior frontal, superior temporal and the medial superior frontal gyrus. Differences between adult and child stimuli were only found in occipital areas in both mothers and non-mothers. Our results suggest a stronger neural response to others in pain in mothers than non-mothers regardless of whether the person is a child or an adult. This could indicate a possible influence of motherhood on overall neural responses to others in pain rather than motherhood specifically shaping child-related responses. Alternatively, stronger responses to others in pain could increase the likelihood for women to be in a relationship and subsequently to have a child.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Sophia Plank
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences | CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Catherine Hindi Attar
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences | CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefanie L Kunas
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences | CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Bermpohl
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences | CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Godara M, Silveira S, Matthäus H, Heim C, Voelkle M, Hecht M, Binder EB, Singer T. Investigating differential effects of socio-emotional and mindfulness-based online interventions on mental health, resilience and social capacities during the COVID-19 pandemic: The study protocol. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256323. [PMID: 34735441 PMCID: PMC8568275 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to a mental health crisis on a global scale. Epidemiological studies have reported a drastic increase in mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, increased loneliness and feelings of disconnectedness from others, while resilience levels have been negatively affected, indicating an urgent need for intervention. The current study is embedded within the larger CovSocial project which sought to evaluate longitudinal changes in vulnerability, resilience and social cohesion during the pandemic. The current second phase will investigate the efficacy of brief online mental training interventions in reducing mental health problems, and enhancing psychological resilience and social capacities. It further provides a unique opportunity for the prediction of intervention effects by individual biopsychosocial characteristics and preceding longitudinal change patterns during the pandemic in 2020/21. METHODS We will examine the differential effects of a socio-emotional (including 'Affect Dyad') and a mindfulness-based (including 'Breathing Meditation') intervention, delivered through a web- and cellphone application. Participants will undergo 10 weeks of intervention, and will be compared to a retest control group. The effectiveness of the interventions will be evaluated in a community sample (N = 300), which is recruited from the original longitudinal CovSocial sample. The pre- to post-intervention changes, potential underlying mechanisms, and prediction thereof, will be assessed on a wide range of outcomes: levels of stress, loneliness, depression and anxiety, resilience, prosocial behavior, empathy, compassion, and the impact on neuroendocrine, immunological and epigenetic markers. The multi-method nature of the study will incorporate self-report questionnaires, behavioral tasks, ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approaches, and biological, hormonal and epigenetic markers assessed in saliva. DISCUSSION Results will reveal the differential effectiveness of two brief online interventions in improving mental health outcomes, as well as enhancing social capacities and resilience. The present study will serve as a first step for future application of scalable, low-cost interventions at a broader level to reduce stress and loneliness, improve mental health and build resilience and social capacities in the face of global stressors. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial has been registered on May 17, 2020 with the ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04889508 registration number (clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04889508).
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Affiliation(s)
- Malvika Godara
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarita Silveira
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hannah Matthäus
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christine Heim
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Corporate Member of the Free University of Berlin and Humboldt University of Berlin, Institute for Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Manuel Voelkle
- Institute of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Hecht
- Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department for Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany
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Johnson DA, Walsh A. Associations Between Specific Mindfulness Practices and In‐Session Relational Factors. JOURNAL OF COUNSELING AND DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jcad.12390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Gupta SS, Manthalkar RR, Gajre SS. Mindfulness intervention for improving cognitive abilities using EEG signal. Biomed Signal Process Control 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2021.103072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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The Effect of Mindfulness-based Programs on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 32:677-702. [PMID: 34350544 PMCID: PMC9381612 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-021-09519-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) are increasingly utilized to improve mental health. Interest in the putative effects of MBPs on cognitive function is also growing. This is the first meta-analysis of objective cognitive outcomes across multiple domains from randomized MBP studies of adults. Seven databases were systematically searched to January 2020. Fifty-six unique studies (n = 2,931) were included, of which 45 (n = 2,238) were synthesized using robust variance estimation meta-analysis. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses evaluated moderators. Pooling data across cognitive domains, the summary effect size for all studies favored MBPs over comparators and was small in magnitude (g = 0.15; [0.05, 0.24]). Across subgroup analyses of individual cognitive domains/subdomains, MBPs outperformed comparators for executive function (g = 0.15; [0.02, 0.27]) and working memory outcomes (g = 0.23; [0.11, 0.36]) only. Subgroup analyses identified significant effects for studies of non-clinical samples, as well as for adults aged over 60. Across all studies, MBPs outperformed inactive, but not active comparators. Limitations include the primarily unclear within-study risk of bias (only a minority of studies were considered low risk), and that statistical constraints rendered some p-values unreliable. Together, results partially corroborate the hypothesized link between mindfulness practices and cognitive performance. This review was registered with PROSPERO [CRD42018100904].
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Stietz J, Pollerhoff L, Kurtz M, Li SC, Reiter AMF, Kanske P. The ageing of the social mind: replicating the preservation of socio-affective and the decline of socio-cognitive processes in old age. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210641. [PMID: 34457343 PMCID: PMC8386516 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Anticipating population ageing to reach a historically unprecedented level in this century and considering the public goal of promoting well-being until old age, research in many fields has started to focus on processes and factors that contribute to healthy ageing. Since human interactions have a tremendous impact on our mental and physical well-being, scientists are increasingly investigating the basic processes that enable successful social interactions such as social affect (empathy, compassion) and social cognition (Theory of Mind). However, regarding the replication crisis in psychological science it is crucial to probe the reproducibility of findings revealed by each specific method. To this end, we aimed to replicate the effect of age on empathy, compassion and Theory of Mind observed in Reiter and colleagues' study (Reiter et al. 2017 Sci. Rep. 7, 11046 (doi:10.1038/s41598-017-10669-4)) by using the same ecologically valid paradigm in an independent sample with similar age ranges. We were able to replicate the previously observed results of a preservation or even enhancement in socio-affective processes, but a decline in socio-cognitive processes for older adults. Our findings add to the understanding of how social affect and cognition change across the adult lifespan and may suggest targets for intervention studies aiming to foster successful social interactions and well-being until advanced old age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Stietz
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lena Pollerhoff
- Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marcel Kurtz
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Shu-Chen Li
- Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrea M. F. Reiter
- Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Paakki J, Rahko JS, Kotila A, Mattila M, Miettunen H, Hurtig TM, Jussila KK, Kuusikko‐Gauffin S, Moilanen IK, Tervonen O, Kiviniemi VJ. Co-activation pattern alterations in autism spectrum disorder-A volume-wise hierarchical clustering fMRI study. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02174. [PMID: 33998178 PMCID: PMC8213933 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There has been a growing effort to characterize the time-varying functional connectivity of resting state (RS) fMRI brain networks (RSNs). Although voxel-wise connectivity studies have examined different sliding window lengths, nonsequential volume-wise approaches have been less common. METHODS Inspired by earlier co-activation pattern (CAP) studies, we applied hierarchical clustering (HC) to classify the image volumes of the RS-fMRI data on 28 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their 27 typically developing (TD) controls. We compared the distribution of the ASD and TD groups' volumes in CAPs as well as their voxel-wise means. For simplification purposes, we conducted a group independent component analysis to extract 14 major RSNs. The RSNs' average z-scores enabled us to meaningfully regroup the RSNs and estimate the percentage of voxels within each RSN for which there was a significant group difference. These results were jointly interpreted to find global group-specific patterns. RESULTS We found similar brain state proportions in 58 CAPs (clustering interval from 2 to 30). However, in many CAPs, the voxel-wise means differed significantly within a matrix of 14 RSNs. The rest-activated default mode-positive and default mode-negative brain state properties vary considerably in both groups over time. This division was seen clearly when the volumes were partitioned into two CAPs and then further examined along the HC dendrogram of the diversifying brain CAPs. The ASD group network activations followed a more heterogeneous distribution and some networks maintained higher baselines; throughout the brain deactivation state, the ASD participants had reduced deactivation in 12/14 networks. During default mode-negative CAPs, the ASD group showed simultaneous visual network and either dorsal attention or default mode network overactivation. CONCLUSION Nonsequential volume gathering into CAPs and the comparison of voxel-wise signal changes provide a complementary perspective to connectivity and an alternative to sliding window analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyri‐Johan Paakki
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Biosciences Doctoral ProgrammeUniversity of Oulu Graduate SchoolUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- The Faculty of MedicineResearch Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and TechnologyOulu Functional NeuroImaging GroupUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Department of Diagnostic RadiologyMedical Research CenterOulu University HospitalOuluFinland
| | - Jukka S. Rahko
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Biosciences Doctoral ProgrammeUniversity of Oulu Graduate SchoolUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- PEDEGO Research UnitFaculty of MedicineChild PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Institute of Clinical MedicineClinic of Child PsychiatryUniversity and University Hospital of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Aija Kotila
- Faculty of HumanitiesResearch Unit of LogopedicsUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Marja‐Leena Mattila
- PEDEGO Research UnitFaculty of MedicineChild PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Institute of Clinical MedicineClinic of Child PsychiatryUniversity and University Hospital of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Helena Miettunen
- PEDEGO Research UnitFaculty of MedicineChild PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Institute of Clinical MedicineClinic of Child PsychiatryUniversity and University Hospital of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Tuula M. Hurtig
- PEDEGO Research UnitFaculty of MedicineChild PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Institute of Clinical MedicineClinic of Child PsychiatryUniversity and University Hospital of OuluOuluFinland
- Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Katja K. Jussila
- PEDEGO Research UnitFaculty of MedicineChild PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Institute of Clinical MedicineClinic of Child PsychiatryUniversity and University Hospital of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Sanna Kuusikko‐Gauffin
- PEDEGO Research UnitFaculty of MedicineChild PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Institute of Clinical MedicineClinic of Child PsychiatryUniversity and University Hospital of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Irma K. Moilanen
- PEDEGO Research UnitFaculty of MedicineChild PsychiatryUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Institute of Clinical MedicineClinic of Child PsychiatryUniversity and University Hospital of OuluOuluFinland
| | - Osmo Tervonen
- The Faculty of MedicineResearch Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and TechnologyOulu Functional NeuroImaging GroupUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Department of Diagnostic RadiologyMedical Research CenterOulu University HospitalOuluFinland
| | - Vesa J. Kiviniemi
- The Faculty of MedicineResearch Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and TechnologyOulu Functional NeuroImaging GroupUniversity of OuluOuluFinland
- Department of Diagnostic RadiologyMedical Research CenterOulu University HospitalOuluFinland
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A revised instrument for the assessment of empathy and Theory of Mind in adolescents: Introducing the EmpaToM-Y. Behav Res Methods 2021; 53:2487-2501. [PMID: 33948924 PMCID: PMC8613142 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01589-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Empathy and Theory of Mind (ToM) are two core components of social understanding. The EmpaToM is a validated social video task that allows for independent manipulation and assessment of the two capacities. First applications revealed that empathy and ToM are dissociable constructs on a neuronal as well as on a behavioral level. As the EmpaToM has been designed for the assessment of social understanding in adults, it has a high degree of complexity and comprises topics that are inadequate for minors. For this reason, we designed a new version of the EmpaToM that is especially suited to measure empathy and ToM in youths. In experiment 1, we successfully validated the EmpaToM-Y on the original EmpaToM in an adult sample (N = 61), revealing a similar pattern of results across tasks and strong correlations of all constructs. As intended, the performance measure for ToM and the control condition of the EmpaToM-Y showed reduced difficulty. In experiment 2, we tested the feasibility of the EmpaToM-Y in a group of teenagers (N = 36). Results indicate a reliable empathy induction and higher demands of ToM questions for adolescents. We provide a promising task for future research targeting inter-individual variability of socio-cognitive and socio-affective capacities as well as their precursors and outcomes in healthy minors and clinical populations.
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Favre P, Kanske P, Engen H, Singer T. Decreased emotional reactivity after 3-month socio-affective but not attention- or meta-cognitive-based mental training: A randomized, controlled, longitudinal fMRI study. Neuroimage 2021; 237:118132. [PMID: 33951510 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Meditation-based mental training interventions show physical and mental health benefits. However, it remains unclear how different types of mental practice affect emotion processing at both the neuronal and the behavioural level. In the context of the ReSource project, 332 participants underwent an fMRI scan while performing an emotion anticipation task before and after three 3-month training modules cultivating 1) attention and interoceptive awareness (Presence); 2) socio-affective skills, such as compassion (Affect); 3) socio-cognitive skills, such as theory of mind (Perspective). Only the Affect module led to a significant reduction of experienced negative affect when processing images depicting human suffering. In addition, after the Affect module, participants showed significant increased activation in the right supramarginal gyrus when confronted with negative stimuli. We conclude that socio-affective, but not attention- or meta-cognitive based mental training is specifically effective to improve emotion regulation capabilities when facing adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Favre
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Haakon Engen
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tania Singer
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Weisz E, Cikara M. Strategic Regulation of Empathy. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 25:213-227. [PMID: 33386247 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is an integral part of socioemotional well-being, but recent research has highlighted some of its downsides. Here we examine literature that establishes when, how much, and what aspects of empathy promote specific outcomes. After reviewing a theoretical framework that characterizes empathy as a suite of separable components, we examine evidence showing how dissociations of these components affect important socioemotional outcomes and describe emerging evidence suggesting that these components can be independently and deliberately regulated. Finally, we advocate for an approach to a multicomponent view of empathy that accounts for the interrelations among components. This perspective advances scientific conceptualization of empathy and offers suggestions for tailoring empathy to help people realize their social, emotional, and occupational goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Weisz
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Mina Cikara
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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