Abstract
Objectives
Social approach and avoidance goals—which refer to individual differences in the desire to pursue rewards versus avoid negative experiences in social relationships—have numerous implications for the health and quality of social relationships. Although endorsement of these goals largely arises from people’s pre-dispositions towards approach and avoidance, in this research, we proposed that meditation training has the potential to beneficially influence the extent to which people adopt approach and avoidance goals. Specifically, we hypothesized that individuals who were randomly assigned to receive training in mindfulness or loving-kindness meditation would report differences in social approach and avoidance goals, as compared with those in a wait-list control condition, and that these effects would be mediated by differences in positive and negative emotions.
Methods
To examine these hypotheses, we drew upon a community-based, randomized intervention study of 138 midlife adults, who were assigned to receive mindfulness training, loving-kindness training, or no training in meditation.
Results
As compared with the control condition, results demonstrated that loving-kindness training was directly associated with lower social avoidance goals, and indirectly associated with greater social approach goals, via enhanced positive emotion.
Conclusions
These results suggest loving-kindness meditation is a means by which people can beneficially influence their approach and avoidance tendencies, which likely plays an important role in enhancing their social relationships.
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Funding
This research was financially supported by a research grant awarded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH; R01NR012899) to Barbara L. Fredrickson, an award supported by the NIH Common Fund, which is managed by the NIH Office of the Director/Office of Strategic Coordination.
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BPD: conducted data analyses and wrote the manuscript. SBA: provided collaborated in writing the manuscript, and consulted on the design of the study. BLF: designed the study, managed the collection of the data, and collaborated in writing the manuscript.
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Don, B.P., Algoe, S.B. & Fredrickson, B.L. Does Meditation Training Influence Social Approach and Avoidance Goals? Evidence from a Randomized Intervention Study of Midlife Adults. Mindfulness 12, 582–593 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01517-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01517-0