Abstract
Research on meditation has examined many variables across a wide range of techniques. Research on loving-kindness meditation
has investigated its impact on affective variables, but has not yet investigated its impact on cognition. The present study
investigated the impact of loving-kindness meditation on an affective variable not yet examined in the literature—affective
learning—as well as cognition. Participants were randomly assigned to a control condition or a three-session, loving-kindness
meditation training. Our results suggest that the beginning stages of loving-kindness meditation training impact the tendency
to learn to associate positivity with neutral stimuli and cognitive control. We discuss the implications of our findings and
potential directions for future research.
has investigated its impact on affective variables, but has not yet investigated its impact on cognition. The present study
investigated the impact of loving-kindness meditation on an affective variable not yet examined in the literature—affective
learning—as well as cognition. Participants were randomly assigned to a control condition or a three-session, loving-kindness
meditation training. Our results suggest that the beginning stages of loving-kindness meditation training impact the tendency
to learn to associate positivity with neutral stimuli and cognitive control. We discuss the implications of our findings and
potential directions for future research.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category ORIGINAL PAPER
- Pages 1-6
- DOI 10.1007/s12671-012-0125-2
- Authors
- Matthew Hunsinger, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Robert Livingston, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Linda Isbell, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Journal Mindfulness
- Online ISSN 1868-8535
- Print ISSN 1868-8527