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Mindfulness

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06-06-2022 | ORIGINAL PAPER

Experience Similarity, Mindful Awareness, and Accurate Interpersonal Understanding

Auteurs: Yoona Kang, Melis E. Cakar, Kristin Shumaker, Matthew Brook O’Donnell, Emily B. Falk

Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness | Uitgave 10/2023

Abstract

Objectives

Understanding other people’s thoughts and feelings is important for successful relationships. The current study examined potential benefits and pitfalls of experience similarity and mindful awareness in relation to accurate interpersonal understanding.

Methods

Participants (n = 77) watched a video of a speaker sharing a real-life story, rated the speaker’s emotions throughout the story, and recalled factual details of the story. Measures of accuracy included factual accuracy when recalling facts about the story and empathic accuracy in understanding the speaker’s feelings. Participants also indicated whether they did or did not have experiences in the past that were similar to the ones from the speaker’s video, and self-reported their levels of mindful attention and awareness.

Results

Having, compared to not having, a similar past life experience was associated with lower factual and empathic accuracy. Individuals with higher mindful attention and awareness were more likely to show higher empathic accuracy, being able to more accurately infer the speaker’s emotions throughout the story. This relationship was driven most strongly by individuals who did not have similar past experience as the speaker, such that mindfulness was associated with higher empathic accuracy only among individuals with no similar past experiences.

Conclusions

Experience similarity may diminish the benefit of mindfulness on the ability to accurately infer the target’s mental states. Considering potential pitfalls and biases that may hinder accurate interpersonal understanding can help provide skillful support that is most suited to the needs of specific individuals.

vorige artikel One Compassion, Many Means: A Big Two Analysis of Compassionate Behavior

volgende artikel Effects of Brief Mindfulness Meditation and Compassion Meditation on Parochial Empathy and Prosocial Behavior Toward Ethnic Out-Group Members

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Titel: Experience Similarity, Mindful Awareness, and Accurate Interpersonal Understanding
Auteurs: Yoona Kang
Melis E. Cakar
Kristin Shumaker
Matthew Brook O’Donnell
Emily B. Falk
Publicatiedatum: 06-06-2022
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness / Uitgave 10/2023
Print ISSN: 1868-8527
Elektronisch ISSN: 1868-8535
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01859-x

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Abstract

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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