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Mindfulness
Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness 10/2023

10-05-2022 | ORIGINAL PAPER

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

Auteur: Jordan T. Quaglia

Gepubliceerd in: Mindfulness | Uitgave 10/2023

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Abstract

Objectives

Compassion science has been informed and guided by Buddhist perspectives, but has yet to fully account for certain key Buddhist ideas about compassion. Skillful means and fierce compassion represent two such ideas, both of which pertain to compassionate actions that may not always appear compassionate to recipients or observers.

Methods

To better account for the variety of compassionate behavior evident in the Buddhist traditions, including but not limited to skillful means and fierce compassion, this paper reviews relevant theory and findings from compassion science through the lens of the Big Two Framework. The Big Two Framework distinguishes between two core dimensions of social cognition, namely communion (i.e., warmth, morality, and expressiveness) and agency (i.e., dominance, competence, and instrumentality).

Results

The Big Two Framework’s fundamental distinction between communion and agency appears useful for delineating forms of compassionate behavior. Additionally, the framework is helpful for considering behavior from actor versus recipient/observer perspectives, making it well-suited to account for compassionate actions that may not appear compassionate.

Conclusions

Reflecting on compassion in relation to the Big Two maps a richer understanding of the social cognition underlying diverse forms of compassionate behavior and offers an empirically tractable framework and terminology for advancing research on understudied expressions of compassion.
vorige artikel Self-Compassion and Compassion for Others: A Multiple Mediation Study of Personal Values
volgende artikel Experience Similarity, Mindful Awareness, and Accurate Interpersonal Understanding
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Metagegevens
Titel
One Compassion, Many Means: A Big Two Analysis of Compassionate Behavior
Auteur
Jordan T. Quaglia
Publicatiedatum
10-05-2022
Uitgeverij
Springer US
Gepubliceerd in
Mindfulness / Uitgave 10/2023
Print ISSN: 1868-8527
Elektronisch ISSN: 1868-8535
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01895-7

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