Vera U Ludwig, Lana Prieur, Scott M Rennie, Andrew Beswerchij, Devora Weintraub, Blaire Berry, Jenny Wey, Katelyn Candido, Michael L Platt
{"title":"Synchronous Smiles and Hearts: Dyadic Meditations Enhance Closeness and Prosocial Behavior in Virtual and In-Person Settings.","authors":"Vera U Ludwig, Lana Prieur, Scott M Rennie, Andrew Beswerchij, Devora Weintraub, Blaire Berry, Jenny Wey, Katelyn Candido, Michael L Platt","doi":"10.1007/s12671-025-02588-7","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Social connection is crucial for well-being and health. Dyadic meditations-contemplative practices carried out by two people together-have the potential to foster connection. In the dyadic \"Just-Like-Me\" (JLM) meditation, two participants gaze at each other while contemplating sentences emphasizing their shared humanity. We assessed the psychological impacts of this exercise, as well as the underlying mechanisms, by comparing it to two active control conditions: mutual gazing without contemplation and solitary meditation.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Study 1 was a virtual study with 55 individuals who formed 100 experimental dyads, whereas Study 2 was an in-person study with 98 participants in 238 dyad pairings. Participants engaged in a 2-min JLM, gazing, or solitary meditation exercise (the latter only in Study 2). We recorded self-reported feelings, decisions on a hypothetical dictator game, facial expressions (Study 1), and heart rates (Study 2).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both JLM and gazing increased closeness with medium-to-large effect sizes both virtually and in person (~ 1 <i>SD</i> increase for JLM). JLM increased closeness more than gazing in person (medium-sized effect). Both exercises had small-to-medium effects on positive partner perceptions. In-person, dictator game allocations were higher following JLM than following solitary meditation. Both JLM and gazing induced synchronous smiling, with JLM producing stronger effects (Study 1). JLM induced synchronous heart rates (Study 2). Smiling synchrony predicted positive relational outcomes with small-to-medium effect sizes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Dyadic meditations, such as JLM and gazing, are effective in promoting closeness and prosocial behavior. Non-verbal and emotional synchrony between meditation partners is a potential mechanism facilitating these benefits. Dyadic meditation practices may contribute to addressing widespread loneliness and enhancing social dimensions of well-being.</p><p><strong>Preregistration: </strong>This study is not preregistered.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-025-02588-7.</p>","PeriodicalId":18523,"journal":{"name":"Mindfulness","volume":"16 6","pages":"1719-1744"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12170796/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Mindfulness","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02588-7","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/5/19 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: Social connection is crucial for well-being and health. Dyadic meditations-contemplative practices carried out by two people together-have the potential to foster connection. In the dyadic "Just-Like-Me" (JLM) meditation, two participants gaze at each other while contemplating sentences emphasizing their shared humanity. We assessed the psychological impacts of this exercise, as well as the underlying mechanisms, by comparing it to two active control conditions: mutual gazing without contemplation and solitary meditation.
Method: Study 1 was a virtual study with 55 individuals who formed 100 experimental dyads, whereas Study 2 was an in-person study with 98 participants in 238 dyad pairings. Participants engaged in a 2-min JLM, gazing, or solitary meditation exercise (the latter only in Study 2). We recorded self-reported feelings, decisions on a hypothetical dictator game, facial expressions (Study 1), and heart rates (Study 2).
Results: Both JLM and gazing increased closeness with medium-to-large effect sizes both virtually and in person (~ 1 SD increase for JLM). JLM increased closeness more than gazing in person (medium-sized effect). Both exercises had small-to-medium effects on positive partner perceptions. In-person, dictator game allocations were higher following JLM than following solitary meditation. Both JLM and gazing induced synchronous smiling, with JLM producing stronger effects (Study 1). JLM induced synchronous heart rates (Study 2). Smiling synchrony predicted positive relational outcomes with small-to-medium effect sizes.
Conclusions: Dyadic meditations, such as JLM and gazing, are effective in promoting closeness and prosocial behavior. Non-verbal and emotional synchrony between meditation partners is a potential mechanism facilitating these benefits. Dyadic meditation practices may contribute to addressing widespread loneliness and enhancing social dimensions of well-being.
Preregistration: This study is not preregistered.
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-025-02588-7.
期刊介绍：
Mindfulness seeks to advance research, clinical practice, and theory on mindfulness. It is interested in manuscripts from diverse viewpoints, including psychology, psychiatry, medicine, neurobiology, psychoneuroendocrinology, cognitive, behavioral, cultural, philosophy, spirituality, and wisdom traditions. Mindfulness encourages research submissions on the reliability and validity of assessment of mindfulness; clinical uses of mindfulness in psychological distress, psychiatric disorders, and medical conditions; alleviation of personal and societal suffering; the nature and foundations of mindfulness; mechanisms of action; and the use of mindfulness across cultures. The Journal also seeks to promote the use of mindfulness by publishing scholarly papers on the training of clinicians, institutional staff, teachers, parents, and industry personnel in mindful provision of services. Examples of topics include: Mindfulness-based psycho-educational interventions for children with learning, emotional, and behavioral disorders Treating depression and clinical symptoms in patients with chronic heart failure Yoga and mindfulness Cognitive-behavioral mindfulness group therapy interventions Mindfulnessness and emotional regulation difficulties in children Loving-kindness meditation to increase social connectedness Training for parents and children with ADHD Recovery from substance abuse Changing parents’ mindfulness Child management skills Treating childhood anxiety and depression
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
