Poster #65 - Observations of Compassion: Examining Mindfulness- and Empathy-Based Interventions as Facilitators of Compassion Amongst Jewish-Israeli Kindergarteners

• In Event: Poster Session 18

Abstract

Compassion is a cognitive awareness of, emotional concern with, intention to relieve, and actual social response to relieve the suffering of others (Jinpa, 2010). Engaging compassionately with oneself and others relates to positive well-being (e.g., increased positive affect, decreased psychological distress), increased altruistic behaviors—behaviors that benefit others at a sacrifice to oneself—and social-connectedness (Jazaieri et al., 2018). To date, few studies have examined how to increase compassion especially in early-childhood.

Empathy-based interventions (EBI) are often used to increase prosocial behaviors among kindergarteners (Sabey et al., 2017). Self-regulation and social-emotional competence are intertwined, and both are necessary in early-childhood education for adaptive behavior development (e.g., prosociality, Liew, 2012). Mindfulness interventions (MBI) are related to significant increases in social and self-awareness/regulation in youth, which facilitates development of compassion (Berti & Cigala, 2020). MBIs have not yet been assessed with Jewish-Israeli kindergartners, who are at an early developmental stage and developing amidst protracted conflict. We compared the effects of MBI and EBI on Jewish-Israeli kindergarteners’ (cognitive/emotional/intentional/actual) compassion; we hypothesized intervention participants would increase compassion compared to control group participants, but more so for MBI participants.

Three middle-class public kindergartens were randomly assigned to MBI (n=26;Mage=5.03), EBI (n=24;Mage=5.02), or control groups (n=24;Mage=5.16;Ngirls=40). The MBI taught being present to focus attention on breathing, hearing, and feeling things in the moment. The EBI taught children to perceive, identify, and share emotions. The control group conducted normal circle time (e.g., singing, stories). The interventions lasted 12-weeks. Pre- and post-intervention, computerized continuous performance tasks (CPT) for attention/impulsivity, and structured behavioral observations of attention to teacher and on-task behaviors assessed children’s cognitive compassion. Structured observations of prosociality, negative affect, social-emotional difficulties, and aggression assessed emotional compassion; intentional and actual compassion was measured using a compassionate responding paradigm (see Figure 1 note).

Cognitive and emotional compassion: 3(group: MBI/EBI/control group) x 2(gender: girls/boys) x 2(time: pre-test/post-test) ANOVAs, with repeated measures on the last variable were run for CPT c/omissions and SD of reaction time, and each behavioral observation measure. Actual and intentional compassion added one 3-level within-subjects variable (task: tangram/puzzle/matching) to this analysis.

Cognitive compassion: MBI participants demonstrated decreased impulsivity (CPT commissions, F(2,68)=8,05*** np2=0.19), increased sustained attention (CPT SD of reaction times, F(2,68)=11.24*** np2=0.25), and attentiveness to teacher (Table 1 for all Ms and SDs) compared to EBI and control participants. Emotional Compassion: EBI, and MBI at a much greater magnitude, showed significant effects for prosociality, social difficulty, and aggression, compared to the control group. MBI participants reduced social difficulty and aggression at rates not seen in the EBI and control group. Intentional Actual Compassion: MBI participants showed more compassionate responses in the tangram and matching tasks, than EBI and control group participants (Figure 1).

The MBI increased behavioral skills, cognitive and emotional understanding, and intentional awareness that are essential components of compassion. MBIs can be effectively led by teachers and integrated into school curriculum to facilitate just and caring educational communities. Findings will be discussed in terms of the benefits to early-intervention for compassion development.

Authors

• Ankita Karna, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author

• Rui Wu, University of Connecticut

• Megan Clark Kelly, Siena College

• Rony Berger

• Alaina Brenick, University of Connecticut