Mindfulness as a means of reducing aggressive behavior: dispositional and situational evidence
Abstract
Recent research and theory suggest that mindfulness, or enhanced attention and awareness in the present moment [Brown and Ryan, 2003], may be linked to lower levels of ego‐involvement and, as a result, may have implications for lowering hostility and aggressive behavior. Accordingly, we conducted two studies to examine the potential aggression‐mitigating role of mindfulness. In Study 1, we found that dispositional mindfulness correlated negatively with self‐reported aggressiveness and hostile attribution bias. In Study 2, participants made mindful before receiving social rejection feedback displayed less‐aggressive behavior than did rejected participants not made mindful. Discussion centers on potential mechanisms by which mindfulness operates to reduce aggressive behavior. Aggr. Behav. 34:486–496, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
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Eight included studies used written or recorded meditation instructions.
“A further eight studies used written or recorded meditation instructions13,35,39,42–46.”
From The limited prosocial effects of meditation: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2018) · cites this paper as [42]
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References 57 · Cited by 303
- Authors
- Heppner, W. L., Kernis, M. H., Lakey, C. E., Campbell, W. K., Goldman, B. M., Davis, P. J., & Cascio, E. V.
- Affiliations
- University of Georgia (US)
- Clayton State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Heppner, Whitney L.
- Venue
- Aggressive Behavior
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-05-07
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 486-496
- ISSN
- 0096-140X (ISSN-L)
- 1098-2337
- OpenAlex
- W1986306398
- Cited by
- 303
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 9.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Aggressive Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- mindfulness, trait mindfulness, hostile attribution bias, ego-involvement, social rejection, situational factors
- MeSH terms
- Aggression, Attention, Awareness, Consciousness, Ego, Female, Humans, Male, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self Concept, Sociometric Techniques
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