From the Guidelines
To increase trait empathy and compassion, engaging in prosocial spending, such as using money to benefit others, has been shown to be an effective method, as evidenced by a meta-analysis of 27 experiments finding a moderate effect size (d = 0.28) for the benefits of beneficence 1.
Key Findings
- A recent review of 15 preregistered experiments on prosocial spending found that almost all of the well-powered experiments (n's > 200) provided support for the contention that using money to benefit others can increase one's own happiness 1.
- Prosocial spending is more likely to produce detectable increases in happiness when people are asked to engage in actual spending (rather than recalling past spending experiences) and when they have some freedom to choose whether or how to spend on others 1.
- In contrast, there is no clear evidence that engaging in volunteer work or practicing acts of kindness can promote happiness, based on a review of 19 preregistered experiments 1.
Recommendations
- Engage in prosocial spending, such as donating to charity or buying gifts for others, to increase trait empathy and compassion.
- Practice mindfulness-based interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, which have been associated with improvements in psychological well-being and cardiovascular health 1.
- Consider participating in a mindful self-compassion program, which has been shown to increase self-compassion, reduce depression and diabetes distress, and improve A1C in patients with diabetes 1.
Important Considerations
- Regular practice is essential, as empathy is like a muscle that strengthens with use.
- Reducing stress through adequate sleep (7-9 hours nightly) and regular exercise (30 minutes daily) creates the mental space necessary for empathic responses rather than self-protective reactions.
- Engaging in prosocial spending and mindfulness-based interventions can have a positive impact on both psychological well-being and physical health, including cardiovascular health.
From the Research
Increasing Trait Empathy and Compassion
- Empathy and compassion can be increased through various interventions, including mindfulness-based meditation, loving-kindness meditation, and socioemotional dyadic practice 2, 3, 4
- These interventions have been shown to enhance activation of brain areas involved in emotional processing and empathy, leading to increased positive affect and decreased negative affect 2
- Mindfulness-based and socioemotional dyadic practices have been found to be effective in fostering compassion for the self and others, with increases in self-compassion mediated by decreases in empathic distress and increases in acceptance 4
- Motivation-based interventions, such as shifting relevant motives, can also increase empathy by focusing on underlying motives that drive people to experience or avoid empathy 5
- Creating a "culture of compassion" in organizations, such as healthcare settings, can also promote compassionate care and improve health outcomes, reduce workplace stress and burnout, and lead to improved quality and safety, patient experience, employee and physician engagement, and financial performance 6
Key Findings
- Loving-kindness meditation and compassion meditation are associated with increased positive affect and decreased negative affect 2
- Socioemotional dyadic practice can increase compassion for the self and others, with trends toward increase in behavioral empathy markers 4
- Mindfulness-based training can decrease empathic distress and increase self-compassion 4
- Motivation-based interventions can increase empathic accuracy and lead to greater number of friends made 5
- A culture of compassion can lead to improved outcomes in healthcare settings, including quality and safety, patient experience, employee and physician engagement, and financial performance 6