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Differential Effects of Meditation on Relationship Quality
Format: Thesis
Publication Date: Nov 30, 2009
Publisher: Emory University
Place of Publication: Atlanta, GA
Sources ID: 114521
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)
Relationships are one of the most crucial parts of life and a highly studied subject in psychology. Yet psychologists still have difficulty explaining how to help people gain and maintain close, positive relationships. The present study aims to investigate whether an existing intrapersonal health strategy, meditation, can also help interpersonal health. Specifically, psychological and neurobiological evidence suggests that compassion mediation in particular may be particularly relevant to close relationships. Based on evidence suggesting that compassion – the desire to free others from suffering – is strongly related to relationship quality, it is hypothesized that the cultivation of compassion through meditation will enhance self-reported relationship quality. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that interpersonal (i.e., compassion, empathy, and forgiveness) and intrapersonal (i.e., emotion regulation and coping) variables will mediate the relationship between compassion meditation and relationship quality.