Behavioral and Neural Effects of Compassion Medita9on Helen Weng, MS University of Wisconsin-‐Madison July 20, 2012
Does compassion medita9on training increase helping behavior? Prac9ce
Real-‐world behavior
Compassion experts
Lutz, Davidson et al., 2004; 2008; 2009
What about people like you and me? Can our emo9ons and behavior change with just 2 weeks of prac9ce over the Internet?
Personal Interest • Why compassion? • Why short interven9ons?
Compassion Medita9on Loved One Contemplate suffering Self Wish relief from suffering “May you be free from Stranger suffering. May you have joy and ease.” Difficult Person
Interocep9on Light visualiza9on
Strengthening the Compassion Muscle
Loved One
Difficult Person
Measures of Compassion • Chose measures less suscep9ble to social desirability (doing things that others want you to do)
Altruistic Behavior
fMRI emotions
Looking Time
General Framework
Compassion medita9on Which changes increases compassion Brain ac9vity
And will increase altruis9c behavior
How do we study Compassion Training? Before
A1er
30/min day on the Internet for 2 weeks
Random Assignment
Compassion Training, n = 20 Reappraisal Training, n = 21
How do we measure compassionate behavior? • Compassion is the feeling of caring for and wan9ng to help those are suffering • Economic task needs to involve 1. Witnessing Suffering
2. Altruis=c Behavior
Measuring compassionate behavior: Redistribu=on Game + $$ 1
$10
A Interac9on 1: Witnessing Suffering
$0
B C
-‐ $5 $
Interac9on 2: Altruis=c Behavior
Anonymous Computer Interface
Compassionate people (with no training) give more in response to unfairness Gives More
r = 0.43 P < .001
Gives Less Less Compassion Weng et al., Under Revision
More Compassion
Compassion Training Increases Redistribu9on *
120
Gives More
*
100 80 No Difference 60 40
Gives Less
20
$0.62
$1.14
Reappraisal
Compassion
0
No Training
Weng et al., Under Revision
* P < 0.05
Can this be explained by changes in the brain?
Measure brain responses to suffering Before and aier training
Greater altruism is predicted by changes in the brain é Parietal Cortex
é Prefrontal Cortex
Givessuffering: Witnessing $ EmotionMore sharing, Mirror neuron system
Emotion regulation Self-control
Brain Increases
Mind & Life XXIV: Latest Findings in Contempla9ve Neuroscience (2012)
Richard Davidson, PhD, David Vago, PhD, Willoughby Britton, PhD, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Helen Weng, MS, Baljinder Sahdra, PhD, Norman Farb, PhD
Greater altruism is predicted by changes in the brain ê Amygdala (Distress)
y = -3 Gives More $
Weng et al., Under Revision
Decreased Amygdala
Greater altruism is predicted by changes in the brain Brain Connec=vity
é Prefrontal Cortex (emo9on regula9on)
y = -3 é Nucleus Accumbens (reward)
é Insula (empathy, Interocep9on)
Weng et al., Under Revision
Compassion trainees visually engage more with suffering % Looking Time (Neg-Neu)
6
*
4 2 0 -2 -4 -6
* p < 0.05 1-tailed
-8
Compassion
Reappraisal
After Training
Weng et al., In Preparation
25 20 15 10 5 0 -5 -10 -15 -20
Redistribu9on (Rank)
T2 % Looking Time (Neg-Neu)
Looking Time and Altruis9c Behavior
Weng et al., In Preparation
*
40 30 20 10 0
Neg > Neu
Neu > Neg
Conclusions
Compassion medita9on Which changes increases compassion Brain ac9vity
And will increase altruis9c behavior
Thank you for listening! • Advisor
• Programming
– Richie Davidson, PhD
• Collaborators – Alex Shackman, PhD – Drew Fox
• Research Staff
– Nate Vack
• Undergraduate Assistants – Matthew Olson – Tenzin Dhanze
• MRI Staff – – – –
– Diane Stodola
• Statistics – Dana Tudorascu, PhD – John Curtin, PhD
• Grads/Post-Docs – – – – –
Michael Anderle Lisa Angelos, PhD Ron Fisher Michael Place
• Administrative Staff
Jessica Kirkland, PhD Hyejeen Lee, PhD • Brianna Schuyler, PhD David Perlman Allison Jahn, PhD
– Donna Cole – Isa Dolski
Training Developers – Gregory Rogers, PhD – Linda Wuestenberg, LCSW
TITLE • TEXT
Compassion training increases altruis9c behavior Gives More
30
*
25 20
Gives Less
15 10
Control
Compassion
After 2 weeks of training
Weng et al., submiped
Domain of Expertise & Methodology • Domain of expertise – Short-term compassion meditation in healthy adults – Test the main hypothesis: Does compassion meditation increase helping others? – Methodology •
Pre/post Randomized design – can measure changes DUE TO compassion training
• What is compassion meditation? • How did we administer it? Internet (PICTURE) – Applicability, Assessibility – Research: can track people as they practice, do not have to run a course
• How did we measure it? – Problem in researching compassion: Social Desirability – Marlowe-Crowne items: I never hesitate to go out of my way to help someone in trouble. I have never intensely disliked anyone. – Emotional responses in the Brain – Costly altruistic behavior – Eye movements
What is compassion? • Compassion is the emo9onal response of caring for and wan9ng to help those who are suffering (Goetz, Simon-‐Thomas & Keltner, 2010) • Emo9onal response to suffering (Batson, 1991; Eisenberg, Fabes & Spinrad, 2006)
– Decreased personal distress – Increased empathic concern
• Behavioral response
– Helping
Why should compassion be trained? • Compassion may have evolved to foster social rela9onships to increase survival of both kin and non-‐kin (Darwin, 1871; Sober & Wilson 1998; Goetz et al., 2010)
– Children – Ma9ng partners – Strangers
• Individuals with poor social rela9onships are at higher risk for psychological and physical illness, and even death (Cohen, 2004; Kawachi & Berkman, 1996; Uchino, Cacioppo & Kiecolt-‐Glaser, 2001; House, 1988)
Studying compassionate behavior using economic decision-‐making • Social interac9ons are well-‐defined through economic exchanges • Outcomes are easy to measure • Interac9ons are real and anonymous • Easily administered through computer interac9ons • Behavior is costly, and results in real financial consequences
How do we study Compassion Training? • Methodology • Interven9on
– Internet training (30 min/day for 2 weeks) – Random Assignment – Ac9ve control group – Protect against nonspecific effects (prac9ce structure and 9me, teacher)
• Measurements
– Emo9ons – brain response (fMRI) – Behavior – altruis9c economic decision-‐making – Protect against social desirability
Measuring compassionate behavior: Redistribu=on Game Step 1: A shares with B while C observes (Witnessing Suffering)
A
+
$$$$$ $$$$$
B 0
C
$$$$$
Step 2: C can choose to pay to redistribute from A to B (Altruis=c Behavior)
+
A
-‐ $$$
C
B
Can greater altruism aier compassion training be explained by changes in the brain? éDorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (execu9ve control, working memory, emo9on regula9on) Sanfey, 2007 é Insula (Body awareness, empathy) ê Amygdala (Distress, Fear)
é Nucleus Accumbens (Reward, helping)
Edits • Graphs – Take out REP group, numbers – Explain brain CHANGE – Explain axes
• Difficult person – change • Picture of weights
Compassion experts
Lutz et al., PNAS 2004; PloS One 2008; NeuroImage 2009
Increased altruism is predicted by changes in brain response to suffering é Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex DLPFC (execu9ve control, working memory, emo9on regula9on) Gives More
25"
15"
REP sr = -0.33*" COM sr = 0.45**"
5"
-5"
-15" -‐1.5
Weng et al., submiped
-‐1
-‐0.5
0
0.5
Increased DLPFC
Increased altruism is predicted by changes in brain response to suffering ê Amygdala (Distress, Fear)
y = -3
25"
Gives More
15"
REP sr = .20"
5"
COM sr = -0.41***"
-5"
-15" -3"
Weng et al., submiped
-2"
-1"
Decreased Amygdala
0"
1"
2"