Behavioral

and Neural Eects 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 suering Self Wish relief from suering May you be free from suering. Stranger May you have joy and ease. Interocep9on Light visualiza9on Dicult Person

Strengthening the Compassion Muscle

Loved One

Dicult 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 suering Economic task needs to involve
1. Witnessing Suering 2. Altruis=c Behavior

Measuring compassionate behavior: Redistribu=on Game

$10

+ $1 $
A B C
Interac9on 2: Altruis=c Behavior

$0

Interac9on 1: Witnessing Suering

$5 - $

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
0

$1.14
Compassion * P < 0.05

No Training

Reappraisal

Weng et al., Under Revision

Can this be explained by changes in the brain?

Measure brain responses to suering Before and aier training

Greater altruism is predicted by changes in the brain

Parietal Cortex Prefrontal Cortex

Gives Witnessing suffering: 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

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 y = -3 Nucleus Accumbens (reward) Prefrontal Cortex (emo9on regula9on)

Insula (empathy, Interocep9on)

Weng et al., Under Revision

Compassion trainees visually engage more with suering

6

% Looking Time (Neg-Neu)

4 2 0 -2 -4 -6 -8

* p < 0.05
1-tailed

Compassion

Reappraisal

After Training

Weng et al., In Preparation

Looking Time and Altruis9c Behavior

T2 % Looking Time (Neg-Neu)
25 20 15 10 5 0 -5 -10 -15 -20

Redistribu9on (Rank)

40 30 20 10 0

Weng et al., In Preparation

Neg > Neu

Neu > Neg

Conclusions

Compassion medita9on Which changes increases compassion Brain ac9vity

And will increase altruis9c behavior

Thank you for listening!

Advisor
Richie Davidson, PhD

Programming
Nate Vack

Collaborators
Alex Shackman, PhD Drew Fox

Undergraduate Assistants
Matthew Olson Tenzin Dhanze

Research Staff
Diane Stodola

MRI Staff
Michael Anderle Lisa Angelos, PhD Ron Fisher Michael Place

Statistics
Dana Tudorascu, PhD John Curtin, PhD

Grads/Post-Docs

Administrative Staff
Donna Cole Isa Dolski

Jessica Kirkland, PhD Hyejeen Lee, PhD Brianna Schuyler, PhD David Perlman Allison Jahn, PhD

Training Developers
Gregory Rogers, PhD Linda Wuestenberg, LCSW

TITLE
TEXT

Compassion training increases altruis9c behavior

Gives More
30 25 20 15 10

Gives Less

Control
Weng et al., submiped

Compassion

After 2 weeks of training

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 suering (Goetz, Simon-Thomas & Keltner, 2010) Emo9onal response to suering (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-dened 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 nancial consequences

How do we study Compassion Training?

Methodology Interven9on
Internet training (30 min/day for 2 weeks) Random Assignment Ac9ve control group Protect against nonspecic eects (prac9ce structure and 9me, teacher) Emo9ons brain response (fMRI) Behavior altruis9c economic decision-making Protect against social desirability

Measurements

Measuring compassionate behavior: Redistribu=on Game

Step 1: A shares with B while C observes (Witnessing Suering)
$$$$$ $$$$$

+
C

B 0

$$$$$

Step 2: C can choose to pay to redistribute from A to B (Altruis=c Behavior)

- $$$

Can greater altruism aier compassion training be explained by changes in the brain?
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (execu9ve control, working memory, emo9on regula9on) Sanfey, 2007 Insula (Body awareness, empathy) Amygdala (Distress, Fear)

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 suering

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

-1

-0.5

0.5

Weng et al., submiped

Increased DLPFC

Increased altruism is predicted by changes in brain response to suering

Amygdala (Distress, Fear)

y = -3
Gives More

25"

15"

5"

REP sr = .20" COM sr = -0.41***"

-5"

-15" -3" -2" -1" 0" 1" 2"

Weng et al., submiped

Decreased Amygdala