Can Lovingkindness Meditation increase Trust and Trustworthiness in Strangers?

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Acknowledgements
• Abstract
• 1. Introduction
• 2. Lovingkindness Meditation and Trust – a Literature Review.
• 2.1. Meditation and Lovingkindness
• 2.2. Trust and Trustworthiness.
• 3. Experiment – Design, Measures & Hypotheses.......
• 3.1. Research Question....
• 3.2. Participants..\n
• 3.3. Procedure...\n
• 3.4. Measures of Trust, Trustworthiness and Kindness....\n
• Questionnaire
• 3.5. Hypotheses about Trust, Trustworthiness, Kindness and Game Outcome....
• 3.6. Further Steps to Conduct the Experiment.
• 4. Discussion about Limitations and Future Directions
• 5. Conclusion..........\n
• References
• Appendix
• Appendix A: Mach-IV Scale
• Appendix B: Instructions for the T1 Group
• Appendix C: Short Stories
• Appendix D: Mini-Questionnaire for T2/C2....
• Appendix E: Control Questions for Trust Game.
• Appendix F: Questionnaire.
• Appendix G: Instruction Sheet for T2 and C2
• List of figures
• List of tables

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis investigates the potential of lovingkindness meditation to foster trust and trustworthiness in strangers. Through a controlled experiment, the study explores whether engaging in lovingkindness meditation, in both a brief laboratory setting and an eight-week intervention, can increase levels of trust, trustworthiness, and kindness compared to neutral control groups. The study aims to assess the impact of time spent on lovingkindness practice and determine whether the field experiment demonstrates larger positive effects compared to the laboratory treatment. * The potential of lovingkindness meditation to promote trust and trustworthiness. * The impact of time spent practicing lovingkindness meditation on trust and trustworthiness. * The comparison of effects between a brief laboratory setting and a longer-term intervention. * The influence of lovingkindness meditation on prosocial behavior. * The potential applications of lovingkindness meditation for fostering trust and kindness in society.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction sets the stage for the research by highlighting the significance of kindness and trust in human interactions, particularly in light of rising societal isolation and distrust. The second chapter delves into the literature surrounding lovingkindness meditation and its relationship to trust and trustworthiness, providing a theoretical foundation for the study. Chapter 3 outlines the experimental design, measures, and hypotheses. It details the research question, participant characteristics, the experimental procedure, and the measures used to assess trust, trustworthiness, and kindness. The chapter also outlines the hypotheses regarding the impact of lovingkindness meditation on trust, trustworthiness, kindness, and game outcomes. Chapter 4 is dedicated to a discussion of limitations and future directions for research. It explores potential shortcomings of the study and proposes avenues for further exploration and development.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The core keywords and focus topics of this thesis revolve around the investigation of lovingkindness meditation and its effects on trust, trustworthiness, and kindness in strangers. The study utilizes a trust game to assess prosocial behavior and explores the potential of meditation to influence individual behavior and social interactions. Key concepts include lovingkindness meditation, trust, trustworthiness, kindness, prosocial behavior, trust games, and the potential of meditation practices for promoting positive social change.