Abstract
Loving-kindness mediation is a compassion based intervention aimed at increasing well-being by directing compassion to oneself and others. This study examined the effects of a brief online LKM intervention. 91 internet users were randomly assigned to control wait-list and experimental groups. Participants in the experimental group (n=24) received instructions via audio to practice Loving-kindness meditation three times in 1 week. The control wait-list group (n=37) did not receive any intervention. Optimism, Positive Affect and Negative Affect was measured twice (prior and post-intervention or post non-intervention) in both groups using LOT and PANAS. Despite noting an encouraging directional trend in Positive Affect scores, the results demonstrated the overall scores of the LKM group were not significantly improved when compared to the control group. Strengths, limitations and future directions for research are discussed.
