Mindful Gratitude App Reduces Prejudice Linked to Narcissism

Introduction

Recent research from Poland reveals intriguing insights into the power of a six-week mobile app-based training program centered on mindful gratitude.

The findings indicate that this innovative approach can significantly reduce various prejudices, including anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia, and anti-immigrant attitudes.

Moreover, it lessens the connection between these prejudices and a phenomenon known as collective narcissism.

These results have been published in Psychological Science.

Understanding Collective Narcissism

Collective narcissism is essentially an inflated sense of superiority over one’s own social group, leading people to become overly sensitive to threats against their group’s esteem.

This mindset often produces heightened defensiveness and an increase in prejudiced views.

Research Findings

Agnieszka Golec de Zavala, the study’s lead author, sought to explore whether practicing mindful gratitude could serve as an antidote to prejudice, particularly among those showing high levels of collective narcissism.

Mindful gratitude encourages an awareness of and appreciation for the positive aspects of life, potentially nurturing emotional resilience and enhancing well-being.

The research unfolded in two distinct studies.

The first study enlisted 569 Polish adults, assigning them to one of three groups: mindful attention, mindful gratitude, or a control group.

Results showed that, while neither mindfulness practice produced a significant reduction in anti-Semitism, people in the mindful gratitude group showed a weaker connection between collective narcissism and anti-Semitic attitudes.

The second study, involving 219 participants, employed a mobile app for a six-week mindfulness course.

This phase of research revealed noteworthy decreases in various prejudiced attitudes after participants engaged with the mindful gratitude training.

Furthermore, it appeared that practicing mindful gratitude weakened the relationship between collective narcissism and prejudice.

These findings hint at the potential for mindful gratitude, facilitated through a mobile application, to play a significant role in mitigating prejudiced beliefs among those harboring higher levels of collective narcissism.

However, it’s essential to recognize that the participants were volunteers, likely already inclined towards mindfulness practices.

As a result, further research is needed to explore how effective these methods can be among more diverse populations.

The full study, “Mindful-Gratitude Practice Reduces Prejudice at High Levels of Collective Narcissism,” offers more detailed insights for those intrigued by the intersection of mindfulness and social attitudes.

Study Details:

• Title: Mindful-Gratitude Practice Reduces Prejudice at High Levels of Collective Narcissism
• Authors: Agnieszka Golec de Zavala, Oliver Keenan, Matthias Ziegler, Magdalena Mazurkiewicz, Maria Nalberczak-Skóra, Pawel Ciesielski, Julia E. Wahl, and Constantine Sedikides
• Journal: Psychological Science
• Publication Date: November 19, 2024
• DOI: 10.1177/09567976231220902