The Effects of a School-Based Mindfulness Programme (Paws b) on Empathy and Prosocial Behaviour: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a school-based mindfulness programme (SBMP), “Paws b”, on empathy and prosocial behaviour among children aged 7 to 10 years in a school setting. Method This multi-informant design, randomised controlled trial compared an intervention group to a wait-list control group, involving 133 children aged 7- to 10 years from 10 classrooms. Outcome measures were taken at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up and included self-reports of mindfulness and empathy, a sharing task, teacher and peer reports of prosocial behaviours, and sociometry measures. Results Children in the intervention group were voted as significantly more (a) prosocial by teachers F(1, 127) = 7.35, p = 0.008, η2 = 0.055, (b) helpful by peers, F(1, 127) = 9.369, p < 0.003, η2 = 0.069, (c) popular by peers, F(1, 127) = 4.90, p = 0.028, η2 = 0.037, and (d) showed more reciprocal relationships, t(8) = 2.518, p = 0.036, compared to the wait-list control group. The intervention did not have an effect on mindfulness scores, empathy scores (affective, cognitive, or intention to comfort), or sharing task scores. Conclusions Findings suggest that, for 7–10-year-olds, the SBMP, Paws b, delivered by a mindfulness teacher, can increase some aspects of prosociality, as judged by peers and teachers, but has no effect on self-assessed empathy. Preregistration This study was preregistered on the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/vm6tp/) on 31.10.2022.