Compassion is potentially an effective emotion-regulation strategy to face the suffering of self and others. The aim of this paper is to provide an evolutionary understanding of compassion and compassion training (CT) by examining the psychological, neural and behavioral effects of loving-kindness meditation and compassion meditation. The author presents various definitions of compassion and examines the physiological and neural processes behind it. Compassion seems to have evolutionary roots but can be limited due to inherited blocks and fears. Compassion is however trainable and can potentially bypass certain evolutionary-based biases. CT results in various significant psychological effects, most notably positive affect, increased (self) compassion, and mindfulness. Evidence is however inconsistent, especially in relation to active controls. Neural effects are significant yet inconsistent across different experimental conditions. CT without a concurrent task activates (1) the right somatosensory cortices (2) the parieto-occipital sulcus, and (3) the right anterior insula. In relation to the socio-affective video task, CT activates medial orbitofrontal cortex, ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens, putamen, and anterior parts of anterior cingulate cortex; regions related to positive affect, motivational reward and affiliation. These findings converge with the reviewed psychological literature. CT also results in increased altruistic and compassionate behavior towards others, even when it’s costly to the self and under no-reciprocity conditions. Behavioral effects are mostly demonstrated in game-settings against active controls but also in one real-life situation. Together, the results suggest that CT is beneficial to individuals as well as inter-group relationships.

Orientador: Maria Lúcia de Oliveira / Banca: Yves Joel Jean-Marie Rodolphe de La Taille / Banca: Luciene Regina Paulino Tognetta / Banca: Telma Pileggi Vinha / Banca: Ricardo Leite Camargo / Resumo: Vive-se uma época crepuscular do dever, a meio caminho entre a agonia moral e a renovação ética. Estudos recentes na área da Psicologia Moral têm demonstrado que se os valores morais se tornarem centrais nas representações de si das pessoas, esse querer particular, o dever, será sentido com força e prevalecerá sobre outros quereres estranhos ou contrários à moral. Tudo o que se tem a fazer é investir a personalidade com tais valores. Mas como, se o Bem é átono e as ações morais, pouco prestigiadas socialmente como traduções de excelência do ser no tempo presente? De tal problematização nasce este estudo, cuja proposição foi a de investigar a influência do recebimento de um atendimento magnânimo de compaixão como um fator impulsionador do querer fazer moral. Sem pretender com esse sentimento fundar uma moral, estudamo-lo sob dois aspectos: 1º) realizando uma análise psicológica e filosófica de algumas obras clássicas do mundo ficcional que o tematizam; e 2º) por meio de uma pesquisa empírica, indo a campo ouvir 50 adolescentes entre 15 e 18 anos sobre como concebem a compaixão e se estar sob seus efeitos, depois de tê-la experimentado (em situações hipotéticas, veiculadas por meio de narrativas a eles apresentadas), contribui para desviar um pouco seus olhares de si mesmos e colocá-los no outro, enxergando suas necessidades e direitos e realizando escolhas morais correspondentes. O resultado a que se chegou com a pesquisa empírica pode assim ser traduzido: pela admiração e gratidão que suscita, pela gratuidade que veicula, pelo valor que confere e pelo desequilíbrio que provoca, um atendimento magnânimo de compaixão motiva grandemente para o querer fazer moral. O estudo com a literatura ficcional, que, entre outras análises, incluiu a dos romances "O Idiota", de Dostoiévski, e "Os Miseráveis", de Victor Hugo, possibilitou uma ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: We live in a twilight age of duty, midway between moral agony and ethical renewal. Recent studies in the area of Moral Psychology have shown that if moral values become central to the self-representations of people, this peculiar desire or duty will be felt with such strength that it will prevail over other desires that are strange or opposed to morality. All you have to do is to invest your character with such values. But how can you do this, if the Good is unassertive and moral actions have little social prestige, at present, as manifestations of excellence? This perplex issue is what gave birth to the present study, the proposition of which was to investigate the influence of receiving the magnanimous touch of compassion as a driving factor in wanting to do moral actions. With no pretense of using this feeling to create a moral system, we examined it under two aspects: 1) conducting a psychological and philosophical analysis of some classic fictional writings that used this subject as a theme, and 2) by means of an empirical research in which 50 teenagers between 15 and 18 years old were interviewed on their concept of compassion and if they felt that being under its effect, after having experienced it (in hypothetical situations, given through narratives presented to them), would help to take their attention off themselves and place it on others, seeing the others' needs and rights and making the correspondent moral choices. The conclusion that was reached through the empirical research may be expressed as follows: by reason of the admiration and gratitude that is engendered, the graciousness that is imparted, the appreciation that is attributed and the impact that takes one off balance, the magnanimous touch of compassion is a very strong factor that motivates a person to want to act morally. The study of fictional literature, which, among other analyses, included the novels ... (Complete abstract click electronic access balow) / Doutor

abstract: The purpose of this dissertation was to develop a Compassionate Communication Scale (CCS) by conducting a series of studies. The first study used qualitative data to identify and develop initial scale items. A series of follow-up studies used exploratory factor analysis to investigate the underlying structure of the CCS. A three-factor structure emerged, which included: Compassionate conversation, such as listening, letting the distressed person disclose feelings, and making empathetic remarks; compassionate touch, such as holding someone's hand or patting someone's back; and compassionate messaging, such as posting an encouraging message on a social networking site or sending a sympathetic email. The next study tested convergent and divergent validity by determining how the three forms of compassionate communication associate with various traits. Compassionate conversation was positively related to compassion, empathetic concern, perspective taking, emotional intelligence, social expressivity, emotional expressivity and benevolence, and negatively related to verbal aggressiveness and narcissism. Compassionate touch was positively correlated with compassion, empathetic concern, perspective taking, emotional intelligence, social expressivity, emotional expressivity, and benevolence, and uncorrelated with verbal aggressiveness and benevolence. Finally, compassionate messaging was positively correlated with social expressivity, emotional expressivity, and uncorrelated with verbal aggressiveness and narcissism. The next study focused on cross-validation and criterion-related validity. Correlations showing that self-reports of a person's compassionate communication were positively related to a friend or romantic partner's report of that person's compassionate communication provided cross-validation. The test for criterion-related validity examined whether compassionate communication predicts relational satisfaction. Regression analyses revealed that people were more relationally satisfied when they perceived themselves to use compassionate conversation, when they perceived their partner to use compassionate conversation, and when their partner reported using compassionate conversation. This finding did not extend to compassionate touch or compassionate messaging. In fact, in one regression analysis, people reported more relational satisfaction when they perceived that their partners used high levels of compassionate conversation and low levels of compassionate touch. Overall, the analyses suggest that of the three forms of compassionate communication, compassionate conversation is most strongly related to relational satisfaction. Taken together, this series of studies provides initial evidence for the validity of the CCS. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Communication Studies 2013

Purpose: To conduct an educational intervention to reduce compassion fatigue among Arizona transplant nurses. Background: Burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and loss of compassion satisfaction raise the risk of compassion fatigue. Transplant nurses support the patient continuum of life and death, and often experience emotional and physical exhaustion and grief when dealing with poor outcomes or patient loss. When patients disregard the value of their new organ or are non-compliant with medications, nurses may feel conflicted. There is a paucity of research as to how those situations are experienced among transplant nurses. Method: Two workshops were conducted to reduce the risk of compassion fatigue among transplant nurses (n=7) through the delivery of educational and skills training. Education included symptoms, perceptions, triggers and outcomes of compassion fatigue. Skills to reduce compassion fatigue were outlined, such as self-reflection, mindfulness, healthy boundaries, and reaching out. Discussion content was analyzed for commonalities. Findings: Participants reported an overall high level of personal satisfaction within their specialty, relating this to the improved quality of life for patients who otherwise faced terminal illness or imminent death. Burnout and secondary traumatic stress experiences were deemed as inherent within this nursing practice. Symptoms of headaches, nausea, joint pain, and extreme fatigue were described as occurring in times of increased stress. Triggers reported for these symptoms included poor teamwork, lack of management support, and high nurse-to-patient care ratios. Ethical and moral dilemmas were unanimously reported as causing the highest levels of stress and professional dissatisfaction. Implications: Burnout among transplant nurses is perceived as inherent to this specialty due to associated challenges with a life and death continuum of patient care. Participants asserted that the nurse-to-patient relationship remains rewarding, which helps to prevent the onset of compassion fatigue. Participants conveyed that the term compassion fatigue is viewed as negative and does not accurately represent compassion levels when feeling fatigued from providing patient care.

Bakgrund: För att sjuksköterskor ska kunna tillhandahålla en god personcentrerad vård krävs ett empatiskt förhållningssätt, vilket kan äventyras om sjuksköterskorna drabbas av compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue är ett relativt nybildat begrepp som handlar om ett tillstånd i form av att vara för trött för att bry sig samt behöva avstå från att bry sig för att skydda sig själv. Detta kan uppkomma hos sjuksköterskor till följd av att vårda svårt sjuka patienter. Inom vård och omsorg är det vanligt med långtidssjukskrivningar på grund av psykisk ohälsa. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt var att beskriva vilka faktorer som påverkar uppkomst av compassion fatigue hos sjuksköterskor samt även beskriva hur sjuksköterskor upplever att drabbas av compassion fatigue. Metod: En litteraturöversikt där resultatet är baserat på 16 artiklar. Resultat: Resultatet delades upp i två huvudkategorier: faktorer som påverkar uppkomst av compassion fatigue samt sjuksköterskors upplevelse av att drabbas av compassion fatigue. Dessa delades sedan upp i subkategorier där de olika faktorerna och upplevelserna presenterades. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskor och annan vårdpersonal samt studenter bör erbjudas utbildning för att bredda kunskapen om compassion fatigue. Det skulle kunna leda till ett lyckat preventivt arbete, vilket i sin tur skulle resultera i färre sjukskrivningar. / Background: For nurses to be able to provide a high quality personcentered care it takes an empathetic approach., which can be jeopardized as a consequence of compassion fatigue among nurses. Compassion fatigue is a relatively new term which is about a condition of being too tired to care and needing to abstain from caring to protect oneself. This condition can develop among nurses due to caring for critically ill patients. In healthcare it is common with long term sick leave from psychological illness. Aim: The purpose of this literature review was to describe the factors that can influence the occurance of compassion fatigue among nurses, and to further describe how nurses experience the suffering from compassion fatigue. Method: A literature review where the result is based on 16 articles. Result: The result was divided in to two major categories: factors that influence the occurance of compassion fatigue and nurses experiences of suffering from compassion fatigue. These were then divided in to subcategories where the factors and experiences were presented. Conclusion: Nurses, other healthcare providers and students should be offered education to widen their knowledge about compassion fatigue. This could lead to a successful preventive work, which in turn could result in less sick leaves.

Compassion is one of the fundamental experiences which signify human existence. Person perception is the constructive process with which we form an opinion or judgment of another person. Two experiments (N =277) were conducted in this study. Experiment 1 examined the effects of a mindfulness meditation on compassion in a large sample of young adults. Participants (n =76) were randomly assigned to three groups. Participants in group 1 received the mindfulness meditation, group 2 received an alternate version of the mindfulness meditation (self-focus only), and participants in group 3 were asked to complete an attention task and read a geological text. It was hypothesized that mindfulness meditation is significantly associated with the experience of compassion. Results showed that participants in the experimental group 1 experienced significantly higher levels of compassion compared to participants in the control group 3. The participants in group 2 were not different from experimental group 1 or from control group 3. Gender differences in the effects of meditation on compassion were explored. Different measures yielded conflicting evidence for gender differences in experienced compassion. For the second experiment a Solomon four-group experimental design was employed to examine the possible effects of compassion on person perception. Participants (n = 201) were randomly assigned to 4 groups. The effect of pretesting impression formation on posttest performance was investigated. It was hypothesized that compassion has a significant effect on impression formation. The Stouffer's z -method was used to investigate this effect. Results indicated that participants in the experimental groups after completing a mindfulness meditation rated a target person significantly more favorable, compared to participants in the control groups. Results also indicated that pretest had no significant effect on post-test ratings of the impression formation task. Transcendental applications for the inducement and experience of compassion in psychotherapy and the role of compassion in human society are considered. Limitations of this study are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / This study explored Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) among lay trauma counsellors in Cape Town, South Africa, with a secondary focus on the implications for task shifting. The study supplemented a broader project, which sought to determine correlates between age, gender, and the constructs of ProQOL, using a triangulation design to combine nomothetic and idiographic methods. The current study acted to supplement the primary study with qualitative data, but can be treated as a stand-alone qualitative study.

Bakgrund: Sjuksköterskeprofessionen kan komma med flertalet utmaningar vilka kan påverka sjuksköterskan emotionellt. Sjuksköterskans ansvar innefattas av personcentrerad vård där patientens lidande ska lindras och det kan ställa krav på sjuksköterskan emotionellt. Bland annat för att den egna hälsan ska bevaras för god och säker vård för patienten. Tidigare forskning beskriver de känslor som kan uppstå i vårdandet såsom trötthet, tillfredställelse och kraft, vilka kan bidra till konsekvenser för sjuksköterskan och patienten beroende på hur sjuksköterskan hanterar dessa. Syfte: Att beskriva allmänsjuksköterskans upplevelse av vad som ger kraft i vårdandet. Metod: En kvalitativ metod med induktiv ansats där datainsamlingen genomfördes i form av semistrukturerad intervju med fyra allmänsjuksköterskor på ett sjukhus i Mellansverige. Datamaterialet analyserades utifrån en manifest innehållsanalys. Resultat: Sjuksköterskan upplevde kraft i vårdandet i det vårdande mötet där sjuksköterskan fick göra skillnad för patienten och att skapa relationer med patienten och anhöriga genom samtal och kontakt. Kraften kunde även upplevas i möjligheten till kontroll genom ett samarbete i teamet och att utvecklas som sjuksköterska. Slutsats: Sjuksköterskan önskar vårda på både ett fysiskt och emotionellt plan och kan behöva verktyg för att hantera utmanande situationer i vårdandet för upplevelsen av kraft. / Background: Emotions can occur within the nurse in the nursing practice, which can be a challenge for the nurse. The nurse has responsibilities to put the patient first where the nurse can help the patient with his/hers suffering. This responsibility can be demanding because of the emotional responsibility for the nurse to take care of him/herself for the possibility to provide care for the patient. Studies describes that emotions such as fatigue, satisfaction and energy can occur within the nurse in the nursing practice, which can lead to consequences for the nurse and the patient depending on how the nurse handle the situation. Aim: Describe the experience of the general nurse regarding the source in the nursing practice that generates energy. Method: A qualitative design with inductive hypothesis and the data was collected by semistructured interviews in which four nurses working in a hospital ward in the middle region of Sweden was included. A qualitative content analysis was used when analyzing the collected data. Result: The nurse can experience energy in the nursing practice when meeting with the patient where a difference can be made for the patient and when creating relationships with the patient and close relative's trough conversations and connections. Good teamwork and growth in the nursing practice could lead to a sense of control for the nurse, which could generate energy. Conclusion: in situations that are difficult emotionally for the nurse, tools may be used for the nurse which can give the nurse energy.

Well-being is a human goal globally and has been considered so since the early days of philosophical thought. As the science of well-being has grown the last decades, well-being has widely been agreed to consist of two core components: Hedonic well-being and Eudaimonic well-being. These components have been studied to a large extent and further explored, conceptualized, and divided. How components of well-being interrelate is still being explored, as well of what drivers there are of experiencing well-being.Self-compassion is a relatively new field within psychology and cognitive neuroscience research which has been linked to components of well-being. Thus, the first aim of this study was to provide a theoretical overview of previous studies of the relationship between well-being and self-compassion. As research of self-compassion is still in its infancy, there are yet very few studies on self-compassion and its relationship to well-being in different cultures. The concept stems from East-Asian culture, and if self-compassion is important for well-being globally, or if it is depending on difference in culture, has been discussed. Hence, the second aim was to explore if there would be a potential relationship between self-compassion and well-being in a Cuban sample, as there is a lack of research in that region. 200 university students in Havana participated and filled in a questionnaire regarding subjective well-being, psychological well-being, and self-compassion. Results revealed that there was a significant relationship between well-being and self-compassion, and especially between psychological well-being and self-compassion. Components of well-being correlated with each other as well. These results go in line with previous research. Hence the present study suggests that the patterns of correlations between self-compassion and well-being is similar in Cuban university students as in other cultures studied so far.

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