It seems that kindness and kindness not only affect the recipient’s feelings, but can have a positive and unexpected effect on the brain health of the entire family, a new study shows.
A multidisciplinary team of researchers and clinicians at the University of Texas at Dallas Brain Health Center sought to understand whether an online empathy training program improves preschoolers’ prosocial behaviors and parents’ resilience during the coronavirus pandemic, according to medicalxpress.
More sympathetic
Researchers at BrainHealth studied the effect of an online kindness training program, adapted from the Ted Dreyer Children’s Empathy Network curriculum, on 38 mothers and their 3- to 5-year-old children. The “Kind Minds with Moozie” program features five short units, and describes creative exercises that parents can do with their children to teach kindness.
To determine how kindness affects brain health, the team asked parents to survey their resilience and report their children’s empathy before and following the training program. Parents are more resilient and preschoolers are more empathetic following kindness training.
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“Strong Catalyst”
The team also explained that both resilience and empathy require cognitive skills such as responding well to stress or thinking regarding different points of view. So the researchers’ findings support the idea that kindness can affect cognitive function and overall brain health.
“We aim to encourage parents to engage in hands-on, brain-healthy interactions with their children that help them better understand each other, especially in times of stress,” said Maria Johnson, Director of Youth and Family Innovations Researcher. “Research shows that kindness is a powerful motivator for sharing.” Active socialization, which in turn is a critical component of overall brain health.”
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She also noted that the effects of kindness may extend beyond families, as kindness can be a powerful brain health booster that increases resilience, not just for parents and families, but for society as a whole.
The researchers also found that the children’s empathy levels remained below average despite the marked improvement following training, noting that this may be due to COVID-19 safety measures that significantly limited children’s natural social and emotional learning.
They also tested whether understanding the science behind the kindness training program affects parental resilience. A random group of 21 participating mothers received a few extra paragraphs to read regarding brain plasticity. But they found no differences in the parents’ level of resilience, or their children’s empathy, with brain science teachings added.
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“Creating a healthy environment”
Cognitive neuroscientist and chief operating officer of the Brain Health Project, Julie Fratantoni, said: “Parents can learn simple strategies to practice kindness effectively, right in their homes to create a mind-healthy environment for their children.”
“In times of stress, taking time to practice kindness to yourself and set yourself a model for your children can enhance your resilience and improve your child’s social behaviors,” Fratantoni explained.
