Find a class

Research

Evidence and rigor are woven into the fabric of our curricula and programs.

Born out of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University, research of the highest caliber is ingrained in the cultural DNA of the Compassion Institute. While research on CCT© is relatively young, a number of projects are in the pipeline, and we are hopeful this body of research will blossom as we collaborate with increasing numbers of researchers from around the world.

 

To date, research on CCT™ suggests consistent practice of CCT™ meditations can lead to:

 

Increased
Happiness
Calmness
Acceptance of emotions
Self-acceptance
Job satisfaction
Self-caring behavior
Compassion for self and others
Openness to receiving compassion from others

 

Decreased
Worry and anxiety
Anger
Mind wandering
Emotional suppression
Reports of chronic pain severity

Are you a researcher interested in conducting a study involving CCT™?
The Compassion Institute is dedicated to promoting strong and ethical academic research on the impacts of Compassion Cultivation Training™. We would be delighted to hear from you regarding research topics, and other inquiries you may have.

Please tell us more about your inquiry.
Contact our Research Team

CCT Research Library

Published peer-reviewed studies on CCT™ are listed here.

Hansen NH, Juul L, Pallesen K, Fjorback LO. Effect of a Compassion Cultivation Training Program for Caregivers of People With Mental Illness in Denmark: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(3):e211020. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.1020

Koopmann-Holm, B., Sze, J., Jinpa, T. & Tsai, J.L. (2019). Compassion meditation increases optimism towards a transgressor. Cognition and Emotion. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2019.1703648.

Brito-Pons, G., Campos, D., & Cebolla, A. (2017) Implicit or Explicit Compassion? Effects of Compassion Cultivation Training and Comparison with Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction. Mindfulness. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12671-018-0898-z

Jazaieri, H. & Goldin, P. (2017) Investigating Moderators of Compassion Meditation Training in a Community Sample. Mindfulness. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12671-017-0857-0

Jazaieri, H., McGonigal, K., Lee, I., Jinpa, T., Doty, J., Gross, J. & Goldin, P. (2017) Altering the Trajectory of Affect and Affect Regulation: the Impact of Compassion Training. Mindfulness. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12671-017-0773-3

Scarlet, J., Altmeyer, N., Knier, S., & Harpin, R. E. (2017). The effects of Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) on health-care workers. Clinical Psychologist, 21(2), 116-124. doi:10.1111/cp.12130

Jazaieri, H., Lee, I., McGonigal, K., Jinpa, T., Doty, J., Gross, J., & Goldin, P. (2015). A wandering mind is a less caring mind: Daily experience sampling during compassion meditation training. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(1), 37-50. doi:10.1080/17439760.2015.1025418

Chapin, H. L., Darnall, B. D., Seppala, E. M., Doty, J. R., Hah, J. M., & Mackey, S. C. (2014). Pilot study of a compassion meditation intervention in chronic pain. Journal of Compassionate Health Care, 1(1). doi:10.1186/s40639-014-0004-x

Ruchelli, G., Chapin, H., Darnall, B., Seppala, E., Doty, J., & Mackey, S. (2014). Compassion meditation training for people living with chronic pain and their significant others: a pilot study and mixed-methods analysis. The Journal of Pain, 15(4). doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2014.01.479

Jazaieri, H., McGonigal, K., Jinpa, T., Doty, J. R., Gross, J. J., & Goldin, P. R. (2013). A randomized controlled trial of compassion cultivation training: Effects on mindfulness, affect, and emotion regulation. Motivation and Emotion, 38(1), 23-35. doi:10.1007/s11031-013-9368-z

Jazaieri, H., Jinpa, T., McGonigal, K., Rosenberg, E. L., Finkelstein, J., Simon-Thomas, E., Cullen, M., Doty, J., Gross, J., Goldin, P. R. (2012). Enhancing Compassion: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Compassion Cultivation Training Program. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(4), 1113-1126. doi:10.1007/s10902-012-9373-z

Weingartner LA, Sawning S, Shaw MA, Klein JB. Compassion cultivation training promotes medical student wellness and enhanced clinical care. BMC Med Educ. 2019 May 10;19(1):139. doi: 10.1186/s12909-019-1546-6. PMID: 31077192; PMCID: PMC6511143. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1546-6

Rojas B, Catalan E, Diez G, Roca P (2023) A compassion-based program to reduce psychological distress in medical students: A pilot randomized clinical trial. PLoS ONE 18(6): e0287388. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287388